With your contribution and help we can put our C-53 back where it belongs, in the air. Don't let this beautiful piece of American aviation history fade away or worse, be cut by the scrapper's torch. With your help we can bring "BEACH CITY BABY" back to life. Now it is our turn to write this amazing airplane's next chapter. We want to continue that final educational mission, while paying homage to its entire career. In its golden years the C-53 became a politician of sorts, and an ambassador of aviation spreading the word to children around the State of Ohio. After the war it went back to a peaceful job doing what it knew best, flying passengers in luxurious service. A civilian drafted into service weeks after the US entered the war, it has served in multiple theaters under multiple commands and worked under legends of the era. Our C-53 is representative of the men and women of the Greatest Generation and the rich legacy of the DC-3 in every way. A week later, the work began again but this time for her full restoration back to airworthiness as a premier warbird and history teacher. After a very successful flight, the C-53 landed in Franklin where over 200 people took part in her Homecoming and reception. It was a monumental day with almost 400 people in attendance at Beach City, Ohio to watch the C-53 leave her home for the past 26 years. With the incredible help and support of a growing number of volunteers and Preferred Airparts, the C-53's rehabilitation started to gain momentum.Īfter almost 2 years of work outside every single weekend year round, Vintage Wings C-53 was granted a flight permit by the FAA in October 2018 and was ready for her flight to Franklin, Pennsylvania. As work started to take place and the never ending task of finding support in the forms of mechanics, labor, parts, and the never ending need for funding was constant. Nothing on it worked.Ī list of 50+ steps were made and prioritized to be accomplished to make the aircraft flyable. On the first day of work on the C-53, it was understood the amount of work it was going to take to get the aircraft from Ohio to Pennsylvania. After it's retirement, it was then flown to the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio where she sat until 1990. His Director of Aviation and DC-3 pilot, Norm Crabtree, is famously quoted as saying that "the airport runway is the most important main street in any town." They recognized the importance of General Aviation and their goal was to open an airport in every county in Ohio. Governor Rhodes was a champion of aviation and our C-53 was his pride and joy. The airplane participated in the opening of many General Aviation Airports in the state of Ohio. From 1963 TO 1983 it was known as "Buckeye One," the official state transport aircraft of the Governor. In 1963, the aircraft made one of its most important moves to the State of Ohio. In October 1952, it was registered to Rampo Foundry & Wheel Works in New York as N9959F. Our "095" flew some of the very first survey routes and ferry flights to and from England laying the ground work for what would become known as the North Atlantic Routes used by thousands of aircraft to deliver supplies and personnel to England.Īfter its career as an airline aircraft, our C-53 found itself headed back to the United States where it became outfitted as a corporate DC-3. The aircraft was then assigned to the Ferry Command shortly there after and flown to Presque Isle, Maine where it flew under the command of pilots from "Northeast Airlines" while with Ferry Command. Given serial number 41-20095 it was accepted on January 29th, 1942 and sent to Bolling Field, Washington DC. This C-53-DO was turned into a citizen soldier after war was declared, just like so many young Americans at the time. Douglas C-53-DO Skytrooper was on the factory floor in Santa Monica, California when Pearl Harbor was attacked and was accepted by the USAAC weeks later in January 1942. So what makes 41-20095 so special and deserving of preservation? It is arguably the most significant airline aircraft in history, and was also named by General Eisenhower to be one of the four tools that won World War II. Any given DC-3 type air frame probably had a noble career as a civilian transport or cargo hauler some time before or after the Second World War. It is a guarantee that every DC-3 still out there has an amazing history.
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