The bulk of the operational DC-3 fleet is in North America. Australia is home to seven of the type, while South Africa has between eight and 11 registered as active. The UK has just four. Some of the bigger fleets are found in developing countries, however. Colombia, home to Aliansa, has 16 registered models. Thailand is a hot spot too, with seven confirmed in existence. It can land on grass and dirt runways with ease, and requires a surprisingly conservative runway length, making it popular in developing countries.
Others are kept flying through salvaged spare parts and new old stock. Munk also notes that a number of DC-3s are being refurbished.
Classic Flight Services removed and overhauled the main undercarriage, and fitted new tires. Both propellers have undergone AD airworthiness directive related work.
The decision on pleasure flying will be based purely on economics of course. Hi im a big dc3 fan great to see these aircraft restored and im hoping to get a trip on one some day great aircraft.
Have flown with a family group in the Dakota and also in the Islander which took us to Southend Airport for a lovely day visit and stopover. Would love to take the famil;y group again in either aircraft during and hope we can look forward to a flying programme being offered.
We all felt perfectly safe flying with Air Atlantique and we were all well looked after the whole time, very much appreciated. We would all love to fly with you again …. Yep flew on one of the last passenger flights with you in along the north cornish coast. Wonderful trip and would fly again if she comes back into service. I used to fly in them on the jump seat to the isles of mann and back when it was based in Blackpool in the 80s took some great pics of it landing.
I am called to that Great Piston Engine Heaven. Captain Ron W. Terry, an Air Force counterinsurgency warfare expert, led a team from the 4th Air Commando Squadron that flew the first AC missions in December, They were the first of many between late and early , during which over 6, hamlets and firebases came under the protective cover of ACs.
Not one fell while the aircraft was overhead. Terry returned to the States in bringing with him information that would lead to development of the AC Hercules. By the early s, turboprop airliners like the Convair surpassed the DC-3s efficiency as a regional airliner. They could operate from the same short runways as the DC-3 with similar fuel consumption but at greater range, speed, and the added comfort of a pressurized cabin.
In an era when Americans were flying to space, paying for an airline flight on a DC-3 seemed increasingly odd. Despite vanishing from all but a few airline fleets, DC-3s were still ubiquitous in the s and 80s, often seen on airport ramps alongside s and DCs working as cargo aircraft and freight forwarders.
They fought forest fires as air tankers, brought odd-size cargo to metropolitan markets , and were the aircraft of choice for drug cartels.
However, one of the C's most famous cargo jobs was supplying the city of Berlin with food during the Berlin Airlift, along with other aircraft like the C Skymaster and the C Globemaster. The DC-3 remained on military duty until —72 years—until the Air Force's 6th Special Operations Squadron finally retired its turbine-powered Gooney.
Other DC-3s continue to fly missions as sensor development testbeds for the military and as freighters with companies like Canada's Buffalo Airways. Nearly countries have operated DC-3s, and long-forgotten airplanes still surface, including a wrecked C discovered in northern Siberia in the spring of Perhaps the best way to refer to a DC-3 is simply to call it a legend.
People still scramble for a flight in one at airshows, and in remote areas, the arrival of a Gooney means help and support. It's simple, rugged, and surprisingly relevant to this day.
On that spring morning back in , Captain Bergum likely knew the storied history of his wounded aircraft as it limped across a Nebraskan sky. As he began his descent to reduce the chances of cartwheeling during the single-engine landing, Bergum kept the landing gear up. When fully retracted, the DC-3's wheels still protruded from the underneath the airplane, providing a mild buffer in an emergency landing.
Just before the field, he closed the throttle on the remaining engine. Brushing—then plowing—through the green alfalfa crop, the DC-3 was cushioned by the thick vegetation. As it settled, both propellers dug into the soil, the tailwheel making slight contact as the airplane slid to a swift, straight stop. Crew and passengers clambered out unharmed to the sound of an approaching John Deere tractor and wagon. Farmer David Dicke had seen the DC-3 straining to land from his kitchen.
He invited the passengers back to his farmhouse for coffee and cookies. Bergum and Truax secured the airplane and assessed the damage. Aside from needing new engines and props, the DC-3 was largely unharmed. Transport to Norfolk airport was quickly arranged and, amazingly, all the passengers chose to resume the flight on another North Central DC
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