The morning at Burbank was remarkable because an early fog had cleared off, but upon arrival at our point of departure, we learned that Clover Field was socked in. I spoke with one of the pilots of our flight, First Officer Jack R. Finger, a former WWII pilot who flew both the Consolidated B-24 Liberator and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, asking if there was any way to determine what time the fog might lift, or if it was going to lift at all.

Jack's response was a popular saying from the time: "The only thing certain about flying is that it's uncertain." Those words would haunt me less than two months later when Jack and our pilot, Captain James Robert Seccombe, would lose their lives in the crash of a Douglas YC-112A, the very prototype that launched the line known as the Douglas DC-6 Cloudmaster.

But this day, Seccombe and Finger, along with Flight Attendant Janeen Schaefer, would take noted author and historian John Underwood, of the AAHS; Lockheed design engineer and AAHS member Carl Friend (The same Carl Friend who was also involved in Lyle Shelton's Air Racing efforts involving the Spirit of '77, a Grumman F-8F Bearcat known today as the Rare Bear, and whom was involved in the develpment and design of Rare Bear's famed, record-breaking, three bladed prop); a fellow passenger, who's last name escapes me, though he was a Lockheed employee known by the name of "Dick," and myself, a nineteen-year-old aspiring reporter working a story as a Free lance writer; to Santa Monica Airport for the AAHS festivities, which would include John Brizendine, then President of Douglas Aircraft, DC-8 designer Jackson R. McGowan, who was also involved years ago in the development of the DC-3, and a number of historical figures associated with the engineering, manufacturing and flight test of the Douglas DC-3, along with AAHS members and Douglas Aircraft employees. Donald Douglas Sr. could not attend due to health reasons, and as it turned out, Donald Dougas Jr. also could not attend, but both sent messages that were read and distributed among the gathering.

We did eventually climb aboard Mercer Air Lines Douglas DC-3 N16096, which was emblazoned with a Douglas Aircraft Company sticker annoucing an important laurel in the history of the Company and aviation, "First Around The World," and make the thirty minute flight to Clover Field, where a large gathering awaited our arrival and that of the Star of the Show, the Douglas DC-3. The landing was smooth and as we taxied up to the terminal area where the festivities would be held, one could see the old Douglas Aircraft Manufacturing facility, which was already under the shadow of the wrecking ball.

We pulled up at the Terminal, shut down the engines and deplaned to a throng of enthusiasts and reporters representing every newspaper and television stations across the United States. That evening, we would be featured on the Cronkite News at CBS, one of two times I've been part of an event featured on that program. (Let me tell you, this was the nicer of the two! The other was not without its adrenalin rush... ~ Ed.)

A young lady was present to cut the cake as Brizendine and McGowan stood with her observing, and after cake and beverages, the local area flights began in earnest, with most everyone there catching a ride before the day was over. I managed an additional flight when the passenger count started dwindling down later in the day, which allowed me to photograph some of the passengers onboard, in flight.

This was one of two times in my life that I've had the opportunity to ride in a Douglas DC-3, the other being an Air 2 Air photo mission at the Planes of Fame Air Museum, in Chino, California, for a Warbird shoot prior to one of the Annual Air Shows at Chino, California. Much of the amusement for the flight was on the ground itself, watching Seccombe and Finger take turns upon landing at seeing who could keep the tail up the longest as the speed dwindled down during rollout. A few of the photos from that day still exist, which you will see in Gallery 1 that follows, with additional images to be featured in Galleries 2 and 3, scheduled for tonight and tomorrow, 100 images each approximately, for a total of 300 images. The gallery will be added to over time as additional images become available.

The flights ended in the late afternoon and we finally left Santa Monica for our return home to Burbank, California, and the Mercer Air Lines Hangar 26 at Burbank, where the airline operated a fleet of DC-6 and DC-3 aircraft, that were later supplemented by a National Aircraft Leasing NAL BAC 1-11, all of which will be featured later in Galleries and stories here at AirlinersAirlinersAirliners.Net.

The DC-3, like the Ford TriMotor before it, was one of the most substantial aircraft of its time, and to date, no aircraft has managed to properly replace it in airline service. The events of September 11, 2001, were the only thing to bring the DC-3 down. A requirement following the Terrorist Acts of 9/11 that cockpit doors be strengthened could not be met economically by operators, and the DC-3 was finally forced out of airline service. However, executive and freight versions of the aircraft still operate, including Nostalgia flight and even at Long Beach, California, an outfit continues to operate freight flights with the aircraft to Catalina Island, just off the California coast.

The history of the Douglas DC-3 as the most successful commercial aircraft in history, and the first aircraft capable of putting the airlines in the black, financially speaking, is well-known. Somewhere in the vicinity of 600 aircraft are still operational and/or flight worthy around the World, and though they do not operate in Commercial Passenger service in the United States, DC-3s are still found in operation carrying passengers in South America, Africa and other locales, as their economics keep them flyable and focused on their 100th Anniversary, a mere thirty years from now. If I last that long, and believe me, that will take a miracle that would make the Pope envious, I will be 85, and if there's a DC-3 still flying, as I believe many still will be, I'm going to catch a ride on one, sixty years after my first flight aboard N16096, a pretty little DC-3 that, not surprisingly, I could have bought along with its sistership for $50,000.00 (US dollars 1977), with spares thrown in.

