For the past 20 years, we’ve celebrated December 17 in our household a little differently than most aviation enthusiasts and pilots, who rightfully note the Wright Brothers’ achievement of powered, controlled flight in 1903.
Even if you are from the segment of folks who question the Wrights’ place in history to the extent it has been sanctified, you cannot question that the first flight of the Douglas DC-3 line, the inaugural Douglas Sleeper Transport, took place on the afternoon of December 17, 1935. Carl Cover, the chief pilot and commander of the test flight noted it in his logbook. He was not prone to hyperbole, so NX14988 sits on a single line there without fanfare.
The cool, clear day heralded the uneventful flight, and the airplane itself went on to delivery to American Airlines a few months later.
You can read all about it in my story posted by our friends at Vintage Aviation News, “The Mighty Douglas DC-3 Celebrates 90 Years Flying.”
Tomorrow, we’ll also be hosting the “Throttle Thursday” installment of the DC-3 Society’s 90th Anniversary commemoration week, with a great line-up of DC-3 pilots and crew, including Nicholas Cerretani, Paul Bazeley, Brooks Pettit, Sergio Alen, Mark Stewart, and Daniel Wotring.
Check it out here, or drop me a note and I’ll send you the Zoom link and password.
However you celebrate DC-3 Day, lift a favorite glass (filled with scotch if you’re a Douglas) to toast the man who made it possible, and the crew that flew the DST that glorious day.
