DC3 N18121 at 8:50 was, as of 2001 not only the world's highest time DC3, but also the world's highest time aircraft of any type. It was on display outside the Pearson Air Museum at Pearson Field, Vancouver Wa, USA from approx 1998, until 2007. Moved to Aurora Airport, south of Portland, Or, it was once again refurbished by the new owner to its present all aluminum polished finish. Built in 1937 the airplane was always in passenger configuration, no cargo door. It was comendered by the US Army during WWII to transport commanders, VIPs, and troops within the contiguous United States, and then returned to civilian service with American Airlines after the war. I am proud to have been the caretaker of this aircraft during my time as museum Operations Manager there .
I am 77 years of age. I was born in 1941. In London. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking every single serviceman who took part in WW2 and saved my life to enable me to live to this age. Without you, living or dead, I would not be able to convey my thanks, as I watch these very important aircraft fly over the channel, on You Tube. Thank you. Thank you.
I was a Paratrooper in the US Army and I know what it’s like to jump. Those guys that jumped at night over Normandy, are true HEROES, it took strength, it took training, it took teamwork, and it took GUTS!!!!! And that goes for the pilots and crew, and one of the most iconic airplanes in history!! I was at Duxford to see this in person for D-Day 75! It was a wonderful tribute to the Greatest Generation and what they did to save the world! Never forget their sacrifices!!!
When they were working on the special effects for the Normandy night drop in "Band of Brothers" the special effects guys spoke to the survivors of "Easy" Company who jumped into Normandy for some advice on what the flak they jumped into looked like. "Wild Bill" Guarnere said that they should take the biggest Fourth of July fireworks show they had ever seen and multiply it about a hundred times. And even then it would still fall short of what they jumped into on D-Day.
What a sight! What a sound! It's wonderful to know that so many Dakotas are still flying. Humble gratitude to those who took part in the D-Day Landings.
My dad was a paratrooper in WW2 and jumped out of a C-47 at Normandy. He was a true war hero like the rest of the invasion force. They liberated the the world and ended the Nazi regime. "MAY THEY ALL RIP"
"Liberated the world" 😂 So geography isn't your strong point then. And people are not heroes for being in the military. You have to perform heroic acts to be called a hero.
There were just innocent boys forced to kill innocent boys on both sides. These young men just wanted to survive. War is not the place to praise everyone who participated as a "hero".
Absolutely fantastic been to 100s of airshows but that takes the biscuit what a stunning sound a the best Tribute to all who took part 👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇬🇧🇬🇧 makes you feel proud to be alive thank you 🙏 all who took part on D- Day .
I feel for the crews of the dozen or so C-47 that fell victims of the Flak (the same amount of losses happened to those who flew again under the uniform as AC-47s in Vietnam, in the 60s). Some of these Daks started their life as civil aircrafts, then were wartime air force transport, then back to civil service.
This is epic! Many of the planes shown in this participated in the actual D-Day paratrooper and glider drops into the war zone! This does justice to the memory of the veterans,who on this day 75 yrs ago started the road to victory! Really great camera work too!
@@nomorewar4189 hell yeah. I'd answer the call. Dont want to be ruled by the EU, I want patriotic British ruling England. Seems like to much to ask for these days though.
@@normadamous I know, I grew up near Leeds Bradford airport and when I was in my teens Air Atlantique used to fly a DC3 in there once every few weeks or so.
Just a shame when they got to France it was a wash out , 17.50 euro for nothing , nothing took off weather can’t be helped but the days of Normandy was a disaster
It rained on 6 June 1944 too The whole Operation was lucky to ever succeed ... But it did and it's all history and 25 years from now people might not even care to remember.
I took my kids to Oxford CT airport to see half of these guys. What a sight! I live close to the airport and we got to see them fly in formation all week. What a fantastic experience for the kids and myself. This needs to keep happening, lest we never forget.
What a beautiful, awesome tribute. I flew on one of these along with a B-25 a few months aho at the Confederate Air Force in Mesa, AZ. The cost to restore and maintain these planes is huge but if it is only for this tribute it is worth it.
