Special flyover set for Saturday featuring well-known World War II aircraft

Special flyover set for Saturday featuring well-known World War II aircraft

IT'S CALLEDOPERATION THANKSFROM ABOVE.TOMORROW -- ANHISTORIC WAR PLANEWILL TAKE FLIGHTOVER WESTERN NEWYORK.... TO HONORTHE FRONTLINES OTHIS BATTLE.7 EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER JENNACALLARI GIVES US ANUP-CLOSE LOOK ATTHE WORLD WAR TWOAIRCRAFT... BEINGUSED FOR THISTRIBUTE.IT'S LIKE GOING BACKIN TIME....NATS OF ENGINE..JUST LISTEN TO THATENGINE - 76 YEARS OLDAND STILL GOINGSTRONG..

A DOUGLASC-47 NAMED WHISKEY7.TODD: "IT'S LIKE AMEMBER OF THECOMMUNITY AND IT'SALREADY ASSOCIATEDWITH SACRIFICE ANDPATRIOTISM ANDHOPE."BECAUSE THIS WELL-KNOWN AIRCRAFT INWESTERN NEW YORKWAS THE LEADAIRCRAFT IN THESECOND WAVE OF THED-DAY INVASION ONNORMANDY.CHRIS: "THIS AIRPLANEIS A SYMBOL OFEVERYTHING GOODABOUT THE UNITEDSTATES OF AMERICA."THAT'S CHRISPOLHEMUS, A SOON-TO-BE RETIRED PILOTWITH U-SAIR/AMERICANAIRLINES.

HE'S ALSOTHE CHIEF PILOT OFWHISKEY 7.CHRIS: "IT'S NICE TO BEABLE TO FLY ANAIRPLANE THISVINTAGE AND STILLBRING SOME OF THEMODERN TRAININGADVANCES TO OUROPERATION HERE ATTHE FIELD."TRAINING ANDPRACTICING FOR ASPECIAL TRIBUTE ONSATURDAY WHENWESTERN NEWYORKERS WILL BE ABLETO SEE THE AIRCRAFTAS IT THANKSFRONTLINE WORKERSFROM UP ABOVE.CHRIS: "IF WE CANTAKE AN AIRPLANE LIKETHIS WHOSE HAYDAYWAS IN THE 1940S ANDUSE THAT AS A SYMBOLOF SUCCESS ANDFREEDOM, IT'SBRINGING TWOGENERATIONSTOGETHER."SEVENTEEN AIR CREWMEMBERS WILL BEPART OF SATURDAY'SFLYOVER, TAKINGFOUR-MAN SHIFTS INBOTH WHISKEY 7 ANDMAD MAX, A P-51MUSTANG.

THE FLIGHTWILL BEGIN INGENESEO BEFOREMAKING ITS WAY WEST,FLYING OVER 95CHECKPOINTS ANDNEARLY 600 NAUTICALMILES...NATS OF PLANE STOPAND GO ...THESE ENGINES AREMUCH DIFFERENT THANTHE JETS YOU SEE IN ATYPICAL FLYOVER SOTHOSE ON TGROUND CAN EXPECTA UNIQUE AND SPECIALEXPERIENCE.TODD: "BECAUSE WEFLY AT SLOWERSPEEDS AND HAVE THEFLEXIBILITY TO CIRCLEAROUND TOWNS ANDWATERFRONTS ANDHOSPITALS, THEY'LLGET TO SEE A LITTLEMORE OF THEAIRPLANES."A SPECIAL PLANE ANDFLIGHT THAT MEANS SOMUCH... A WAY TO SAYTHANK YOU TO THOSESACRIFICING THEIRLIVES AND BRINGING ALITTLE BIT OF JOY TOTHOSE WHO NEED ITMOST."EVERYBODY NEEDS ALITTLE GOOD NEWSAND A REASON TOLOOK UP AND SMILE."A MAP WITH TIMES OFSATURDAY'S FLYOVERCAN BE FOUND WITHTHIS STORY ON WKBWDOT COM.

IN GENESEO,JENNA CALLARI, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS.