History Douglas DC-3's in Rock Falls ILL.

Like the other poster on here my second (and only one of two) ride was in an Ozark Airline DC-3 from St. Louis to Ft. Leonard Wood MO. (my first was from Houston to San Antonio, Lackland AFB when I went in the Air Force). I guess looking back it was OK but I had just got off a Connie from Philadelphia to St. Louis. THAT was the finest airplane I've ever rode on and I've been on a few. Not a lot but a few. Ozark held on to the last breath with DC-3's and then finally went to DC-9's. It was one of the best airlines in the country until it was swallowed up by TWA. My Dad went to school with Floyd Jones, the founder of Ozark Airlines and I was destined to go fly for them but Floyd died before I got my tickets .. Poot !!!

 

YES ,,OZARK AIRLINES was great ,,flew on em in '61 to USAF Basic ,,then again after Tech School ,,Amarillo to Des Moines ,,then again Des Moines to my first base at Roswell N Mex ,,a shame they got done away with ,,

 

Back in '63 ,,the Air force had chartered an Aircraft to fly troops from Seattle to Anchorage & Fairbanks ,,but ,,,somewhere over the ocean ,,,one went off the radar screen ,,and it was ***umed it went into the water ,,but the Coast Guard never found any sign of wreckage ,,nuthin',,then ,,it was said it mighta been hi-jacked to Russia ,,,nobody knows ,,so,,here i am ,,sittin' in Des Moines on leave and was going to have to fly that route outa Seattle ,,i didn't want to ,,so ,,i was gonna buy a new pick-up with a camper on it and drive and sell it when i got to Anchorage, ,,my Folks' neighbor was a Chevy Dealer ,THEN ,,i got a letter from the USAF saying plans are changed ,,and it included plane tickets ,,first with Ozark to North Dakota ,,then American to Seattle ,,then Alaska Airlines to Anchorage ,,and a NOTE saying Alaska Airlines WOULD NOT be flying over the ocean ,,over land all the way up ,so i flew ,,i have a big fear flying commercial over water ,,however ,,in '64 i did catch a hop on a KC-135 from California to Fairbanks ,,,,watched it re-fuel a couple B-52's and a B-47 along the way ,,flying Military over water didn't bother me ,,just the Commercial Flights ,,

 

Looking foreward to seeing the photos of all those DC-3's / C-47's at Rock Falls ,,outa be really interesting to see just how many there are ,,

 

Last Sunday ,,there was a Fly Over Table Rock lake,,,,,,A C-47 ,,a P-51 painted up in Pacific Theater colors,,two A-8's ( I think thats what they were ,,WW II Trainers painted up inJap Zero Colors ,,they looked like Zeros ) ,,,anna B-17 ,,all flying together ,,the Sound Sent Chills Down My back,,,,,then,,i saw on the local news they were giving rides in the C-47 in that fly over ,$50 bucks per person ,,hope they do that again ,,,if i'd known that ahead of time ,,i would have went ,,

 

As I've been recalling my brief experience in the Goony Bird, I recalled an interesting "almost" story. A friend and fellow pilot who knew I had some experience in the right seat called me and asked if I wanted to sit right seat for a night flight down into Mexico to an unlit strip and return. Just the two of us no crew chief. Not having a modi*** of common sense as a young fighter pilot I sad sure! Luckily, the day before the flight, I had a family crisis and had to cancel. He made the trip on his own, no other crew, and told me that I missed out on a bundle of money paid out. Two weeks later he was busted by the Feds for gun running! God looks out for drunks and young fighter pilots!

 

Lampe Mo is almost in Arkansas huh? I am friends with KY3 TV in Springfield on Facebook. Springfield was my stompin' ground when I was a kid. Those planes made up like Zeros are AT-6's. There are still bunches of them around. I was a crew chief on C-135's in the AF. Ours didn't have the boom etc. Was a hell of a plane just like all Boeings.

 

It sounds like there will be 38 planes there. The local paper mentioned that rides in the DC-3's and C-47's will be available. Also, on the following Monday, (July 26), at about 1 PM, all of the planes will take off, form up and fly in formation up to Oshkosh Wis. That will be SO COOL to watch.

By the way...The paper said that there is not an addmission charge, but parking will be $5.00 a car. The hours for public access to the planes will be 8 AM - 6 PM, on Saturday and Sunday.

 

This is coming up next weekend.

 

Latest word on another aviation forum has it that the planned formation flight over OSH of DC-3s / C-47s, now numbered at 43 aircraft, is not likely to happen over OSH. There seems to be some dispute between the DC-3 organizers and EAA organizers...what a shame. The plan now seems to be that there will be a 43 aircraft formation flight over Rock Falls (KSQI) scheduled on the date of the first Saturday of the Air Venture shindig. DD

 

There was an airline that flew into San Deigo in the mid 80's. From where I know not, Long Beach? I got to see them every day. Thanks God.
When I was in Photo school in 1977 Pensacola there was a C-47 parked and reverting to ore. I took many pictures of it as I was learning the finer use of cameras. I also swiped 3 of those cool covered toggle switches. They didnt work in my jeep but they looked real cool and I still have one.

 

I just read there will be a DC-2, flying in also. This is one of only two left in the world that are still air worthy.

 

YES ,, 6 miles north of Blue Eye ,,the Missouri / Arkansas state line goes right thru the middle of Blue Eye ,,Half in one state ,,Half in the other ,,
I get my MoonShine from there ,,yup,,theres still an old Still werking there ,,his granfather ran it before WW II ,,handed down for generations ,,best 190 proof you'll ever drink ,,,

 

The this started today, and will go through Monday.

 

Just saw a C-47 fly over the house today!

 

Hello, I just happen to run across the site yesterday while doing a little research on the fly in. Living only about a mile or so from the airport where the DC-3's/C-47's flew into for this event I have eagerly been waiting for this weekend to arrive. I spent about 3 hours at the fly in this afternoon and it is great seeing these planes. Here are a few pictures I snapped while there, hope they are enjoyed.

 

One of the only benefits to living where I do is we are in the flight path to Willow Run airport. Yankee Air Museum has a flying C47, a****st others (B17!). I love to hear them come over, we are about 30 seconds or so of flight time away from the airport, so they are usually quite low.
A couple years ago Thunder Over Michigan had a gathering of B25 Mitchells that flew formation. That was something to behold, and their numbers were nowhere near 40. I'd give my left nut to be at Oshkosh to see that!

JK

 

Nice photos.

 

Thanks for the pics. Mine will have to wait until they are developed.

It really turned out well today. The weather cleared up, and my brothers and I had a very good time. All 4 of us went for a flight in the Southern Cross C-47. The flight had alot of low level flyiing, with some fairly steep banking. I was told that 2 of the C-47's that were there, participated in the ACTUAL D-Day landing, June 6 1944.

There is a WW II reenactment group there, too. Additionally, tomorrow there will be a parachute demonstration, and a B-25 will be flying in.

 

I spent a week there one day returning from R&R in Hong Kong at the beginning of the TET Offensive. Quite a show.

Did the DC3 have jet ***ist?

I'm surprised you didn't mention Puff The Magic Dragon. Was that a USAF gunship?

 

Forgive my ignorance but is that plane in your Avatar a DeHavaland (sp?) Otter or Beaver?

 

Yea, I thought they were originally built in the 30's

 

Looks like good weather for today. One of the planes is for sale, too. Didn't see a price, though.

 

The aircraft in the avatar is a Cessna T-50, sometimes referred to as a "Bamboo Bomber", a**** other things. You may remember one of these being used by SKY KING in his long-running Saturday morning series in the '50s before he "upgraded" to a Cessna 310-B around 1956. DeHaviland Beavers and Otters are both single engine, high-wing aircraft. The Otter is larger than a Beaver. DD

 

Unfortunately, due to the weather, some of the planes didn't make it to Rock Falls. Originally there was supposed to be about 38 planes. Word was, about 25 had shown up by Saturday.

My 3 older bros. and I, all went for a flight on this C-47. :

Here is a link to this plane's website. www.douglasc47.org

 

Here are a few more pics, taken from the air. One of the planes that attended, was in the D-Day Invasion, on June 6, 1944. It dropped paratroops, and pulled gliders. Another that was at Rock Falls, served as the personal airplane of General Hap Arnold, during WW II.

 

Ricky Nelson died when his DC3 crashed in 1985.

 

Yes, along with his fiancee and other members of his band. It happened late afternoon on New Years eve in De Kalb, Texas in a field, after an in-flight fire. No official cause, although speculation was a faulty gasoline heater in the right, rear of the aircraft. Only the pilot and co-pilot made it out alive. DD

 

Saw him in concert just one month before the crash.

 

Used to be one parked under a tree that I would admire as a kid, learned the name "Bamboo Bomber" at a very young age from my dad! Also known as an AT-8.