Welcome back!

The DC-6 glides past the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. The moment is captured for posterity on an analogue camera from the same era: a Bolex H-16 shooting on Kodak film. Epic images like these are among the treasures the DC-6 and P-38 Lightning bring home from their eagerly anticipated journey to the USA: an adventure meticulously planned over many months, anticipated by thousands of fans and steeped in emotion and history.

What had begun as a long-held dream became reality in summer 2026: The Flying Bulls took two of their flagship aircraft to American soil for the very first time. Beyond the geographical distance, the two legends had embarked above all on a journey through time. The DC-6 had not been in the USA since leaving the Santa Monica factory in 1958, the year it was completed. The P-38 had made a name for itself in its former life as “White Lightning” at the Reno Air Races. Now, for the first time, it was time to say: Welcome back!

And suddenly, America beneath the wings

Their return after decades took place exactly as it was meant to: not as museum pieces, but with engines running and people on board. On 7 July, the DC-6 set off from Salzburg on a three-leg journey to Westchester County Airport in New York State, with overnight stops in Reykjavik and Goose Bay. The P-38 began its journey from England, where it had previously flown at airshows, and across the Atlantic with a few more stops than the DC-6. The journey to the USA already made it clear what kind of impact the two aircraft would have. People stopped to photograph them. Aviation enthusiasts followed their routes online. At times, the DC-6 was even the world’s most tracked flight on Flightradar24.

If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere

The first major moment of the journey awaited in New York City. The Statue of Liberty, Freedom Tower, Empire State Building and Central Park passed by the windows of the DC-6 – a 68-year-old American aviation legend flying above one of the world’s most iconic skylines. For the passengers, it was a journey through time. For the crew, it was a moment they themselves had been waiting for. The DC-6 became a flying meeting place in New York for people from the worlds of sport, culture and aviation. Together with the New York Red Bulls, even soccer was brought into the cabin: a small playing field was created inside the historic aircraft, fittingly during the ongoing FIFA World Cup. 

Then it was on to Wisconsin. To Oshkosh. Those who have never been there can barely imagine what happens here at the end of July.  EAA AirVenture is not an airshow you visit for a few hours. It is a week when practically the entire world of aviation gathers in this small town. Tens of thousands of people come together and transform the vast grounds into what is probably the world’s largest campsite, pitching their tents next to their own aircraft. For one week, Oshkosh becomes the centre of the aviation world: a place to talk shop, marvel, fly and celebrate.

A family reunion of superlatives

In 2026, 734,000 visitors from 98 countries came to Oshkosh, while more than 10,000 aircraft arrived at the region’s airports. 2,851 aircraft were displayed on the grounds. Add to that around 6,000 volunteers and more than 1,600 talks, workshops and presentations. It was a record-breaking year for an event that EAA calls “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” for good reason.

For The Flying Bulls, it was their first appearance. And quite a special one at that. The DC-6 and P-38 were on display at Boeing Plaza, right in the middle of this spectacular gathering of aviation, and performed displays as part of the airshow programme. For Chief Pilot Raimund Riedmann, the performances of the two aircraft were one of the great highlights of the entire trip. But what stayed with him even more strongly was the reaction of the fans: “The feedback from the audience in Oshkosh was overwhelming.” After landing, the working day was far from over. For three or four hours, the crew continued answering questions, sharing stories and listening to people tell them what the aircraft meant to them.

Spectacular manoeuvres over the “Windy City”

In total, the DC-6 completed 20 flights with around 500 passengers during the three-week US tour. Chicago also saw the historic aircraft become a stage for special experiences. Partners, media representatives and creators were able to enjoy a sightseeing flight aboard a true aviation icon, with the skyline of the “Windy City” beneath the wings and the sound of four Pratt & Whitney engines in their ears. There was plenty to see for aerobatics fans, too. Red Bull Air Force pilot Kevin Coleman performed a spectacular spiral behind the DC-6, turning the 68-year-old aircraft into a flying time capsule: 1958 meets the present day, quiet piston engines meet modern aerobatics.

After the big show: homeward bound to Europe

As impressive as the images may look afterwards, thousands of kilometres across the Atlantic and an extensive US tour are no postcard journey for the crew. There are long hours in the air, changing conditions, precise planning and two historic aircraft that have to perform reliably. The fact that both machines completed the entire tour without any major technical issues is therefore one of the achievements the Flying Bulls team is especially proud of. The adventurous journey to North America led via England, Iceland and Newfoundland. On the way home, the two aviation icons once again headed back across the North Atlantic towards Europe. One leg of the journey in particular stays with Raimund Riedmann: “Flying over Greenland, there was seemingly endless ice beneath the Lightning. Even for pilots who have seen a lot, this landscape, with its very own beauty, is fascinating and difficult to put into words.”

Images that stay

The DC-6 against the skylines of New York City and Chicago. The P-38 over Greenland. Oshkosh in full swing. And thousands of miles of Atlantic in between. These are images that stay. As do the encounters with people who had the chance to experience these aircraft live for the very first time on the other side of the ocean. For The Flying Bulls, the trip to the USA was therefore far more than a grand entry in the logbook. They did not simply fly their aircraft to America. They brought them back to where their stories began, while giving them a new chapter at the same time. Welcome back – to the USA and to Salzburg.