AA DC-3 "Flagship Detroit" ***VIDEOS ADDED***

[njgtr82]

The AA DC-3 "Flagship Detroit" will be at all 3 airports this week starting with at JFK. Is scheduled to ferry from PIT to JFK tonight for a visit tommorow. Then on to LGA Wed. and EWR Thursday. It says on the website that at JFK it may possibly have a member(people who donate)/Heritage/Vintage flight and employee day(I'm guessing this means AA employees). For LGA it says possible station visit so I don't know if that means its even going to LGA at all. Then for EWR it says employee visit and possible heritage flight. Here's the site:
http://www.flagshipdetroit.org/FSD/Flag ... 0DC-3.html (http://www.flagshipdetroit.org/FSD/Flagship%20Detroit%20DC-3.html)

Bill

[nwafan20]

Yeah, this is for the AA employees in the NY area..

[AA 777]

The static display is for AA employees only, however there should be some good chances for pictures as it makes its way around NYC!

-Matt

[cancidas]

SCHWEET! too bad i'm working.....

[nwafan20]

A little info about this plane in case you guys didn't know. This the oldest DC-3 still running. It was found by a group of AA employees in 2004, and beautifully restored. When they found it, it was converted into a freighter and pretty junked up. the Kansas City and Fort Worth mechanics restored it to its glory. Its pretty neat that it is the oldest DC-3 flying today.

[nikon50bigma]

What time Wed will it be flying in to LGA?

[LGA777]

The times as I am told are a sightseeing flight at JFK Tuesday from 1700-1800 with a ferry to LGA shortly thereafter. A sightseeing flight Wed at LGA from 1500-1600 then ferry to EWR around 1900. The sightseeing flights are for AA employees and retirees willing to make a $150 donation to the group that restored and preserves/operates the three, and are not open to the public. At JFK and LGA the aircraft will NOT be parked at the terminals and would only be visible during the flights. At EWR it will be parked on a gate so if any of you want to buy a ticket on AA out of EWR on Thursday you might be able to tour the aircraft. The above info is from a contact at AA, please don't hold me responsible if they change the times and anyone waits at the airport and doesn't see her.

Regards

LGA777

[T-Bird76]

To bad I'm working would love to see a DC-3 land at LGA or JFK.

[727C47]

flew a freightdog DC-3 N514AC,an ex-FAA ship into JFK back in '94. We were blessed with the Canarsie approach,and i got to fulfill a dream by flying over my old S.Ozone pk neighborhood. I would love to see that AA ship painted in the old Flagship livery. AA had the best looking 3's in mainline service.

[stuart schechter]

I'll be out at LGA for this.

[Ari707]

She is on Final to JFK NOW!

[Ari707]

coming in on 13L

Tower to Jetblue following, your traffic is a DC-3, yes you heard me a DC-3 on a 4 mile final......

[LGA777]

Well 70 year old N17334 is now tucked away in one of the AA Hangars at LGA, wow, what a beauty. She landed on 22 in haze around 1954L, a few hours earlier would have been nice as far as light but the experience was "priceless". And BTW she was flown by AA 757/767 Captain Les Abend, the name should be familiar to readers of Flying Magazine. Capt Abend also coordinated the push into the AA Hangar, not by tug or towbar, but by human power, around 10-12 AA mechanic types replaced the normal method and did a great job!

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N17334

Regards

LGA777

[flyboy 28]

On Flightaware, why is it registered as an Li-2? Aren't those only for DC-3's built by the Soviet Union?

[LGA777]

Flyboy 28, I believe that is just a glitch with flightaware, she was definetly built in the US as a DC-3.

LGA777

[cancidas]

what a beautiful airplane! i was lucky enough to be able to break away from work for a few minutes to drive over and see this airplane. was a great time, and a few great stories were told, though not about this DC-3. i'll be missing tommorow, but got these tonight:

the guy in the jeans and black polo in the third pic is capt. abend, yes the same guy who writes for flying magazine.

by the way, i didn't edit them just resized. i'll edit and reupload eventually.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o161/cancidas/DSC_0099.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o161/cancidas/DSC_0118.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o161/cancidas/DSC_0120.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o161/cancidas/DSC_0127.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o161/cancidas/DSC_0142.jpg

in some ways i'm very glad for the traffic tie-ups we had tonight. at least everyone sitting in airplanes on the taxiways got to see it coming in. it definately turned heads, and everyone who was around stopped by to take a peak.