I can not fathom what it must have been like to have lived the actual events like this during WWII. This is truly amazing but I cant even imagine what the young men were thinking during the takeoff roll 75 years ago. God bless each and every one of you for what what you did. You are the definition of a true American Hero!
Spent a year, 1968-1969 working on and being a crew chief on AC-47D Spooky gunships in Vietnam and the old Goon has had a special place in my heart ever since. The hundreds and hundreds of times I stood fireguard while starting engines, standing point while counting blades and giving the pilots the thumbs up to turn on the mags, There have been so many gatherings of the venerable DC-3, C-117, etc. that I wanted to attend but couldn't afford to do. Fortunately I have been able to get up close to the American Flight Museum's John Levitow Tribute AC-47, especially when they brought it to our AC-47 reunion in San Antonio, TX, where most of us attended basic training in the Air Force. The reunion attendees had raised the funds needed to get the AC-47 to our reunion. I don't remember the incline of the cargo compartment being that steep during my time in Vietnam when I was carrying 125 lb ammo cans forward to the front of the compartment.
I’m a piker at 60... only one of eight surviving offspring of nine who served in the military of two WWII veterans (USAF analog flight simulator specialist/technician, 1978-82, F-101B Voodoo)... this piece of history still brings a lump in my throat and tears to my eyes. THANK YOU for posting it!!!!!
The C-47 named "That's All Brother" was the lead aircraft for the initial drop on 6 June 1944. The aircraft was recently restored in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and was featured at Airventure 2018.
This is a goldmine of aviation history It's wonderful that so many of these iconic birds are still flying and well maintained. Thank you for this fantastic show and video. I'm going on my flight simulator now and fly a DC-3. 😎
Viewed it again and again ... Still a great video!! I forgot to say ..... got here because of Mikey McBryan and Plane Savers and what they have done in Canada for a DC-3 .... and by the way, by name, that's my UK car registration.
DC03FAN It was great to see the Miss Montana make it over for the fly over, it was NOT involved in the D Day exercise but it can represent Plane savers DTD that was there but did not have time to make the trip !!!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 Today(6 June) is the first fight of DTD for many, many years following the work of Mikey and The Team and the Plane Savers Universe! Wherever in the world you are, its great to see the DC-3 still flying, and especially today of all days. Duxford was a day never to be forgotten.
@@rogergusty1722 Tell me something I don't already know !!!! Have followed Mikey and plane savers since the start and I think they did a great job !!!!!
@@toddschmidt206 Lets hope that after a break, Mikey decides to do another restoration. I am sure that many thousands in the Plane Savers Universe will agree that the last 5 months have been totally compelling and riveting (no pun intended) viewing.
Truly amazing.. Makes my heart skip a beat. I remember as a child standing between two pilots, full of questions, and the thrill of the moment!! Will never forget. The sound of these engines rings in my head and heart.. Thanks for the video!!
I flew on these while they were still in regular airline service with Provincetown Boston airlines. What a treat it was to fly in those great planes. It never got old for me.
Well, how do you think they got them to europe for the original event? The unsung heroes are the ferry pilots who flew these aircraft back and forth over the north atlantic, in al weather, so they could be staged up in preparation for the invasion force. The risks they faced were just as high as the invasion force faced, but with far less chance of survival in the event of engine problems, over that inhospitable route.
The DC 3, C 47, or Dakota, was the best airplane ever built. they are still in service all over the world. And, Basler Aircraft in Millwaukee, is rebuilding them, so, they will be flying for a long time more. No other aircraft has been more sucessful. The design goes back to the 1930's,, and, i think they were in regular service by 35 or 36, no other aircraft will ever achieve that.
