C-47 Ride over Fort Worth!

overdrive148

overdrive148

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overdrive148
So yesterday I was at work. Message over the radio said to park the "big green plane" that was coming in over by the fence.

I'm looking around ready to marshal, and suddenly this guy rounds the corner:

I64OBFR.jpg


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This C-47 is based on the field apparently, and was doing rides for some people at my FBO. They had like 8 open seats and offered me a ride! The guys covered for me and we went on a leisurely tour around Fort Worth. Still smiling!

Apparently they will be doing more rides in a month or two for christmas lights... might get another ride from what I hear :)

Still going through the pics and video but here's the best one I think (loud audio):

 
That's at Meacham. Are you with TJ, CS, or AA?
 
I flew on one into key west in the early 80s. really noisy airplane. It was operated by a company out of New England. They went bankrupt soon after.
 
I have a buddy thats a ramp rat at FNL. A B17 came in for some event and had space for where they were going next, so my buddy for a FREE 3 hour ride on a B17 and flown back home in a 182.

So jealous!
 
Southern Cross based at the Vintage Flying Museum. I did my last SIC recurrent in that airplane. Great outfit!
 
Jimmy cooper said:
I flew on one into key west in the early 80s. really noisy airplane. It was operated by a company out of New England. They went bankrupt soon after.
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Provincetown-Boston Airlines? Same here, Miami to Key West in 198X. They were sucked up by People Express.

Nauga,
with the emphasis on 'sucked'
 
overdrive148 said:
So yesterday I was at work. Message over the radio said to park the "big green plane" that was coming in over by the fence.
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Somehow I missed the new job until this post. Congratulations and thanks for the story!

Nauga,
and the only real Dakota
 
my last airborne op was out of one those. it was a sweet daytime Hollywood jump (no equipment strapped to me). Jan 1994 at Ft Bragg. I could clearly see the rivet line in the horizontal stab as I went by. looked like 2" from my face, but was really like 2'.
more fun on that jump than a CH47 or Huey. especially since I left for good a couple weeks later.
 
ChemGuy said:
my last airborne op was out of one those. it was a sweet daytime Hollywood jump (no equipment strapped to me). Jan 1994 at Ft Bragg. I could clearly see the rivet line in the horizontal stab as I went by. looked like 2" from my face, but was really like 2'.
more fun on that jump than a CH47 or Huey. especially since I left for good a couple weeks later.
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1994? When were they retired from the US military? I thought they were retired before the end of Vietnam.
 
SkyDog58 said:
1994? When were they retired from the US military? I thought they were retired before the end of Vietnam.
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Last C-47 was retired from the US Air Force inventory in 1975. But could it have been some sort of commemorative event utilizing a privately held one?
 
if I remember right it was a forest service plane, arranged by one of the SF groups for them to train with. then the 82nd got to jump it for the rest of the day. it took 15-20 guys per load and I was on one of the last loads. quite a few guys didn't get to jump it.
but C47 is on my jump log as my last jump.
 
nauga said:
Provincetown-Boston Airlines? Same here, Miami to Key West in 198X. They were sucked up by People Express.

Nauga,
with the emphasis on 'sucked'
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I just saw an ex-PBA DC-3 parked at Thomaston-Upson a few months ago. Wasn't looking too good...
 
Nice. Neighbor is retired AF and flew C-47s in Vietnam. Didn't even know they used them in that war outside of the AC-47 variant.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
I have a buddy thats a ramp rat at FNL. A B17 came in for some event and had space for where they were going next, so my buddy for a FREE 3 hour ride on a B17 and flown back home in a 182.

So jealous!
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That makes me jealous too! Pretty crazy stuff. I hear FiFi visits Meacham once in a while for the museum here so who knows...thinking about volunteering either way before or after work. Seem like great people.

ircphoenix said:
I hate you. So, so much.
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Haha, well show up and I might be able to get you on board next time! Apparently we have a fuel deal worked out with them and get to ride pretty frequently in return. They fly a ton during the upcoming holiday months for Christmas light viewing from the air and have open seats frequently. I was almost promised a ride then too.

Fearless Tower said:
Southern Cross based at the Vintage Flying Museum. I did my last SIC recurrent in that airplane. Great outfit!
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They seem like top notch guys! Do they always land 3 times in one approach to log more landings? ;)

I was sitting in the crew seat at the back behind the door and I felt ALL of the rudder inputs. I also saw the runway and everything around it slewing about through the cockpit. It was crazy and neat. I think the guy flying was new ish or trying to get used to the thing. He did better than I could though!
 
Well this will show my age! Got my first ride in this glorious airplane in 1950 out of Midway in Chicago for a commercial flight to Topeka, KS. This year at Sun-N-Fun my son finally was able to see the "inside" of the old gal. Only problem was they had converted her to a turbine engine. Just not the same look. Valiant Air Command at KTIX was flying one -- don't know if they still have her or not. This picture looks a lot like theirs. Same plane, maybe?
 
Fearless Tower said:
I just saw an ex-PBA DC-3 parked at Thomaston-Upson a few months ago. Wasn't looking too good...
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One of the ex-PBA 3's, N36PB, is now at Aurora, Oregon. It's looking good, and back in its original Eastern Air Lines colors and registration, N18121. Photo here.

This airplane was delivered to Eastern Air Lines in 1937, and picked up at the Santa Monica factory by Eddie Rickenbacker himself. It is believed to be the highest-airframe-time piston airplane in the world, at over 91,500 hours.
 
Got some right seat time in one that flew for Arawak Air down in Trinidad in 1971. We never climbed above 1500 feet on the run over to Tobago. Lots of fun for a 10 year old kid and it really fueled my love of airplanes.
 
I did the Christmas lights flight two years ago. It was a blast, riding in the airplane that Eisenhower said was one of the five reasons we won the war.

I have some cockpit photos taken in flight, I'll try to find them and post 'em up.
 
I got to "bomb" Midland, TX from the bombardier's seat on B-17 Sentimental Journey, in 2002. I sure would like to get a ride on a C-47.
 
ircphoenix said:
I was trying to figure out what we were supposed to be jealous of since I clicked the photo and was like "okay... I don't recognize that landscape."

Then I clicked out and saw the smaller picture. Then I recognized the wing markings. And I hate you.
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Just for you, here's one where you can't see the wings... :cool:



So I showed up yesterday to volunteer for the first time at the museum and actually got to turn a wrench or two on the C-47. New engine and all the fun that goes along with that. Came after work today and they had a hangar dance and I was asked to help out as ground crew for the C-47 rides later in the evening.

4In6fvu.png


Right before they launch I get upgraded to flight crew status... and launch for ground the next run before heading home.

Who has two thumbs and is now trained on ground crew and flight crew for the C-47?

240
 
Very cool!! At the next local airshow, I want to buy a ride in our field's C-47, painted up in civilian colors. It's impressive to see a taildragger that large hoist the little wheel in such a hurry on the takeoff roll!!

IMG_2214.JPG
 
overdrive148 said:
Just for you, here's one where you can't see the wings... :cool:



So I showed up yesterday to volunteer for the first time at the museum and actually got to turn a wrench or two on the C-47. New engine and all the fun that goes along with that. Came after work today and they had a hangar dance and I was asked to help out as ground crew for the C-47 rides later in the evening.

4In6fvu.png


Right before they launch I get upgraded to flight crew status... and launch for ground the next run before heading home.

Who has two thumbs and is now trained on ground crew and flight crew for the C-47?

240
Click to expand...
Were you in that bird taking off of 16 at Meacham last night? I was right behind you in my Cessna 120!
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10211094180256609
 
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