I've been watching a documentary on the DC-3/C-47 today, and it brought back some OLD memories. My first airplane ride was in a DC-3 (might have been a C-47), back in 1959. It was a Cub Scout outing, and it wasn't until the 1970s that I got on another airplane (which was probably a helicopter on the way to a forest fire with the USFS). Over the years I have flown on quite a few airplanes (and helicopters) for both work and "play" (even parachuted out of one once).
I was wondering how many folks here have flown in the ol' Gooney Bird?
Loyal
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When I am in the boatyard in Tortola working on my boat, I occasionally hear the unique sound of radial aircraft engines and look up to see one of them, I assume carrying cargo from San Juan to Tortola. Last time was last November.?ÿ
When I am in the boatyard in Tortola working on my boat, I occasionally hear the unique sound of radial aircraft engines and look up to see one of them, I assume carrying cargo from San Juan to Tortola. Last time was last November.?ÿ
There are a surprising (if not amazing) number of them still in commercial service, as well as some still flying privately. They don't build'em like they used to.
😉
In '63 or '64 I was lucky enough to ride in that magnificent bird.?ÿ The large construction company my father worked for chartered one to fly from Wiley Post in OKC to Stapleton in Denver.?ÿ I believe we stopped once in western KS or eastern CO to either get fuel or pick up something.?ÿ I was disappointed because I couldn't get off the plane there.
There were less than a dozen on board and quite a few empty seats.?ÿ The topic of conversation all the way was whether the plane had been built as DC3 or a C47.?ÿ Since almost all of the men on board were WWII vets the conversation was lively.?ÿ I think someone asked the pilot about the plane and he confirmed it was originally a wartime C47.?ÿ I remember my father said he could tell in was military by the color of the primer that was visible behind some of the upholstery.
I also remember the rumble of the Pratt & Whitney radials as they started up and their drone at altitude.?ÿ Fond memories.?ÿ
My first 3 flights were in a DC-3, all with Dad, who was always a strange shade of green after landing. I understood his color years later when he was recounting flying from Dallas to Bogota, Columbia and back (several times) in the 1940's in a Ford tri-motor. It ruined him for life... Anyone ever been in one of them? It was definitely unpleasant for Dad!
They don't build'em like they used to.
One of my college professors said it was built with civil engineering safety factors, rather than aeronautical safety factors.
When I was in West Palm Beach (1979) I lived in a subdivision called Wellington. It was well west of WBP and close to the Everglades and a sparsely populated area called Loxahatchee. Once a month on no regular schedule a DC-3 flew at rooftop level right over our houses. We figured it was a drug drop somewhere close and sure enough the Sheriff's office busted a small time weed distributor about six months later.
The first time it happened was about 1:30 am we had just arrived home from dinner with clients and a visit to Marikiesh (Night Club). I was in the house and heard it and thought "he's too low for here cripes it's going to crash. Ran outside (SWMBO was already there) and when he came over I hit the dirt (well it was grass but I was one with it). I suppose the pilot knew what he or she was doing. They would of laughed as hard as SWMBO did over my self preservation attempt. Those things are LOUD!
Never flew in a DC3/C47.
My first airplane rides were in the family C182. One time my Dad rented a C205 (not nearly as common as the more popular C206 Stationaire), being a little kid I got relegated to the 3rd row seat with insufficient headroom under the back window.
I don't remember it but my brother said the engine wouldn't start when leaving Gnoss Field (Novato) to fly home to Bakersfield. So Dad turned on the electric fuel pump and it started. Over Oakland Dad wanted to see if the mechanical fuel pump was working so he put the electric fuel pump to off over the Oakland Airport (decades later Dad said this was a perfectly reasonable and safe procedure) and the engine went silent nearly giving my Mother a heart attack. He flipped the switch back on and the engine started running again. My Mother confirmed the story.
@jamesf1 I got to work as ground crew when the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) brought one of their Ford Trimotors to Knoxville a couple of years ago. Awesome experience. It's like a Cessna C-172 scaled up to carry 9-10 passengers plus a two man crew. 1,450 hp spread across three radial engines with a cruise speed of 107 mph and a top speed of 132 mph.
I would have volunteered to work on the ground crew just to be up close to it, but all volunteers get a free ride. It was worth every minute. Windows the size of billboards, and everyone has a window seat. The only thing better than being outside on the fire crew when those big radials fire up is sitting inside right beside one of them.
I don't remember it but my brother said the engine wouldn't start when leaving Gnoss Field (Novato) to fly home to Bakersfield. So Dad turned on the electric fuel pump and it started. Over Oakland Dad wanted to see if the mechanical fuel pump was working so he put the electric fuel pump to off over the Oakland Airport (decades later Dad said this was a perfectly reasonable and safe procedure) and the engine went silent nearly giving my Mother a heart attack. He flipped the switch back on and the engine started running again. My Mother confirmed the story.
????ÿ I looked up the C-205 Owner's Manual and in part it reads:?ÿ
Starting engine - electric fuel pump on LO - start engine - turn electric fuel pump to OFF.?ÿ The electric fuel pump should not?ÿ be turned to HI during normal operation with the engine driven pump functioning due to excessively rich fuel/air ratio.?ÿ The electric fuel pump should only be turned to HI if the engine driven pump should fail in flight.
By following the Pilot's Check List form your Dad would have known the engine driven pump was inoperative *prior* to taxiing and should have grounded the plane right then and there.?ÿ No sane C-205 pilot would take off with a dead engine driven pump by using only the electric fuel pump.?ÿ Your family dodged a bullet that day.?ÿ
i agree when I heard the story it sounded wrong to me.
The secret to a hot start on a fuel injected engine is run the throttle, prop and mixture all the way into the firewall, put the electric fuel pump on emergency, be ready with your hand on the throttle, turn it over, when it catches pull back the throttle. Works every time. Learned that from an old B29 weather plane pilot.
I have flown quite a few hours in the DC-3, wheels, floats and ski configurations.?ÿ Have a little time at the controls, but no type rating to allow me to fly solo.?ÿ They were great planes for $/lb transport of fuel and survey camp supplies, and can work a short?ÿ "improved runway" or off-airport landing site.?ÿ Great airplanes, some are still out there hauling the loads commercially in Alaska.?ÿ?ÿ
http://photorecon.net/transnorthern-aviation-flying-alaska-on-demand/
@northernsurveyor Still being manufactured or should I say re-manufactured in OskKosh, WI. (I think). The outfit is called Baesler (sp?). They put turbo props on it now.
@true-corner Yes Bassler is in Canada, and makes the Super DC-3 conversions, very expensive, but the go to plane for Antarctica operations.
Had no idea a DC-3 could be float equipped.?ÿ Impressive.
