I - P

This is a listing of anyone that has
assembled, flown, crewed, worked on, ridden in or admired
the DC-3/ C-47/ R4D/ Dakota
Or any of its variants

Skydiver from the land of OZ. Jumped from VH-EWE, with the large double Cargo-doors.

Jack Irwin

- Ozark Air Lines, Feb 1968- F/O DC-3, now Captain for TWA, based in STL, flying the Boeing 767

Olivier Michaud - 100325.1217@compuserve.com

- DC-3 Pilot and FAA Mechanic ( 700hrs DC-3, in northern Canada)(see Photo Gallery)

The Olivier Michaud Collection

N982Z, a DC-3/C-47 rolled off the assembly line on April 6, 1994
and was delivered to the European Theater of Operations with the U.S. 9th Air Force on June 3 of that same year.
She is believed to have flown at Normandy and has since then spent many years as a commercial cargo carrier.

Today N982Z is used by Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps, a non-profit airborne relief corps
delivering medical services and supplies to remote areas of the United States and the world (her use is generously donated to Remote Area Medical by Michael Hogan of Hogan Air in Middletown, Ohio).
N982Z was used first to place American Forces in strategic areas and in her new career, she has a similar task.
Instead of military troop and equipment transport, she will haul thousands of pounds of medicine, hospital supplies, and relief volunteers. In her early days, she droned through perilous skies for the sake of a free world and today, as she celebrates half a century of service, she will take to peace-time skies in another unique contribution to freedom - freedom from the suffering created by isolation from medical care.

Remote Area Medical welcomes aviation enthusiasts and, in particular, medical volunteers to our web page.
- to fly with us and help people in need of medical care.

Our organization is founded and directed by Stan Brock, formerly co-host of "Wild Kingdom".
Also, the DC-3 is housed in Knoxville, TN.
I really enjoyed your site, as did Stan Brock who personally flies the DC-3
and is a flight instructor for others wishing to qualify in it.
Helen McAllister, RAM volunteer - mcallister@hmpsys.com

I started working on DC-3s in 1993 as an A&P with Dodson International Air in Atlanta Ga. at the age of 23. Since then I've changed about 15 engines, many cylinders, and devoted a large part of my wardrobe to working on the good-old oily 1830s.
I was lucky enough to be around when the company needed a new mechanic/copilot and stepped right in to my first commercial flying job (boy was I lucky!). After several hundred hours of flying all over North America, Canada and the Caribbean I got my DC-3 type rating, something I'll treasure for the rest of my life. I learned an awful lot from my 1500 hours in the gooney bird and will miss that part of my career now that I have moved on to more modern airplanes.

In the midst of sorting through some old family photos, I have just come across several 8X10 black and white glossy photos. These photos show what appear to be three (3) different DC-2s, all apparently representing aircraft owned by Eastern Air Lines. Most of them are interior shots, showing both "standard" and "De-luxe" cabins. They are dated 1934 and 1935. They appear to be photos taken by Eastern. The one exterior shot shows "DC2-171", NC 14969.

see these pictures in the Photo Gallery
"The Geoff Parker Collection"

Les Maike - airstar@port.island.net

I am presently Chief Pilot/General Manager of a new freight hauler using four R4D-8's. I hauled my first load (8500 lbs. of live crabs) from Massett in the Queen Charlottes to Vancouver using an R4D-8.... we have four.. What an incredible aircraft... I checked myself out, after flying the DC-3 for a month hauling for UPS. One "helluva" story sometime!

It is great to see that there are many others who appreciate the contribution that the DC3 has made to modern aviation. I enjoy reading about the experiences of others with this magnificent aircraft. I am currently a first officer on the DC3 at Buffalo Airways in Canada's Arctic. I can tell you that there still is no match for the durability and versatility of the Dak.

"John R. Joseph" - brojak@earthlink.net

Subject: Douglas C-47D, ASN #42-93542, Squadron #A010

Our overseas service started late October 1944, at Nadzab, New Guinea. Served in Leyte, Mindoro, and Luzon, in the P.I. We were on IE Shima, where we watched the Jap bombers carrying the surrender contingent, land, unload their passengers, who then boarded C-54 for the flight to Manila to meet with General MacArthur.

We served at Atsugi AB, outside Tokyo, and finally stopped at Chitose AFB, Hokkaido, in October 1945. We picked up our C-47 at Baer Field, Fort Wayne IN., Oct. 10th 1944, and it was pretty tough to say "Good-Bye" to it, as it was our 2nd home from that day until Chitose. We hated to leave it on Japanese soil.

I credit my survival of W.W.II to 3 things - the bomb at Hiroshima, the bomb at Nagasaki,
(we were on IE Shima, merely 350 miles from Kyushu when they were dropped)
and the Douglas C-47 airplane.

I was working in a bootleg coal mine close to Mahanoy City PA, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
The closest I had come to an airplane was the Japanese made tin type, inside a box of cracker Jack.
I often think the C-47 was a self-healing airplane.
How else could an ex-bootleg coal miner keep an airplane flying all over the Pacific?
I traced it Post War, and it was still flying in 1969.in Indonesia.

a.pulcinelli - a.pulcinelli@agora.stm.it - firenzeiti, Italy


I am an aviation fan collecting postcards concerning planes and flight.

J.Jongenelen - j.jongenelen@deltan.nl - Koudekerke, Netherlands

Juan Carlos Munoz - jmunoz@ns.guate.net - Guatemala City, Guatemala

There is a Beautiful original DC-3 Flying in Guatemalan Skies ! (civil).
And the Guatemalan Air Force has 1 or 2, C-47 (turbo) in service.

The registration Number is N3FY and they fly from Guatemala city to some
place in Texas (near Dallas), from time to time.

They work for a religious organization that works here in Guatemala in a
town call Quetzaltenango, they have 3 US pilots and 1 Guatemalan pilot for
the DC3 and the other Cessna 206 that they use.