[mirrodie]

In that second pic, there's some tool standing near the prop. (and some guy standing dangerously near his backside.)

Who the futt is that ?? ;)

[Ari707]

I watched it fly by on its way to LGA beautiful sound as soon as I heard it I knew what it was

[PhilDernerJr]

Yeah, I was gonna say he looks very familiar!

Nice shots, Matt.

[AirtrafficController]

nice shots

[emshighway]

Got into Hanger 3 early and took a few shots. Rumor has it they will do a low pass flyby the runway when they come back at arounf 16:00.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/Aviation/Flagship7.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/Aviation/Flagship6.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/Aviation/Flagship5.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/Aviation/Flagship4.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/Aviation/Flagship3.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/Aviation/Flagship2.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/Aviation/Flagship1.jpg

[AirtrafficController]

they really restored the aircraft nicely

[mirrodie]

Thanks forhhte background info on the plane Nwafan. Real nice to see that bird up in the air and so well kept.

Great photos y'all!

[LGA777]

Today was the most fun I've had at work in a long while (and not just because Spellman and Celmer where both off). Came in a few hours early and hung out with some old and new friends at AA and the "Flagship Detroit". Spent about half hour in the cockpit, most of it in the Captain's seat visiting with the friendly volunteer First Officer, also named Ron who has been flying DC-3's almost as long as I have been a resident of Earth. Had a nice quick lunch again with FO Ron and a nice visit with AA 767 Capt Les Abend of Flying Magazine fame who flys the 3 on his days off then it was off to work. Took a long lunch break from work and went back over for the departure on the sightseeing flight (which went out full) and thanks to a good friend at AA had a great access for the smokey, coughing startup (caught on video) the taxi past the three winglit equipped AA Boeings on Gates 3-5-7 with a water cannon salute behind Gate D7. Then our PA escort followed right behind the DC-3 for part of it's taxi to 4 down the west side avoiding the 20 something line for takeoff. We took position and after waiting for the Piedmont A-319 to depart the DC-3 roared passed us with the sweetest airplane sounds I have heard in years, what a RUSH ! Route of flight took it down to the Verizonno Bridge, then up the Hudson at about 1500 hundred feet to the Tappen Zee bridge, then back to LGA, which was using the Expressway visual to 31. But first a disappointing but well intioned low pass (at about 500 feet, not the 100 we had hoped) was flown down Runway 4 followed by a series of left turns to join the Expressway visual to 31. We almost missed it's flyby, as we where distracted by the emergency landing of a NYPD Helicopter which sat down on Spot 28, in the alley between the DL and US Shuttle terminals. The crew actually had concerns of making the airport, but made a safe but un-routine emergency landing. Got nice views of the DC-3 landing on 31 and arriving back on the AA Hangar line. After a quick second lunch compliments of AA LGA it was back to work and got to see the Three depart 4 for EWR around 1800. After a few left turns we watched her head south right down the Hudson at low altitude. All in all a wonderful two days around this amazing SEVENTY YEAR OLD Airliner that to quote and admirer who made the statement of the day, "They don't build em like this any more". Thank You Mr. Douglas.

Regards

LGA777

Pics and video when time permits

[PhilDernerJr]

Great report Ron! I wish I was able to make it.

I wanna hear more about hte emergency landing!

[emshighway]

NYPD Aviation reported overheating so they can into LGA hot "literally" :P

PAPD met them in full force (guess they didn't want those NYPD guys trying something on their turf :D )

[T-Bird76]

Great shots and story Ron, really enjoyed this post.

[mirrodie]

(and not just because Spellman and Celmer where both off).


Loved the play by play Ron. I felt like I was there! Hope to see the video soon.

