That is amazing, You took a amazing plane and made it even more amazing ! For my 40th birthday my son flew me in A C47 from the Confederate Air Force as a birthday gift ! Over the city of Fort Worth Texas ! Now I'm 70 ! 3 years ago I rode in A B17 , Landed with me sitting in the glass nose cone ! Unbelievable ride !
Brought me back to 1952. My first airline flight in a Chicago and Southern Airways DC-3 from St. Louis to Memphis. Came back to St. Louis in a Connie. Wait while I dry my eyes.
its a swiss army knife of airplanes. bush flying, floats, skis, you name it..... this airplane has and continues to do it all. the only replacement for a DC3 is a DC3
The only problem with the floats is they weigh so much. While the DC-3 can fly perfectly well with them, it drastically reduces it's useful load. Which, for most of it's current operators today, is a deal breaker. Unfortunately. If we ever develop composite floats of this size, which would be considerably lighter, those would be far better for her to have.
I stood on these floats 30 years ago before they were on this DC3. Mr Folsom was a real nice guy. He even offered to lend me his car to have a look around the area . Thanks
The plane dwarfs all the cars, trucks and people around it, and 3 ladders to get down. Hope she's back into the air in her old glory. Thanks for sharing.
I was on that plane when I took my ATC unit along with the Controllers from the Air Force in Portland Maine up to the fly in. Max was a tireless worker and I became a fast admirer of his. That was in the late 80's. It was funny to watch him fuel the plane. There was a standard style car pump with the same size of hose and Max crawled on the wing, insterted it in the tank, locked the lever open and went in and took a break in the shack. No worry about overflowing it at that rate. What a guy and what an aircraft.
WOW! This is the R4D in U. S. Navy parlance! I had the opportunity to maintain one while serving in 1956 - 1959. However, it was not equipped with Floats. I flew in one as the radio operator on a overseas flight! Great aircraft!
Greetings from England! Beyond awesome - back in the 1960s, then a kid I made a 1/76 scale model of a DC3 float plane. It was part bought model kit, part scratch built (the floats & struts) which were a nightmare - took a long time to construct but worth it. None of my school mates believed the thing actually existed in the real world and thought I'd made it up. So well done for sharing this clip - 50-years later and vindicated ... I wonder if I should tell my long ago friends ..?
when i was a kid in the 1950s lake central airlines flew over my house on approach to the new philadelphia muni airport in big beautiful dc3s. i always looked up. and what a beautiful sound they made. thanks for a great video.
In 1973 I flew this pretty and reliable model. It was a C-47. One of the last built by DC midt in the 1950s. Well equipped with autopilot, transponder. We did the route Punta Arenas-Puerto Williams, one or twice a week. We flew also the route from Punta Arenas to Valparaíso, over the argentinian Patagonia (it took from 6am to 6pm). Nice times.
I have been watching Mach Loop videos and having a ball .... tons of it ... and thought nothing can top that (for reasons best known to me) .... AND THEN THIS .... WWOOOOWWW ... first of I never knew a DC3 could get on floats ... just for that THANK YOU ... you know how used to we get seeing high wingers on floats and such .... like someone said here ... the plane powering up the ramp and then parking like a go kart or something LOL ... was AMMMAAAAZZZING. What fun. Thanks David
What a wonderful machine the DC3/C47 is and has been for so long. I'm seventy years of age and well remember my first aeroplane flight at 4 years if age in an ANA DC3 from Tamworth to Sydney. And there are still five of them (that I know of) still flying within a short drive from where I live.
I drove through Greenville in the early 90s, on my way to kayak the West Branch, and saw the DC-3, at Folsoms, up on shore, still on floats. I wish I had taken some pictures of it. The amphib floats are huge ! I flew DC-3 a bit in Kenya, out of Nairobi Wilson in the late 70s. Just this summer, Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum flew their C-47 into Parry Sound, Canada and were offering a 20 minute hop for passengers. Beautiful C-47, that had flown on D-day and dropped British Paratroopers. Pratt 1830s weren't leaking any oil on the ramp either, rare for a DC-3.
Never been in one but I love my FSX version. I'm in my mid 60's as I write and have ALWAYS lived in the landing pattern of our local airport. For all the time I was a kid a powder blue DC3 flew over my house in prep to hang a left for the dog leg. This several times a day as it was a commuter from Atlanta to the local airport here. And then one day it stopped. Such a beautiful plane! I never ever failed to look up when I heard it coming.
She is a truly *GLORIOUS* old Lady!! I sincerely hope that she is still alive and well. I spent many hours nurturing DC3s back in the late 1970s. LONG LIVE the Greasy Three!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Summer of 2017 this plane sits minus its right engine at the north end of the Greenville airport. The floats seemed to float around town for several years but have reappeared at the airport and it would appear that they may again be mounted. This plane became a piece of Greenville's history with appearances at the annual Seaplane Pilot's Association Fly-In.
I still remember well Growing up here next to the Mobile Regional Airport during the 1960s Seeing & hearing many of these ole DC-3 or AC-47. Same Airplane but two different manufacturers. & Many other Aircraft like the Boxcars as they Parachute from them on the N. End of the Runway. But I never seen any AC-47 or DC-3 with Floats..! Never I miss hearing them ole radial Engines as they slowly crossed the sky
DC-3 and C-47s were from the same company, Douglas Aircraft. I think you are thinking of the C-46 which was built by Curtiss. The C-46 was a bigger plane than the C-47 and could fly higher and with a bigger cargo. The C-47 was just the designation for the US Army Air Corps military version. I have flown in both versions but never on one with floats. :-( The US Navy/Marines also flew them under the R4D designation. Douglas also licensed Nakajima ( Japan ) and Lisunov ( Russia ) to build them in their countries. We lost another one yesterday in a crash in S. America. :-(
@@lbbradley55 www.upi.com/DC3-plane-crashes-in-Colombia-killing-all-14-aboard/3121552229530/ Story is being overlooked because of the Boeing 737-Max 8 crash. Feinstein is demanding that Boeing ground all the Max 8s. But it looks more like pilot training failures each time. They fail to control the throttles correctly which then results in oscillations which lead to a crash. If they switch between a regular 737 to a Max 8, there is a big performance difference. The Max 8 will nose up when throttled up.
