EAA is hoping that its celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Douglas DC-3 will gather at Oshkosh the largest group of gooney birds (possibly more than 25) seen in more than 60 years. The aircraft will be on display, flying in formation and the subject of various technical and historical presentations. The 2010 AirVenture Oshkosh event at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh will be held July 26 through August 1 and the DC-3 will serve as the event’s centerpiece, EAA said Friday. While more than 14,000 examples were built, serving both in war and peace, fewer than 100 of the aircraft are airworthy today, according to EAA. Beyond paying tribute to the aircraft, EAA says it will also mark this “final major reunion” by gathering “scores of pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, crew chiefs and passengers that flew, operated and traveled in these aircraft.” EAA president Tom Poberezny is “looking forward to welcoming these iconic aviation legends” to America’s largest general aviation gathering.
Poberezny saluted the aircraft, saying it “helped make air travel popular and profitable in the 1930s and 1940s, the fact that it is still used around the world today is a testament to the aircraft’s design.” EAA is contacting all the DC-3 owners and operators it can find and asking them to bring their airplanes to the big show.
