In commemoration of D-Day’s 79th anniversary, the American Airpower Museum’s Douglas C-47B “Skytrain” troop transport will conductfourLiving History Flight Experiences on Saturday, June17, 2023. This is a one-of-a-kind immersive educational program, where Living Historiansshow passengers what 101st and 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers experienced on their incredible 1,200-plane D-Day assault. Noted World War II 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 experience to honor our heroic C-47B troop transport crews and paratroopers. Passengers are issued M-1942 jump jackets, helmets and harnesses, take part in an authentic mission briefing, then “form up” with AAM’s professional reenactors in full WWII 101st Airborne gear. Next, passengers and reenactors board the museum’sC-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 feel and hearthe aircraft’s mighty twin engines firing up, then she takes off from Republic and heads for Long Island’s South Shore. During flight, they observe the airmen operating their controls and paratroopers prepping for battle. They’ll relive the Airborne experience to the very moment when orders are given to hook up to the overhead static line. 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 isabout 20 minutes.)
AAM’s fourC-47B flightsare from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. AAM’s next D-Day Flight Experiences will be on September 2, 2023 and October 7, 2023.You canbook seats by visiting AAM’s website at www.americanairpowermuseum.org and clicking “C-47 D-Day Living History Flight Experience.”Or call (516) 531-3950, (631) 454-2039 or visit AAM’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 anextraguestat 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 only $10per person.
The public may also wishto visit AAM’s Hangar 3 all day on June17th, just 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-47Bwas 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. AAMacquired 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 veteransfought to defeat Nazi Germany and defendour 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 RepublicAviationat 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.