On two special weekends this August, history buffs and aviation enthusiasts alike are set to experience the thrill of flight and the weight of legacy as vintage warbirds take to the skies on both coasts. The American Airpower Museum (AAM) in Farmingdale, New York, has announced new dates for its popular WWII Douglas C-47 Scenic Flight Experience, inviting the public to step back in time aboard a legendary aircraft that helped shape the course of history. Meanwhile, across the country in California, a centenarian World War II veteran recently soared once more in a Mustang fighter, sharing the cockpit with his granddaughter in a moment that bridged generations and memories.
The AAM’s C-47 flights, scheduled for August 16 and August 30, 2025, offer more than just a ride—they are a living tribute to the aircraft and airmen who played pivotal roles in the Second World War. According to the American Airpower Museum, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, affectionately named Second Chance, is the same type of plane that dropped U.S. Airborne troops into Normandy on D-Day in June 1944. Forget the high-altitude, pressurized comfort of modern jets: this is a low-and-slow cruise at 1,000 feet and 150 mph, with sweeping views of Long Island’s scenic coastline and landmarks.
Each Scenic Flight Experience lasts approximately 45 minutes, including about 20 minutes in the air. Passengers board at Republic Airport, greeted by the rumble of the C-47’s twin radial engines before taking off toward either the North or South Shore, depending on the wind. Two flights will depart each day—at 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.—and reservations can be made online, by phone, or in person at the museum’s Cockpit USA Gift Shop. For those not taking to the skies, the museum itself offers a day’s worth of exhibits and history, with regular admission set at $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and veterans, and $12 for children ages 3 to 12. Members enjoy free entry, and every passenger is allowed to bring a guest for just $10 to watch the action from the ground.
But the real impact of these flights goes far beyond the excitement of aviation. Proceeds from ticket sales help the American Airpower Museum preserve and maintain its historic fleet, ensuring that the stories of American military aviation—and the veterans who flew these storied machines—continue to inspire future generations. “Help Keep ’Em Flying!” the museum’s rallying cry urges, a reminder that every takeoff is a nod to the past and an investment in remembrance.
While the C-47 Scenic Flight Experience is a chance for the public to relive a small piece of history, one veteran recently had the opportunity to reconnect with his own extraordinary past in a much more personal way. On August 9 and 10, 2025, 100-year-old Joe Peterburs, a former WWII fighter pilot, climbed into the cockpit of a vintage P-51 Mustang at the Rumble Over the Redwoods Air Show in California. This time, his wingman was not a fellow soldier, but his granddaughter Sabrina, flying a P-51D Mustang right alongside him in close formation along the Pacific Coast.
“Her wingtip was about two feet away from mine,” Peterburs said in a Zoom interview, as reported by Air Force Times. “We were flying in close formation and we were waving to each other. She was smiling and was really happy. She almost filled that rear cockpit up with tears, she was so emotional.”
The moment was especially poignant for Peterburs, who had last flown the P-51 Mustang in combat over Germany in World War II and again during the Korean War. “In World War II, the P-51 was the only plane I wanted,” he recalled. “It was like putting on a suit of armor. It was such a comfortable aircraft to fly.” Yet, he noted, the very features that made it formidable in WWII became liabilities in Korea, where the Mustang’s liquid-cooled engine was dangerously vulnerable to ground fire.
Peterburs’s wartime experiences read like the script of a Hollywood epic. At just 20 years old, he flew his first combat mission on December 2, 1944, escorting B-17 Flying Fortress bombers over Germany. He completed 49 missions in WWII, including the fateful April 10, 1945 sortie when he shot down a German Me 262 jet fighter—one of the few Americans to do so. His adversary that day, Walter Schuck, was one of Germany’s top aces. Decades later, the two men met and became friends, with Schuck introducing Peterburs at air shows as “the man who saved his life.”
The war was not without its perils. Peterburs’s P-51 was hit by antiaircraft fire during a strafing run, forcing him to bail out and leading to his capture by German forces. He escaped from a POW camp, eventually meeting up with Soviet troops who, in a twist worthy of a novel, treated him and other escapees to a raucous dinner complete with endless toasts of wine and vodka. “I had never consumed that much alcohol in my life, nor have I since,” he recalled with a chuckle.
Peterburs’s military career didn’t end with WWII. He joined the newly established U.S. Air Force in 1947, flew 76 combat missions in Korea, and later transitioned to jets with the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. In Vietnam, he served as a staff operations officer responsible for command and control. By the time he retired as a full-bird colonel in 1979, he had accumulated a chestful of medals: the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, and POW Medal.
At the Rumble Over the Redwoods Air Show, Peterburs pulled 4Gs in loops and aerobatic maneuvers, even executing a victory roll. “I also did a victory roll,” he said with a big smile. But perhaps the most powerful moment was sharing the sky with Sabrina. “It was so heartwarming to look over and see her there,” he said. For Sabrina, the experience was equally moving. “Nothing could have prepared me for what it felt like to fly side by side with him in Mustangs,” she said. “We flew so close it felt as if our wings could have touched. I looked over and saw him waving, blowing me kisses. My heart melted and tears welled up in my eyes.”
For Peterburs, the flight was a flood of memories—some joyful, others tinged with loss. He remembered those who didn’t come home, including two of his brothers. “I like to get the word out to the younger generation about what we went through,” he said. “I hope they understand how many sacrifices young men and women made for their country, so this generation could be free and prosperous and have a decent life.”
As vintage aircraft rumble over Long Island and the California coast this August, the echoes of history are unmistakable. Whether through a ticketed flight on the C-47 Second Chance or a once-in-a-lifetime Mustang formation with family, these moments remind us that the past is never as distant as it seems—and that the courage and camaraderie of those who served continue to inspire, one flight at a time.
