As the D-Day Squadron gathers their Douglas C-47s in Oxford, Connecticut in preparation for their imminent departure to Europe and the 75th Anniversary celebrations for D-Day this June, we thought it might be interesting for readers to see some more images of the preliminary gathering in Frederick, Maryland this past weekend, where six of the historic Douglas transports gathered for a flypast over Washington, DC.
The C-47’s scheduled to take part were:
1- C-47A-40-DL Skytrain 42-24064 – Placid Lassie – N74589 – Lead Aircraft
2 – C-47A-60-DL 43-30647 – Virginia Ann – N62CC
3 – C-47B-5-DK 43-48608 – Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber – N47SJ
4 – C-47A-30-DL 42-23669/FD879 – Flabob Express – N103NA
5 – C-47A-60-DL 43-30665 – Miss Virginia – N47E
6 – C-47B-50-DK 45-1108 – Clipper Tabitha May – N33611
The weather conditions were less than ideal, with rain storms moving through the region on an almost hourly basis at times. Despite the inclement weather, and the hobbling of one aircraft (Miss Virginia) due to a fuel pump issue, five of the six C-47s on hand were able to successfully carry out the formation flight over the nation’s capitol.
The event also coincided with an AOPA-organized Fly-in at the airfield. The Aircraft Owners and Pilot’s Association is based locally, and celebrating the 80th anniversary of their founding!
Many thanks to regular contributor A.Kevin Grantham who was on hand to capture the moment with his cameras. We hope you have enjoyed his efforts!
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Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
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