The D-Day Squadron debuted the air show season at Sun 'n Fun in Florida this past week and generated a great deal of support and interest from the media and spectators alike. Originally 5 airplanes were scheduled to appear, but only two were able to attend; the C-47 "Placid Lassie" and the C-47 'Virginia Ann", which flew in from California.
“The D-Day Squadron was a great addition to our exciting SUN ‘n FUN lineup,” said SUN ‘n FUN Director of Business Development Greg Gibson. “We have offered an array of warbird activities, and the D-Day Squadron’s goodwill-oriented program honoring the veterans of D-Day brought value and interest to both aviation and history enthusiasts at our event.”
The new D-Day Squadron HQ tents and flags were located between both aircraft parked on runway 5 and garnered plenty of attention. The two airplanes had a steady stream of visitors throughout the event, despite the inclement weather during the opening and closing days of Sun 'N Fun. We had the incredible opportunity to share the story of these historic aircraft and their mission back to Normandy in 2019 with the public and potential supporters.
Wednesday’s crowd saw the two C-47’s fly in the air show, along with the Cavanaugh's Flight Museum's De Havilland CV-2B Caribou. On Thursday morning, the C-47s practiced formation flying with a C-45 and in the afternoon, the three ships performed in the air show. The two C-47’s practiced formation again on Friday with a different set of crews. We want all the participating crew members an opportunity to fly and perfect the D-Day Squadron formations!
Placid Lassie opened the air show on Saturday by flying the United States Special Operations Command Parachute Team (SOCOM) with the American flag for our National Anthem. She flew again in the night show and dropped the same team with a high energy display of fireworks, lights and music.
“There couldn’t have been a better venue than SUN ‘n FUN to kick off the D-Day Squadron’s air show season and promotional tour. We were greatly honored to fly these historic aircraft in the air show,” said D-Day Squadron Executive Director Moreno Aguiari. “SUN ‘n FUN provided us with an excellent opportunity to showcase the D-Day Squadron and its mission to return to Normandy in 2019. It was gratifying to share the history and honor the veterans of D-Day with the public and the aviation community.”
The next big D-Day Squadron event is scheduled for EAA AirVenture, where 11 DC3’s/C47’s are scheduled to participate.
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