The event takes place in the Seattle area September 28 starting at the Museum of Flight located at King County International Airport/Boeing Field (KBFI). Additional events and celebrations are planned for Magnuson Park, the location of the former Sand Point Naval Air Station, where the four highly modified Douglas World Cruisers took off on April 6, 1924.

Each of the four aircraft was named for a U.S. city—the Chicago, New Orleans, Seattle, and Boston—and each was manned by two U.S. Army Air Service aviators. Since aircraft lacked modern day avionics, navigation was done by pilotage and dead reckoning.

The Chicago and the New Orleans were the only aircraft to complete the itinerary, landing at Sand Point Naval Air Station on September 28, 1924. The crew was awarded the National Aeronautic Association’s Mackay Trophy.

Celebrating the Centennial

Weather permitting Saturday, aircraft will launch from KBFI around 2 p.m. PST, heading east to overfly Magnuson Park. In the 1940s the property was known as Sand Point Naval Air Station and utilized as a training and supply facility until it was decommissioned in 1970. The runways and several buildings were demolished.

In 1975 a large portion of the property was given to the city of Seattle and named for U.S. Senator Warren Magnuson, a former naval officer from Seattle. When overflying the park, outlines of the runways are still visible.

Although it is no longer an airport, a celebration of the world flight centennial is also scheduled  Saturday at Magnuson Park. 

Participating Aircraft

The majority of the aircraft taking part in the flyover celebration have also completed around-the-world flights, said Museum of Flight spokesperson Ted Huetter. Those aircraft include:

• Gulfstream Turbo Commander 900, piloted by Robert DeLaurentis, who in 2020 flew pole-to-pole around the world. On September 29 there will be a screening of Peace Pilot, a documentary about DeLaurentis’ journey, with the aviator on hand to answer questions.
• Bonanza P35 V-tail, flown by Adrian Eichhorn, who made the trip around the world flying eastbound and performed a solo flight over the North Pole.
• Homebuilt Lancair IV flown by Bill Harrelson, who set a speed record in class C-1/D, a world record for distance 8,114 sm, solo circumnavigated over the North and South poles, and flew westbound around the world.
• Lancair Columbia 300, piloted by Harry Anderson, who has flown around the world twice —once heading west, once heading eastbound—and flown solo over the North Pole as well as to all seven continents.
• Homebuilt Long E-Z of Patrick Elliot and Linda Walker. The pair have flown to six continents.
• Mooney M20J flown by CarolAnn Garratt and Carol Foy, who have made the around-the-world flight three times and set a speed record for this class of airplane.
• Homebuilder RV-9A flown by John Koehler, who made the trip around the world eastbound.
• Cessna 210 Centurion flown by Ed Galkin, who has made the journey around the world four times.

A fair amount of vintage aircraft will be taking part in the flyover. They include:

• Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket Miss Veedol flown by Tim Moomaw and Greg Brizendine. In 1931, pilot Clyde Pangborn and copilot Hugh Herndon were the first to cross the Pacific nonstop. The pair flew the Miss Veedol from Misawa, Japan, to Wenatchee, Washington.
• Cessna 180, like the one used by Jerrie Mack in 1964 when she became the first woman to fly around in the world.
• Piper Apache. In 1964,  Joan Merriam Smith flew a Piper Twin equatorially, and solo, around the world.
• Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser. In 1947, pilots Clifford Evans and Geroge Truman circled the earth twice in their Piper Super Cruisers, covering 22,436 miles and becoming the first pilots of light aircraft to make the journey.

The Commemorative Air Force B-29, FIFI, which is one of two airworthy Superfortresses left in the world, will also be participating in the flyover. The large bomber has been visiting Seattle this week.

It is a homecoming of sorts for this particular B-29 as it rolled out of the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington—justy over the hill from Boeing Field—in 1945.

The post Around-the-World Flight Centennial Celebrations Planned appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1952 Douglas AD-4N Skyraider.

When I was a kid, building model airplanes was my main avocation and the local hobby shop, my favorite destination. Proprietors Bob and Ed had served in the Korean War, so when I bought a Douglas Skyraider model, they began sharing stories about the airplane’s special qualities, like long range, targeting accuracy, and load-carrying ability. Indeed, despite the rise of jets, hard-working Skyraiders stuck around for decades, through the Vietnam War, where they saw lots of action.

Today, the Skyraider is a fairly rare sight. When one shows up at an airshow, crowds form around it. It seems like you can always overhear people saying things like, “It’s much bigger than I realized.” The airplane is famous for its size and strength, which enabled it to carry huge loads of ordnance and absorb extreme combat damage and continue flying.

This Skyraider has 4,000 hours on the airframe, 800 hours on its Wright R3350-26WD engine since overhaul, and 745 hours on the propeller. The panel includes an Apollo GX65 GPS/Comm, Becker radio, ARC 400 marker beacon receiver, dual Collins Proline 51R7 navs, Collins 51V5 glideslope receiver,  King DME, and RCA AVQ-95 transponder.

The aircraft comes with a spares package that includes an engine with 600 hours since overhaul, another engine disassembled, 18 factory-new engine cylinders, set of wheels and brakes, four main tires and two tailwheel tires, horizontal stabilizer, and miscellaneous avionics and instruments.

Pilots who are ready for upper-level warbird operations—but want to fly something a bit farther outside the ordinary—should take a look at this 1952 Douglas AD-4N Skyraider, which is available on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

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The post This Douglas AD-4N Skyraider Is an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick for Warbird Fans appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

After all, the five total DWCs had first taken flight there in March of that year, though they officially started their record-setting trip around the world from Lake Washington in Seattle on Douglas’ 32nd birthday, April 6.