By the Way this DC3 has a nice Red stripe and the name "Mercy Wings" with a full
fuselage Aluminum Chrome !

Steven McLachlan - steve@netaccess.co.nz

Visited your web site and noticed your request for information re: DC3 aircraft offering flights.
At present a Christchurch based company is running a full time charter/ regular tourist trips with a DC3. This company is called:
"DC3-Pioneer".
Postal address is P.O. Box 333,
Christchurch, New Zealand.
Their phone number is +64 3 358 1333

They are based at the Christchurch International Airport and have been offering flights there for about a year having previously been based at Queenstown further south in the South Island serving a tourist area.

They offer the full nostalgic flight and also do special trips such as to wine festivals or sports events. I see their aircraft doing scenic flights over Christchurch most days.
There is also a fully preserved DC3 VIP aircraft (with enlarged windows etc. at Air Force World at Wigram in Christchurch which is the Official Air Force Museum. This aircraft was used by the Queen several times.

Great personal news. I had the pleasure of going on board the Continental Airlines DC-3 on Saturday.

It was at Galveston TX, Sholes field. The Lone Star Flight Museum was having there 6th annual air show.
The DC-3 had flown in with a load of retired airline pilots (all women) and since my wife is a Continental employee, we were allowed to go on board.
What a great aircraft. Beautiful restoration, completely authentic and faithful to the 1940 model as she came from the factory.

What a hoot! Don't mind me as I ramble on about the aircraft. I just get carried away. The pilot has invited me to fly her anytime they have an extra seat. Really looking forward to that.

Bill Mauney - wtmauney@charlotte.infi.net

I love DC-3s and I love this site.
I thought you would like to know that the Carolinas Historic Aviation Commission / Museum
at Charlotte Douglas International Airport
will soon have a restored to mint condition flying Piedmont Airlines DC-3 this fall.
Keep up the good work!

Clive A Lynch - ahsacal@ozemail.com.au

A.R.D.U. R.A.A.F. still flies 4 Dakotas the survivors of 124 C.47s operated by the R.A.A.F.
Both Qantas & Ansett operate, by dedicated people, a DC.3c each.
Qantas fly VH-AES, which flew T.A.A.'s first scheduled service.
Ansett fly VH-ABR an original pre-war (WW II that is) DC.3.
Several other Daks are also still flying in Australia/New Zealand/Papua New Guinea.
I flew in Daks both as a member of the R.A.A.F (Photographer), and as a passenger on the civil airlines. Many happy memories.
We Have a collection of B & W photos, and colour slides, plus written data on these aircraft.
I may be contacted at:
Clive A. Lynch
Aviation Heritage Specialists & Associates
P.O.Box 261
Moorabbin VIC 3189
AUSTRALIA
Phone 61 3 9532 3964
Fax 61 3 9553 0767
Email ahsacal@ozemail.com.au

Colin L Mitchell - 76443.660@compuserve.com

My old employers, Airfast Indonesia still have a (very) airworthy and flying DC3 (converted C47). It is in their own colours on the Indonesian register and in great condition.

I was only sorry I didn't get to fly her!

Cap. Tony La Rotta - johs@colomsat.net.co

I fly a DC-3 in Colombia, South America.. In answer to your question, Will A DC-3 Fly with a dead engine and the prop not feathered.

I have had that experience on takeoff and it's not a nice experience. on a DC-3 you can experience what is called a "RUN AWAY PROPELLER" when this happens you loose control of the propeller, it goes to a high rpm angle and it doesn't allow you to feather it.
we were full weight but we managed to get it to fly and returned safely for landing.

On another occasion we were at 9000 ft. when suddenly we lost fuel and oil pressure, so we had to feather the propeller. the airplane held 125 knots, and the altitude for 1:20 minutes.
the problem was caused by a pinion that turns the fuel & oil pump.

I have time in 3's...back in early 60's for PP & L in PDX. ...Does anyone remember when PDX Twr would instruct us to "report the biscuit factory on final...?", (or the shipyards). Or...the Washougal Fan Marker?... Spent an hour in the DC-3 room the other day, and there are some good old memories.

Of course the majority of my life I was in big jets...and in that whole time I was only iced up a couple times, but in the "Doug" I was only NOT iced up a couple times. Especially since we spent most of our time traveling between PDX & MFD, and otherwise with the territory of PP&L....which got us to Northern CA, and east to Kalispell, and Casper. Ours was a conversion purchased from Aerojet General, with JATO bottles and was a fine machine.

The Columbus Day storm took out our hangar at TTD, threw the roof over the road and halfway to the aluminum plant, but the main beam fell and broke the back of N208PP. Several weeks later when we extracted it from the hangar, some outfit in California came up and taped up the holes in the fuselage, put a new rudder on it...actually and old one with the Portland Rose on it, and flew it off to Calif. I have pictures of some of this, especially the damage around Portland due to that storm. Anyway, PP&L bought a Convair after that and I changed jobs, so only flew the Convair once or twice.

I liked the DC3 better actually, though as the co-pilot (step-n-fetch-it) I did luggage, re-fueling-oil, flight plans, and served box lunches enroute. Why do we remember this stuff as fun...?....when years later, I merely walked on board, ordered my coffee, and flew at 39,000 across the Pacific, and remember most of that with less enthusiasm.

Doppler, INS, Radar and all the good gadgets, as opposed to flying from beacon to beacon, my ears aching from the range, and squinting for airway beacons coming down the Columbia Gorge at night.
Pilots are strange.

Bill...retired NWA Capt.

Most of the people featured here are from the US.
I thought I'd let you know that the Dakotas were an international phenomenon!

My father Gp. Capt. HPS Pannu (by:Anandeep Pannu) retired from the Indian Air Force in 1986 after 29 years of service.

