Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center to Welcome Historic C-47s

Four DC-3s of the D-Day Squadron will fly in and display during the Innovation in Flight event at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum‘s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The annual, single-day hootenanny affords attendees opportunity to explore the engineering and design innovations that have taken place during the last century of flight.

The aircraft to be presented by the D-Day Squadron are the C-47 Clippers: Tabitha May, based in Manassas, VA; Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber, based in Paso Robles, CA; Miss Virginia, based in Bridgewater, VA; and the C-53, Spirit of Benovia, based in Aurora, OR. Mr. Rod Moyer of Miss Virginia, is serving as mission chief pilot for this event.

In 2019, the D-Day Squadron led an American fleet of 15 restored C-47 and DC-3 variant aircraft on an historic, Blue Spruce Atlantic crossing to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. The mission took the fleet to sites of WWII combat operations in the UK, France, Germany and Italy.

Comprising DC-3 operators, enthusiasts, and crews, the D-Day Squadron is a DC-3 society that ensures surviving DC-3s remain airworthy and publicly presented in a manner conducive to illustrating the aircraft’s tremendous accomplishments in both war and peace.

“… we’re always eager to share our vintage C-47 with the public. This June has offered multiple D-Day Squadron events and flying missions where these historic machines are meant to fly, display, and educate people of all ages,” states Scott Stelzle, chief operations officer for the Estrella Warbird Museum, home of the C-47 Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber.

The Innovation in Flight event will take place on Saturday, 18 June from 10:00 to 15.00 EDT at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. A free public screening of the film, “Into Flight Once More,” will take place at 10:00 in the Udvar-Hazy Center‘s Airbus IMAX Theatre.

FMI: https://airandspace.si.edu/udvar-hazy-center, https://ddaysquadron.org/about/