Engine Issue Scrubbed 2024 D-Day Flight, Inspired 2025 Tour

In 2024, the Commemorative Air Force’s R4D Ready 4 Duty was scheduled to convoy with other iconic transport aircraft over to Europe for ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. However, a critical engine issue forced the aircraft to scrub that mission.

Instead, Chris Volpe, Leader of the Dallas/Fort Worth Wing where Ready 4 Duty is assigned, made a vow to return to France in 2025 in observance of the 80th anniversary of VE-Day. His vow grew into the Navy to Victory Tour, which kicked off in April 2025 at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

After several stops in the U.S. and Canada, the tour crossed the Atlantic Ocean and over the UK, the Netherlands, and France before landing in the Normandy city of Cherbourg. The landing marked the first time in 40 years since the R4D last visited Europe.

The French Wing members greeted the crew with open arms and excitement at kicking off the R4D’s week-long visit.

After some rough weather over Normandy the Ready 4 Duty dropped paratroopers over historic drop zones and flew in formation with U.S. Air Force MC-130s over Sainte-Mere-Eglise and Utah Beach.

On June 6, three French CAF members were on board for the Utah Beach flyover: Francois Bergeon, former operations officer of Airbase Arizona, Adjutant officer John Rouxel, and French Wing Unit Leader Stephane Duchemin. Ready 4 Duty flew in formation with the vintage Gruesome, another DC-3 variant in the collection of the Musée Aéronautique de Bretagne aviation museum near Brittany, France.

FMI:  commemorativeairforce.org/