MISSOULA – There’s still a lot of work to be done, and the final funding push is underway to send a historical plane to the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion next month.
A determined group of volunteers has been working all through the winter to get the former Johnson Flying Service C-47 ready to take place in a huge gathering of antique aircraft which will mark the anniversary of the invasion at Normandy on June 6, 1944.
The plane, also known as a Douglas DC-3 in a civilian passenger configuration, was returned to Missoula a few years ago and is being given the designation “Miss Montana” to represent Montana during the trip.
It will make the Transatlantic crossing in a series of “hops” with other planes from across the country.
The highlight will be a team of paratroopers from Montana who will join their colleagues in jumping over the historic battlefield.
The restoration continues, and the C-47 committee is still looking to raise $50,000 to make the trip. A gala is planned at the Museum of Mountain Flying on May 11 to help generate the remaining funds.
Click here for more information on the event.
Reporting by Dennis Bragg for MTN News
