The DC-3 Aviation Museum
"Salutes:"
THE FLAGSHIP KNOXVILLE
by Russell Goutierez, American Airlines
The American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum's resident DC 3 is typical of the type in that a
performed various missions during almost five decades of service. Douglas delivered the
plane new to American on March 11,1940, registered as N21798.
Flagship Knoxville flew passengers briefly before being "drafted" and converted for
military use in 1942. Just one year later, it returned to AA as a cargo ship and pilot trainer,
and AA overhauled the airplane and restored it to passenger service in 1944.
In 1946, AA sold N21798 to Colonial Airlines, and it soldiered on for years until being sold
again and converted to an insecticide bomber. In 1987, after some 47 years of service and
50,949 hours of flight (that's almost 6 years aloft), the airplane was retired and parked on
the airport at Hilton Head, South Carolina. Several years later, the Grey Eagles - a group of
retired and senior AA pilots - launched a search for a fommer AA DC-3 to anchor
American's planned museum. Their quest led them to the Carolina resting place of N21798.
The neglected old workhorse, tailwheel buried in sand and moss covering one side of the
fuselage, hardly looked like a museum showpiece, but over 12,000 volunteer man-hours
later, Flagship Knoxville emerged from American's Tulsa Maintenance and Engineering Base
looking as if Father Time had granted it a special exemption.
The AA pennant fluttered above gleaming metal split by an orange Lightning Bolt. Curtains
adorned the rectangular windows, and the radial engines barked and coughed blue smoke
just as they had so many years before. After a brief stint as a movie star - if you haven't
Visited the museum and watched Dream of Flight, you should - and a short, nostalgic flight
to DFW, Flagship Knoxville took its place as a reminder of American's rich heritage and an
inspiration to all of us who live with our eyes turned toward the sky.
The American Airlines
C.R. Smith Museum
4601 Highway 360 at FAA Road
Fort Worth, Texas 76155
(818) 967 - 1560
RESERVE YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY
AND
HELP US PRESERVE THE FLAGSHIP
KNOXVILLE
Link yourself forever with the traditions and future of American Airlines by inscribing your
name on a personal brick.
Your personal brick(s) may also be inscribed with the name of your spouse, your children,
your family or the name of your favorite department or organization- installed in the floor
surrounding the Flagship Knoxville, your engraved brick will be permanent and visible
evidence of your donation to help build the "hangar" to cover the DC-3.
The Flagship Knoxville is the centerpiece of the American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum. The
DC-3 was originally delivered to American Airlines in March, 1940 and flew as part of our
fleet for eight years In November, 1991, the Grey Eagles, an organization of retired and
active pilots over the age of fifty, purchased the airplane and donated it to the Museum.
American Airlines retirees and active personnel in Tulsa, OK, refurbished and restored the
airplane to its pre-World War II configuration and colors.
The harsh Texas sun has already taken its toll on the Knoxville's paint, and sadly,
the aircraft has been subjected to vandalism. More significantly, several severe
hailstorms this past spring damaged many American aircraft on the ramp at DFW
just four miles north of the Museum which heightened the concerns that the plane
could be severely damaged by weather.
When the original fund raising efforts failed to meet the goal, a group of concerned and
interested AA'ers, under the name of "The DC-3 Coalition" organized a new fund raising
effort to build the necessary protective "hangar". That effort is now well past the halfway
mark in achieving its goal of one million dollars for the planned structure.
An appropriately engraved brick provides recognition and can serve as a great gift for
holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions or as a memorial. Show your support
for the Knoxville the C.R Smith Museum and American Airlines by purchasing a
personalized brick. In addition, the purchase of an engraved brick entitles the donor to a one
year's membership to the C.R. Smith Museum and one thousand AAdvantage miles.
To have your brick installed in its prime location surrounding the Flagship Knoxville,
CONTACT:
US Mail to:
The DC-3 Coalition
P.O. Box 619617, MD 841
DFW Intn'l Airport, TX 75261-9617
or
Company Mail to:
The DC-3 Coalition
MD 841
GSWFA
ALL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE AS PROVIDED BY LAW
- Many thanks for your support
THE DC-3 COALITION
The American Airlines
C.R. Smith Museum
4601 Highway 360 at FAA Road
Fort Worth, Texas 76155
(818) 967 - 1560
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