Gp. Capt. HPS Pannu first started flying the Dakota Mk III (C-47A) as a Flight Cadet in 1956.
According to him he has flown the Dakota in every possible role - including fighter!
He was stationed with a Vampire Night-Fighter squadron (10 Squadron IAF) which had a single Dakota
(which practically belonged to him since he was the only pilot in the squadron qualified to fly it!)
configured with an AI Mk 10 radar to instruct night fighter navigators.

Gp. Capt. HPS Pannuhas over 4000 hrs in Dakotas -most in 2 hour tactical type sorties.
Most of the flying was over the same "Hump" route that the USAAF flew.
The mountains there are 27,000 to 28,000 ft. The missions were flown from bases that are part of history
- Jorhat, Chabua, Dimapur, Kohima, Dibrugarh. The main mission was supply dropping - to Indian troops
(facing the Chinese) whose only supply was the Dakota drops.
The DZs (Dee Zeds - or drop zones) were small and in remote places.

In fact the "C" class DZs that the Dakotas could drop in are now only visited by helicopters!
Some of them were so bad you could not lose airspeed in a turn and make it back
without colliding with the mountains!

Gp. Capt. HPS Pannu was an instructor on Dakotas from 1961 onwards. He flew them in two wars
(1962 with China and 1965 with Pakistan)
and helped prepare the biggest modern paratroop combat jump (1971 over Dacca).
He was a Flight Commander and subsequently Wing Commanding Officer of the biggest Dakota base
in the Indian Air Force.
In 1980 as Commanding Officer of the Wing Gp. Capt. HPS Pannu flew 200 hrs on Dakotas!
I vividly recall the 32 aircraft base fly-past he put up to show the serviceability of the Dak when doubts were being expressed about them!

Despite having the privilege of flying some of the all time great aircraft
(the T-6G Harvard, L-1049 Super Constellation, De Havilland Vampire among others)
the Dakota will always have a special place in his and our family's heart!

Anandeep Pannu
Research Programmer
Robotics Institute - Carnegie Mellon University

g perry - atwaikiki@sisna.com

"Butch" Perry's page

I love the DC-3. I have many hours in it. I have nothing but praise for that aircraft.
I used to fly the border from Laredo & McAllen Texas to points south.

Before you jump to conclusions, we flew electronics like radios and TV's.
It was all quite legal. We cleared customs outbound and inbound. It was all great fun.

Many times when you tell people that you flew the border they think of all the wrongs and illegal things
being flown south of the border.
The sound page is unreal. It is a wonderful salute to this great plane.

Abraham Moreno, Jr. - amoreno14@aol.com

My father Abraham Moreno was an aircraft mechanic who started his career working for a pioneer
in Mexican aviation, Francisco Sarabia. Abraham Moreno was 22 at the time (1934).

Have enjoyed his many, many stories about the industry and flying back in those days, even to this day.

I Became enamored with the DC-3/C-47/C-117 back in the early-mid 1960's.
Daddy worked for Inter-Continental Engine Service (ICES)in Brownsville, TX at the time,
and ICES got a contract from the Navy to overhaul its entire fleet of C-47's/C-117's.

I happened to have a summer joy, working in ICES's engine shop and became thoroughly fascinated
with the planes, the sight of the Navy crews who would deliver and pick the planes up, the sound of the engines,
the converted Arctic aircraft, the JATO models, the markings on the planes coming in from Saigon, Argentina, etc.

I live in Asunción, Paraguay. We have 3 DC-3's still flying for the "TRANSPORTE AEREO MILITAR" here in Paraguay doing flights inside Paraguay transporting people and mail to distant locations.

Dr. Thom Kleiss - thom@phil.com.ph

I live in the Philippines, where flying with DC3 is still as normal as taking a bus.
In a couple of weeks I will fly a DC-3 from Manila to Roxas City in the south to get fish and back.
As a DC3 lover, and because Filipino's are not only great flyers, but great handicraft makers,
I am looking for someone that can make a large scale model for me (length about 1,5 meter),
but I do not have any simple technical data sheet.
Could you folks give me some ideas, whom to contact about this ?
I will file my DC-3 story with you, When I return from the trip.
By the way, there is an Ex-Air Force Captain here that is restoring a DC-4. It is a beautiful plane!

Bob Polaneczky - bobpo@concentric.net

I have about 500 airline slides to update to my web site but I wanted to do these DC3s first,
They will eventually be on my airliner web site. 500 slides is going to take a while!!!!!!!
http://www.concentric.net/~bobpo

"Karl A. Innes" - basketmaker@pipeline.com

I worked for Naples Airlines (Provincetown-Boston Airlines "PBA") from 1970 through 1974
as their MIA Station Manager. While performing my normal job duties, I had the pleasure of loading baggage, boarding passengers, riding jumpseat (for company business) and on several occasions as a flight attendant.

I now work for Emery Worldwide at Nashville, TN (BNA) and occasionally see a DC-3 cargo variant arrive outside our back door. It still thrills me to see these wonderful OL' LADIES still flying.

And I would still climb aboard and fly in any DC-3, I don't care what condition it is in or wherever, she is. - Keep up the great work.

William T. Larkins - wtl@ccnet.com

I have been photographing DC-3's since February 1937; that's 59 years.

My first DC-3 flight was in 1945 from Dayton to Kansas City on TWA.

I have flown on a War Assets Administration C-47, Air National Guard C-47's and most recently in May 1996 on the Otis Spunkmeyer C-41. But the most memorable was standing behind the pilots in a Navy R4D-4 during a night GCA landing at Moffett Field in 1947.
(This is one of the leading authority's in Aviation History - "Bear")

I really enjoyed you website on the ol' Gooney Bird. This is one of my favorite airplanes and as soon as I get out of collage hope to be lucky enough to find a job in which I can log a lot of DC-3 time. Currently I am looking for a place to get a type rating in one though. I would be thankful to any information you could provide me, esp. on cost, location (I live in Kansas), and amount of time. Keep up the good work and maybe add a little more from the pilots perspective.

