Aero Legends to Honor Dakota Pilot David Lord VC, DFC with Special Memorial Flight Over Oosterbeek
On Friday, September 19, 2025, UK-based aviation organization Aero Legends will conduct a special memorial flight over Oosterbeek and Wolfheze in tribute to Flight Lieutenant David S.A. Lord VC, DFC.
In September 1944, Lord gave his life during a daring resupply mission to deliver essential supplies to encircled Allied troops. Despite his right engine being on fire, Lord made the heroic decision to fly one more circuit to ensure that the soldiers on the ground would receive the desperately needed supplies. His exceptional courage was posthumously recognized with the Victoria Cross, the United Kingdom’s highest military honor.
The Aero Legends Dakota aircraft, now known as Pegasus – The Ghost of Arnhem, will complete two tribute laps over Oosterbeek, followed by a flyover of the crash site on Duitsekampweg in Wolfheze, where David Lord and his crew lost their lives. The flight will take place on Friday, September 19, exactly 81 years after his original 1944 mission, and is scheduled for 09:00 or 11:00 AM, depending on weather and airspace conditions.
A Mission with Deep Symbolism
The aircraft was renamed The Ghost of Arnhem in 2023, after it flew in place of the traditional Dakota memorial flight, which had been grounded due to poor weather. As the plane appeared faintly through the mist, it inspired the haunting and now symbolic name.
Myrthe Pas, a young woman from Oosterbeek and former “flower child,” painted the nose art on the aircraft in 2024 and designed a special commemorative mission patch in 2025 in honor of David Lord and his crew. The patch features the Dakota aircraft and seven poppies, symbolizing each crew member lost in the crash (see patch below the video).
The patch will be worn by the Aero Legends crew during the memorial flight and will be available in limited quantities at the Taxi Charity stand during the commemorations on the Ginkelse Heide on Saturday, September 21. Of every patch, €5 will go to Taxi Charity, an organization dedicated to bringing British veterans to the Netherlands each year for remembrance events. Myrthe will also have a few patches available from the jeep she drives during the weekend at The Race to the Bridge.
About Aero Legends
Aero Legends is a UK-based organization that annually organizes parachute jumps and memorial flights over the original Operation Market Garden drop zones. Their fleet of historic aircraft—including the Dakota—plays a vital role in keeping the memory of the Battle of Arnhem and the sacrifices made alive.
