Changes Clarify Roles In 75th Anniversary Celebration
Some recent changes to the upcoming DC-3/C-47 75th anniversary
celebration at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010 will ensure that this
program, one of the anchor events at this summer’s fly-in,
will honor all those who have been associated with this venerable
airplane through the years.
EAA says it will exclusively organize and coordinate all
AirVenture activities for the DC-3 75th anniversary, and that all
DC-3 owners and operators are invited to participate in the
festivities at Oshkosh this summer.
“Everybody’s invited,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA
president and AirVenture chairman. “From DC-3 owners
and operators, to mechanics, historians, veterans and enthusiasts,
we welcome you to Oshkosh. Our goal is to create an
unforgettable gathering that recognizes this unique aircraft and
the people who made it one of the true icons in aviation
history.”
Participating aircraft may arrive at any time using the
established FAA NOTAM arrival procedures. In addition, as many DC-3
owners as possible who wish to participate in an EAA-coordinated
mass arrival on July 26 will be contacted by EAA for details on
making this spectacular entry to Oshkosh. EAA will organize
that event using procedures that have been effective with past mass
arrivals, such as warbirds, homebuilts and other aircraft.
Participating DC-3 owners will also receive essential information
from EAA on additional arrival procedures, aircraft parking, and
other questions that will help with final plans to flying to
Oshkosh.
While EAA will be contacting the majority of DC-3 owners, those
who have not yet indicated their participation at Oshkosh are
encouraged to do so by e-mailing dc3@eaa.org. In the final weeks before
AirVenture, EAA will keep a steady, direct line of communication
open to those registered DC-3 operators to make sure they have the
information they need to make their participation a
success.
“Having the DC-3 enjoy their 75th anniversary year at The
World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration at Oshkosh is a natural
fit,” Poberezny said. “We’ve been planning
activities for nearly a year, eagerly anticipating the arrivals of
these aircraft and aviation legends, and we welcome them
all.”
Among the activities already scheduled as part of the DC-3 75th
anniversary celebration at Oshkosh are:
- A very special DC-3 / C-47 reunion evening at Theater in the
Woods, hosted by David Hartman.
- “Salute to Veterans” activities in cooperation with
Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to include re-enactor displays and
personal appearances by WWII veterans of “Easy Company”
(known from the HBO series “Band of Brothers”).
- Air Show programs throughout the week to include a parade of
classic airliners; a unique heritage flight that pairs the C-47
with the modern C-17 Globemaster; and static jumps from a pair of
C-47s by the Liberty Jump Team, using WWII-style round canopy
parachutes.
- An appearance by the aircraft and stars of hit Canadian reality
TV series “Ice Pilots”, still operating the DC-3 in
daily passenger service.
- DC-3 movie screenings, including the John Wayne classic
“Island in the Sky” at the outdoor Fly-In Movie
Theater.
- Numerous public forums related to the people, history and
operations of the DC-3.
- A major week-long effort by the EAA Timeless Voices of Aviation
team to capture and preserve the video oral histories of all people
connected with the DC-3.
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