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.

FMI: www.eaa.org, www.airventure.org