• READ MORE: Sewing for Boeing

That monumental flight and the legacy of the Douglas Aircraft Company is what the Santa Monica Airport Association (SMAA) looks to celebrate on Saturday, as it hosts the Santa Monica Airport Open House at KSMO. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT at Atlantic Aviation, the SMAA, along with the city of Santa Monica, will celebrate the 99th anniversary of the DWCs’ return to the historic airfield.

Special Events at Santa Monica

A series of activities and opportunities should draw people of all ages to the Santa Monica Airport on September 23, according to the SMAA, including:

• Showcase of aviation marvels: “Marvel at the cutting-edge aviation technologies, ranging from historic aircraft, electric airplanes, eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles), and state-of-the-art drones,” according to the SMAA release.
• Beyond the skies: Experience the next generation of mobility solutions, such as self-driving cars, the latest micromobility scooters and e-bikes, and more.
• Community engagement: Discover STEM education and aviation careers, register for aviation scholarships, and witness an impressive display of aircraft, with Angel Flight West, CalDART’s Disaster Airlift Response Team, and HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response making the day “exciting and educational.” Douglas would have approved of the animal rescue mission in particular—he was a lifelong dog lover, with his favorite Weimaraner, Bar, immortalized alongside him in a statue of the legendary engineer and industry leader on the south side of the airport next to the Museum of Flying.

• Food, music, and more: “Sway to the rhythm of a DJ, live band performances by The Rawn Side of Town, relish a variety of culinary delights from food trucks, and engage in fun-filled activities for kids.”

• Special appearances: The iconic Goodyear Blimp will make a fly-by, adding a “touch of nostalgia” to this historic and future-forward event.

The event promises an “easy commute,” owing to the SMAA and city of Santa Monica’s deal with Veo: “Thanks to our partnership with micromobility provider Veo, attendees can enjoy discounted rides to and from the event, ensuring a hassle-free experience by using promo code SMAA23 for a $5 credit,” according to the release.

For more on the Douglas World Cruisers’ historic flight, see Honest Vision: The Donald Douglas Story, published by Aviation Supplies & Academics.

The post Santa Monica to Celebrate the ‘First Around the World’ Douglas World Cruisers appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1943 Douglas DC-3

Yes, this aircraft’s maximum gross takeoff weight is 29,000 pounds, not the 2,900 or so that might make more sense to pilots of light piston singles. This is a big airplane, and its ability to lift big loads of passengers and cargo helped make it the first truly practical, profitable airliner. It is also the reason this 1930s design is still flying today. It is still the ideal aircraft for certain missions, which is why you still have a good chance of spotting them at airports across the globe.

This DC-3 demonstrates how an adaptable design can continue to improve and perform decades beyond its expected lifespan—but it’s not just a stock DC-3, if there is such a thing. With 18,878 hours on the airframe, it has been updated with Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67R turbine engines that have logged just 50 hours each, and 115-inch propellers. Fuel capacity is 1,030 gallons.

The cabin has room for 32 seats and is equipped with a galley that includes a cooler and hot water dispenser. Modern updates include a fire detection and extinguishing system, heated windshields, LED tip nav and strobe, landing and taxi lights, standby third battery, and de-ice boots.

There is no sign of 1943 in the panel, which includes Garmin GTN 750 nav/coms. Garmin GTX 3000 (2), transponder, Garmin GTS 8000 TCAS ll, Garmin GI 275 electronic instrument, Garmin GI 106A  VOR/localizer/glideslope (2),

Collins 331-3G HSI (2), Collins ALT-50A radar altimeter, L3 WX-500 Stormscope, weather radar, a Pratt & Whitney ADAS+ engine monitoring system, and more.

If your mission profile includes serious, airline-style transport with a touch of “Fate Is the Hunter,” you should take a look at this rare, updated, turbine-converted DC-3, which is available on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the airplane through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

• FLYING Magazine: The Douglas DC-3 Changed Aviation Forever
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• Plane & Pilot: Douglas DC-3
• The Aviation Consumer: Warbird Ownership: Respect Required

The post Today’s Top Aircraft For Sale Pick: 1943 Douglas DC-3 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In 2024 the D-Day Squadron plans to commemorate the event and honor those who fought, but they need your help. The squadron, made up of Douglas DC-3/C-47/C-53 airplanes, is raising money with the help of Five Oaks Consulting and a crowdfunding campaign. They need to raise at least $7,500 to kick off publicity efforts for the trip they are calling “The 2024 Legacy Tour.” The full D-Day Squadron campaign over the next year will exceed $1 million.

In 2019 the group commemorated the 75th anniversary of D-Day with a flight of 15 Douglas DC-3s and C-47s from the U.S. to the U.K., across the English Channel and over the Normandy beaches to Berlin.

The campaign goals for the 2024 Legacy Tour are to honor “the many men and women who served in WWII and those who preserved freedom and liberty afterward at the onset of the Cold War. The D-Day Squadron’s goal is to provide equal recognition for the Berlin Airlift as D-Day.”

The Berlin Airlift

After WWII, Berlin was divided into sectors run by the Allied nations: the U.S., France, Great Britain, and Russia. In June 1948 the Russians—who wanted the capital city for themselves—closed all highways, railroads, and canals from Western-occupied Germany into Western-occupied Berlin. The Russians thought this would make it impossible for the people who lived there to receive food or any other supplies and would eventually drive the Allies out for good.

Instead, the U.S., France, and Britain took to the air to supply the city. The “Berlin Airlift” was a constant stream of aircraft coming in and going to three airports within the city. This effort, also known as “Operation Vittles,” lasted from June 24, 1948, to May 12, 1949, and carried more than 2.3 million tons of cargo into the besieged city. Aircraft that only a few years early were carrying bombs were converted into freighters with thousands of pounds of powdered milk, coal, medical supplies, and clothing aboard for the city that had mostly been reduced to rubble during the wartime bombings.

