DC-3/C-47s in DC area?

[PbyCat-Guy]

I live in the western Washington DC area, wondering if there is a DC-3/C-47 that operates in the area.

[Snake45]

I think there's one based at Hagerstown, MD, that until a few years ago was used by a skydiving club, or something of the sort. I don't know the last time it actually flew, however.

[SaxMan]

This one is up in Hagerstown:
DSC_0084 by onyxsax, on Flickr

From what I recall, it was damaged in a taxiing accident that tore up the aft part of the belly. Work is being done on the plane, at least the last time I was up there, and hopefully it will be returning to airworthy soon.

[flightsimer]

This one is up in Hagerstown:
DSC_0084 by onyxsax, on Flickr

From what I recall, it was damaged in a taxiing accident that tore up the aft part of the belly. Work is being done on the plane, at least the last time I was up there, and hopefully it will be returning to airworthy soon.

I have been on that plane and have talked to the owner back in 2010 when I was at the Hagerstown air show with the C-123. It was owned personally by two gentlemen who bought it just to fly for fun or to carry the family. At least that is what they said they used it for.

It was damaged during a wind storm in which it broke free from its tie downs. The tail was being tied down with a large concrete block and the plane was pushed into it, puncturing the skin on the side of the fuselage and damaging some frames. They had a temporary patch over it so it could be moved. They taxied it to the other side of the airport by the terminal where the show was taking place each day of the show.

Here is a photo with our plane and the Fairchild Museum's C-82 and C-119. I'm still looking to find some pictures I took of the fuselage's damage.


I would think by now, it would have been repaired.

Edit, I forgot to add the pic

Last edited by flightsimer on Sun Aug 03, 2014 10:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

[SaxMan]

Thanks for the correction, flightsimer. I remembered it was damaged, I just couldn't remember the exact circumstances. The CAF's TBM, and the rest of the Hagerstown collection was on the opposite side of the hangar. Each time I visited, I could tell work was being done, but couldn't tell where they were in the process. I believe Cliff Ellis, (who along with Bill Butler did the vast majority of the work on the CAF TBM while it was in Hagerstown), was also helping out with the repairs to this bird.

[Snake45]

I live within earshot of Hagerstown airport, and always run out and look whenever I hear a radial or anything else that sounds interesting (a T-6, a Stearman, and an old Stinson fly out of there). A DC-3 would have drawn my attention, and I can't remember the last time I heard/saw any twin radial, except of course for the B-25 Panchito, which literally rattled every window in my house about a decade ago. (I had a better seat in my back yard to watch it fly than the paying airshow customers.)

[flightsimer]

I live within earshot of Hagerstown airport, and always run out and look whenever I hear a radial or anything else that sounds interesting (a T-6, a Stearman, and an old Stinson fly out of there). A DC-3 would have drawn my attention, and I can't remember the last time I heard/saw any twin radial, except of course for the B-25 Panchito, which literally rattled every window in my house about a decade ago. (I had a better seat in my back yard to watch it fly than the paying airshow customers.)

You say you have not seen or heard any twin radials in about a decade, but we flew our C-123 in for the wings and wheels expo in 2010 and the Spirit of Freedom C-54 attended as well. Plus the Museum's own C-82 and C-119 flew in during the mid/late 2000's.

There is indeed a C-47 based there as of 2010 that was damaged, as the above photo shows. Unless it has been sold or has not been fixed yet, it is still there, probably in the hangar.

[Snake45]

I live within earshot of Hagerstown airport, and always run out and look whenever I hear a radial or anything else that sounds interesting (a T-6, a Stearman, and an old Stinson fly out of there). A DC-3 would have drawn my attention, and I can't remember the last time I heard/saw any twin radial, except of course for the B-25 Panchito, which literally rattled every window in my house about a decade ago. (I had a better seat in my back yard to watch it fly than the paying airshow customers.)

You say you have not seen or heard any twin radials in about a decade, but we flew our C-123 in for the wings and wheels expo in 2010 and the Spirit of Freedom C-54 attended as well. Plus the Museum's own C-82 and C-119 flew in during the mid/late 2000's.

There is indeed a C-47 based there as of 2010 that was damaged, as the above photo shows. Unless it has been sold or has not been fixed yet, it is still there, probably in the hangar.

You're right about the 82 and 119 of course, and I watched them both arrive--with glorious escorts to boot!--from my yard. I didn't know about your 123 visit, and I sure didn't see/hear/know about any C-54. I must have been somewhere else at that time (at work, or perhaps even out of town).

I can't know about EVERY flight out of here, of course, but I've seen/heard everything that flies out of here with any regularity whatsoever.

I'm pretty sure I've walked through your 123 several times, at the late, lamented Wings of Freedom airshows in Frederick. If that was you, I'm sure I have pics of your airplane.

Amazingly, about the quietest airplanes that fly out of Hagtown are the WVANG C-130s. They don't land here but they often do touch-and-goes and they don't make enough noise to hear them inside my house (which even Cessna 150s do).

Every once in a while the MD ANG A-10s will get homesick and visit the nest, and do a few low-level circuits just to say hi to their hometown. That's always fun to watch.

[SaxMan]

I remember when your 123 used to fly into Frederick when they held airshows there in the 1990s. You definitely could not miss a 123 flying overhead. I recall the self-generating smokescreen on start up, too.

It will be a very good day when your 123 gets to sit on the ramp alongside Hagerstown's 123.

[SaxMan]

I live within earshot of Hagerstown airport, and always run out and look whenever I hear a radial or anything else that sounds interesting (a T-6, a Stearman, and an old Stinson fly out of there). A DC-3 would have drawn my attention, and I can't remember the last time I heard/saw any twin radial, except of course for the B-25 Panchito, which literally rattled every window in my house about a decade ago. (I had a better seat in my back yard to watch it fly than the paying airshow customers.)

Did you see any to the TBM Avenger flights? The plane has now left for Culpeper, but it did several test flights in April and May of this year.

[flightsimer]

I remember when your 123 used to fly into Frederick when they held airshows there in the 1990s. You definitely could not miss a 123 flying overhead. I recall the self-generating smokescreen on start up, too.

It will be a very good day when your 123 gets to sit on the ramp alongside Hagerstown's 123.

No you definitely can not. Ironically enough, it is quieter inside than it is outside. The first start of the year, she puts out a bunch of smoke. but it is not nearly as much as she did in the 90's with her old engine.

We will actually be crewing the ferry of Hagerstown's C-123 for them, with the exception of a copilot they have. Maybe we could get a little fund raiser going so that we could take our C-123 down and perform a formation arrival and photo shoot. It probably would be the only time to have that ever done again.

And snake, I did not mean my post to come across as arrogant if it did. But like you said, you can't know of every flight, which is what I was trying to get at.

[51fixer]

A DC-3 is at Manassas.

[Snake45]

I live within earshot of Hagerstown airport, and always run out and look whenever I hear a radial or anything else that sounds interesting (a T-6, a Stearman, and an old Stinson fly out of there). A DC-3 would have drawn my attention, and I can't remember the last time I heard/saw any twin radial, except of course for the B-25 Panchito, which literally rattled every window in my house about a decade ago. (I had a better seat in my back yard to watch it fly than the paying airshow customers.)

Did you see any to the TBM Avenger flights? The plane has now left for Culpeper, but it did several test flights in April and May of this year.

No. Must have happened while I was at work. I didn't realize it was that far along.

[PbyCat-Guy]

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking to do do some volunteering on my days off from the full time flying gig. I'll take a drive to both places