Tony Kennard - stats@axionet.com

I am a former Royal Canadian Air Force flight crewman who served in Daks for two years. We were attached to a search and rescue squadron flying out of Ontario, Canada. Even though I have been away from the business of servicing and maintaining aircraft for almost 20 years, I still have a love affair with all types of military and commercial aircraft. I found your website extremely interesting. The sound bytes were of particular interest, and I could almost close my eyes and relive once again the roar of the engines during take-off. My residence is now outside of Vancouver, B.C., and there are a couple of Daks that fly out of the South Airport on a daily basis. Even during periods of low ceilings when I cannot see them taking off, the sound is unmistakable. Thanks for a really enjoyable experience at your site, and you can bet I will be checking regularly for updates.

Ben Powell - bgrp@ozemail.com.au

I've been on vacation in far North Queensland, Australia. A Mr. Syd Beck has a static aircraft museum including a complete and I should imagine a taxiable P-39 Aircobra and he won't part with it.
He has a complete DC-3/Dakota with a fractured tail wheel yolk and as such can't move or tug the a/c.
Perhaps you could give us, or more particularly him a local lead or an indicative cost.
All a/c are under cover and well sheltered.
Mr. Syd Beck
P.O..Box 947
Mareeba QLD 4880
Australia
His ph. no. 61-070-923-979

The DC3 is simply the greatest airplane ever built.
This is a great site that brings back great memories. I grew up working at Executive Aircraft (now Executive Beechcraft) at the old Municipal Airport in Kansas City. I will date myself (early 60s) by saying the DC3 was still a mainstay of some of the airlines that flew in and out of KC. Ozark, Central, Frontier, Braniff, and Continental come to mind. Needless to say, with all these 3s around, plus those privately owned, I had ample opportunity to fly and, in some cases, sit in the left seat. I could go on and on about the DC3 but will stop here. Reed Park - reedpark@nbnet.nb.ca

My Dad's name is Capt. E.R.T. Park (Ret.)
He used to write for the magazine called "Canadian Aviation" back in the 50's, 60's and 70's before he retired from Air Canada which was Trans Canada Airlines until the mid 60's.
He is not yet on inter-net, but I am working on him.
I have been trying to get him to put down on paper some of his stories/experiences etc. from WW II and his Commercial Aviation days. Once he sees your page, I am sure he will get his interests up again.

Dr. Orville E. Lanham, - oel@scholars.bellevue.edu -Bellevue, Nebraska

My 1st glimpse of this fabulous aircraft was sometime in the Spring of 1937 at the old Springfield, Illinois Municipal Airport. American Airlines and Chicago and Southern Airlines served the airport until hostilities began in 1941.
The airport was Southwest of Springfield, between two railroad tracks. Runways were X shaped, paved with shale. (A WPA depression project).

It was beautiful to see the American planes taxi up with the flag flying outside the pilots window.
As a boy, I had always wanted to fly in the plane. My opportunity came in October of 1957 when I flew from Denver, CO to Laramie, WY via Cheyenne, WY. It was fun with all of the vibrations.. and the inclined walk up the aisle to my seat which was in the second row of the cabin.
Thanks for keeping memories alive.

Msgt Leeman E. Pior USAF Ret. - Lpior@aol.com

I was in aircraft maintenance. at Soderstrom AFB, Greenland in 1952 and 1953. We had one C-47 as our only assigned aircraft, In summer it was equipped with conventional landing gear in winter we added snow skies.

We trusted the A/C so much we were never anxious when flying over the isolated regions of Greenland.

Is there any out there who served at Sonderstrom (BW-8) during the 1950,s.

I recently retired from the LONE STAR FLIGHT MUSEUM in Galveston, Texas.
We had a DC-3 for a while. It's first night here, it was left on the ramp, and we had one of our famous spring storms and it was badly damaged.
A fellow AF retiree, and I replaced the ailerons and elevators.
What gave us the most trouble was the broken chains in the control columns and the broken control cables were time consuming also.
We moved her back to the ramp, after about six months in hanger.
We ended up with an engine change on No. 1.
The A/C was finally sold, we just did not have hanger space for it.
It's in Alaska now, a oil company is using it for sightseeing tours.

Bill N. Khourie - billkh@itlnet.net

I am presently involved in the restoration of Delta Air Lines DC-3, NC28341.
I would like to share information with anyone who has an interest in early day passenger DC-3s.

In addition to the companies listed in your site, AVENSA, an internal airline related to VIASA of Venezuela,
regularly flies DC-3 tours of Angel Falls out of Canaima.
I was on one of them on December 24, 1995.

Sally Pecor - s_pecor@acs.org - Washington, DC

What a very nice Web Site in honor -- yes, honor, for sure -- of the truly legendary DC3.
I have no idea why I'm fixated on this airplane; maybe it's its "work ethic," or it's example of good ol' American
Know-How.
Whenever I visit the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum, I visit the DC3 first.
Anyway, long may it fly -- into the next millenium!

I'm from New Jersey; back in W.W.II, my dad was an Army Air Corps mechanic who worked on C-47s, B-17s and B-29s in the Pacific Theater.
Dad instilled in me an appreciation of the technical and aesthetic wonders of heavy machinery: his main passion is steam locomotives, but he also taught me to love airplanes, cranes, cars, etc.
I was swept off my feet by the DC-3 when I saw the 50th anniversary PBS special in '86. I'd seen photos of them, but this program showed off their beauty in a way I'd never seen before and their simple, elegant perfection was astonishing to me.
Equally important, I was struck by their historical, technological and social significance. It's the whole package that won me over.
Even battered and wrecked DC-3s (like the two I saw near the Barbados airport in '88) have a certain grace and beauty, and part of that is because I know that someone had to work pretty hard to run them into the ground.