The event is cited by some as the beginning of the Cold War, as no shots were fired, but the tension was palatable. Today, the Berlin Airlift is often no more than a paragraph in a textbook. although many of those who served during World War II continued to do so in Germany as part of the airlift.

The Legacy Campaign Continues

The 2024 Legacy Tour Kickstarter campaign has been underway since May.

According to David O’Connor, campaign manager and owner of Five Oaks Creative, the drive was slated to run 30 days. It has been successful—with four days to go, the primary goal has already been met, said O’Connor, adding the group  did so , fittingly, on June 6.

“The 2024 Legacy Tour Kickstarter campaign is officially at ‘boots on the ground’ status,” said O’Connor. “However, we still have a long way to go—the planes do too! Starting from the United States in May of next year, the aircraft must complete six total flight legs to Europe involving crew rest, refueling, proper maintenance, formation planning, and logistics. This Kickstarter campaign is specifically focusing on the planning and logistics of the 2024 Legacy Tour, which, as you can imagine, are complex and extensive.

“The 30-day campaign met and exceeded the goal of $7,500, so much so that we decided to add a $10,000 stretch goal. If we meet that goal, each backer will get a challenge coin.”

O’Connor added that the new 2024 Legacy Tour artwork and campaign logo, designed by Chad Hill at Django Studios, were released on June 6. 

“These visuals will serve as the heart and soul of the upcoming mission and are currently available as exclusive merchandise found only on the active Kickstarter campaign,” he O’Connor.

O’Connor noted that this is his company’s sixth crowdfunding campaign for WWII aircraft. Five Oaks also raises money for STEM education.

The Legacy Plan 2024

The plans for the 2024 tour are as follows: In late May, the DC-3, C-47, and C-53 aircraft will mobilize in the Northeast U.S. for training then will set out across the North Atlantic as a squadron. The flight plan takes the group across via Presque Isle, Maine; Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Canada; Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and England.

There will be multiple events at local museums, as well as flyovers and photo flights before the English Channel crossing.

The squadron is expected to be in Normandy around June 5 or before—those dates are still being confirmed. The Berlin Airlift commemoration is slated for June 11 to 14, followed by tentative stops in Lido, Italy, and Portugal.

The group will return to the U.S. in late June.

These plans are tentative and may change because of weather, equipment issues, and/or political climate.

The post D-Day 2024 Legacy Tour Planned appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

But this wasn’t the first time women were part of mass aircraft construction.

In the 1920s when aircraft were constructed of wood and fabric, women were hired for their sewing skills by both The Boeing Company and Douglas Aircraft Company. At the time, they represented two of America’s largest aircraft producers. The women were hired to hand-stitch the fabric covering of the ribs on wings of the airplanes. The tools for this craft were a long needle, wax-covered thread, a thimble, and scissors.

Tedious Work

The women worked with reams of linen, cutting them into the proper shapes and joining the panels together using a sewing machine. The panels were then drawn over the wooden frame of the wing, with special care taken to line up the seams. 

It took 10 women to cover a wing. The women would pair up, one on either side of the wing, and pass the needle back and forth through the fabric, making sure the stitches covered the wing spars.

It was tedious work, notes Boeing historian Michael Lombardi. “(The wing) had to be meticulously covered to exacting specifications for planes to operate efficiently and safely,” he said.

According to Lombardi, advancing to using the sewing machine was considered a bit of a promotion, as the seamstresses who handled the rib stitching often suffered from numbness in their hands from the repetitive work.

Once the stitches were in place the wings were treated with a chemical known as dope, which would shrink, harden, and tighten the fabric.

Meanwhile, at the Douglas Aircraft factory in Santa Monica, California, a similar if not identical process was happening. There, the women were led by none other than Charlotte Douglas, the first wife of factory owner Donald Douglas.

In an early Douglas factory—within a repurposed film studio on Wilshire Boulevard—the teams of women carefully covered the six Douglas World Cruisers that would attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 1924. Two airplanes, the Chicago and the New Orleans, completed the journey, carrying the efforts of those women around the world.

The post Sewing for Boeing appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Kermit Weeks, the founder and owner of Fantasy of Flight, made the day of warbird enthusiasts with a post announcing the successful 30-minute test flight of his Douglas A-26B Invader that took place on Monday, February 20. The aircraft has been under restoration for several months by Aero Trader, an aircraft maintenance and sales business location at Chino Airport (KCNO).

“Some minor squawks with two engine instruments and smokey engines as they settle in, but everything ran smoothly and worked fine!” Weeks stated.

FlightAware captured the February flight, showing the aircraft’s takeoff from Chino at 10:38 a.m. and landing at 11:01 a.m. The flight path depicted shows elongated orbits over the airport and then southeast of the field. The aircraft never climbed higher than approximately 2,000 feet and the speed was approximately 250 mph.

Monday’s flight was quite the improvement from the first post-restoration flight that took place last May. The May flight, complete with the surprise ending, was captured on GoPro and is available for viewing on Kermit Week’s video channel.

The A-26B Invader is a twin-engine aircraft designed circa 1944. They were used in Europe in the latter days of WWII. This particular Intruder was used in France. According to the video, when Weeks took possession of the aircraft decades ago, the cockpit was configured with dual controls. During the restoration it was returned to single-control.

The May flight was touted as the first post-maintenance flight for the airplane that had not flown since 1992. The aircraft was damaged by Hurricane Andrew and underwent extensive restoration. The test pilots were Steve Hinton and Mark Moodie. Both men are familiar names in the warbird pilot community with decades of flying experience between them. Hinton was in the left seat and pilot in command for the test flight. Moodie’s job was to observe and document the performance parameters of the aircraft.