@a10warthog61 They were all good airplanes in their day. But the DC 3 is still doing the job it was intended to do all over the world. They work on gravel strips, and, are used in Alaska and Canada, as well as South America. The Basler company rebuilds them to a standard of a 0 hour airplane, and, upgrades to turboprop engines. They will be flying for another twenty five years. The rebuilt ones from Basler cost a fraction of what a new modern airplane of the same capacity would cost. Those fighters played their part in the war, but, the DC 3 got the airlines off the ground, and, actually did much more to win the war than any fighter did. The DC 3 is a real testament to the skill of its designers and builders. I have even see one equipped with floats, that, is used in the Pacific Northwest.
@@ditzydoo4378 And even more so if you are inside the plane near the wings. Cyprus Airlines was the last one I flew in back in 1962. But I'm out the door of the house at the sound of one flying over. Monroe County Florida owned at least 7 of them in 1992. They used them for Mosquito Control but in 1992 they flew 7 of them over Homestead and Florida City to prevent an insect outbreak after Hurricane Andrew. Even just 7 is a lot of sound to take in.
@@gravelydon7072 so true about being inside, I've had the privilege of flying in Betsy twice since 2013. The Estrella Warbirds museum maintains her as a flying heritage aircraft along with others in the collection.
My first job after graduating in electronics was at the Edmonton Industrial Airport. I never got to go up in a 3 but I worked on a good number of them. I got pretty good at keeping the old ARN-6 and ARN-7 Radio Compass systems running back then in 1972. Just the sound of the old radial engines brings back memories.
I grew up next to the Muni as a kid and would always run out to see the DC3 landing or taking off. I could count every rivet at my vantage point! Lol Never quite the same with the 737 but loved them too. Maybe that is why I have such poor hearing now! Sooo worth it! Lol😊
Simonize41 I am in tears. My uncle 101 Airborne jumped out of these ladies..he survived D-day, but was killed in action during Operation Market Garden...Purple Heart.
Nothing like the sound of an old radial engine in the morning. I love when EAA Airventure happens and I hear all those old warbirds. EDIT: I watched That's All Brother's transformation, and I tell you, I'm amazed that she's the same plane. I watched her go from a junkyard plane to what she is in this video. It was quite a sight to see her at EAA that year and realize that she was the same plane I saw just 3 or 4 years previously. The CAF team and Basler did a wonderful job bringing the old girl back.
thank you so much for putting this on for us that never got the chance to go, fantastic sound and goosebumps for the full vid. what a sight that will never be seen again absolutley brilliant .
Arguably the greatest Aircraft ever built (in my opinion) I have had the privilege flying in one in original Military livery What an amazing experience Just a pity I was to young to truly understand the privilege
As s Skydiver I have jumped out of a few different DC-3's. And every time I'm humbled knowing I am jumping out the same door as did the paratroopers. If only today's youth knew the sacrifice that was made.
Few of the men and women remain that built these glorious birds. We often honor the fighting men from this era. We rarely reflect and honor the people that made the fighting men possible. Thank you to all but especially my mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and cousins who put their lives aside, worked 12-14 hours a day, 6-7 days a week for years, all while still maintaining families and households. Their skill and willingness to learn built these and so many others things that helped the allies gain victory over the Axis powers around the world. That would be a glorious reunion. To bring the surviving workers who built these planes together to honor their amazing contribution to freedom. God bless them all..living and past.
Sadly I missed it! With that bird Douglas Commercial created a legend for the air as Saurer created a legend for the ground! And all that without any computers, I-pads and similar stuff!!
Amazing to see so many Dakotas still flying in this wonderful video, it almost looks like an United Nations day out. This is the aeroplane that made airlines as we know them today possible. Donald Douglas's masterpiece. Their longevity is simply legendary and the maxim that 'the only aeroplane that can replace a Dakota is another Dakota' is still true. I once read a charming book by a lady who was an air hostess in the American Mid-West on Dakotas in the fifties and early sixties. She wrote a poem, included in her book, most of which I forget now but the small bit that I do remember goes - 'When civilisation is at an end and jets are obsolete, A Dakota will still be flying along at eleven thousand feet.' It looks like she wasn't wrong. The second greatest civil airliner ever, only bettered by the magnificent and also still unbeaten Aerospatiale BAC Concorde. Most amazing is the fact that many DC 3's are still in what the airlines like to call 'revenue service'. In other words they are still making a profit for the people that own them and are not just flown by enthusiasts on sunny Sundays but are working aircraft. This is an astonishing fact given that the Dakota DC 3 is fast coming up on its eightieth birthday.
