American Airpower Museum continues its popular C-47 D-Day Living History Flight Experience on Saturday, Sept. 6, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Passengers will fly in an original World War II Douglas C-47 Skytrain Troop Transport, and are joined by the museum’s living historians for a breathtakingly realistic and unforgettable recreation of what U.S. paratroopers experienced in their quest to liberate Europe from Nazi fascism.
This one-of-a-kind immersive living history educational program lasts about two hours, including your 20 to 25-minute flight in our legendary World War II Douglas C-47 Skytrain.
Living historians guide participants from arrival as they gear up. They receive their 101st Airborne D-Day operations briefing before boarding the museum’s C-47
Skytrain, as if it were June 5, 1944.
Flying over Long Island’s south shore beaches provides the backdrop for a simulated jump and a sense of what U.S. 101st and 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers experienced on their June 5, 1944 momentous 1,200-plane airborne assault, behind the lines of the Normandy Beach landings at Utah, Point Du Hoc and Omaha Beach.
During your flight experience, you’ll wear authentic reproduction M-42/M-43 field jackets, just like the ones worn by paratroopers during D-Day and Operation Market Garden, replica “Steel Pot” G.I. helmets and your simulated jump harness.
You’ll feel and hear the C-47’s engines firing up as you take to the skies. See, hear and feel what it was like for the crew operating their C-47 and paratroopers getting ready to make history on the night of June 5 and day of June 6, 1944.
As you ready to “cross the beaches,” you’ll “stand up” and “hook up,” simulating what it was like to be ready on the static line for the green light.
Don’t worry, there’s no real jumping, it’s all a living history re-enactment, of course!
You then return to Hangar 3 and take photos with our living historians, crew and C-47!
Four flights are scheduled on Sept. 6 at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so act today and reserve your flight. Passengers must arrive 60 minutes before their scheduled flights.
To book flights online, visit www.americanairpowermuseum.org and click the “Flight Experience” tab, or call 516-531-3950, 631-454-2039, or visit American Airpower Museum’s Cockpit USA gift shop Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway, Farmingdale, NY 11735.
The cost for each C-47 flight is $375. A flight experience lets you bring two guests who can watch flights take off and land, plus visit the museum’s exhibits all day, for a reduced rate of $10 each.
Others may wish to visit the American Airpower Museum on Sept. 6th, just to watch the flights and tour our exhibits. In that case, admission for adults is $18, seniors and veterans is $15, and for children ages 3-12, $12. No tickets or pre-registration are needed for regular admission.
This is a wonderful way to educate present-day Americans about World War II and our Greatest Generation veterans.
Support the American Airpower Museum’s mission to honor American military aviation history and our great veterans by helping maintain and preserve their legacy, the museum’s iconic aircraft. Help Keep ‘Em Flying!