The first flight post restoration was made out of Chino Airport (KCNO) in Chino, California in May 2022. The flight was captured on GoPro cameras mounted at the rear of the cockpit.

For the test flight both Hinton and Moodie were wearing military flight suits and helmets. Both had the face shields lowered, although the A-26B is an enclosed cockpit airplane. This will prove to be very helpful.

Timeline of the Invader Flight

The aircraft lifts off from the runway at Chino. The intent is to circle near the airport on this the first test flight.

Air traffic control warns the flight of a gyrocopter 3 miles south of the field, descending out of 3,400 feet.

Hinton responds, “Out of 1,200 feet looking for traffic thank you.”

The tower warns the gyrocopter of the Invader orbiting south of the field, saying, “Caution, wake turbulence, they are large.”

Hinton levels the aircraft off at approximately 2,000 feet, and with the change in pitch attitude the airspeed increases. At approximately 3:13 into the video the right side of the gullwing canopy sort of twitches then at 3:15 both canopies unlatch and fly open.

Both men duck, and there is a moment of confusion as the sound in the now-open cockpit makes it hard to hear anything, including ATC.

At 3:40 Hinton radios that they would like to return to land, stating that they are on a wide downwind. The tower responds, “Invader 401 make left traffic for Runway 26 Left.”

Moodie asks a question drowning out the rest of the tower’s response. Hinton replies to the tower asking if they are cleared to land, stating that the canopies have come open and it is difficult to hear the radios.

The tower clears them to land on Runway 26 left and warns them about the gyrocopter that is on approach and lower.

Upon obtaining the clearance to land, Hinton lowers the landing gear. The video overtext calls the viewer’s attention to the loose debris flying around the cabin, presumably drawn out by the excessive wind in the cockpit.

“Gears down, good, good, good, flaps to go, we’re approach flaps,” Hinton says, tapping the controls with his right hand as he flies with his left hand on the yoke.

“You’re a little slow,” observes Moodie, pointing at the airspeed indicator.

“Naw, we’re okay, we’re fine,” says Hinton. The text-over notes he slowed the aircraft intentionally to avoid damaging the canopies, which are flapping and bouncing in the slipstream.

As they approach the runway, Moodie verifies gear down and boost pumps are on.

“Speed 135,” says Hinton.

At this point the video switches perspective to a ground shot, watching the aircraft come in. You can see the canopies open and raised.

After touchdown the men discuss the hatch locking prior to takeoff noting it was “as far as it would go,” and there was an audible snap which would seem to indicate that it was locked.

They clean up the airplane, adjusting flaps and mixtures, then communicate their desire to return to the ramp.

There is a discussion about the engines’ performance during the brief flight, noting the left engine during takeoff was starting to go over 2,700 rpm, while the right one was at 2,500. Both should be at 2,700 for takeoff. Moodie dutifully documents these discrepancies.

ATC gives them a clearance to taxi back to the ramp including permission to cross Runway 26 Right at Foxtrot, then contact ground.

As if that isn’t enough excitement for one day, during the taxi they discover the number 1 radio is also out of commission.

During the taxi to the ramp, Hinton remarks that the nose gear seemed a bit slow going down, giving him a moment of concern.

The Conclusion?

The aircraft was taken back to Aero Trader, a few tweaks were made, and the vintage machine returned to the skies this week, after a canopy modification that was actually used on the airplanes during their heyday—just for this reason.

The post Restored Douglas A-26B Invader Returns to the Sky appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Those plans were unveiled at EAA AirVenture last summer, with the mission to encompass another key memorial event, the 75th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.

• READ MORE: D-Day Squadron Plans 2024 Tour in Europe

For the joint commemorations, the organization has embraced a theme, “2024 Legacy Tour,” to bring together all elements of the planned activities up to the next crossing and on European shores, from the United Kingdom to France and Germany. The group’s announcement also coincides with the release on DVD and Blu-Ray of the film created to immortalize the 2019 mission, Into Flight Once More, produced by the D-Day Squadron and Sound Off Films. 

The film was produced by Emmy nominee Adrienne Hall in her feature documentary directorial debut, and proudly narrated by Academy Award nominee and veterans’ advocate Gary Sinise.

“In 2019, our focus was to remind people how World War II veterans more than 75 years ago fought for our freedom, liberties and served, where many lost their lives so we may live,” said Eric Zipkin, chief pilot and director of operations for the mission. “In 2024, with so few World War II veterans with us, we will recreate the journey to Europe and fly each commemoration to protect their ‘Legacy,’ to never forget what these veterans meant to each of us, and our world history.”

In fact, most veterans of both the Normandy Invasion and the Berlin Airlift still living are in their late 90s or have crossed the century mark. It is the sworn purpose of the D-Day Squadron and its associated partners to keep their memories from fading.

According to the organization, planning for the mission is well underway. “A volunteer committee of seasoned professionals is being established to help organize and manage logistics in support of another remarkable mission to honor, pay tribute, and commemorate World War II veterans.

“The D-Day Squadron is currently working with corporate and individual partners, donors, and support to bring this mission airborne,” the organization said. Those wishing to participate, if not already, are asked to contact the D-Day Squadron’s executive director, Lyndse Costabile.