Bill Ostrander - dc3@mind.net

DC3's and Beech 18's - two of my favorite planes. One of the main reasons I started skydiving was to ride in a DC3
. Even got to fly one - what a pleasure.
I've got some DC3 photos of my own at
http://id.mind.net/~dc3/douglas.html

In April 1973 Jeff could be found on top of C-47A - N97H, At Pounds Field, Tyler Texas.
He Was literally on top because as a energetic 17 year old he was polishing N97H

(This aircraft is now owned/operated by Otis Spunkmyer Air - flying Air tours of San Francisco)

(Jeff Provided The DC-3 Aviation with a copy of the June 1978 issue of Popular Mechanics
that had the story "THE PLANE THAT FLIES NO MATTER WHAT".
Even Mountains didn't stop this DC-3)
Thanks Jeff - "Bear"

Neal C. Miller - Stretch730@Aol.com

I have truly enjoyed going through this site over and over.
I have read the memorials, looked at the photos and enjoyed each one of them.
I have had the privilege of flying in a DC-3.
Not many 23 year old guys can actually say that they have been able to do that!
I flew with a Capt. Robert Nelson, unfortunately, he died this past year in a DC-3 in Boise, Idaho.
I am forever thankful for his willingness to take me into the heavens of the DC-3!
Not only did it fill a long time dream, it made a memory that I can pass on to my children someday.
I have shown many of my friends this web site, and they too have brought out memories of the OLE' 3!
In fact, there is a picture of SALAIR in your photo gallery. That is the company who owned the DC 3 I flew on.
Thanks for the page....and memories!

Charlie Joseph - cjoseph@eagle1.eaglenet.com

I guess I qualify as one who has flown as crew and worked on R4Ds.
As a young Navy Aviation Electronics Technician, I flew radio in both an R4D-5 (C-47) and R4D-8 (C-117D) for Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron (FASRON)-108 out of NAS Brunswick, ME from 1958 through 1960.
Ultimately I retired from the Navy in 1976 as a Chief Aviation Electronics Technician.
I have a home page at: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/5922

"J. Clifton Knight" - knightjc@swbell.net

Please add my father, Captain Bassel Lamar Knight Jr.(1929 - 1997) While flying in the 50's and 60's with Central and Frontier Airlines he accumulated over 10,000 hours and wrote the last working flight manual for the plane in 1965.

Lt. Col. Chuck Miller, USAF (Ret -- 1981). - chuckm8@earthlink.net

After completing all-jet pilot training (T-37 & T-33) at Moody AFB, Valdosta, GA in Class 62-G, I was assigned to Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport with Det. 4 of the 2223rd Instructor Squadron (Instron) in Continental Air Command (ConAC, later renamed AFRes) where I spent 5 years and about 2200 flight hours piloting the TC-47 Navigation Trainer in support of the AF Reserve navigator CRAF (Civilian Reserve Aircraft Fleet) program.

During my early career as a gooney-bird pilot I logged pilot time in the C-47, TC-47, EC-47,
AC-47, RC-47, VC-47, HC-47, UC-47, SC-47 and C-117.

After C-47s I "graduated" to the "jet-age gooney-bird" the KC-135 tanker. I flew the KC-135Q in support of the SR-71 out of Beale AFB with extensive operations out of Kadena AB, Okinawa and other global operations.

I was then selected for NATO Exchange duty with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) flying their Boeing 707-320s and developing an in-flight refueling operation using a pair of wing mounted Beech hose/drogue buddy stores with the CAF CF-5 fighter.
After 3 years with the Canadians, I concluded my USAF career as the AF Logistics Command C/KC-135
Weapons System Manager at Tinker AFB, OCALC, with logistice, depot maintenance and modification
responsibility for the 750 aircraft fleet of KC-135 and cargo/special mission derivatives (EC-135, RC-135,
etc.) and the Presidential 707 fleet.

Karl A. Innes - basketmaker@pipeline.com

I am an avid lover of the DC-3
(I worked for Provincetown-Boston Airlines "PBA" many years ago and we flew 6 of them)
and fell in love with them.

See the Karl A Innes Collection

Sam Nadeau  - snadeau@ix.netcom.com

Subject: Looking for Phil Abell

Phil Abell was a mechanic on the DC-3 during the Vietnam conflict in 1967
and returned to the US, Kettering, OH.

Please respond to Sam Nadeau at
snadeau@ix.netcom.com

Jose Pires - falcaonegro@hotmail.com

I'm a true air-minded person, and of course...I LOVE DC-3's ...
Thanks for this wonderfull tribute to the DC-3 DAKOTA

Pete Lepley - lepley@cnsinternet.com

I have seen so much information about bomber and fighter groups, it's nice to see one which is committed to the C-47. My uncle trained as a pilot and earned his wings in Class 43-D, Ellington Field Texas.
He was stationed at Alliance Air Base, Alliance Nebraska,
and was a member of the 434th Troop Carrier Group, 73rd Troop Carrier Squadron.
He was killed while piloting or co-piloting a C-47, over Hemingford,Nebraska.
If anyone has any information about the 434th
or even better the 73rd T.C.S.,
it would be greatly appreciated.
Alot of times we see or hear about the paratroopers landing in enemy territory,
and how brave they must be, and I'm positive that they were.
But what about the brave young men who flew them there in the Mighty Skytrain?

Michael Millar - 106741.431@compuserve.com

I just returned from Margarita Island (just off the coast of Venezuela).
While there we took a trip into mainland Venezuela with
RUTACA airlines on a C47.

Jo McGuinness - joey@nettrade.com.au

The first aircraft flight which I took was in a Dakota. It belonged to
Setair and was from Melbourne to Albury (and return), Australia, for an airshow.
Since then I have flown on numerous civilian and Military
Dakotas/DC-3s and have worked on Dakotas belonging to the RAAF, Dakota
Downunder and Moorabbin Air Museum.
I also acquired a couple of Dakota cockpits which have now been added to the collection
of the Clyde North Aeronautical Preservation Group.

