Published in Midwest Flyer – February/March 2019 issue
OXFORD, CT. – The National Warbird Operator Conference (NWOC) has announced a strategic partnership with the D-Day Squadron, offering the group the opportunity to make a presentation on their mission during the NWOC annual convention. Momentum is building for the D-Day Squadron as the vintage warbird community continues to rally around this unprecedented opportunity to return 19 flying restored C-47 and DC-3 (the civilian version of the C-47) aircraft across the North Atlantic in late May 2019 to take part in honoring the few remaining D-Day veterans who are still with us. “We are proud to support the efforts of the D-Day Squadron in bringing these historic aircraft back to where the history actually happened,” declared Ann Marie Loos of NWOC.
Flying along the original route across the North Atlantic, which was used to ferry aircraft during the Second World War, the squadron will join with its European counterpart, Daks over Normandy. These groups will create an aerial fleet to cross the English Channel on June 5th as well as participate in multiple events. Events will take place on June 2nd-5th at Duxford Airfield in the United Kingdom, and from June 5th-9th at Caen-Carpiquet Airport in Normandy, France.
“It is really great that the industry has come together to support us in a major way,” said Moreno Aguiari, Executive Director of the D-Day Squadron. “Several companies have offered their support and expertise and we are really proud of this. I want to thank the NWOC management team for giving us the opportunity to present our mission and for facilitating our participation.”
The D-Day Squadron is the part of the Tunison Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. In June 2019, the D-Day Squadron will lead an American fleet of historic, restored C-47 World War II military aircraft in “Daks Over Normandy,” a flyover of more than 30 international aircraft to drop 250 paratroopers over the original 1944 drop zones in Normandy, commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The event will honor the citizen soldiers of the war, whose bravery led the Allies to the liberation of France, and then to an end of the devastating war in Europe. The Squadron’s education program takes the compelling story of the citizen soldier to audiences at airshows and events off the flightline to honor these brave Americans and ensure their memory and significance is appreciated for generations to come. The group’s efforts are funded through the generous tax-deductible contributions of their supporters. Learn more at DDaySquadron.org.
Founded in 1993, the annual NWOC event brings together warbird owners, operators and museum directors to address particular events facing warbird owners and to discuss common goals related to the ever-changing economics, operations and regulations pertaining to flying ex-military aircraft (https://www.nwoc.aero/).
