C-47s to Venerate D-Day and Berlin Airlift

The Commemorative Air Force’s D-Day Squadron—an American fleet of historic, restored C-47 World War II military aircraft—will announce at the EAA’s 20022 AirVenture event that it will return to Europe in 2024 for the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the 75th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. In 2019, the D-Day Squadron took a fleet of 15 WWII-era DC-3s to England, France, and Germany. The success of the 2019 mission compelled the squadron to remain confederated and it has since appeared in numerous flyovers, aviation events, and warbird-themed airshows.

D-Day Squadron director of operations and mission chief pilot Eric Zipkin states: “Having led the DC-3’s journey to Europe in 2019, the D-Day Squadron earned a global presence that’s provided our organization to grow, multiply our DC-3 presence and even launch the DC-3 Society where we actively aid operators and enthusiasts with maintenance, operations, airworthiness, and displays. We won the War because of our logistical abilities, it’s only appropriate we, as the stewards of this noble aircraft, continue to fly and maintain the very airframe that was the backbone to achieving victory.”

An undertaking as costly and complex as urging a squadron of WWII-era, twin-radial-engined aircraft with a top-speed of 190-knots across the North Atlantic requires considerable resources and cooperation. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF)—the world’s largest operator of warbirds and WWII-era aircraft—is among the organizations with which the D-Day Squadron will collaborate in preparation for its return to Europe.

Commemorative Air Force president Hank Coates said of the partnership: “We are excited to work with the D-Day Squadron on another mission to Europe. When we participated in 2019, it was wonderful to see how many people were impacted by seeing our aircraft and aircrews paying tribute to these important moments in history.”

Planning for the D-Day/Berlin Airlift anniversary mission is already underway. A volunteer committee of professionals in fields germane to the endeavor is being convened to organize and oversee the logistics of what all involved intend to make another remarkable mission to honor, pay tribute, and commemorate the veterans of the Second World War.

FMI: commemorativeairforce.org