On Friday, September 25, an aerial tribute commemorating the\n75th anniversary of the end of World War II will take place over the National\nMall and Potomac River. Organized by the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover, the\naerial tribute will include over 65 WWII era airplanes flying in historical\nsequence formations representing the significant battles of WWII and ending\nwith the missing man formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 75th anniversary of the end of World War II is such a\nseminal event that Congress passed legislation, which was promptly signed into\nlaw by the president, directing its official commemoration. Our mission is to\nfulfill the objectives of that law while fully taking into account the COVID-19\nrelated protocols that must be responsibly implemented to carry out such a\ntribute. We can\u2019t drive tanks down\nConstitution Avenue nor place ships in the Tidal Basin, but through\nextraordinary coordination with multiple federal agencies, we can fly warbird\naircraft through the heart of our nation\u2019s Capital to honor the sacrifices of\nthose who came together three quarters of a century ago as one, to defeat\nfascism and preserve our freedoms,\u201d said Pete Bunce, President and CEO of the\nGeneral Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), and Arsenal of Democracy\nExecutive Committee member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The flyover, which was originally scheduled to coincide with\nthe 75th anniversary of VE-Day (May 8), was rescheduled due to the COVID-19\npandemic. The Arsenal of Democracy Flyover, which also organized the 2015\naerial tribute in recognition of the 70th anniversary of VE-Day, is urging\nspectators to follow local guidance in regards to social gatherings and\ndistancing, and encourages people to safely enjoy the tribute anywhere along\nthe planned flight path \u2013 starting from around the American Legion Memorial\nBridge, moving southeast down the Potomac River, along the National Mall and\nthen south towards Alexandria, Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur country owes a debt of gratitude to the men and women\nwho made incredible sacrifices to defend our country,\u201d said John Cudahy,\nPresident and CEO of the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS), and Arsenal\nof Democracy Executive Committee member. \u201cFor all of those involved in this\nevent, it has been a genuine honor to help recognize our Greatest Generation on\nthis 75th anniversary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aerial tribute will also be live streamed on the Arsenal\nof Democracy Flyover website (ww2flyover.org) and Facebook page\n(facebook.com\/ww2flyover). The live stream will include special programming,\nincluding interviews with veterans and heroes, starting at 10:00 AM ET. Live\ncoverage of the first formation approaching the National Mall with detailed\nnarration will start at approximately 11:30 AM ET. Local spectators can also\nutilize this live feed to hear narration while watching along the planned flight\npath. It is estimated that the aerial tribute over the National Mall will last\napproximately one hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To complement the aerial tribute, the Smithsonian\nInstitution\u2019s Air & Space Magazine has put together a special webpage\ndedicated to the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII. The webpage includes the\nhistory and stories of WWII aircraft, many of which are participating in the\naerial tribute. The dedicated website can be found at airspacemag.com\/flyover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are proud and humbled by the large number of pilots and\naircraft owners who have dedicated their time and aircraft to pay homage to our\nWorld War II veterans. It truly is fulfilling to see the reactions and emotions\nthat overcome our nations\u2019 heroes when they see the aircraft they flew or\nworked on over 75 years ago fly overhead,\u201d said Mike Ginter, Airboss for the\nArsenal of Democracy Flyover and Executive Committee member. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Arsenal of Democracy Flyover was organized to be as part\nof the commemorative programming events authorized in the 75th Anniversary of\nWorld War II Commemoration Act, which was signed into law in January 2019. The\nbill encouraged commemorative programs to honor World War II veterans,\nhighlight the service of those who served on the home front during the war,\nrecognize the contributions of U.S. allies, remember the horrors of the\nHolocaust and educate the public about the history of these events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Commemorative Air Force is dedicated to educating,\ninspiring and honoring through flight and living history experiences,\u201d said Hank\nCoates, President of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), and Arsenal of\nDemocracy Executive Committee member. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to be part of the Arsenal of\nDemocracy Flyover and to help ensure we recognize and remember the enormous\nsacrifices of our nation\u2019s heroes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The planning committee has been working closely with federal\nand local government officials, aircraft operators and volunteers to establish\nthe safest ways to carry out this tribute. Gatherings of air and ground crews,\nas well as support volunteers, at the staging bases will be closely screened,\nmonitored and limited, therefore participating aircraft will not be available\nfor public tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Organizers of the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover include the\nGeneral Aviation Manufacturers Association, (GAMA), the Commemorative Air Force\n(CAF), the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) and the National Air\nTraffic Controllers Association (NATCA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more information regarding the Arsenal of Democracy\nFlyover, visit ww2flyover.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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