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The C-47 lineup at Frederick last Friday. These aircraft are all in Oxford, Connecticut now, preparing for their journey to Europe in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
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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.
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.
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The C-47 lineup at Frederick last Friday. These aircraft are all in Oxford, Connecticut now, preparing for their journey to Europe in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Clipper Tabitha May, one of two C-47s that will join the D-Day Squadron on the way to Europe this summer. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Miss Virginia – This aircraft had a fuel pump issue which unfortunately prevented her from taking part in the flypast over Washington, DC. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Virginia Ann, a D-Day veteran sitting on the ramp at Frederick last Friday. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Placid Lassie… this D-Day veteran is the lead ship in the D-Day Squadron. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Another shot of Miss Virginia on the ramp in between rain storms in Frederick. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Clipper Tabitha May looks spectacular in her Pan American World Airways livery. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Five of the six C-47s on hand in Frederick. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Clipper Tabitha May head on. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Richard Henshaw’s North American Harvard Mk.III EZ127 (originally AT-6D 41-34000). Several North American Texans/Harvards were on hand in Frederick last Friday. It was a fly-in sponsored by AOPA as part of the organization’s 80th anniversary celebrations. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
This former South African Air Force North American Harvard Mk.III was originally built for the British as EZ138. Her USAAF serial number was 41-34011, so the ship was just a dozen places down the production line from the example in Frederick dressed in the white livery of the U.S. Marines Corps. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
David Steele and Glen Allen’s marvelous North American T-6G Texan, serial 49-3382 on the grass at Frederick. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
The event in Frederick last weekend was organized by AOPA, which has its headquarters locally. It was a part of the organization’s 80th anniversary celebrations, so there were a number of modern civilian types attending the fly-in portion of the show. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
The nose of a brand new Pilatus PC-24 executive jet is seen hear, with Frederick Municipal Airport’s control tower in the background. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
A number of civilian aircraft attended the fly-in. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
A beautiful reflected image of an unusual Cirrus SF50 jet. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Clipper Tabitha May getting ready to start her engines. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Betty’s Biscuit Bomber gets one of her engines running. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Clipper Tabitha May getting ready to start her second engine. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Betty’s Buscuit Bomber getting her temperatures up with the engines running. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Clipper Tabitha May with both engines running smoothly now. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Placid Lassie preparing to taxi out for the massed takeoff. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Clipper Tabitha May inching forwards. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Former Royal Air Force Douglas Dakota ‘Flabob Express’ revving her engines. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Virginia Ann getting ready to move. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
While the other five Douglas transports were preparing for their massed takeoff, Miss Virginia had to stand down due to a fuel pump issue on her starboard engine. You can see the maintenance personnel working on her innards in this shot. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Clipper Tabitha May taxiing forwards towards the runway. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Five C-47s taxxing towards the runway, with the former SAAF Harvard Mk.III in trail. The Harvard would act as the photo-ship for the flight. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
The takeoff roll begins. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Placid Lassie with her tail up on the take off roll. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Placid Lassie just getting airborne. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Placid Lassie begins her climb. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Another great shot of Placid Lassie. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Betty’s Biscuit Bomber on her takoff roll. Note the thermal haze stirred up by the hot exhaust from her engines. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
BBB about to lift off. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
BBB airborne! (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
BBB heading skywards to meet up with Placid Lassie and three other C-47s for the overflight of Washington, DC. The weather was so questionable it almost cancelled the event, but the timing between storms worked out, thankfully. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Flabob Express rumbling down the runway at Frederick. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Flabob Express gets air under her wings. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
A marvelous study of Flabob Express in flight. This aircraft was once the British General, Claude Auchinleck’s personal aircraft when he commanded the Indian Army during WWII. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Flabob Express. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Pan American World Airways Clipper Tabitha May heading skywards. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Clipper Tabitha May. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Another lovely image of Clipper Tabitha May. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Virginia Ann about to get airborne. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Virginia Ann in the sky. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Virginia Ann heading into a leaden sky. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Virginia Ann, the last of the C-47s to take off at Frederick last Friday chases off to form up with the four other aircraft. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
The Harvard Mk.III camera ship rolling up her gear before heading in search of the C-47 formation. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Placid Lassie leads two of the five C-47s in formation as they pass over Frederick on their way to Washington, DC. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
The five C-47s tightening up their formation as they head out to DC. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Engines both running successfully on Miss Virginia. Note that some of the cowlings have not been replaced on the starboard engine… just in case they need a fire extinguisher in a hurry. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Miss Virginia all buttoned up awaiting the trial start of her recalcitrant starboard engine about a quarter hour after the other C-47s had left for their flight over DC. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Miss Virginia running her engines after working on the troublesome fuel pump on the right engine. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
All-stop for Miss Virginia. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
A little over an hour after their departure, the C-47s return to Frederick following a successful flight over Warshington, DC and Arlington National Cemetery. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Placid Lassie pealing off from the formation to come in and land. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Placid Lassie touching back down in Frederick almost exactly an hour after her departure and follwing a successful formation flypast over the nation’s capitol. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
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!
The event in Frederick last weekend was organized by AOPA, which has its headquarters locally. It was a part of the organization’s 80th anniversary celebrations, so there were a number of modern civilian types attending the fly-in portion of the show. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
The nose of a brand new Pilatus PC-24 executive jet is seen hear, with Frederick Municipal Airport’s control tower in the background. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
A number of civilian aircraft attended the fly-in. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
A beautiful reflected image of an unusual Cirrus SF50 jet. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
Three of the T-6/Harvards on show at the Frederick Fly-in last Friday. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
A beautiful Boeing PT-18 Kaydet, former USAAF 40-1926. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
The PT-18 parking up after scud-running to get to Frederick ahead of the storms which soon came past. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
The PT-18 sitting on the grass verge at Frederick. (photo by A.Kevin Grantham)
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!
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.