Darryl Gibbs
Wagga Wagga
Australia
e-mail darrylgibbs@geocities.com

W.E. (Bill) Northrup - logmgmt@mosquitonet.com

First off, I really enjoy viewing the photos of one of the best airplanes ever made.
a couple photos of DC3's that flew for Air North (Canada)
between Whitehorse, YT, and Fairbanks taken on the FAI ramp.

I have been associated with aviation since I was about 10 years old.
I was raised in SE Alaska, where the airplane was the only way to travel.
In the 50's and 60's it was Ellis Airlines, who flew everything from C-180's on floats to Grumman G-21's, to PBY-5A's.....
From Annette Island to Seattle it was Pan Am in DC-7's, and B320's (Stratocruisers), and PNA, with Connie's.
While I was in the Navy, I was an elint crewman on S-2's, EC-47's, and EA-6's.
In 1974 I went to work for Wien Air Alaska in Fairbanks, on the ramp, handling B737's, F-27's, DHC-2 & 6's, Porter's, C-46's, DC-3's.
After Wien in Fairbanks and Barrow, Alaska, it was Air North (a different company than now), with DC-3's, C-46's, BN-Islander's, PA-21's, C207's.
Then it was Harold's Air with more Navajo's and Cessna's PLUS a Basler Turbine DC-3 (N300TX).
I have been with Air North Canada for six years plus, working the ticket counter and ramp....
"like a DC-3, I do everything".

William O'Mara, AMM1c

I am trying to find information about my uncle William O'Mara, AMM1c who serviced combat aircraft
in the Pacific during WWII.
He was in the carrier aircraft service unit # 18 from 9/43 to 3/44 then in the casu #30 from 3/44 to 6/45.
Can anyone help me locate anything about this service (which carriers) and which squadrons?
Many thanks. Nephew on behalf of my aunt and her children. My uncle was William O'Mara, AMM1c

Michael St. Clair
stclairm@bc.edu

Bill N. Khourie - billkh@itlnet.com

Please note that the lowest time DC-3 in 1985 was the Wrigley Wasp.
The aircraft was owned and operated by the Wrigley family for 32 years.
The aircraft sold in 1985 with less than 3200 hours total time.
I was involved with the sale of the Wasp and hope it is good hands. - Bill Khourie

per-ola karbro - per-ola.karbro@ans.lfv.se

It´s pure nostalgia to find such a nice site.
We used a DC-3 here in Sweden for flight inspection between 1965 and 1988.
Here she was registred SE-BSM and after that mission
she was sold to Germany and was registred D-CCC.
A few years later on she crashed.
But the memories from the DC-3 era still remains.

WALTER C. PALMER MSGT USAF (RET) - walpal@boro.com

C-47 & EC-47
I FLEW AS RADIO OPERATOR ON C-47'S WHILE ASSIGNED TO 1ST AIR FORCE.
WE USED THEM TO TRAIN RESERVE NAVIGATORS. WHILE IN VIETNAM
(NHA TRANG 1968-69)
I FLEW 205 COMBAT MISSIONS ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT EC-47'S.
GREAT AIRCRAFT.

MSGT ELTON R NEWSOME, USAF,RET,1959-1980 - EVNew425@aol.com

Aircraft mechanic on T29C, C118 ,C54 , C131 , C124 , AC119 , C119 , DC3 and
Flight engineer on AC47 gunships (PUFF).
I was stationed at the following:
Harlingen, Texas , James Connely AFB, Texas. Howard AFB , Canal Zone.
Warner Robbins AFB , GA . Da Nang AB , Vietnam . Phu Cat AB , Vietnam .
Nah Trang AB , Vietnam . F.E. Warren AFB , Wy. and Misawa AB , Japan .

Would like to hear from any of my friends or anyone who would like to swap a
few tales about "PUFF" or "STRINGER" operating out of Vietnam.
God bless and keep you. AND LONG LIVE THE DC3......

Michael Leonard - Navyintel@aol.com

Philip Hill and Michael Leonard took a first ride on 1/16/00 at Falcon Field,
Mesa Municipal Airport - 6 DC-3's were on display with one providing rides.
It was 20 minutes of history and heaven.

"FREDERICK JAMES WITNEY" - fredw2943@optusnet.com.au

As an engineer I worked on DC 3 s mainly engine and airframe .
My first encounter with the Dak was at CROYDON AIRPORT ,when I was a trainee aircraft fitter.
Transair had a fleet of DC3s.Later in life I was employed by Conair , in Alice Springs AUSTRALIA.,
we did maintenance the Dakota and other aircraft in the fleet.
Years later, I heard that the Central Australian Aviation Museum in Alice Spring NT had purchased an aircraft from Warbirds Mildura .I contacted the museum and was offered the job of assembly and painting .
The aircraft had no wings and tail surfaces fitted and was a bare paint striped hulk .
The volunteers at the museum,under the guide of a competent retired Telecom technician had done a huge amount of work over a long period of time. This involved fitting fuselage to wing centre section , paint striping and starting to refurbish interior, a great achievement .
I was employed by CAAM by way of a grant from the NT government and spent 20 weeks approximately ( I did three trips to the Alice from my home town of Jindera /Albury NSW AUST.) The aim was to get aircraft assembled, up onto its undercarriage and painted in the airline colours of Conellan Airways, CONNAIR. this has been achieved with much help from a few volunteers .
The aircraft is fully assembled (engines ,props most of the control surfaces we covered with polyester, I worked out the Connair logo and colour scheme and painted the port side and did all the signwriting ) .We had two big cranes lift the Dak back up onto its undercarriage and lock it into safety ,
this all being done in a Bellman hanger constructed for the museum by NT govt.
The Dakota is a static display only and I have tried to use all correct fasteners and aircraft procedures during my assembly time .
The DC 3 can be viewed at the CAAM in the old-town site airfield at ALICE SPRINGS NT AUSTRALIA..
Contact Perry Morey on 011889515686 for information on the aircraft's history.
I can be contacted for information and pictures of the assembly (a big job)
at fredw2943@optusnet.com.au or
01160263499 / F J Witney ,Jinderney, JINDERA ,NSW Australia 2642.

