ICAS, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the Commemorative Air Force and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association will organize and conduct an encore performance of the very successful Arsenal of Democracy flyover in Washington, DC on Friday, May 8, 2020. An official announcement of the event is expected later this fall.
The inaugural Arsenal of Democracy flyover took place on May 8, 2015, the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, when 56 vintage aicraft flew down the National Mall and over the National World War II Memorial as hundreds of World War II veterans and tens of thousands of spectators looked on.
“It was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever witnessed,” says ICAS President John Cudahy. “Surrounded by 90-year old veterans, to look up at the Lincoln Memorial and see that parade of warbirds flying at low altitude over the iconic memorials of Washington, DC. It’s a sight and a feeling that I’ll never forget.”
Still in the early stages of planning, the 75th anniversary Arsenal of Democracy flyover is expected to feature more than 80 warbirds, from B-17s, B-29s, B-24s and B-25s to P-51s, P-40s and P-38s to F4Us, TBMs and SBDs to Spitfires, Mosquitos and a Lancaster.
“It’s an amazing opportunity and, really, a privilege, for ICAS and its members to once again be involved in such a high-visibility event,” says Cudahy. “An opportunity to recognize and memorialize the men and women who sacrificed so much 75 years ago and showcase an amazing collection of flying historical artifacts in front of hundreds of thousands of people in the skies above our nation’s capital.”
