Take a Flight Back in Time with American Airpower Museum’s Douglas C-47B D-Day Living History Flight Experience
In honor of D-Day’s 79th anniversary, the American Airpower Museum’s Douglas C-47B “Skytrain” troop transport will conduct four Living History Flight Experiences on Saturday, April 29, 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 original military condition. This is a one-of-a-kind immersive educational program, where Living Historians show passengers what 101st and 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers experienced on their incredible 1,200-plane D-Day assault. 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 how it was on the “Night of Nights,” when the June 6, 1944 D-Day Invasion was launched, or on the daytime “Operation Market Garden” airdrop into Holland from September 17 to 27, 1944.
AAM has created a totally unique and immersive experience to honor heroic C-47B 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 reenactors in full WWII 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, passengers experience authentic sights and sounds as the aircraft’s mighty twin engines fire up and she takes off from Republic. During flight, they observe the aircrew operating their C-47B and paratroopers prepping for battle. They’ll relive the Airborne experience to the very moment when they’re ordered to hook up to the overhead static line. 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 29th, 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. She was transferred to the Royal Air Force in 1945 and flew in the Berlin Airlift (1948 - 1949) with the RAF, serving 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 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, one of the world’s lowest flight times ever!
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!”
The American Airpower Museum is an aviation museum located on the landmarked former site of Republic Aviation at Republic Airport, Farmingdale, NY. The Museum maintains a collection of aviation artifacts and an array of aircraft spanning the many years of the aircraft factory's history. The Museum is a 501 (c) (3) Nonprofit Educational Foundation Chartered by the New York State Board of Regents.