Julius Kaufman - jkauf65745@aol.com

During WW2 I served at Bovingdon AAF base in England.
I was an instrument mechanic and serviced these planes for the troop carrier squadron.
I was with the 808th Air Eng. Squadron.
also I flew as flight engineer. I hope somebody from that time will contact me.

"Uncle Bob" Irvine & The Gang - scimmia@webtv.net (LUCIANA STAMM)

Great site honoring " The Greatest ".
I'm the current owner of PBA's 136 PB, just completing a 6 year heavy overhaul / restoration
with the help of some very dedicated friends.
The old girl was purchased in '93, ferried to Vancouver WA, stripped, wings pulled, etc. etc.
She is now in Eastern pre WW II livery and re-registered with original NC 18121
as when " Captain Eddie" accepted her in Dec. 1937.
Hope to test hop in the next week or two. Still the high-timer at 91400.2
"Uncle Bob" Irvine & The Gang

I would like to have the names of Harry Jensen and Dan Gross added to the Roll Call list.

These two were instrumental in saving DC 3 serial number 2198 from the scrap heap in Terrace B.C.
and restoring her to a static display aircraft, currently located and Langley Municipal Airport in Langley, B.C.
These two put in close to ten years of there lives and countless amounts of money, blood sweat and tears to bring this bird back to life.
When they started, she had sat at Terrace airport for 17 years, abondon, with virtually nothing left
of her save the centre section and the fuselage.
She was Pacific Western Airlines first DC3 which came to them via Queen Charlotte Airlines
when they merged.
2198 was originally American Airlines Flagship Texas,
having replaced a DST of the same name.

No, they are not pilots and no, she does not fly, but that really means nothing,
they preserved the only DC3 in Canada with a left hand door, and note,
I say DC 3, not A,B, or C 47 conversion,
but an actual DC 3, period.
She rolled off the assembly lines in 1937.
Extensive pictures were taken as she was restored and moved to her present location.
Unfortunately, due to an uncaring municipal gov't and a few other seedy people,
Dan and Harry were forced to surrender or move the DC 3 so, they did the honourable thing,
so they thought, and donated her to the Museum of flight located at the Airport
a few years ago, after seeing her completed. She sits today,
still waiting for the museum to do simple maintenance on her,
and there is a rumour that Dan Gross may step in to save her from deteriorating again.

Harry Jensen, the driving force behind a ten year project that took the derelect hull
of DC 3 Serial # 2198 from Terrace Airport where she sat,
stripped out and abandoned for 17 years and not only got her moved to Cloverdale,
to the now defunct BC Transportation Museum on a shoestring budget,
but was also instrumental in the following ten years that it took for us,
The Friends of the DC 3, to rebuild her into the finest static display DC 3 in Canada,
and possibly the world.
She now sits as the gate guard and showpiece of the Langley Aviation Museum
in Langley, British Columbia.
This massive effort was also accomplished with very little money,
but alot of help from owner-operators of DC 3's who realized what a unique bird
we had saved from the scrap heap.

Right On Harry!!

The Friends of the DC 3 North America owe you a debt of gratitude
that was never paid to you and I hope that this is the first step towards it.

Submitted by: "Barbara Zeisman" - barbz@axion.net

Flt. Lt. R.R. McKenney - Joanmcray@aol.com

I served in the Royal Air Force from 1947 t0 1970.
Early in 1947 I began flying the Dakota as it was called in England, with
R.A.F. Transport Command.
You may remember that the Berlin Airlift started the end of 47
and my Squadron Number 238 were one of the first to be deployed
to Germany to take part in that event.
The Squadron changed its number to 12 Squadron and continued flying until the end of the lift.
I must have flown close to 200 sorties during that period and really came to love the Gooney Bird.
We flew in all kinds of weather, and having been in Bomber Command
during the War it was satisfying to know we were now bring some relief to the people this time.
After the Airlift ended I continued flying Daks
still in Transport Command
and have about One thousand hours on them.
One thing I remember about the Dak, during the Airlift the airfield I was
operating from also had a Squadron of four engine aircraft and one of the
loads meant for the larger aircraft was mistakenly loaded onto a Dak. The
Pilot later said it was a bit longer getting airborne and a bit more sluggish
in the air but we got to Berlin alright.

Flt. Lt. R.R. McKenney, D.F.C. { R.A.F . Retired}
Presently living in Windsor Ontario Canada.

Kevin Kevin Osborne - kocares@earthlink.net

On August 6, 2000
I accompanied long time friend from my 4th grade days,
Marty Balk to Canada to assist in some avionics installation.
on N66W now undergoing restoration in Canada.
Knowing Marty for a long time I knew I was in for a treat.
Like N66W we have a very valued old friendship.
I could feel the history inside this plane and
I take my hat off to Marty for restoring it,
and to all the men that flew and sacrificed in past.

