VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - One of the nation's largest all-warbird air shows is back in Virginia Beach.
The 2021 Warbirds Over the Beach kicks off this weekend at the Military Aviation Museum for the first time in over two years.
Keegan Chetwynd, the museum director, said, "It's a great opportunity to come out and see an incredible collection of World War II and World War I aircraft in flight. We'll also have a tank demonstration and we'll be firing a World War II flamethrower this weekend."
Amidst the flame-throwing and flights, guests will also find a new airplane this year. The featured airplane is the "Placid Lassie," a Douglas C-47 aircraft that towed gliders and dropped paratroopers during D-Day and Operation Market Garden and resupplied Patton during the Battle of the Bulge.
John Grones is the pilot who will fly the plane during the air show on Sunday and bring history to life.
"This plane actually flew on D-Day in 1944. The airplane was built in 1942 and went to Europe by the southern route and then on June 6 it towed to gliders across the English channel as they started the invasion of D-Day," he said. "This is a world-class aviation museum and there are not too many places that you could go anywhere in the world, much less in the United States, where you can see the airplanes that they have here and then have the environment that they’re in along with this wonderful grass runway to fly airplanes like this off of."
While the "Placid Lassie" is spectacular to look at, it's even more spectacular to be inside, which guests can do during the air show weekend.
Not only can you walk around and see the airplanes, for an extra charge, you can also ride in some of them.
Chetwynd said, "We're really about dropping the rope and giving people an opportunity to be up next to these incredible pieces of history that have been so lovingly restored."
The Warbirds Over the Beach is the museum's largest fundraiser of the year. The money raised will go directly back into the upkeep of the museum, which is a 501c3 nonprofit, and artifacts.
The event returns October 2nd and 3rd at:
Military Aviation Museum
1341 Princess Anne Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23457
Click here for ticket details, events, and times.