If I had that kind of money in the Summer of 1977, when the aircraft were finally retired from the Mercer (Pacific American Airlines) fleet. I would have done it. A helluva a great investment, even for the times we were living in. Just didn't hawk enough newspapers as a Newsboy for the Herld Examiner in my early days, that's all... <G> Mercer, which was then known as Pacific American Airlines after a name change following the change of the guard, were eventually sold to an airline in Puerto Rico. To this day, I'm still trying to trace the fate of N16096, that original, pre-War DC-3, with its one distinguishable feature very noticeable on the starboard fuselage side ~ that right-hand side door found only on American Airlines DC-3 Flagships, built in the period of 1935 and ending in 1939, at the outbreak of World War II.

World War II was a boon to aircraft manufacturing, and boon to airlines due to the availability of War Surplus aircraft, like the C-47, after the War. The still economical C-47, which could be converted to airliner status, was available in large numbers as over 10,000 had been built during the War years of 1939 to 1945. Thus, it's no surprise that nearly 600 still exist, however, had they been taken care of, the line of DC-3s and C-47s could be far greater with no concern given as to whether or not they would last a full hundred years, until their Centennial on December 17, 2035.

Many now dot Jungle and Desert graveyard sites around the World, some cannibalized for their parts; some possibly restorable for the future. Unlike the B-17s, P-38s, P-47s and P-51s that went before them, seems the value of the DC-3 was such that it had to work its way to the scrapper's torch, and even now, 70 years later, even as a vine filled relic in some overgrown, abandoned Jungle Airstrip, the scrapper won't be beating a path to it soon...all the better for the sake of the restorer.

The number of restorations do appear to be growing, and solid an aircraft is the DC-3, that it remains an ideal candidate for restoration projects to those with the gumption of bringing what Douglas Ingalls, noted Aviation Author and Historian, once famously referred to as "The Plane That Changed The World."

In the Midwest, Basler is bringing DC-3s back to life as the Basler Turbo DC-3, complete with turbine engines with turboshaft powered, fan bladed propellers, available for work in any number of fields, including cargo transports, Military troop transports and fire fighting Air Attack aircraft. Immaculate restorations have been completed of DC-3s in their original colors, by employees and volunteers operating Museums for Delta Air Lines, American Air Lines, and Continental Airlines, among others. Veteran airline and Air Race pilot Clay Lacy, of Van Nuys, California, who operates an Executive Jet transport service here on the West Coast, has his immaculately restored DC-3 on the Air Show circuit in United Airlines 1950s and 1960s Mainliner colors. A number of DC-3 and Super DC-3 Executive transports are also in service around the World, and the most recent restorations honor the Vietnam Veteran with the Vietnam era AC-47 Gunship, two of which are currently flying here in the United States, including the one in which US Air Force Sgt. John Levitow won his Medal of Honor, the only one awarded a US Air Force crewmember during the Vietnam War.

From Commercial Airliner, to Workhorse of many noble and the occasional ignoble War efforts, to Agricultural Sprayer, to Executive Transport, to Air Attack firefighting aircraft, and its one foray even as a floatplane design for use in World War II, the DC-3 goes on flying, Around and Around and Around the World today, as we know it.

Clearly, like General MacArthur before it, this is an Old Soldier that will never die. If anything, it will merely fade away over time, but I wouldn't count on it. I wouldn't count on this particular airplane fading away for at least another two hundred years.

Click on the Link Below for Gallery 1. The goal is to have Gallery 2 up by tonight and Gallery 3 to complete this latest series of Gallery installations for permanent archiving ~ by tomorrow night, if all goes well ~ for a presence of 300 images total.

There are some additional images on this page as well...you merely need to scroll down to them.

We will be adding additional information over time as we celebrate this Workhorse of the Drawing Board owned by one, Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., one of the most important Aeronautical Engineers and figures in Aviation that existed in the 20th Century, and whose name lives on here in the 21st Century, and will live on substantially and authoritatively into the 22nd and 23rd Centuries easily, as a great legend in American Aviation, if not World Aviation history.

Directly below, a Boeing narrative on the History of the Douglas DC-3, which is now merged into the history of The Boeing Company, thanks to John McDonnell and Harry Stonecipher, who's failures are marked by reasons that lie totally within themselves and not in the heart of any true, Douglas Aircraft employee, who always tried to give America and the World, his or her best...

...a hand-crafted machine that would fly and fly and fly, as long as you were willing to take care of the gifts of their minds, their hearts' good intent, as well as their craftsmanship and innovative handi-work.

The term "Douglas Commercial" can be found in any Dictionary today, as long as you know where to look. I suggest starting with the word "Brilliance," and look for as many synonyms as you can find. And remember, those of you who know my personal history with the Company, the Douglas family were the good guys and treated their employees well, including the Disabled, the Veteran and the Disabled Veteran.

We were all Donald Douglas' employees until the bitter end, no matter who took the Company over on the way.

Click Here for Gallery 1