--

Aug. 21--CONNEAUT -- Replica warplanes used in Conneaut's D-Day re-enactment won't fly in this weekend's staging, grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency spokeswoman confirmed Thursday.

The FAA has denied permission because organizers of the annual event gave the agency too little advance notice to conduct mandatory safety checks, said Elizabeth Isham Corey, at the FAA's Great Lakes office in Chicago. A letter seeking approval for use of the planes arrived only Thursday, she said. The mock invasion is set for Saturday

"We're preparing a response letter denying the request because they didn't give us enough time," Corey said. Corey also indicated past appearances by the planes in previous D-Day events were done without the agency's knowledge or approval.

"The first we ever heard about (the D-Day event) was (Thursday)," she said.

At the very least, the FAA needs 45 days advance notice to examine the use of planes in such a public show, Corey said. The planes need to be inspected and the aircraft's flight pattern requires study, she said.

"We need to check the aircraft and look at the layout of the fly-by," Corey said. "We want to keep a safe distance between the aircraft and the crowd."

Planes have been a part of the D-Day re-enactment for the past several years. Some of the planes are smaller-scale replicas of P-51 Mustangs manufactured by Titan Aircraft in Austinburg.

At past shows, the planes simulate strafing runs, buzzing the Conneaut Township Park beach that hosts the event. Some planes fly very low over the beach and over the heads of spectators.

The FAA is anxious to partner with the D-Day group on future re-enactments, Corey said. "We would love to work with the committee on the process," she said.

A spokesperson for D-Day Conneaut could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

Saturday's 10th anniversary re-enactment at the park features two battles: An 11 a.m. recreation of a bridge battle and the 3 p.m. beach invasion, featuring naval landing craft.

More than 300 living historians, representing Allied and Axis soldiers, are expected to participate.

Kicking off the event is a concert of 1940s-era music, performed by the Dan Disantis Orchestra, at 6:30 p.m. today at the Conneaut Community Center for the Arts, 1025 Buffalo St.