Always Wanted To Fly A DC-3?
Arguably the most important aircraft ever produced, the DC-3 ushered in the “modern” era of air transportation. But until you’ve sat in the left seat, gripped that huge yoke and tried to muscle the big bird onto final, you can’t appreciate what life was like for the tens of thousands of pilots who have shaken, rattled and rolled in the confines of that cockpit. Or maybe you’re a former DC-3 pilot looking for a trip down memory lane. Whatever the motivation, now’s your chance to fly left seat in the iconic aircraft, courtesy of Herpa Wings, AVweb and the owner of N143D, Dan Gryder, at Sun ‘n Fun on April 8. You’ll be in control as Dan guides you through takeoff, pattern work and even a few low and overs in a beautifully maintained but still very historic DC-3. All you have to do is tell us (and 200,000 AVweb readers) why you want to. Send us a short (no longer than 200 words) essay on the topic: “Why I Want To Fly The Herpa Wings DC-3.” E-mail your entry to fly-the-dc3@avweb.com by April 1, 2008. (Click through for rules and details.)
 copyright John Fleck |
| Entry Deadline: April 1, 2008 |
| Flight Date: April 8, 2008 (7 a.m.) |
| Flight Location: Linder Airport, Lakeland, Florida |
| Winners Announced: April 3, 2008 |
| To qualify, you must have a valid pilot certificate and current medical. (It doesn't have to be a U.S. certificate.) |
Arguably the most important aircraft ever produced, the DC-3 ushered in the "modern" era of air transportation. But until you've sat in the left seat, gripped that huge yoke and tried to muscle the big bird onto final, you can't appreciate what life was like for the tens of thousands of pilots who have shaken, rattled and rolled in the confines of that cockpit.
Or maybe you're a former DC-3 pilot looking for a trip down memory lane. Whatever the motivation, now's your chance to fly left seat in the iconic aircraft, courtesy of Herpa Wings, AVweb and the owner of N143D, Dan Gryder, at Sun 'n Fun on April 8. You'll be in control as Dan guides you through takeoff, pattern work and even a few low and overs in a beautifully maintained but still very historic DC-3. All you have to do is tell us (and 200,000 AVweb readers) why you want to. Send us a short (no longer than 200 words) essay on the topic: "Why I Want To Fly The Herpa Wings DC-3."
E-mail your entry to fly-the-dc3@avweb.com by April 1, 2008.
Important Rules:
To qualify, you must have a valid pilot certificate and current medical. It doesn't have to be a U.S. certificate. You must be available to fly at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at Lakeland Linder Airport in Florida. All entries must be received by April 1, 2008.
Winner will be announced in the April 3 edition of AVwebFlash. Good luck!
To get some idea of what you're in for, watch this video of AVweb Editor-in-Chief Russ Niles as he tries to push the aircraft around (left) and Dan's patented one-wheel landing (right):