Lt. Ralph J. Luckey - barbkropp@satx.rr.com

He was a Lt. in 15th Army Air Corps, 60th troop carrier group, 20th squadron.
He is in failing health, and I think it would help to find someone
he could talk to about his service time.
He flew the C-47 in Italy and Yugoslavia - evacuating some royalty from Yugoslavia also.
He is in Baltimore, Md.
send e-mail to my address:
barbkropp@satx.rr.com

Chuck Ott - "ottski" - ottski@uswest.net

I was a captain on DC-3s
N403JB,
N25CE,
N37AP,
N3433U,
N1213M,
N2647 while with Atorie Air Cargo in El Paso, TX. from 84-86.
I managed to get about 2000 hrs before going to the Lockheeed L-18.
I also flew SIC on their two CW-46 freighters.
We flew nonsked. and contracts for Emery, FedEx, and UPS air freight.
N2647 I recovered and flew to El Paso from the Bagwan in Oregon when the cult disbanded.
I felt most comfortable in the DC-3 and was always amazed at it's capabilities.
We got a STC in the mid 80's to run car gas in them. This led to many engine losses.
I had one departing ELP for Long Beach with three engines on board for overhaul at Stewart-Davis.
We had enough fuel for a round trip on board,
and luck has it popped an engine on the first power reduction.
The old gal got back into ground effect and made it back around.
I figured the W&B after my knees quit shaking and we were 2300lbs over gross.
Living in Missoula, MT I see the Forest Service Turbin 3's around quite a bit in the summer.
I miss the sound of the old radials, but do get a fix when a firebomber goes over from time to time.

"Jock McCann" - abelbookcompany@home.com

DC-3 Flight Crew from Buffalo Airways, circa 1993-94 during "The Koala Airlift"

DC-3 Captains from Buffalo Airways included the owner,
"Buffalo Joe" McBryan, Chief Pilot Jim Smith,
Graham Thoburn, Chris Wells, Murray Speers,
Arnie Schreder, Bob Burns and Al Feindell.
The First Officers and other pilots on Buffalo's DC-3's included
Lyndon Anderson, Kenny Bews, Scotty Lippa,
Andrew Dzall, Darrell Knight, Kevin Woelk and Paul Misata.
Our Engineers included
Peter Austin, Ken Maclelland, Lorne Provincial, Dan Jones and Miles Kane...
as well as a few other Engineers "on loan".
Together, we flew the "lion's share" of the seven hundred DC-3 trips from Yellowknife, NWT. (Canada),
to Lac de Gras, NWT.,
in what became known to us and those agencies and companies involved in funding us as
"The Koala Airlift".
The objective was to open Canada's first Diamond mine, 45 minutes flight time north of Yellowknife,
on the barrens of the Northwest Territories.
From the beginning of September, 1993, to the second week of February, 1994,
we flew as many as eighteen DC-3 trips daily to Koala Field,
without a break except for two days at Christmas of 1993.
In addition to the"The Koala Airlift"flights,
we maintained regular DC-3 "Sched" service every morning from Hay River to Yellowknife,
and three days per week from Yellowknife to Fort Simpson return.
"The Koala Airlift"was conducted without the luxury of hangarage, in minus-forty degree temperatures
and in a "window" of less than six hours of daylight.
The herman-nelsons we used to warm our R1830 radial engines were "military surplus"...indeed,
even the DC-3's themselves were surplus...from fifty years prior.
Engines had to be "tented" each night, with in-car heaters placed inside the engine nacelles.
We had no ground crews to load our aircraft...the Captains and other Pilots did all of the loading and unloading.
No one who was not there, will ever know how hard we worked, every day for months on end,
to ensure that our DC-3's were loaded and in the air and winging their way to Koala's 1750 foot gravel strip
(with an obstacle on each end),
where we landed and unloaded our aircraft, unassisted. In this manner,
"The Koala Airlift" opened Canada's first producing Diamond mine,
the majority of which was flown with a half a dozen aging DC-3's....Darrell Knight.endtrans.

Donald J Luke - Oerm2133@aol.com

. I live in Tucson, AZ.
From Nov. 1968 to Nov. 1969
I had the opportunity to work on the AC-47Ds at Danang AB, RVN.
I was a crewchief / aircraft maintenance type person.
I had never had the opportunity to be around the "Goon" before
but learned quickly how versatile and reliable it was.

Colonel Luis Pinedo, Mexican Air Force
From: "Frank Velez" - fvelez@san.rr.com
Colonel Luis Pinedo, Mexican Air Force,
He used to fly a DC3, register to the Mexican Government, call letters were XCSRH,
He was teaching me to fly such a beautiful aircraft,
The aircraft had two accidents, one was a runaway propeller the co-pilot died,
The other was fatal, the aircraft was lost in 1959,
I was a teenager when the accident happen, causes unknown..

Pat Moroney - moroney@earthlink.net
I was lucky enough to be assigned as crew engineer
on a 43 model "075" at Shepard air force Base in Texas in 1962.
We were in Air Training Command so we got quite a lot of time in.
I can't remember all the names but there was
S/Sgt Huff,
T/Sgt. Cerday, (Chief).
Capt. Williams,
Capt. Tracy..
We didn't Know how lucky we were to fly a piece of history.
After all, I was 3 years older than my airplane, It was almost new..
We did however, recognize the fact that we were flying a legend,
a legend that continues to play out today.
As the song goes, "still she flys, Methuselah with wings..

Jim Lewis - JimALewis@msn.com

I was a Radio Operator on C47 15527 while stationed
w/Amer. Embassy, Pretoria, Rep of South Africa in mid 60's.
Fine airplane but after being crew member on EC-121's it felt a little like a kite in the wind.
I learned quickly, to respect this "bird" and thoroughly enjoyed my
all too short experience throughout many countries in Africa

Jim Lewis - USAF Ret

Joan Greeff Pastor - ammapastor@yahoo.com

I worked for allegheny airlines from 1957 to 1961 -
I worked on the dc3 many many flights -
I was based out of newark airport which is very different now -
I flew from Newark to Pittsburg with many local stops in between
to pick up passengers from the local cities to take them to the larger
airports to make their connections -
also flew to Detroit, Boston, Washington DC, Cleveland and many other cities -
It was a lot of fun and a great life!
my email address is ammapastor@yahoo.com -
would love to hear from any old allegheny friends!

Ulf Molund - Falkenberg, Sweden

I come from northern Sweden but 1961(I was 16 then) me and my parents were in Stockholm
and we made a sight seeing trip by plane over and around Stockholm - in a DC 3.
That´s my experience of the DC 3.

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