Concept storyboards for the CAF’s “flying classroom”

That’s All, Brother, the actual airplane that led the D-Day invasion, is flown to airports around the country to motivate and inspire young people.

Students are greeted by paratroopers and told it’s the evening before the invasion.

They are recruited as members of the 101st Airborne Division, “The Screaming Eagles.”

Adhesive sticker

The students also receive a set of dog tags. They contain the identity of an actual paratrooper that jumped on D-Day

Students will carry this identity through the rest of the mission.

Mission briefing: Students learn their objectives for D-Day. General Eisenhower’s message to the troops is read out loud.

Students are shown how to camouflage their faces, as was done on the eve of D-Day.

It’s time to don parachutes, and prepare for departure.

Students board the aircraft, restored exactly to represent That’s All, Brother on D-Day

The jumpmaster seats students in the paratrooper stations

Students are seated in the paratrooper seats by the jump master.

The door is closed and the airplane interior is darkened

The tail is raised. Using sound & rumbling seats, it feels like the plane is flying.

As “flak” erupts around the aircraft the red Jump signal illuminates. “Two minutes to jump”

The students hook up, clipping their “parachutes” to the static line system in the aircraft.

Anticipation of the jump light turning green... “How did the D-Day paratroopers feel at this point?

As the jump signal turns green the excitement inside the aircraft reaches a crescendo.

Exiting through the exact same door that 20 brave young men jumped through on June 6, 1944

Students are greeted with confusion- they have landed safely, but missed their drop zone!

But it is explained they can still accomplish their mission!

The students must work together in order to transport vital supplies, facing obstacles, such as “rivers”, in their path.

These obstacles are team building activities designed to, encourage the students to be confident, flexible and adaptable.

Having accomplished a river crossing, the students encounter an airborne supply cart which must be reassembled through team work.

Once the cart is completed it can be used to transport the supplies to the next activity.

The cart must now be coaxed through a simulated “minefield.” One team is pulling the cart, the other team is shouting instructions.

Because the team pulling the cart is blindfolded, the emphasis of this activity is on trust, and effective communication.

The “Minefield” task cannot be completed without collaboration.

Mission complete! The supplies have reached their destination.

Students take the dog tags home with them.

Using a special code printed on the dog tags, they go online to find out, what happened to “their” paratrooper on D-Day.