A Flight Sim To Train for DC-3s

As part of the preparation that must be made to shepherd a collection of vintage aircraft over a days-long transatlantic mission, the pilots must be ready. To assist them with that cause, European Pilot Selection & Training is offering use of their Douglas DC-3 flight training device for pilots and crews to train to prepare them for all aspects of the mission. The fixed base FTD-2—crafted from an actual DC-3 cockpit and forward section—is fully approved under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for initial and recurrent training on the type. The sim gained approval in early 2018 after many years of development. It’s based at the EPST headquarters outside of Amsterdam in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Dick Verburg, of EPST, shared news of this opportunity with FLYING on Friday as well. “We have activated the Normandy airports in our DC-3 simulator. We will invite all DC-3 crews who will participate in the 80-year D-Day event in 2024 to make free use of [the sim] between now and the event date to prepare or just have a nice go at it.

“We make this offer well in advance so that all those involved who happen to come to Europe can route through Amsterdam and use the simulator any time.”

The post D-Day Squadron Details Plans for 80th Anniversary Flight To Normandy appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Known originally as Glenn H. Curtiss Airport and then as North Beach Municipal Airport, the flying field was rechristened New York Municipal Airport-LaGuardia Field on October 15, 1939 (officially becoming LaGuardia Airport in June 1947). The prewar ceremony marked the culmination of a $20 million improvement project. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out for the event, including an enthusiastic 15-year-old student from the nearby Corona section of Queens.

Harry T. Stewart, Jr. was awed by the aircraft that had flown in for the event, especially one of the Douglas DC-3 airliners of Transcontinental & Western Air (later to become Trans World Airlines, commonly referred to as TWA). The carrier touted its relationship with Charles Lindbergh by promoting itself as “The Lindbergh Line.” Harry’s ebullience in the presence of the plane was captured in a couple snapshots taken that special day.

• READ MORE: Why Are There So Few African American Air Force Pilots?

Even before the airport’s extensive makeover and renaming, Harry had often trekked to the site after school to gaze at the airplanes taking off and landing. His attraction only grew the following March with the opening of the art deco Marine Air Terminal, decorated inside by a huge mural depicting the history of flight. Stately Pan American Airways flying boats, sporting nicknames like Yankee Clipper, started flying oceanic routes to such exotic destinations as Lisbon, Portugal, and Southampton, England.

By coincidence at that time, Harry’s counselor and history teacher at Public School 16 asked him what he planned to do as an adult. “I want to be an airline pilot,” he responded with gusto. He did not understand until later why his teacher had suddenly begun to tear up.

Commercial flying jobs were then closed to African Americans, which made Harry’s aspiration untenable. His teacher tried to nudge him towards another profession. But Harry would have none of it; he held onto his dream and kept going back to the airport.

One day he crossed the perimeter fence and climbed atop a derelict airplane abandoned in the grass. A policeman caught sight of the lad and angrily called out to him. Yet, after Harry explained his love of aviation and plan for the future, the officer’s stern demeanor softened. The cop muttered, “Who can blame you?” Then the two clambered into the airplane’s cockpit and sat together, peering out on the field and contemplating the exhilaration that would surely accompany the act of flight.

• READ MORE: The Story of Jesse L. Brown: The Navy’s First African American Pilot

When war engulfed America, Harry’s chance to fly had arrived. He enlisted in the Army with the purpose of entering the all-Black flying program at Tuskegee, Alabama. The train ride south was an eye-opener for Harry, who had rarely ventured beyond the boroughs of New York.

The separate lavatories and green curtain that isolated him in the dining car were reminders of the persistent intrusions of Jim Crow in parts of American society. He briefly pondered the absurdity of seeking to fight for liberty abroad while being denied its full fruits at home.

The atmosphere at Tuskegee’s airfields was electrifying. The aircraft and the camaraderie of like-minded young men from across the country were the realization of Harry’s yearnings that had been kindled by his plane-gazing at LaGuardia. Cruising over Tuskegee’s cotton fields he tasted a measure of freedom that was all the more profound by the fact that during the Civil War his grandfather, Preston James Stewart, had been born into slavery in Alabama.

On June 27, 1944, Harry graduated in Class 44-F. In a sign of the times, the newly-commissioned 19-year-old second lieutenant had obtained neither a high school diploma nor a driver’s license. Regardless, in seven months he would be escorting American bombers and tangling with Luftwaffe fighters as a pilot with the legendary 332nd Fighter Group, the Red Tails.

The fast-maturing young man who a short time before was reading accounts of combat pilots in the pulp magazines found himself immersed in the very action of his make-believe heroes. Flying out of Ramitelli Air Base in Italy, the Tuskegee Airmen would emerge years later as leading examples of those who had pursued the Double V—the twin victories against the evils of totalitarianism overseas and racism at home. When asked retrospectively about his wartime service, he says that he and his fellow pilots were too busy in the work of their unit to know that they were making history.

• READ MORE: FLYING Classics: P-51 Mustangs Helped Win the Air During World War II

Harry’s most harrowing mission occurred near Linz, Austria on April 1, 1945. His formation of P-51 Mustangs was jumped by superior numbers of enemy fighters, leading to raging dogfights. Harry drew on his training and self-confidence, downing three long-nosed Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, the premiere German piston fighters of the war. For his bravery and skill he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, concluding his deployment with a total of 43 combat missions.

What the Tuskegee Airmen accomplished during the war undoubtedly contributed to President Truman’s decision to desegregate the armed forces in 1948. But before the executive order was implemented in the latter part of 1949, Harry along with Alva N. Temple and James H. Harvey III of the 332nd were sent to the expansive air base north of Las Vegas (now Nellis Air Force Base) to compete in the first postwar Air Force-wide gunnery meet.