[cancidas]

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/Aviation/Flagship1.jpg

that makes only the second place i've seen a rope used to chock an airplane. the RCAF uses rope on all thier airplanes i'm told. i've seen them do so at airshows with both snowbirds, CF-18s and CT-142s they brought to SNS.



...as we where distracted by the emergency landing of a NYPD Helicopter which sat down on Spot 28, in the alley between the DL and US Shuttle terminals.

that explained the very strange phone call i got from my instructor as i was picking up parts at diblasi ford.

and Ron, i'm sure you enjoyed me and Spellman being off from work. this way, you had Nemo all to yourself without the constant competition from Ryan.

[hiss srq]

Matt, Nemo gave me good reports on you though a few days ago, I hear you are actually better than me. Congratulations. No wonder I cannot hear it anymore when you eat taco bell.

[LGA777]

The Flagship Detroit was scheduled to ferry EWR-BOS late Thursday afternoon/early evening. I received a phone call around 1800 from a co-worker in Whitestone, Queens who had just seen it flying NE bound at low altitude, probably passed right over LGA but was to busy to notice. They filed (I assume) VFR so nothing in flightaware or Passur. Anybody catch her at EWR today ?

Cheers

LGA777

[njgtr82]

Well here's my shots from EWR today, suffered from some serious heat distortion. My first shots from the tower as well, which I wish was a little closer to the taxiways. But oh well.
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i281/njgtr82/aadc3md80.jpg
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i281/njgtr82/dc3td.jpg
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i281/njgtr82/aadc3erj.jpg
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i281/njgtr82/spraydc3one.jpg
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i281/njgtr82/dc3spray2.jpg

Bill

[mirrodie]

YAY! Great shots Bill.

Amazing to me to see the comparison of size up against a paltry ERJ!

[Tom_Turner]

Fantastic Bill. Thanks!

Tom

[AirtrafficController]

Shots from the tower? you work there?

[MarkLawrence]

Great shots Bill!!

[njgtr82]

YAY! Great shots Bill.

Amazing to me to see the comparison of size up against a paltry ERJ!

Thanks guys, I thought the same thing after seeing them next to each other. I thought I remembered the DC-3 being a little bit bigger, but then again the last time I saw one I was walking around it and not a couple of hundred yards away. And yes I work in the tower.

[mikkyzs]

There I was strolling down 13th St in Manhattan wed. afternoon 6/20 when a weird airplane sound made me look up......a DC-3!!!!!!!!!over NYC!!!!! f'in awesome!!!!!!!!. two weeks ago I saw one at Darien airport fron a distance and later in the day flying along the Palisades ....are we in a time warp? :!:

[727C47]

I hear that lovely 3 will be gracing Michigan's skies the weekend of 7-8 July, God's grace,perhaps we will do some loose formation with our C-47.

[LGA777]

Been trying to upload these for a few days, and thanks to help from cancidas. I am proud to present three videos from last Wednesday, as the Flagship Detroit visited LGA. I hope you enjoy, they where shot with my trusty little Sony DSC-H1 Digital Camera.

Smokey Engine Start:

Ziv_zwGETrU

Taxi Out and Water Cannon Salute:

lWWkSZS2DdM

Takeoff from Runway 4, raise volume for maximum enjoyment:

GC3ih2roLKY


Regards

LGA777

[mirrodie]

Wow, great and thanks for sharing, Very cool to see and hear. I'm so glad you took the video. Awesome!

THanks Ron

[AA 777]

Sorry for the massive delay, but its worth it I think....

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_7382_NO_COLOR.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_7432_NO_COLOR.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_7412.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_7425_NO_COLOR.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_7632.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_7667.jpg

The B&W photos were taken in color and I just removed the color in PS.

Enjoy!

[MarkLawrence]

GREAT shots!

[Derf]

WOW!!!! :shock:
SWEET!

[LGA777]

Awesome job Matt, thanks for sharing and love the B & W. I assume the cockpit scenes where the LGA-EWR re-positioning flight ?

Cheers

LGA777

[AA 777]

Thanks for the comments guys! And yep, the cockpit shots were on the verrrrrrrry short flight to EWR from LGA.

[AirtrafficController]

sweet photos of the new cockpit