Each July, the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team (ADT) conducts its annual Summer Jump School in Frederick, Oklahoma, at the site of the former WWII Frederick Army Air Field (FAAF). ADT has restored the sole remaining massive 79-year-old hangar where they house their Douglas C-47 and C-49, and train students who come to attend the 8-day immersive parachute school that is based on the WWII airborne training regimen. The students come from all walks of life, with or without prior military or parachuting experience and, by the end of the week, they have five round-canopy parachute jumps from a C-47 under their belts, weather permitting.
D-Day Pilot Celebrates His 99th Birthday Flying a C-47
Key Takeaways:
- The WWII Airborne Demonstration Team (ADT) conducts an annual Summer Jump School, offering immersive WWII-style parachute training from restored C-47 aircraft.
- During this year's jump school, 99-year-old Lt. Col. Dave Hamilton (USAF Ret.), a decorated WWII C-47 pilot, celebrated his birthday by flying the ADT's C-47 "Boogie Baby" during a parachutist drop.
- Hamilton is notably the last surviving pilot from the D-Day mission that dropped the first wave of 82nd Airborne Pathfinders into Normandy, having survived intense enemy fire.
- His distinguished career also includes service in Operation Dragoon, Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and later the Korean War, making his visit a significant honor and historical connection for the ADT.
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