Flying late-model P-47 Thunderbolts, the 332nd ’s team won first-place in the propeller division, notching yet another achievement for the all-Black fighter unit. Team members’ names were etched on a trophy that is displayed at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

• READ MORE: An Aviation Outreach to Youth Follows a Tuskegee Legacy

Harry had every intention of making a career out of the Air Force, but huge cuts to the military’s budget after the war forced him out as an active-duty pilot and into a non-flying reservist status. He eventually retired as a lieutenant colonel. Hoping his Air Force flying record might be a gamechanger, he approached TWA and Pan Am, the two airlines whose airplanes had stirred his imagination. Sadly, the carriers’ discriminatory employment policies had not yet changed.

Heartbroken, Harry took a deep breath and determined to press on despite being denied his profession of choice. He enrolled in night classes at New York University while holding down a city job, convinced that education was the answer to his future.

His wife, Delphine, the sister of a former squadron mate, always left sandwiches in the fridge for his return late at night and contributed to the household expenses with her salary as an office worker for the New York Yankees. Harry’s studies paid off. He earned a mechanical engineering degree, which opened the door to a rewarding career as an executive with Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco and ANR Pipeline Company in Detroit, where he became a vice president.

In retirement, Harry finally had the chance to go back to flying. He qualified in the motor-gilders operated by the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum in Detroit. As a pilot in the organization’s Youth Academy, he took inner-city children up for their first airplane rides, encouraging them to follow the dream of flight as he had known it growing up in proximity to LaGuardia.

In 2007, Harry was one of a handful of Tuskegee Airmen chosen by his peers to accept the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of all who were a part of the groundbreaking program. And, in recent years, the successors to the companies that had rejected his attempts to secure a flying job in the postwar era made amends. American Airlines, which acquired TWA, and Delta, which assumed major Pan Am routes, presented Harry with honorary captain’s wings.

As the 83rd anniversary of LaGuardia’s unveiling looms, air travelers dashing through the airport’s magnificent new terminals would do well to slow down and reflect on how this crossroads of the sky enriched the world when it lifted the spirits of a neighborhood kid. Now 98 years old and one of only about 6 surviving World War II combat pilots among the Tuskegee Airmen, Harry perks up when talk turns to LaGuardia and the airliners of the Golden Age that he watched soaring aloft long ago. The glint in his eye affirms that the dream of flight lives on everlastingly in his heart, ready to be embraced by today’s air-minded youth.

Philip Handleman is a longtime pilot and former owner of a private airport in southeast Michigan. He co-authored retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Harry T. Stewart, Jr.’s, memoir, titled Soaring to Glory.

The post How LaGuardia Airport Inspired a Tuskegee Airman to Dream of Flight appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The DC-2 Started the Revolution

As recounted in Part 1, the DC-1 and DC-2 were developed after a request by Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA). What was then United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) was TWA’s rival in transcontinental air service, using the Boeing 247. Because Boeing (NYSE: BA) (then named United Aircraft and Transport Corporation) also owned United, TWA sought an aircraft that would allow it to compete. 

Douglas and his talented team designed and built the DC-1 in 1932-33, and TWA requested several changes that led to the DC-2. After its introduction in 1934, the DC-2 was quickly considered the best passenger aircraft in the world. Other airlines soon began lining up after TWA to place orders. Douglas was not bound by the same constraints as Boeing and could take those orders freely, assuring a healthy production run. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was the first non-U.S. carrier to order DC-2s and began operating them in the fall of 1934. 

KLM entered a DC-2 in the 1934 MacRobertson International Air Derby from London, England, to Melbourne, Australia. While it came in second place overall in speed (beaten by a specially- built de Havilland DH.88 Comet), it finished first in the handicap division, ahead of a 247D flown by American pilots Col. Roscoe Turner and Clyde “Upside-Down” Pangborn. Turner and Pangborn were no run-of-the-mill pilots—Turner was a record-breaking aviator and three-time winner of the Thompson Trophy air race, while  Pangborn and a copilot flew their airplane on the first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, the KLM DC-2 flew the airline’s regular route, which was 12,300 statute miles, in 71 hours and 28 minutes at an average speed of 160 mph. In addition, it had a crew of four, three paying passengers and 420 pounds of cargo—the mail. 

The DC-2 also demonstrated that a new era in commercial aviation had begun. While European aircraft manufacturers had been focused on building better military aircraft, U.S. OEMs had improved their aircraft for commercial aviation. By the mid-1930s, hundreds of commercial airliners plied the skies, and they were faster than any aircraft in regular service with the Royal Air Force. 

• READ MORE: How the Douglas Douglas Aircraft Company Created the DC-3, Part 1

In 1935, the DC-2 became the first airplane built by Douglas Aircraft to be awarded the well-regarded Collier Trophy for outstanding achievements in flight. Douglas Aircraft built 156 DC-2s at its Santa Monica, California, facility; a total of 193 DC-2s were built. There was no question that the DC-2 was a success—and Douglas wanted to get the most from the company’s investment in R&D and tooling—but there was room for improvement.

The DC-3 Surpasses the DC-2

The immediate success of the DC-2 led C.R. Smith—the 35-year-old president of the newly formed American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL)—to Douglas Aircraft Company in 1934. The DC-3 was the result of a lengthy telephone call between Smith and Donald Douglas. Smith wanted a new aircraft; and according to the Museum of Flight, what he sought was an airplane that combined the “speed, reliability and profitability of the DC-2 with the comfort of the sleeping berth-equipped Curtiss T-32 Condor biplane.” In fact, Smith wanted two new airplanes—a longer version of the DC-2 that was capable of carrying more passengers on daytime flights, and another for overnight passengers that was outfitted with railroad-type sleeping berths.

Smith persuaded a reluctant Douglas to design a new sleeper aircraft based on the DC-2—the DC-2’s cabin was 66 inches wide, too narrow for side-by-side berths. Douglas took on the project, but only after Smith agreed that American Airlines would purchase at least 20 aircraft. 

