Arsenal of Democracy flyover honors veterans
Pack a picnic blanket or some folding chairs and pick a comfortable spot on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial for a prime view of more than 50 World War II-era aircraft that will fly overhead on September 25 in honor of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the end of the war.
Weather permitting, the aircraft will arrive in about 20 formations, grouped to commemorate individual battles in the war, and fly from the Lincoln Memorial up Independence Avenue and over the World War II Memorial before returning to their departure airports in northern Virginia. The first group should fly over the Lincoln Memorial about 11:30 a.m., and subsequent formations will arrive in two-minute intervals, according to the schedule on the Arsenal of Democracy website. (September 26 has been scheduled as a backup weather date.)
A presentation associated with the flyover will include historical facts about the aircraft and the role they played in the war, and will be broadcast from loudspeakers at the World War II Memorial. The area will have special seating for veterans, VIPs, and others, but you can get close enough to hear the presentation while the aircraft are flying over—and thank the veterans for their service afterward.
The demonstration of airpower in the heart of our nation’s most secured airspace is nothing short of remarkable and is sure to leave a lasting impression. I watched the Arsenal of Democracy: World War II Victory Capitol Flyover on May 8, 2015, from the Washington Monument. As the aircraft flew over, I reflected on the significance of the men and women who have fought to protect the freedoms we have today and on the aircraft that played such an important role in the war—as well as the significance of flying dozens of warbirds right over the nation’s capital.
The seventy-fifth anniversary commemorative flyover will feature light singles like the Stinson L–5 Sentinel, Aeronca L–16 Champion, and Piper L–4 Grasshopper that flew in the Civil Air Patrol, along with military trainers. After that, aircraft will be divided into battles they commonly served in, such as the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane fighters from the Battle of Britain; North American B–25 Mitchell bombers marking the Doolittle Tokyo Raid; Consolidated PBY Catalinas signifying the Battle of Midway; Douglas C–47 Skytrains for the D-Day invasion; Republic P–47 Thunderbolts and Douglas A–26 Invaders for the Battle of the Bulge; and Boeing B–29 Superfortresses representing those that bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki just before the end of the war.
A Victory Gala during which World War II veterans from the European and Pacific theaters were scheduled to speak on September 24 has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
