DC-3
 

The DC-3 is another aeroplane I've never flown in, although they are plenty of aviating examples I could go up in, and unlike the Connie I wouldn't have to go to Australia to fly in one. It gets a mention in my website shears.rf.gd, '10 landmarks in the history of Civil Aviation', a website which I never finished. Maybe I'll get around to it when I'm out of hospital.

Do you have memories of this aircraft to share? I know there are lots of youtubes and websites about this once-ubiquitous aircraft, but it's always nicer to hear about people's experiences first-hand.

16-year-old aviation freak on the way to Andros Island with my parents. Flight to Nassau was a okay but when we got there we were delayed a couple of hours because of equipment issues.

Couple of hours later they walk us out to board on an ancient I mean ancient DC-3. Totally lit me up coolest thing I'd ever seen.

It was the cargo variant with the humongous side door and my mom was hesitant from the beginning. But when all they did is throw some straps across the side door, she just about lost it.

Very short 20 minute flight absolutely incredible. Close enough to watch the flight deck and realize I knew a lot of what was going on up there.

Remains my favorite and my mother's least favorite flight of all time :-)

Grabbed just about the last opportunity to fly in an Air Atlantique DC-3 when passenger flights were about to be prohibited. One of those things I always meant to do at an airshow but the queues were too long or I'll do it next time, etc. Thought it would go on forever... Anyhow, had a pleasant half an hour or so along the Thames out of Southend, nice old bird and I'd repeat the experience in a heartbeat.

Did get a flight in the Norwegian Cv-440 at West Malling 40 years ago... marvellous!

Jump on a plane to Budapest and grab a flight on the Li-2!

I think I sent you a PM about the 'Farewell Tour' in 2008, Treadders. The CAA had said that an exemption would have been offered to bypass the new EASA safety regulations (passenger evacuation slides, oxygen system etc), but was not applied for. I can't find the document now, unfortunately, but there's an ex-CAA (and ex Air Atlantique engineer) acquaintance who knows the full story...

Think I've seen the Li-2 at Duxford...

Rings a faint bell, I think you did! :ok:

I'm old enough and ugly enough to have flown on scheduled international passenger services operated by DC-3s. :O

I enjoyed a short flight down the coast from Bournemouth a few years ago. I was sitting fairly close to the back and the first memorable sensation was moving sideways as the pilot taxied onto the runway and lined up. The second memory was a very short visit to the cockpit. It was a beautiful Summer's evening and we were at fairly low level. The slight Summer evening mist made it easy to imagine that we were flying down the coast of Burma in the war in the Pacific.

I think it was 1966 (give or take a year - so I would have been between 10 and 12 at the time). First time ever on an airplane.
My dad had to go to Omaha for some training, he dragged me along, then put me on a DC-3 flight to Fargo, ND (as an unaccompanied minor), where my grandparents (from my dad's side) would pick me up and deliver me to their house in Minnesota. Dad would drive up to Minnesota after his training, we'd spend some time in his old stomping grounds, then drive back home to Colorado.

Unfortunately, I remember precious little of the flight, except that we made plenty of stops along the way.

Mine was on BEA 1961 Renfrew-Turnhouse and return.
65 years ago!

Wish Con Pilot was still with us to reminisce about his DC-3!

As a very young sea cadet in Cape Town, late 1950's , we were given a flight in a SAAF DC3, around the Cape Peninsula. Loved every minute of it. we were allowed to walk around and have cockpit visits. Will never forget it.

Me too. Aer Lingus from Liverpool to Dublin. Starways from Liverpool to London and Cambrian Airways Liverpool/Jersey. Also a Paraguayan Air Force example to various airfields around Paraguay. Loved every moment!

Went aerial topdressing in my early teens in a DC3 2 or 3 times in the 1950’s in New Zealand (IIRC outfit was called Airland NZ). Interesting flying around hills and valleys quite close the ground. Single pilot operation.

We had homes in Buckhead (Atlanta), Georgia and St. Simons Island, Georgia. From 1975-1980, I frequently shuttled between them aboard an Air South DC-3 and later a Martin 404. Front door to front door was precisely 300 miles. The Gooney Bird traversed that distance in an hour and twenty minutes at a leisurely cruise speed of 211 m.p.h. at a stately 5,000 feet. She had a very nice and very young pilot and co-pilot and a gorgeous and very friendly flight attendant named Lanier. I remember asking the flight crew what the engine out climb rate was. Without batting an eyelash, one replied "200 ft./min. If we're lightly loaded!" That airframe was more than 40 years old. I was 25. Those days are long gone.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....690ffaf13e.jpg
Douglas DC-3

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f85561ea1e.jpg
Martin 404

- Ed

My first ever flight in c. 1960, I was eight - Silver City Airways return Lydd - Le Touquet - Lydd. I spent the whole outbound flight on the flight deck, and was fascinated by the Decca moving map, and the large spiders web above the co-pilot's seat.

I was fortunate to have done about 20 hours of flight testing a highly modified Turbine DC-3 in 2007, and regularly ride jump seat in it, and it's sister ship. These DC-3's are "Polar 5" and "6". I'll be riding again in them next week for flight testing in Bremen.

They are operated for polar research at the extremes of our planet:

https://www.awi.de/flotte-stationen/...polar-5-6.html

Fantastic!

1954 or maybe '55. First ever flight DC3 Southend to Basle for school holiday to Wilderswil, Interlaken. Sold me on aviation for the next 71 years.:)

My only flight in a DC-3 ( aka "" Dak "" ) was with East African Airways. 20 minute pleasure flight around Nairobi. Would have been around 1955. Wish I could ride in another one today...