Paine field based Historic Flight Foundation has organized a very rare “Diamond Four” formation of P-51 Mustangs to visit thirty cities and towns in Western Washington on June 6th, the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Lead by HFF’s D-Day veteran (four sorties over the beaches of Normandy), P-51B “Impatient Virgin,” the formation will launch from Paine Field at 9 a.m. and conclude operations at approximately 3 p.m. with a noontime tour of downtown Seattle. The flight will consist of “Impatient Virgin”, “Val-Halla”, “Upupa Epops” and “Hell-er Bust.”Special visits include Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Gray Army Airfield. Operations will extend as far north as Bellingham, as far south as Olympia. Visit HFF to witness return of the aircraft.
On June 7th, Kilo-7 will be activity rich and even more family friendly than usual. Visit HFF’s D-Day encampment of over 100 “living historians” in authentic D-Day attire, and almost as many military vehicle enthusiasts. At 11 a.m., the “Kings of Swing” will perform period music while professional dance instructors encourage participation. At 1:00 p.m. WWII veterans will be introduced as will recently returned comrades from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. In the afternoon, aviation author Mike Lavelle will present “Allied Air Support, Operation Overlord.” And to cap the day, HFF’s B-25 and P-51B will show off invasion stripes in an aerial tribute to the surviving veterans. To reserve tickets, purchase online at Brown Paper Tickets or contact Visitor Services.
