Around 70 vintage aircraft will take to the sky and fly over Washington DC this Friday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II (WWII).
The Arsenal of Democracy (AOD) Flyover, which was originally scheduled for May 8 but was postponed due to the pandemic, will feature historically sequenced formations representing the war’s major battles and conclude with a missing man formation.
The ceremony, set to start at 11:30 am, will see over 20 types of WWII warbirds flying in formations in two-minute intervals beginning over the Lincoln Memorial.
“As they approach the Lincoln Memorial, they will turn east and proceed down Independence Avenue,” the AOD explained on its website. “At the completion of the flyover of the WWII Memorial, the aircraft will turn south and begin their flight down the Potomac River and back to their original airports.”
Ceremony Will Be Live-Streamed
The commemoration is expected to last approximately 70 minutes and will be live-streamed on the AOD’s Facebook page.
These aircraft have been provided by multiple organizations and individuals, and include some historic ones like the P-40 Warhawk, P-39 Airacobra, P-38 Lightning, P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt, F4U Corsair, B-25 Mitchell, B-17 Flying Fortress, and the B-29 Superfortress.
The Commemorative Air Force — the world’s largest flying museum — is sending 18 aircraft from across seven states for the event.