WWII-Era Douglas C-47 to Once Again Haul Humanitarian Supplies

During the Warbirds Over the Beach Air Show on October 5-6, the museum will host a supply drive to help the communities in North Carolina damaged by Hurricane Helene.

“We have seen impacts from the storm across the Mid-Atlantic, and our upcoming air show is no exception,” said museum director Keegan Chetwynd, adding that many of the volunteers who help out during the annual show reside in the areas where storm damage was at its worst. “Hearing those stories had the museum staff and our volunteers wondering, what can we do to help?”

The museum is coordinating with support teams in North Carolina to gather supplies. Among the items requested are bottled water and water purification tablets, diapers for both babies and adults, baby food, including lactose-free baby formula, toilet paper, paper towels, nonperishable food, coolers, raincoats, shovels, first-aid supplies, blankets, socks and underwear, brooms, Clorox wipes, and other cleaning supplies.

At the end of the show, the gathered supplies will be loaded aboard the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, flown by The Liberty Foundation, a nonprofit flying museum in Douglas, Georgia. 

The C-47 is a versatile design that has carried everything from paratroopers participating in D-Day to pallets of canned food, flour, coal, clothing, and medicine during the Berlin Airlift. 

The airlift was the result of the post-World War II Soviet Union creating a blockade around the city of Berlin. The only way in or out was by air, prompting the British, American, and French forces to fly around the clock to move supplies into the beleaguered city. The airlift began on June 24, 1948, and ended on May 12, 1949.

Warbirds Over the Beach is the annual fundraiser for the nonprofit museum. The weekend features a living history encampment, complete with armored vehicles, weapons demonstrations, vintage vocal performances, food trucks, and WWII aircraft flying from the museum's private grass runway.

Proceeds are used to support the education programs and provide for the maintenance of the museum collection.

Anyone wishing to donate supplies without attending the show can drop off items at a collection point installed at the museum’s main entrance.