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Urs Schnyder |
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Urs Schnyder & Michael E. Fader |
It was 75 years ago on the 6th of June that the largest landing operation in military history took place in Normandy. A big part of it were the parachutists, that were dropped by about 800 Douglas C-47 transport aircraft. The plan was to bring about 30 of this aircraft together for a mass flypast and parachute drop over Normandy to commemorate their part in it.
Flightline at IWM Duxford (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Flightline at IWM Duxford (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Flightline at IWM Duxford (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Flightline at IWM Duxford (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Flightline at IWM Duxford (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N45366 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N45366 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Flightline at IWM Duxford (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas DC-3C N25641 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
DC-3 OY-BPB (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Lisunov Li-2 HA-LIX (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Lisunov Li-2 HA-LIX (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Duxford airfield was chosen as the assembly point, as so many aircraft would arrive over a number of days. In the end there were 23 aircraft, 15 of them from the U.S. called the D-day Squadron and flown across the Atlantic via the old ferry route.
Eight aircraft came from different European countries. There was even an LI-2, the Russian license built variant of the C-47 and the only remaining airworthy example of this type in the world that came from Hungary. In cooperation with the IWM (Imperial War Museum) some events were planned for the days preceding the Normandy flypast.
Monday the 3rd was a normal museum day where some flying was done and aircraft still arrived.
Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th were special days where a special ticket was needed to enter the airfield. It was not an airshow, but various activities like mass formations and parachute drops were planned.
Beech C-45 Expeditor (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Beech C-45 Expeditor (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Beech C-45 Expeditor (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N8336C (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N8336C (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain, N103NA (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N8336C (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N8336C (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
The Dakotas
Douglas DC-3C, N25641, “Liberty”’ JB Air Services LLC (USA)
Douglas DC-3, N877MG, Historic Flight Foundation (USA)
Douglas DC-3, N24320, “Miss Montana” Museum of Mountain Flying, Missoula (USA)
Douglas DC-3, SE-CFP, “Daisy” Flying Veterans Foundation (Sweden)
Douglas DC-3A, OH-LCD, Airveteran Ltd (Finland)
Douglas DC-3, N33611, “Clipper Tabitha May” PMFG Flight Operations LLC (USA)
Douglas DC-3 N431HM, Hugo Mathys (Switzerland)
Douglas DC-3, F-AZOX, "Chalair", Association “Un Dakota sur la Normandie” (France)
Douglas DC-3A, N18121, The Great Silver Fleet” Blue Skies Air LLC (USA)
Douglas C-41A, N341A, Golden Age Air Tours (USA)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain, N88874, “That’s All Brother”, Commemorative Air Force (USA)
Douglas C-47B Skytrain, N47SJ, “Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber”, Goony Bird Corporation (USA)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain, N47E “Miss Virginia” Dynamic Aviation (USA)
Douglas C-47-DL Skytrain, N150D, “101st Airborne Tribute” Hugo Mathys (Switzerland)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain, N103NA “Flabob Express” Flabob Aviation Associates (USA)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain, N62CC, “Virginia Ann” Mission Boston D-Day LLC (USA)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain, N74589 “Placid Lassie” Tunison Foundation (USA)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain, N147DC, “Mayfly” Aces High (UK)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain, OY-BPB, “Gamie Dame”; Foreningen for Flyvende Museumsfly (Denmark)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N45366, “Day Doll” Commemorative Air Force (USA)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N8336C, “Spirit of Benovia” Benovia Winery (USA)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, LN-WND, Dakota Norway (Norway)
Lisunov Li-2, HA-LIX, “Karman Todor” Goldtimer Foundation (Hungary)
Douglas C-53D N45366 and Para (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas C-53D N45366 and Para (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Parachutists (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas C-53D N45366 "D-Day Doll" (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas DC-3A OH-LCH (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Lisunov Li-2 HA-LIX (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Lisunov Li-2 HA-LIX (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain N62CC (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, LN-WND with an engine failure (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas DC-3, N877MG (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas DC-3A OH-LCH (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Douglas C-41A, N341A(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain, N88874 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Douglas C-47A Skytrain, N88874 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
Spitfire and DC-3 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Unfortunately the weather was not cooperative, with high winds and low clouds that prevented any parachute drops from being done.
There was some excitement however when the Norwegian Dakota had an engine failure during a practice flight. It returned and landed with one engine off and the propeller feathered. As soon as it touched the ground, it switched off the other engine as well and rolled off the runway.
On the 5th of June the aircraft departed and headed to Normandy for the mass flypast and the planned events in France.
Training
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)