D-Day Living History Flight Experiences at American Airpower Museum

PRESS RELEASE: In honor of D-Day’s 79^th anniversary, the American Airpower Museum’s Douglas C-47B Skytrain troop transport will conduct four Living History Flight Experiences from the organization’s base at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York on Saturday, April 29th, 2023. Dozens of Long Islanders will get a rare chance to fly in AAM’s iconic World War II C-47B, one of the few still in its original military condition. This is a one-of-a-kind immersive educational program, where Living Historians show passengers some of what paratroopers from the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions will have experienced on their incredible 1,200-plane assault on Normandy during the early hours of D-Day, June 6th, 1944. Noted WWII Living Historian Robert Scarabino, with help from his 101st Airborne Reenactors, will transport passengers back in time.

Stories of our nation’s Greatest Generation, heroes of the Normandy D-Day Invasion, are being retold to a new generation of Americans. AAM takes the next step and turns these events into teachable moments or “living history,” so passengers can feel, hear, see and smell some of the sensations from the Night of Nights, when the June 6, 1944 D-Day Invasion was launched, or from the daytime Operation Market Garden airdrop into Holland just a few months later on September 17 to 27, 1944.

AAM has created a unique and immersive experience to honor heroic C-47 troop transport crews and paratroopers of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions. Passengers are issued M-1942 jump jackets, helmets and harnesses, take part in an Airborne Mission briefing, then “form up” with AAM’s professional re-enactors in full WWII-era 101st Airborne gear. Next, passengers and reenactors board the museum’s C-47B Skytrain, just like America’s heroes did 79 years ago, when they risked all to liberate occupied Europe from the Nazi scourge.

On board the C-47B Skytrooper, passengers experience authentic sights and sounds as the aircraft’s powerful, Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines fire up and she takes off from Republic Field. During flight, they observe the aircrew operating their C-47 and paratroopers prepping for battle. They will relive the Airborne experience to the very moment when they’re ordered to hook up to the overhead static line – but don’t worry, no one leaves the airplane until safely back on the ground! Upon returning from this exciting flight, all will learn what our heroes did 79 years ago, when they helped achieve victory for the allies, culminating in the Nazi surrender. (Each Living History experience is about 1.5 hours long and the actual flight time to Long Island’s South Shore and back is about 20 minutes.)

Seats are still available on the four flights which take place between 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. To book a seat, go to AAM’s website at www.americanairpowermuseum.org and click on “C-47 D-Day Living History Flight Experience.” Or call (516) 531-3950, (631) 454-2039 and/or visit the museum’s gift shop Wednesday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway, Farmingdale, NY 11735. Each passenger on a C-47B flight may bring an extra guest at no charge, to watch the flights plus tour museum exhibits all day.  In addition, C-47B passengers may bring up to four additional guests for an entrance fee of $10 each.

The public can also attend AAM’s Hangar 3 all day on April 29^th, to watch each flight and tour the exhibits.  Regular admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and veterans, $12 for children ages 5-12. Tickets and pre-registration are not required.

Affectionately dubbed Second Chance, AAM’s iconic C-47B was built in 1944 and supplied to the U.S. Army Air Force as serial number 44-76717. She was transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) as KN512 in 1945 and flew in the Berlin Airlift (1948 – 1949), serving with the RAF until 1950. The aircraft next served in the Belgian Air Force for two years. In 1952 she went to the French Air Force, serving two years in Viet Nam, as well as in India, Algeria, Morocco and the Congo. In 1967 she was sold to Israel and flew in the Israeli Defense Force (as s/n 006) for 32 years. AAM acquired the aircraft in 2000. In addition to AAM’s D-Day flights, she also performs at regional air shows in classic WWII D-Day markings with the original “D8” code. One of the last C-47Bs still in stock military configuration, this aircraft has just over 17,000 hours in the air.

This is a family-friendly program for all ages and a wonderful way to educate young Americans about WWII and how U.S. military veterans fought to defeat Nazi Germany and defend our freedom. Support AAM’s mission to honor veterans and military aviation history by helping maintain and preserve the museum’s iconic aircraft.  Help “Keep ‘Em Flying!”