The engineering team for the new Douglas aircraft was led by chief engineer Arthur E. Raymond; the project took less than two years – an incredibly short timeline by modern standards. Originally envisioned as a relatively simple enlargement of the DC-2, the Douglas engineers soon realized that was not really possible and that the new airplane would need to be significantly redesigned from the DC-2.

• PHOTO GALLERY: The Legendary Douglas DC-3

Among the many differences between the two aircraft, the DC-3’s fuselage was lengthened and widened with rounded sides; “its wings and tail surfaces were enlarged and strengthened, the nose section and landing gear were modified, and new, more powerful Wright [1820] engines were installed,” according to the Museum of Flight.

Therefore, although the DC-3 was superficially similar to the DC-2, it eventually shared fewer than 10 percent of its parts with the DC-2, according to the Museum of Flight. 

The prototype Douglas Sleeper Transport, or DST, first flew on December 17, 1935, (the 32nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk) on a sunny afternoon in Santa Monica. Its cabin was 92 inches wide. To meet the American Airlines order, Douglas Aircraft manufactured the 14-passenger DST version of the DC-3 first. The first DST was accepted by American on April 29, 1936, and a total of seven DSTs were delivered to American Airlines by mid summer. 

The DST (also known as the “Sky Sleeper”) was the height of luxury for that time. Each had 14 plush seats in four main compartments that could be folded in pairs to form seven berths; seven more berths folded down from the cabin ceiling. 

The version of the new airplane (with 21 seats instead of the DST’s 14-16 sleeping berths) was given the designation DC-3. No prototype was built, and the first “day plane” DC-3 built for American Airlines followed in August 1936. 

DC-3 Commercial Transport

Capt. Walter Braznell captained the inaugural flight of the DST Flagship Illinois for American Airlines on June 26, 1936, from Chicago to Newark. The initial flights were very successful, and American built its early reputation around them.

Just a few months after American Airlines’ initial order for DC-3s, United Airlines became the second airline to commission DC-3s (in November 1936). The DC-2 had been proven more economical than the Boeing Model 247 (which United had been flying, as a subsidiary of Boeing); the airline’s executives assumed the DC-3 would continue that lead. Following the initial orders from American and United, more than 30 other airlines placed orders for DC-3s during the next two years.

KLM received its first DC-3 in 1936; it replaced a DC-2 on what was then the world’s longest scheduled route, Amsterdam via Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) to Sydney, Australia. KLM purchased more than 20 DC-3s before World War II began in Europe.

The DC-3 quickly established its reputation with the various airlines, and by 1939, more than 90 percent of U.S. airline passengers were flying in either DC-2s or DC-3s. The DC-3 dominated the  pre-World War II airline industry; by the mid-1940s all but 25 of the 300 airliners operating in the U.S. were DC-3s, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

Why Was the DC-3 So Successful?

The Douglas DC-3 surpassed its competitors for many reasons. It was capable of taking off and landing on relatively short runways, was fast (a maximum cruising speed of up to 180 knots or 207 mph), had a good range (1,100 nm at 65 percent power and 142 knots), was more reliable, and carried between 14 to 32 passengers in greater comfort or a minimum of 6,000 pounds of cargo. A low-wing metal monoplane that had conventional landing gear, the DC-3 was originally powered by two Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial piston engines of between 1,000-1,200 hp. (Most DC-3s still in operation now use supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines of up to 1,200 hp.) The airplane crossed the continental U.S. from New York to Los Angeles in 18 hours with only three stops. Before the outbreak of World War II, the DC-3 pioneered many air travel routes. 

DC-3 Specifications

Along with its other qualities, the DC-3 was an efficient airplane; as noted by the Museum of Flight, most DC-3s were operated by two-pilot crews, and joined by a flight attendant, if operated in passenger service. Different versions and engine choices were introduced by Douglas Aircraft. The airplane’s efficiency led to airline profitability, as well as to the significant growth of civil air transport in the U.S. and worldwide prior to World War II. 

The DC-3 in World War II

Production of DSTs ended in mid-1941, while civilian DC-3 production ended in early 1943. By  that time, more than 600 DC-3s had been built. However, dozens of the DSTs and DC-3s ordered by airlines that were built between 1941 and 1943 were designated for U.S. military service while they were still on the production line. In addition, many existing civilian DC-3s were converted to military use. 

But this was only the beginning. Like other manufacturers of aircraft, automobiles, and a myriad of civilian staples, Douglas Aircraft shifted to production for the U.S. and Allies’ war effort. 

The DC-3 was designated as the C-47 by the U.S. Army Air Forces, the R4D by the U.S. Navy, and the Dakota by the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom. Whatever it was called, the world’s first successful commercial airliner readily adapted to military use—it was the most widely used transport aircraft of the war. 

Roughly 10,147 C-47s, C-53s, and other variants were manufactured by Douglas for use by the Allies at its facilities in Santa Monica and Long Beach, California, and in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and encompassing models built under license to Russia (as the Li-2) and Japan (as the L2D). The C-53 version of the DC-3 was a troop carrier. Peak production of the C-47 occurred in 1944, when roughly 4,853 were delivered to the armed forces. 

For both airline and military use, the DC-3 was easy to operate and maintain, and flexible enough to use in various flight conditions and for a variety of missions. The DC-3’s wartime adaptations were both simple and effective. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the airplanes were used to “transport passengers (28), fully armed paratroopers (28), wounded troops (18 stretchers and a medical crew of three), military cargo (e.g., two light trucks), and anything else that could fit through its cargo doors and weighed not much more than three tons.” 

C-47s were modified from the original DC-3 model; among other mods, they had strengthened floors to carry cargo and they were fitted with stronger landing gear. Another key difference was the C-47’s two-part doors, designed to facilitate cargo loading. You could push a ramp up to the door and drive a jeep inside.

