A Dozen C-47s/DC-3s Expected at AirVenture 2018

June 14, 2018 - That’s All, Brother, the C-47 that led the D-Day invasion into Normandy, is among roughly 12 C-47s and DC-3s expected at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018. The historic warbirds will be in Oshkosh as part of their preparation for the June 2019 recreation of the flight into Normandy.

Eric Zipkin, chief pilot of the D-Day Squadron, said his group is supporting the Daks over Normandy effort by organizing the C-47s and DC-3s crossing the Atlantic for the Normandy flight, which will take place on the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

“AirVenture is kind of the second stop in our U.S. tour of getting things set up to go across,” Zipkin said. “We’re going to have about a dozen airplanes, including That’s All, Brother, and a couple [of] other Commemorative Air Force C-47s as well. We’re looking to do several major things, one is we’ll be flying in the air show as a formation group similar to the T-6s and the T-28s.”

A C-47 will be featured in Warbirds in Review during the week of AirVenture, and informational sessions will be available with pilots and crews for the general public as well. Oshkosh will also offer a chance for individuals to learn more about bringing their airplane with for the Normandy flight, or volunteering to support the effort in other ways.

Zipkin said the D-Day Squadron is looking to make a big splash both through the flights and the presentations and information available on the ground, in order to pay homage to these incredible airplanes.

“The C-47 is an extraordinary warbird because it’s not just a warbird,” he said. “It has a history that really tells the story of the 21st century. It was born out of an economic expansion of leading edge technology in the 1930s, and then America went to war and the DC-3 put on fatigues just like the rest of the country and went to war. And won the war.”