Flyover Viewers’ Guide
Where and when to watch the World War 2 sky parade on May 8
On May 8, 2015, a large formation of World War 2 fighters, bombers, trainers, and transports will fly over the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to honor veterans on the 70th anniversary of VE Day.
As the media sponsor for the flyover, Air & Space/Smithsonian has produced World War 2-era airplane spotter cards, similar to what the soldiers used, which you can download as a PDF or view on your smartphone (at airspacemag.com/spotter), to help identify the aircraft flying overhead on May 8. You also can get a digital copy of our May 2015 special issue on World War II for your iPad, Nook, and Kindle, or buy print editions at the National Air and Space Museum locations on the National Mall and at Udvar-Hazy in Chantilly, Virginia, or subscribe to get future issues here.
Schedule for Friday, May 8, 2015
10:30 a.m.: Program begins at World War II Memorial. (Register here)
12:10 p.m.: The first formation flies over the Lincoln Memorial
at an altitude of 1000 feet.
12:35 p.m.: Missing Man Formation flies over the Lincoln Memorial to conclude the flyover.
Though there will be plenty of places throughout Virginia and D.C. to see the flyover, we picked a few of what should be the best viewing spots, as marked above on the map:
- U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial / Netherlands Carillon
- Arlington Memorial Bridge
- Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
- World War II Memorial
- Washington Monument
- National Air and Space Museum
- Tidal Basin / Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial
- Hains Point
- Gravelly Point Park
During the event, follow along with us on Twitter at @airspacemag and #WW2Flyover
As many as 20 of the aircraft in the flyover also will appear on static display at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center for Family Day, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 9. Admission is free, but parking is $15 at the Udvar-Hazy Center.
*Flyover is weather permitting. Rain date is May 9, 2015.
Due to factors such as weather or mechanical issues, participating aircraft are subject to change without notice.
We'll continue to update this post with more information as we get closer to the event.