by Allen Penticoff
Over the four days of July 23-26, Whiteside County Airport (KSQI), Sterling-Rock Falls, Illinois, 29 Douglas DC-3s and C-47s gathered for the celebration of the 75th birthday of the legendary aircraft series. M&M Aviation – the FBO, was the originator, promoter and host of the event. It was called “The Last Time” because they figured that the people who were around at the birth of this iconic aircraft may soon be on the other side of the pearly gates, so the time to do this was now, as it may be their last opportunity to celebrate together. Pilots and crew could get together and swap the many wild stories generated by the millions of hours these machines have flown worldwide and continue to fly. Unlike the people that built and flew them, the planes themselves are expected to continue to fly for many years to come.
The gathering drew thousands of spectators to roam among and inspect the planes, eat from scout troop and other organizations’ offerings, and on July 26th to witness the rare opportunity of a mass takeoff of 24 of the sleek old birds (two had mechanical problems, three departed earlier). The onlookers along the crowded fence line absorbed the smoke and rumble of big radials coming to life; the dazzling whirl of big Hamilton Standard three-bladed propellers and the roar of their consecutive takeoffs. After the takeoff, the Douglas’ flew in loose formation groups of three and four over the field before heading to Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis., for a mass landing at EAA AirVenture 2010.
The aircraft series started as the prototype Douglas Commercial (DC) DC-1 in 1933. Production of the DC-2 began with a first flight on May 11, 1934. But after production of 156 groundbreaking DC-2s, this design was found wanting in ground handling and other qualities. With major improvements, it was re-designated the DC-3 and first flown on December 17, 1935 (32nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight). Total production was 16,079 civilian DC-3 and military C-47 “Dakotas” or “Skytrains,” and variations were built in the U.S., Russia, and Japan, meeting the transport needs of the fledgling airline industry and military throughout World War II in all theaters. It can be persuasively argued that the sturdiness and reliability of the Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9, and later Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S1C3G equipped DC-3, made regular air transport a reality.
Many post-war aircraft were converted to airline and executive transport use, as well as provided cargo transport in remote areas of the world, as they still do. Three companies in recent years have made conversions to turbine engines, with Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, literally building a new, larger aircraft, the BT-67, from a vintage stock airframe.
According to “The Last Time” event organizer, Mike Dowell, owner of M&M Aviation, 104 DC-3s are still flying worldwide. It was the proposal of local Delta First Officer, Dan Gryder, to pull the event together. Gryder owns a 1938 DC-3 that promotes the German die cast modeler Herpa-Wings and provides instruction. Gryder organized and recruited the airplanes and crews to come to Sterling, while Dowell made arrangements with the municipalities, hotels and other ground necessities. Dowell says that there are no firm plans for a future event as they are just now going through the debriefing process of this year’s event. Those who were witness to this event may have just been there to see “The Last Time.”
