https://www.impulsivewanderlust.com/the-story-behind-normans-cay-fyre-festival/
Can't post because; Getty Images.
https://www.impulsivewanderlust.com/the-story-behind-normans-cay-fyre-festival/
Ping
Flew in a DC-3 from Saigon to DaNang in 1969. Right through a monsoon. It was the most hellish ride I have ever taken. Later at a bar in DaNang the pilots were seated and I asked if that sort of flying was common in Vietnam. The co-pilot responded, “You see where Jack headed once we got into clear air, didn’t you?” He was referring to the fact that Jack unstrapped and headed for the toilet at the rear of the plane. The two had a good laugh. Me, I figured one more flight like that one and my wife could cash my ‘deceased’ check. My last fligt on a DC-3 was from Rangoon to Inle, Burma, in 1984. The plane was built, according to info posted on the doorframe in 1936. It had to be one of the first of its kind and probably served in the China-Burma theater in World War II.
For the ones flying, getting maintenance and parts must be a headache. (Especially for the P&W R-1830 engines)
DC-3s and others have been restored near Hialeah, Florida. The site is a retired Coast Guard base at Allapattah.
Websites might be found by googling “Corrosion Corner”, referring to the collection of C-46s, DC-3s, DC-7s among many others, undergoing restoration.
There’s a WWII C47 still taking people up for rides out of Republic Airport in Farmingdale LI. My wife freaked at my idea of taking Junior up in an “antique”. I mean really freaked. About 350.00 a pop.
Many old dc3s have been refitted with turbo prop engines.
There's a miilion stories about the DC-3. Like the one that suffered a torn-up wing from a Japanese attack in Burma. Somebody found a wing from a DC-2, flew it into the threatened airfield strapped under another DC=3 bolted it onto the damaged plane, making it a DC-2-1/2. Despite being shorter, the pilot said it handled normally as he flew it out.
Another has to do with an RD-4 that lost all the oil from one engine flying into a remote island base. They fixed the leak, filled the tank with OLIVE OIL, and flew it 500 miles home.
Took a DC-3 from Dallas to Lawton, OK in 1974. Glad I had a chance to do it.
My Grandmother built these during WWII and after in Long Beach, CA.
After the war, she was one of the very few women kept on. She retired after 30 years as a lead lady on the assembly line. Last plane she worked on was the DC-10.
My very first flight was in a North Central Airlines DC-3 from Truax Field in Madison, Wisconsin to O’Hare Airport in Chicago, back in 1959.
I will always remember climbing the stairs, only to walk uphill to my seat!
Hardly a year goes by that I don’t ride in a gooney bird to get to a dive spot on some remote island. I think most of them now are running Polish-made (ore remanufactured) engines.
One of the most cool flights I took was on the MSF-3 C-47 frp, El Toro to Fallon. 1966 or so.
Piloted by one of the few remaining original WWII enlisted pilots.
3 re being used by Missionary Flights International. Beautiful planes. Fort pierce Florida serving the Caribbean.
https://indianrivermagazine.com/flying-for-those-in-need/
Bump for the goony bird
Great thread!
I flew a commercial DC-3 from La Guardia to Martha’s Vineyard around 1984. Used to see them through to the early 90’s flying cargo out of Miami/FTL.
I remember flying on US Navy DC-3s in Iceland from the US Navy installation at Reykjavík to Hofn in 1976. I was TDY there for two months working on some tropo gear at the radar site installation at Hofn. Flew over the southern coastline route to Hofn to a gravel runway.
Given that 10,174 C-47’s and 607 DC-3’s were built from 1936 to the end of World War II, this sturdy (and technologically advanced for its time) plane will continue to fly for many years. Especially now with many DC-3’s getting modern cockpits and turboprop engine upgrades.
Air crew survival training in Lakehurst New Jersey,1970,jumped out of one!
Also flew in one from Naval Air Station San Diego to Fallon Nevada for live fire training prior to deployment before deployment to Vietnam operations.
Yes it was flying when I jumped out of one in 1970