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Ricardo von Puttkammer
On November 2, 2025, history came full circle.
The American Airpower Museum’s C-47 Second Chance arrived at Northeast Philadelphia Airport to reunite 101-year-old WWII pilot 2Lt. Alan Shapiro with the cockpit of his youth. Once airborne, Shapiro once again took the controls—eight decades after flying combat missions across Europe at just nineteen.
When the wheels touched down, he wiped away tears and thanked the museum for “bringing his youth back,” a moment that moved everyone on the ramp.
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