VERO BEACH — If you have
looked up in the sky recently you may have seen a very rare vintage
airplane or heard the distinctive sound of its two-cyclone radial
engines. After a very successful 2012 Air Show season throughout the USA
culminating in appearances at the Wings Over Homestead Air Show and the
Stuart Road to Victory Air Show, the oldest flying DC-3 in the world,
the American Airlines Flagship Detroit, has once again taken up winter
residence on the Treasure Coast and will be making several appearances
in Vero Beach.
In addition to stops at
Vero Beach during upcoming membership rides given to new members who
join the Flagship Detroit Foundation, this grand old lady is scheduled
to appear at the Vero Beach Aviation Day on March 2, 2013. Local area
membership rides will be available at the event and the day before the
event. Those who purchase a tax-deductible annual membership for $150 in
the Flagship Detroit Foundation will be able to fly with on March 1 or
2, or on another local scenic flight and will also be invited to ride on
the aircraft during positioning flights for a period of a year.
The airplane flew for
American Airlines from 1937 to 1947. In time, ownership of the Flagship
Detroit passed to corporate hands and the airplane became a light
freighter and agricultural sprayer. It was located in Virginia, and
purchased by the Flagship Detroit Foundation in August 2004. The plane
has been restored to exactly how it looked in 1937.
Six years ago, when the
restoration was completed making it the oldest DC-3 still flying, the
Flagship Detroit was featured in an article in the August 2006 edition
of "Flying," the world's most widely read aviation magazine. Then again,
in the August 2010 edition of the same magazine, the Flagship Detroit
was featured on the front cover as part of an article celebrating the
75th anniversary of the DC-3.
The DC-3 was the
brainchild of C.R. Smith, then-president of American Airlines, and
developed by Douglas Aircraft, which would later become McDonnell
Douglas. Smith wanted a plane that could fly more passengers more
comfortably, and from New York to Chicago without stopping. Smith got
what he wanted, and the airline industry changed forever.
The first DC-3 flight was
December 17, 1935. American Airlines’ first scheduled passenger service
DC-3 flight was June 25, 1936 with the Flagship Illinois, with nonstop
service between Chicago and New York.
The first eight DC-3s
delivered to American were “sleepers” (DST, Douglas Sleeper Transport)
with 14 berths for overnight, five-stop, transcontinental service. The
remaining DC-3s delivered to American were 21-passenger “day plane”
versions like the Flagship Detroit. American adopted a nautical theme
for its DC-3s, calling them “Flagships” and naming them after the city
or state served. Flagship Detroit was the 21st off the assembly line and
officially joined the American Airlines fleet in March of 1937 and is
now the oldest flying DC-3 in the world out of almost 14,000 DC-3’s and
C-47’s (the military version) built.
A unique aspect of
Flagship Detroit is the fact that it is an original American Airlines
DC-3 which was never modified externally. It was delivered with Curtiss
Wright GR-1820 1000hp radial engines driving Hamilton Standard constant
speed full-feathering metal propellers. The aircraft paint colors were
bonnet blue and international orange. The DC-3 had a range of 1,300
nautical miles and a 143-knot cruise speed. It carried 21 passengers, a
captain, copilot and a stewardess (registered nurse).
The Flagship Detroit
Foundation is a non-profit group of dedicated men and women who have
committed to make the personal and financial commitment to promote
awareness of American’s remarkable history and preserve its legacy. The
Foundation’s goal is to continue operating and maintaining this aircraft
as a flying tribute to all American Airlines employees, past and
present.
She will take to the
skies once again on Sunday, January 6, 2013 and has invited any local
resident interested in becoming a member of the Flagship Detroit
Foundation to come along for an historic “heritage” flight. The flight
will be from Stuart to Vero Beach and back including a stop for
breakfast at CJ Cannon’s at Vero Beach Airport.
The Flagship Detroit is
available for air shows, appearances, special events, fund raisers and
unique travel opportunities. For information on the January 6 membership
flight to Vero Beach airport, other scheduled flights, and general
membership information, please contact Capt. Tony DeSantis (AA, Ret) at
772-486-2831. Visit us at www.FlagshipDetroit.org.
This story is contributed by a member of the Treasure Coast community and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with TCPalm.com
Source: http://www.tcpalm.com
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