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Why the DC-3 is such a Badass Plane
Eight decades after its first flight, the DC-3 remains an aviation legend. (www.popularmechanics.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Nice to hear you calling the plane "she". Refreshing in this era of dubious political correctness!
What?
I had the honor of flying 144 combat missions in the back of the EC-47 in Vietnam. Mission was classified Top Secret at the time but is being declassified. We were doing ARDF (Airborne Radio Direction Finding). What an awesome airplane (most of them older than our pilots). Not much written about us; but if you are interested visit: 6994th.com or EC47.com for more information about us and the Gooney Bird in Vietnam.
I was an 05H(then called 058) in the cold war. My hat's off to you and all the ASA combat vets!
A postscript to this, is that my dad was in the ATC in WW2 and flew over 135 missions across the Atlantic, the vast majority in a C-47. Then, flew as an AA Captain in them for years. Always had great praise for the craft.
A postscript to this, is that my dad was in the ATC in WW2 and flew over 135 missions across the Atlantic, the vast majority in a C-47. Then, flew as an AA Captain in them for years. Always had great praise for the craft.
A close friend of mine, Anthony J.'Tony' Skok crewed in EC47s back in the day with the USAF. We crossed paths when the USMC/USN, in collaboration with the CIA, flew then Top Secret/ES/SCI (my clnc) ELINT missions in civilian cargo livery aboard C-130s and C-117s out of Danang, TSN, Thailand and Taipei, '68-'70. Thems was the days... Semper Fi!
of them. I held, as well, an ASEL, so I appreciated the DC-3 a lot more than the other girls, who only worked on them
when they didn't get their bid on a 737. I only bid the DC-3s. The crews were amazing and the passengers great. The
galley was a tray of sandwiches covered in saranwrap, a couple of thermos of hot water and a CocaCola cooler. We
took off when the 737s were grounded due to weather. I believe that the DC-3 is considered to be one of the safest
aircraft ever built because she can land in a farmers field, among our things. Thank you so much for submitting your
article on my favorite aircraft of all times! May she live forever!