I've been a passenger in both C-47s and DC-3s. They are by far my favorite aircraft. Just sitting on the ground they look like they want to fly. And the sound of a DC-3 flying overhead is distinct and identifyable. I love them.
@@toddschmidt206 Hi bud, not to rain on your parade but its Duxford, an amazing video, watch with headphones on and the volume turned up, breath-taking. I wonder if the guys got a video of them all formed up and ready to go.
After hurling my 1944 body around in my wonderful 1943 life saver in Laos and Viet Nam, I still am choked up by the sound of an 1830-90D. My young wife only got one ride in one with AeroVirgin Islands. Nothing ever like it in aviation history.
Some one may have already shared it, but ship 3X "That's All Brother" is the actual lead ship from D-Day. It was found a few years ago at Basler Turbo Conversions in Oshkosh WI, awaiting conversion to Turboprops. When they discovered what they had they returned it to factory fresh condition so it could lead the formation once again, 75 years later.
The DC-3 was the first airplane I ever flew in back in 1950 or 51. I'm 80 now but was 6 then. Just me and my sister were the passengers, the piolet and my Dad. Out of the Atlanta GA airport for a couple of hours and then back. My Dad flew it part of the way. The plane was part of the old CAA, now the FAA. This video brings back a great memory. Thanks.
Thanks for showing this, not a lot of others seem to have bothered as much as you have. Such a shame they did not think it was important to show this part of the event. Dakota's from all round the world gather to honour the sacrifice of so many young, brave men - at least make an effort to to show it. Someone mentioned the absence of background music, that's funny because I definitely heard a good 12 minutes of it!!!!!!
Return to Normandy, once more paratroopers ride these venerable old work horses. One of the aircraft at time mark 3:00 tail number 348608 with the yellow cockpit Id letters "CD" is "Betsy's Biscuit Bomber", a C-47B built in 1943. It was flown from the Estrella Warbirds Museum collection here at the old WWII Estrella Army Air Corp base outside of Paso Robles, California, via the Greenland route. This aircraft's last U.S. missions were flying the Berlin Airlift, it was sold to Israel and was later purchased back from the Israeli Air Force and refurbished, there is a sign in Hebrew painted on the lavatory-door that roughly reads, "The only replacement for a Dakota, is another Dakota". The plane was a military transport it's whole life and never converted for civilian us. It still has all of it's original equipment to include the 1943 over-sized desert type sand shield air-scoops atop the engines nacelles and the gear it used for towing combat gliders at Arnhem. It has participated in many jumps and I hope they have a smooth and safe flight there and back. God bless all the veterans this day.
Thanks for the history on this C-47/Dakota.. Very much appreciated. Awesome to hear part of its story, very cool indeed! Especially fun was the Israeli note.. 😁
I haven't heard radial engines fly over my home in many years. Four decades ago, T-28's from NAS Barbers Point would fly over my home on a daily basis. A flight of them would draw me out of my home and watch them as they thundered over. Those numerous DC-3's and C-47's flying overhead must've been a sight to behold. If you were there; savor the experience and remember it! Wish I was there to feel the roar and thunder.
Harvey H , I have no idea what it is but early in the am I hear a radial engined plane go over, I do live a few miles west of KEWR, and do hear some planes go by, but at about4;30-8;30, all going NORTH, are going to EUROPE, many times, you can see what airline & aircraft type.,,, Cheers from NJ
Great to see this from another perspective, I was at the far end of the field near the Land Warfare Hall, the mass take off was quite a sight to see.....and possibly something we shall not witness again - many thanks for sharing 👍🏻
I wish someone would also build and demo a troop glider some day. There are clearly C-47s around to tow on and several troop glider replicas have been constructed. Imagine this with a troop glider tow as well! This is incredible though!