Historic P-51 mustangs fly over Horizon View Park in honor of 70th anniversary of D-Day

P-51 Mustang over Lake Forest Park
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

It was a fantastic day for the Historic Flight Foundation’s 70th Anniversary of D-Day fly over at Horizon View Park in Lake Forest Park. Horizon View Park was a fitting spot for the fly over as it has a military history as a Nike missile base during the Cold War.

V formation for Victory as P-51s fly over LFP
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

June 6, 2014 was the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Three North American P-51 World War II era fighters staged a Memorial Fly-by in a three plane Victory Formation over the City of Lake Forest Park.

The planes made two passes over the park
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

D-Day was Operation Overlord, the allied invasion of western Europe at the Normandy coast in France during World War II. According to Wikipedia, "The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe, led to the restoration of the French Republic, and contributed to an Allied victory in the war."

Each fighter is from flying museums located at Paine Field in Everett, Washington managed by the Historic Flight Foundation. The three were the P-51B "Impatient Virgin", Flying Heritage Foundation P-51-D "Umpopa Epops", and P-51D "Valhalla".

A small crowd waited for the fly-over
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

A small crowd gathered near the noon hour in anticipation of seeing the three P-51 Mustangs fly over in a “V” for victory formation. As the planes passed over once, then looped around for a second pass, everyone cheered.

After two passes, the formation flew on to its next stop
Photo by Jerry Pickard

More information about Historic Flight Foundation and the 70th Anniversary fly overs.

Collene Gaolach, Steven H Robinson, Jerry Pickard, and Wayne Pridemore contributed to this article.