Experience D-Day Flight At LI's American Airpower Museum

FARMINGDALE, NY — The American Airpower Museum is set to conduct four Living History Flight Experiences in its Douglas C-47B "Skytrain" troop transport on April 29, the museum announced.

Dozens of Long Islanders can sign up for a chance to fly in the museum's aircraft, one of the few still in original military condition. Historians run the immersive educational program, where passengers will get a feel of what 101st and 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers experienced on their incredible 1,200-plane D-Day assault on June 6, 1944.

Robert Scarabino, a WWII historian, with help from his 101st airborne re-enactors, will take passengers back in time.

Stories of the "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 D-Day Invasion was launched, or on the daytime "Operation Market Garden" airdrop into Holland from Sept. 17 to 27, 1944.

"AAM has created a totally unique and immersive experience to honor heroic C-47B troop transport crews and paratroopers of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions," the museum wrote in a news release. "Passengers are issued M-1942 jump jackets, helmets and harnesses, take part in an Airborne mission briefing, then 'form up' with AAM’s professional reenactors in full WWII 101st Airborne gear. Next, passengers and re-enactors board the museum’s C-47B Skytrain, just like America’s heroes did 79 years ago, when they risked all to liberate occupied Europe from the Nazi scourge."

Passengers aboard the C-47B experience authentic sights and sounds as the aircraft’s mighty twin engines fire up and it takes off from Republic. During flight, they will see the aircrew operating their C-47B and paratroopers prepping for battle. They’ll relive the airborne experience to the very moment when they’re ordered to hook up to the overhead static line.

"Don’t worry, no one leaves the airplane until safely back on the ground!" the museum wrote. "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 lasts about 90 minutes, while the flight time to Long Island’s South Shore and back is about 20 minutes.

Seats are still available on the four flights which take place between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

To book a seat, people may go to the American Airpower Museum website and click on "C-47 D-Day Living History Flight Experience." People can also call 516-531-3950, 631-454-2039 and/or visit the museum’s gift shop Wednesday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway, Farmingdale.

Each passenger on a C-47B flight may bring an extra guest at 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 $10 each.

The public can also attend AAM’s Hangar 3 all day on April 29 to watch each flight and tour the exhibits.

Regular admission to the museum is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and veterans, and $12 for children ages 5-12. Tickets and pre- registration are not required.

Affectionately dubbed Second Chance, AAM’s iconic C-47B was built in 1944 and supplied to the U.S. Army Air Force. The aircraft 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, the aircraft went to the French Air Force, serving two years in Vietnam, as well as in India, Algeria, Morocco and the Congo. In 1967, Second Chance was sold to Israel and flew in the Israeli Defense Force for 32 years.

AAM acquired the aircraft in 2000. In addition to AAM’s D-Day flights, the aircraft 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 more than 17,000 hours in the air, one of the world’s lowest flight times ever.

The flight experiences are a family-friendly program for all ages and a way to educate young Americans about WWII and how U.S. military veterans fought to defeat Nazi Germany.

"Support AAM’s mission to honor veterans and military aviation history by helping maintain and preserve the museum’s iconic aircraft," the museum wrote. "Help 'Keep ‘Em Flying!'"