C-47s were also used to tow gliders and some were also converted to an efficient, high-speed glider. Those aircrafts’ engines were removed, the empty cowls were faired over, and other nonessential weight was jettisoned. As a glider, a converted C-47 could carry 40 fully armed troops at a top towing speed of 290 mph, which was 90 mph faster than any other transport glider—and 26 percent faster than its top speed as a transport airplane. Though the converted C-47 gliders saw limited use in wartime, the stock C-47s themselves were used to great effect to tow WACO CG-4A gliders to drop behind enemy lines in Europe.

Military versions of the DC-3 were known colloquially as “Skytrains” and “Skytroopers.” DC-3s were used in all of the theaters of war, including notably during Operation Overlord and other missions collectively known as “D-Day” in Normandy, France, and subsequent assaults by Allied airborne forces. In addition, DC-3s/C-47s were used to ferry provisions during the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49.

In addition to converting the DC-3 to military use, Douglas Aircraft manufactured another 20,000 warplanes (primarily the SBD Dauntless and the A-26 Invader). Military versions of the DC-3 were manufactured until the end of the war. Moreover, approximately one-sixth of the U.S. airborne fleet was built by Douglas.

After the War

The global civilian market swarmed with surplus aircraft of all types following the close of World War II. Many C-47s were converted to passenger and cargo versions. Although the DC-3/C-47 models were no longer competitive with new larger and faster turboprop transports, the type still made for a dependable workhorse worldwide. All the positive traits of the DC-3 proved adaptable and useful on less glamorous routes for both passengers and cargo.

As just one of many examples, Cubana de Aviación was the first Latin American airline to offer scheduled service from Havana to Miami with a DC-3, shortly after the war ended. In addition, the airline used DC-3s on several of its domestic routes well into the 1960s.

In 1949, a larger, more powerful Super DC-3 was launched by Douglas Aircraft and garnered positive reviews. The airplane also had greater cargo capacity, and an improved wing, but with thousands of surplus aircraft available at cheap prices, the Super DC-3 failed to sell well in the civilian aviation market. Only five Super DC-3s were delivered, three of them to Capital Airlines. 

The Super DC-3 prototype was purchased by the U.S. Navy (designated as YC-129); the Navy also had 100 R4Ds upgraded to the Super DC-3 specifications during the early 1950s. Their designation was altered to R4D-8/C-117D. Like the DC-3/C-47, the R4D-8/C-117D was incredibly durable and dependable; the last U.S. Navy C-117 was retired on July 12, 1976. The last U.S. Marine Corps C-117 lasted even longer; it was retired from active service in June 1982. Perhaps even more of a testament to the DC-3, the U.S. Forest Service utilized the aircraft for smoke jumping and general transportation; the agency’s last DC-3 was retired in December 2015.

The DC-3’s Legacy

First flown in 1935, the Douglas DC-3 became the most successful airliner in the formative years of air transportation. The DC-3 and DST made air travel in the U.S. popular because of their speed, comfort, and reliability. Eastbound transcontinental flights crossed the nation in about 15 hours with three refueling stops; westbound trips (against the prevailing winds) took about 17.5 hours. Before the DC-3, such a trip entailed numerous short hops in slower and shorter-range aircraft during the day, with train travel overnight.

Early U.S. airlines—American, United, TWA, Eastern and Delta (NYSE: DAL)—purchased more than 400 DC-3s from Douglas Aircraft. These airlines’ fleets began the modern U.S. air travel industry, and by the 1950s and 1960s had replaced trains as the preferred way to travel across the U.S. (and then the world). 

The DC-3 was very comfortable by the standards of its time. It was also very safe because of its strong, multiple-spar wing and all-metal construction. Bottom line: airlines that purchased DC-3s favored it because it was  profitable. 

The DC-3 took off easily, cruised comfortably at 145 knots at 10,000 feet, had a cruising range of 1,100 nm or more, depending on the power settings used, had a service ceiling of 26,500 feet and a clean stall speed of 68 kias. 

A common saying among pilots and aviation enthusiasts is “the only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3.” Several aircraft companies attempted to design and build a replacement for the DC-3 for over 30 years after its introduction. However, no single airplane could match the versatility, rugged reliability, and economy of the DC-3. It remained a significant part of air transport systems well into the 1970s.

Airlines liked the DC-3 for its easy maintenance, its ability to take off and land on short runways, and its remarkable reliability. These factors combined to keep DC-3s flying in many regions of the world into the 21st century. There are still small operators using DC-3s in revenue service or as cargo aircraft. Current uses of the DC-3 include passenger service, aerial spraying, freight transport, military transport, missionary flying, skydiver shuttling, and sightseeing. 

The oldest surviving DST is the sixth Douglas Sleeper Transport built, which was manufactured in 1936. The aircraft was delivered to American Airlines on July 12, 1936. Its most recent flight was on April 25, 2021. The oldest DC-3 still flying is the original American Airlines Flagship Detroit (the 43rd aircraft off the Santa Monica production line, which was delivered on March 2, 1937). It appears at air shows around the country and is owned and operated by the Flagship Detroit Foundation.

It’s very likely that neither Donald Douglas nor any of the employees at Douglas Aircraft Company could have imagined that the DC-3 would be as successful as it was, much less that a number of DC-3s would still be in service more than 85 years after the airplane was first introduced. 

Author’s note: Among the sources of information for this article were Boeing, the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Flight, Encyclopedia Britannica, aviation.history.com, museumofflying.com, pearlharboraviationmuseum.org, and Honest Vision: The Donald Douglas Story, by Julie Boatman Filucci.

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