Looking To Become The Oldest Aircraft To Circumnavigate The Globe

A team backed by watchmaker Breitling is working to fly a DC-3 around the world, making it the oldest airplane to complete a circumnavigation of the globe.

The aircraft will be making several stops across the U.S. this summer, including Oshkosh. It recently landed in Seattle after flying over eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia, according to a story appearing on The Robb Report.

The tour marks the 77th anniversary of the DC-3, which arguably changed the airline industry. The airplane being flown around the world was initially delivered to American Airlines in 1940 before it was drafted into service the U.S. Army. It flew as a military aircraft from 1942 to 1944, then returned to commercial service. The plane eventually logged 74,500 hours as an airliner.

The airplane was restored by a group of aviation enthusiasts backed by Breitling, and it has been on display at airshows worldwide.

Other cities on its U.S. tour include San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, Oshkosh, Chicago, Toronto, New York and Boston before making its way back overseas in time for the Breitling Sion Airshow in mid-September.

(Images courtesy Breitling)

FMI: www.breitling.com/en/airtime/breitling-dc-3/