Northeast Airlines DC-3

[dc8jet]

Several years ago there was a DC-3 painted in Northeast Airlines colors. It was based at Sanford.ME for a while and then at Hampton, NH. Anyone know where it is now and if it's still flying? Thanks, Karl

[N3Njeff]

Its currently at the owners private field in NH waiting on some engine work.

[N3Njeff]

somewhere I got pics of her before and after we painted her in the NE markings.

[RuudLeeuw]

Came to visit this DC-3, dedicated a page to it:
http://www.ruudleeuw.com/uscan09-mason.htm
Didn't much look active, but a hangar seems to have been erected for it.

[N3Njeff]

Neat site...................I will be sure that mike see's it. Think he will be flattered. He is not done with her yet. Guess its time to re-paint our work!!!

I will dig out my pics that I have of this airplane and work the scanner tonight.

[Ryan Keough]

Hi Ruud,

Thanks for that great update! I lived about 7 miles away from Mike's airfield for around 10 years and only found it when I spent the better part of a day looking for it. I went down Old Ashby Road, away from Rt 31 until I came to Mike's house (which has two Beech 18 fuselages sitting by it: http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r3nh7r ... on%2C%20NH ) but had no idea where in the heck there could be an airfield big enough to put a DC-3 into. This was before he did a lot of tree clearing at the South end, so it was hard to determine anything. I finally got to to fence that you speak of as I backtracked and pulled in and got out to take a look. Just as I got to the fence, a truck pulled up behind my car and an older gentleman came out and asked "can I help you?" and after a brief exchange of greetings, I found out it was Mike Farrey himself. We stood there for probably 45 minutes chatting about the DC-3, the airfield and the Cessna 185 that he and his daughter flew out of there regulary... he's a great guy!

It's too bad you didn't get a chance to meet him... actually, come to think of it... you'd have really gotten a kick out of speaking with him, Rand Peck (who lives nearby) and Jim Vocell (former co-owner of the Douglas C-54D-DC N44914, c/n 10630/361 that's at North Weald now) who also lives fairly close. Let me know if you are ever in the area again and I'll put you in touch with them! -- Sound's like Jeff could too!

[N3Njeff]

Oh yea mike is the "finest kind". He is up here all the time. If you read that web site, the airplane was painted in NY by Champlain Enterprises. My uncle is Bob who was mentioned in the article. My dad came up and painted the Letters on the tail and the fuselage. I was also part of the paint crew laying out the stripes on the fuselage and the tail. I also had the dirty job of removing the #1 oil tank!!

In my years of being around airplanes, I have got to do many things and ride in many airplanes. One of my greatest moments was because of mike and his DC-3!! When I was a kid, my uncle was the DOM for Business Air. They operated a fleet of 6 or 7 C-47's here in VT on a freight contract. My dad for a time moonlighted right seat while he was the airport manager of BTV. Well when I was a kid, about 13. I met Mitch, he loved old airplanes and he flew as co-pilot for them. Now I used to hear them leave every night, climbing out of BTV headed for Hartford. One day I got a offer to go on a overnight to Hartford and I said yes!!!!! We took N54NA and on take off I rode in the Navigators position until mitch got out of the right seat and let me sit. Capt. Bruce let me fly a heading for a while but mitch let me ride all the way in on the right seat that night!! On occasion I would jump up in the N3N and turn on the radio and call out........."mitch 122.8" chat with my friend for a couple of min and wish him a good flight. I eventually went on a overnight with dad but being a seat hog, I just fell asleep to the tune of in sync 1830's at the navigators table.

Now when I went to work in NY for my uncle at the age of 24. Many people would ask me how come I would not go for a ride in the DC-3's These were N700CA and N922CA. I told them that there is only one spot for me to ride in and thats the left seat!!
Well one morning after working the night shift on the company 1900's, Mike had showed up to take the DC-3 to a tail wheel fly in at Rutland. He was supposed to meet my uncle Wheels up at 830 with my uncle and dad in his H18 for a formation flight down. I asked mike if I could bum a ride and he said sure. So I helped preflight the airplane and then we got aboard and closed the door. As we headed up front I paused to let them go figuring I would take the jump seat when mike said "go ahead sit up front" yea I though, so I went to sit in the right seat and he said "naw you take the left, I got everything I need on the right" So the left I sat. Mike started in on me, "now this is your bird, your taking us to rutland" I just wanted a ride, now I am working!!!" So i helped get the engines running and he said, here you go, take her to the runway. I still insisted that I just wanted a ride and that the last airplane I got any time in was a PA-18. Mikes answer was "well then, your qualified cause were just a big ole cub" So to make a very long story short, I got to do the take off in a DC-3 because he said we were not going if I diddent and so I did and mike was kind of right about the cub part. After about 15 minutes of loitering south of burlington, we got the call that the H18 was airborne. I made the turn south and thats when mike commensed to harass my uncle about the H18 being so slow!!! He finally caught up to us as we made a pass over the airport. Comments were made that it looked like we were standing still as the Twin beech passed us. (Later dad told me that my uncle was pushing the throttles up at every comment mike made) Anyways, I made a lazy right turn where mike did all the co pilot dutys and I brought in the DC-3 for a very nice (proud to say) SWEET!!!!! landing infront of everyone!!!!! Now to the part that makes me proud!!! As we taxied up, a huge DC-3 fan marshaled us into a parking spot. I recognised him and stuck my head out the window to see my friend mitch!!!! As we shut down, he met me at the back door smiling from ear to ear. Guess he was pretty proud to see me in that seat!!!!
We had a great time that day talking about our ride together years before. Milke let me fly home and it was still great even though I had now been up for almost 24 hrs. I got to make my next landing in the DC-3 and I can still proudly say, it was not my best!!! My 3 bounces in a DC-3 was witnessed by us and another Business Air employee who ragged on me about my landing until he died. I can still see mike with his hands crossed "doing a FINE job" as it finally settled after my 3rd touchdown. It was a long day but a day that I gotto log 1.7 hrs of left seat time in a DC-3 where I had flown a PA-18 two yrs prior Sad to say but 2 yrs later mitch was killed in a head on accident when he was returning home with a load of stearman parts. This is why I will never forget mike and his DC-3 and when it comes time to get her back in the air, I will be there!

[RuudLeeuw]

Hi guys,
didn't know that place was such a focus of people into round-engined planes...
I didn't get the leave I wanted and cramped as much as I could into the planning. That always makes it likely that towards the end I may have to cancel something in the planning and so I didn't much advertise my itinerary. Even though I'd saved this thread for a possible contact. Then the deteriorating weather made me move even faster and we flew home a day sooner than planned...
But there's a lot I haven't seen there so I hope to return to those parts one day.
That was a great tale about flying the DC-3, but I prefer happy endings!
take care all and best wishes for a safe 2010!
Rudi

[Dave Hadfield]

Great story!

The best Instructors hardly ever touch anything.

Dave