The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I have been wondering how many guys here, in the 170 association, are current, or past DC-3 rated pilots ?

I am currently type rated and flying a DC-3T .Who else out there, is or was a DC-3 driver ?

I was current SIC until a few months ago. I've flown a couple DC-3s (Dan Gryder's and Southern Cross). Might get some time in Flagship Detroit in the near future and one of these days I would like to upgrade to PIC.

Great airplane!

John,
It's been quite a while, but it's still on my "License".

Although I never got typed, Ina and I crewed on the Bluebonnet Belle for three years. She was Head Stewardess and I flew 60 hours as co-pilot, mostly to, from, and in airshows in Texas, Arkansas, Lousiana, and Mississippi with the CAF. Our last airshow was May, 2010. Good times wrenching on the old girl every Wednesday and Saturday for three years, but don't miss the polishing.

1000+ hours schlepping freight in the mid '70s. Loved the goony bird - hated the schlepping.

300 hrs Co-pilot way more hours working on them! In Alaska.

I flew DC-3 co-pilot spraying mosquitoes in the Florida Keys in the summer of 1977. Got a job with a commuter airline in Miami in the fall flying the mighty DeHavilland Heron - FOUR Lycoming IO-540s and 19 passengers! They replaced them with DC-3s six months later, I got typed and flew as captain 14 months around Florida and the Bahamas. 17 years later I checked out again on the Piedmont Airlines DC-3 as a volunteer pilot and flew to airshows for about five years. I have about 1,200 total hours in the old girl and felt like Ernie Gann himself!

I've been flying an 60" electric powered R/C model in Capital Airlines colors for a few months now. Does that count too?

Russ Farris

I paid my dues in the mid to late seventies flying DC3s at a couple of freight airlines. Started out at Tri-Con airlines at DFW that morphed into SMB stage lines. Most of my experience was with Falcon Airways out of Addison, Tx. Falcon had a very odd mix of airplanes like a Hamilton Volpar turbine twin Beach 18, Turbine Dehavilland Dove, DC4 converted Carvairs but most important were 5 DC3 freighters.
We flew those DC3s all over the country on regular freight runs, mostly night and some on demand charters. I once flew a DC3 from Buffalo NY to Dallas nonstop. It was my first and one of my most cherished type ratings. When I went to work for Northwest airlines in 1979 I had never seen a Flight Director, Autopilot or Radar. I would love to fly a DC3 again. Dooley

Dooley wrote: When I went to work for Northwest airlines in 1979 I had never seen a Flight Director, Autopilot or Radar. I would love to fly a DC3 again. Dooley

Same here, when they told me my pre-hire check ride (United) in a DC-10 sim would be "raw-data" I had no idea what they were talking about. I would also love to fly it again.

Dooley wrote: Falcon had a very odd mix of airplanes like a Hamilton Volpar turbine twin Beach 18, ... .

Dooley,
Perhaps you meant Hamilton Westwind Beech-18? Sometimes I wish I would have stuck with this company long enough to get typed in the DC-3 but then I remember all the "stick time" with a scrub brush washing the planes after flying them all day. They did have some nice DC-3's though. This site may jog memories for some of you.

The Volpar part may have been the nosewheel and the stretch fuselage, it did have Garret's I think it was called a HA-1' it did not have a Pinocchio nose. The Dove was even weirder, it was called a CJ60 for Carstedt Jet and it had Garret's as well.
There was a regular twin beach also. It was fun. Dooley

Here is a link to a photo of one

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Volpar-T ... fb35d0453d

of course, the 18 pictured does not have Garretts.... it has PTS-6s looks like dash 20s...

This is one I spent more time working on than flying! It ditched near Sitka.