Look to the skies this summer as a historic Dakota aircraft takes to the air over the Severn Valley Railway. As part of the railway’s popular Step Back to the 1940s weekend, the Dakota will fly along the line on Sunday 8 June 2025, bringing a striking aerial highlight to an already packed programme.
The flypast has been arranged with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which confirmed the appearance of its Douglas C-47A Skytrain — better known to most as the Dakota. The aircraft, built in 1942, originally served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War and now forms part of the BBMF’s living tribute to historic aviation.
The flight will cover the length of the Severn Valley line between Kidderminster and Hampton Loade. While the line normally extends to Bridgnorth, services are currently unable to reach that far due to a landslip.
SVR’s Step Back to the 1940s weekend is one of the biggest events in its calendar. Stations across the line are transformed with period displays, re-enactments, live music, military vehicles, vintage traders and costumed visitors. The Dakota flypast will be an added spectacle, creating a moment of genuine wartime atmosphere and reflection.
Visitors can travel along the route by steam or diesel-hauled trains, with Bewdley Station among the featured stops. The full event takes place over two weekends in June, but the Dakota flypast is scheduled specifically for Sunday 8 June, subject to weather and operational availability.
The railway has thanked the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight for making the flypast possible. In a statement shared via social media, the SVR said: “Look to the skies! On Sunday 8 June, during our Step Back to the 1940s weekend, a Dakota will fly along the line. The best place to see it will be at The Engine House at Highley.”
The Dakota, built at Douglas Aircraft’s Long Beach facility in California, is one of the most recognisable military transport planes of the Second World War. Its presence above the Severn Valley will serve as a powerful tribute to those who lived through the era being commemorated on the ground below.
For tickets and event details, visit the official Severn Valley Railway event page: Step Back to the 1940s.