We use to have a couple of DC3's in Kenya. 5Y-BCL which crashed and was written off and another one that seats on the tarmac at Wilson Airport. They use to overfly our house when we were kids in Langata and just by the sound , you knew it was DC3.
I got my Float plane ticket at Folsom's about the time that started the conversion. I have a complete hard picture file of the whole thing from when the floats arrived from Alaska to the day of the first test flight on the floats. I remember when they flew it to Oshkosh. Charles S. Sylvia
Hi there, I’m currently finishing up a book on the brief history of C-47/DC-3 aircraft on floats covering both the military program from WWII and the civilian float conversion Folsom’s did on this DC-3. These photos you speak of documenting the progress of the conversation would be useful to be included if you would allow. I can assure you that you’d receive credit shooting and providing them. You can reach me at JHMcKenney@comcast.net, Best regards.
I flew in one of these in the early 1970's down in Guatemala. We traveled from Guatemala City across the vast jungles of the Yucatan to the Mayan ruins at TIKAL. The plane had wicker seats and landed on a freshly cut grass strip. It was like being in a Tarzan movie!
Currently she has not flown in a number of years. One engine was recently removed for overhaul. Props are expected to be overhauled as well. The floats (one of them in particular) were damaged in a landing accident back in 2004 and remained in storage for many years. Repairs finally commenced in 2014 and last year both floats were up at the Airport completely repaired just minus the nose gear. The DC-3 needs a lot of work and is supposedly for sale but the way things are lookin I wouldn’t be surprised to see her back in the air in the near future.
Jake2670 If you’re going to visit the Greenville/Moosehead Lake region best time would be the Weekend after Labor Day for the International Seaplane Fly-In, that is always loads of fun. Beautiful picturesque setting, always a great variety of seaplanes, great people. Take off and spot landing Competitions on the lake are always a blast to watch. Supposedly the DC-3 is being worked on but I doubt we’ll see it on floats and flying again unless a serious buyer comes along who’s interested in it. The owners are keen on selling it (have been for years) but the airframe needs work and few individuals or organizations have all the required ratings to operate such an aircraft (sea rating, multi engine sea rating, and DC-3 type rating) plus the will and funds to maintain such a massive seaplane. I’m sure it could be a draw at air shows but since the FAA certified it in an experimental category, it can’t be used for air service or rides for compensation or hire. It’s a real complicated situation that’s going on with the aircraft but I long to one day see her back atop the massive pontoons and in the air one day.
These were the largest floats ever made for an airplane. From what I've read and heard over the years the acft flew very well with the floats. That was cool.
For what I know, I am pretty sure that the largest floats ever made were those installed in the Italian seaplane CRDA Cant Z.511 four engined, first flown in October 1940
OoooHoooo My Ghossssh !! Most heroic, most faithful work horse of WW II on Water Wings and pull's it self out of the water. Magnificent !! ~ your neighbor
Now THAT'S a True GOONEY Bird if I ever saw one. Can't beat that United Aircraft propulsion - Pratt and Whitney driving Hamilton Standard. Awesome video. Thanks. sdh in CT
Very cool! Didn't know there was a seaplane version of a dc3....and it still flies! Very interesting and well assembled video. Enjoyed and new supporter of your channel.
I used to fly their C-185 on PK's. Max and Dick Folsom and Folsom's Flying Service were a legend from Maine to Alaska. I never saw the sea- three fly. My understanding is it was developed in WWll for the Pacific. Great video, very historic for Greenville, I see all the usual suspects are there.
Flew Trans-Texas Airways in the 60,s. DC-3 out of SAT to Dallas Love Field. A milk run. Stopped in Austin and a jackrabbit almost as tall as the elevator came along side. Awfully bumpy flight being only about 1000 ft. above the terrain. Quite the experience.
Badass!!! Used to jump from 'Mr. Douglas, hull #3 (I think?)... long time to altitude, but what a pleasure (especially with Hendrix on the stereo!).. miss the vintage planes! Learned to skydive from a Cessna 195, radial; lucky me!
@@bobclifton8021 The things are older than I am and still flying. Even the B-52s can't say that anymore. Last time I flew in a DC-3/C-47 was 1962. Cyprus Airlines from Cyprus to Turkey. When the last crew of a B-52 flies their plane to D-M, a C-47 will be there to pick them up.
Ok, I'll say it. Watching him pour the power on up that ramp with wings over other aircraft and people standing around gawking in the prop wash gave me the willies.
If I could relate the wildest ride I ever had in a C-47.. It was going over the mountains between Nam and Thailand, close to midnight and during a thunderstorm. Was not a smooth ride at all, but not scared, being in the most airworthy craft in the Air Force inventory.
This is Really Bitchen !! But dammit, I live 2 miles from Folsom Lake in Calif and you had all my hopes up 'til I realised you're talking about a Mr. Folsom, Not a Lake Folsom !! Great plane that my grandfather helped build in the 1930's in L.A. !! And TWO Thumbs up on this video !
Beautiful C47 at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum at Mt. Hope airport, near Hamilton, Ontario. You can book a ride. Do visit the Museum . It's great!!!
