D-Day Squadron Announces a European Tour in 2024
Oxford, Connecticut ( July 21, 2022)- The D-Day Squadron announces at this year’s EAA AirVenture a plan to return to Europe in 2024 for the 80th anniversary of D-Day in France and the 75th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift in Germany. In 2019, the D-Day Squadron took a fleet of 15 WWII-era DC-3s to England, France, and Germany. Following the 2019 successful mission, the D- Day Squadron has continued to be present at multiple flyovers, aviation events, and warbird- themed airshows.
“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,” shared Eric Zipkin, director of operations and mission chief pilot for the D-Day Squadron. “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.”
Orchestrating a tour of this magnitude takes considerable resources and cooperation from several different organizations. The D-Day Squadron is advising several DC-3s operations in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia planning to participate in Europe 2024. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), the World’s Largest Flying Museum, is one of the organizations that will collaborate with the D-Day Squadron for the tour. CAF President Hank Coates said, “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 mission is already underway. A volunteer committee of seasoned professionals is being established to help organize and manage logistics in support of another remarkable mission to honor, pay tribute, and commemorate World War II veterans.
A press conference is scheduled for Thursday, July 28 at 1 P.M. at EAA Press headquarters. For more event information from the D-Day Squadron: https://ddaysquadron.org/events/
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[Press release from the D-DAY Squadron]
