MADISON COUNTY, Ala — How often do you get to set foot on a piece of World War II history? On May 16 and 17, you can do just that. The plane named That's All, Brother, a C-47A troop carrier plane, led the Airborne D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, is paying a visit to the Huntsville Executive Airport on May 16-17, 2023.
According to the That's All Brother website, the plane was piloted by Lt. Col John Donalson and led over 800 C-47s that dropped more than 13,000 paratroopers into the skies.
Tours run daily from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with flights starting at 2:00 p.m. Tour prices are $10/adult, $5/children under 12, and $20/family up to five people. Flights are $275 per person and last about 20-25 minutes. Passengers must be 12 or older to fly in the "That's All Brother". Children ages of 5 and 12 may fly when accompanied by a parent or guardian passenger. Passengers must be physically able to enter and exit the aircraft unassisted and must be able to use a standard adult or child seat belt during the flight.
What happened to the plane after the war?
According to thatsallbrother.org, after serving on D-Day, and in Operations Dragoon, Market Garden, Repulse, and Varsity, the airplane returned to the United States and was sold to the civilian market in 1945. During the course of many owners over the next several decades, the historical significance of the airplane was lost and it was eventually sold to be scrapped. Fortunately, two historians from the United States Air Force discovered that this historic airplane was lying in a boneyard in Wisconsin. The Commemorative Air Force was able to acquire the airplane, and through a large group of donors and volunteers, restore the airplane to flying status.
“That’s All, Brother” has been restored to its 1944 condition, including its D-Day paint scheme along with a thorough historic interior restoration. The CAF maintains airplanes to be artifacts of living history, and you can experience the airplane first hand by touring and even going for a flight.