THIS 1939 PIPER J3 CUB HAS BEEN IMPECCABLY RESTORED. TICKETS (ONLY 2,000) AT $50.00 EACH HAVE BEEN
SOLD AS A FUNDRAISER FOR THIS AIRMUSEUM. I WAS UNABLE TO PURHCASE A TICKET. THEY SOLD THE LAST OF
THEM LAST WEEK. IT WAS PROBABLY THE DAY AFTER I ARRIVED.


ANOTHER RESTORED AND FLYABLE EARLY PRIVATE AIRCRAFT. I WOULDN'T MIND GETTING BACK INTO FLYING IF I
COULD HAVE ONE OF THESE.


THIS AIRCRAFT GOT INTO SERVICE SHORTLY AFTER WORLDWAR I I. THIS AIRCRAFT DATES TO 1949, BUT SAW EXTENSIVE SERVICE IN VIETNAM AS A CLOSE AIR SUPPORT AIRCRAFT. THIS WAS A FAVORITE OF PILOTS.
IT WAS A VERY FORGIVING AIRCRAFT IN THE HANDS OF STUDENTS, YET COULD INFLICT AND ABSORB A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PUNISHMENT. ONE OF THE NICKNAMES IT HAD IN VIET NAM WAS "THUD"


YOU MAY BE SAYING TO YOURSELF RIGHT NOW - "HEY I THOUGHT THIS WAS AN AIR MUSEUM." WELL, IT IS.
THIS CLEVERLY DISCISED AIRCRAFT WAS USED BY FOREIGN AGENTS ATTEMPTING TO GET INTO AMERICA'S
HEARTLAND. OUR SECRET SERVICE, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION AND OUR OWN CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
AGENCY SAW THROUGH THE ELABORATE RUSE, AND WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THIS IN FACT WAS NOT
AN AIPRLANE EVEN THOUGH IT HAD A WING. IT IS HERE BECAUSE IT HAS A WING. OR BECAUSE SOMEONE
GAVE IT AWAY- FREE!!!!!!!


THIS AIRCRAFT IS CALLED MANY THINGS "GOONEY BIRD", "DAKOTA", "DC 3", ETC. THIS WAS THE WORKHORSE
OF MANY OF THE INVASIONS OF WORLD WAR I I . THIS DESIGN WHICH DATES TO THE 1930'S IS STILL FLYING
LONG AFTER IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FLYING. THIS DC 3 IS CURRENTLY HOME TO THE LOCAL PIGEON
POPULATION, MAKING THE INSIDE SMELL SOMETHING AKIN TO, WELL, BIRDSHIT.


HERE, THE INTREPID DC 3 PILOT FLYS INTO THE MOST DANGEROUS SITUATION HE HAS ENCOUNTERED TO
DATE. NOTE THAT MOST OF THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE PANEL HAVE BEEN SHOT AWAY. ALSO NOTE THAT THE
ENGINE CONTROLS HAVE BEEN SEVERLY DAMAGED. NOTE TOO, THAT I AM ABOUT TO FLY THROUGH THE
HANGAR ABOUT FOUR FEET OFF THE GROUND. ALSO, NOTE THAT I AM NOT EVEN LOOKING WHERE I AM FLYING.
I AM LOOKING TO SEE IF THE TIMER ON THE CAMERA IS WORKING. IT'S WORKING. DID YOU ALSO NOTICE THAT
I HAVE CLEVERLY CROSS CONTROLLED THE CRAFT SO THAT IT IS SLIDE SLIPPING INTO THE HANGAR, AND NOT
GOING INTO A RIGHT BANKING CURVE? HA - ALL THAT WHILE LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER.......


IF YOU LOOK TO THE RIGHT OF THE PHOTO, YOU WILL SEE THE COCPIT OF A DC 3 THAT IS IN PIECES. THAT IS
WHERE I WAS SITTING WHEN I GOT THE TIMER TO WORK. THE STORY BEHIND THIS DERELICT IS THAT IT WAS
DONATED TO THE AIRMUSEUM. IT WAS ALL IN ONE PIECE WHEN THAT HAPPENED. IT WAS BEING TRANSPORTED
UNDER ONE OF THOSE BIG SUPERLIFT CARGO HELICOPTERS. THE PILOTS OF THE HELICOPTERS WERE MAKING
TOO MUCH FORWARD AIRSPEED. ONE THING ABOUT THE DC 3 DESIGN IS THIS: IT LOVES TO FLY. WHICH THIS ONE DID. THE PILOTS SAW IT LIFTING - SLING AND ALL - COMING CLOSE TO THE HELICOPTERS NOSE - RISING AS IF IT
WERE GOING TO LOOP RIGHT OVER IT. THIS WOULD HAVE PUT THE DC 3 INTO THE COCPIT OR ROTARS OR BOTH.
THE PILOTS - INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN - RELEASED THE SLING WITH THE DC 3 IN IT. IT BROKE WHEN IT CRASHED. ALL THE PARTS ARE AT THE MUSEUM, BUT IT WILL TAKE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF CASH TO GET IT
BACK IN THE AIR. THAT IS WHY I AM SITTING IN THE NOSE OF THE GOONEY BIRD PRETENDING TO BE THE
BEST DAMN PILOT EVER TO FLY EVER IN HUMAN HISTORY.

 

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