DC-3 Dreams

Cirrus Design co-founders Dale and Alan Klapmeier defied enormous odds to build a successful, profitable airplane company but it wasn't just the technology and innovation that made the SR22 the best selling single in the world. A fundamental love of aviation has driven them from day one (they aren't unique in that) and they were among the dozens of pilots who took part in the AVweb and Herpa Miniature Models offer to fly in aircraft that few others get to experience. Alan flew back seat in a taildragger Nan Chang CJ6 and Dale was his lead, flying the gorgeous Herpa DC-3. "It was a lot of fun," said Dale Klapmeier after he climbed out of the 20,000 lb. Douglas after flying it for an hour, including a low-level pass with six Nan Changs in formation, one of them with Alan in the back seat. All of this resulted from our essay contest inviting folks to tell us why they wanted to fly the 70-year-old twin-engine airliner and we'll be telling you more about our amazing few days with Dan Gryder and his beautiful airplane, plus the formation aircraft.

Like the winners of our contest, Christa Mabry and Joe Kaminskas (thanks to his good friend Charlie Tipton), Dale Klapmeier handled takeoff, flight maneuvering and the landing of the big Three. All through that, brother Alan was not far away, on the Douglas's wing. Dale said that while technology has made pilot workload a fraction of what he experienced on this flight, there's just nothing like the smell, sounds and sensations of flying a piece of history. "This was just incredible," he said.