DC-3 Society Celebrates 90 Years of the ‘Gooney Bird’

On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers made their first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and those 12 seconds changed the world. But did you know that just 32 years later, on the same day in 1935, the Douglas DC-3 made its first flight?

The DC-3 Society, an organization dedicated to protecting and honoring the legacy of the airplane nicknamed the “Gooney Bird,” plans to mark the 90th anniversary this month with a special weeklong broadcast series honoring the famous airplane that is still used today.

The group said the series will bring together experts on the DC-3 to share their knowledge through live discussions and in-depth conversations with pilots, historians, aircraft restorers, and pilots and operators who still fly the famous twin-engine taildragger and have volunteered their time to share their expertise.

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According to the organization, the series is designed to both honor the famous airplane and recognize the people and organizations that support the DC-3 and keep the airplanes flying.

The series begins with “Transatlantic Tuesday,” airing on Tuesday, December 16, at 2 p.m. EST. The program will focus on the airplane’s long-distance flights and the crews who made them possible. The program is sponsored by Globalair.com and will feature panel discussions and firsthand accounts of historic ocean crossings.

Stephen Lashley of the DC-3 Society team will moderate the discussion. Participants include Eric Zipkin of Placid Lassie, Steve Rose of D-Day Doll, Doug Rozendaal of That’s All, Brother, and Moreno Aguiari, board president of the DC-3 Society and a former Pan Am crewmember.

On Wednesday, December 17, at 3 p.m., the society will host “Wings of Legacy,” a film screening anniversary event centered on the documentary Into Flight Once More. According to the society, the screening will bring together executive producers and reunion crewmembers to celebrate the DC-3’s maiden flight and its lasting influence on aviation. The event, moderated by Lashley, is sponsored by FunD AV Consulting, Sound Off Films, and Vintage Aviation News.

Confirmed participants include Joe Anderson, formerly of Spirit of Benovia and executive producer of Into Flight Once More; Kevin Riley, responsible for flight operations and logistics; Chris Hicks of D-Day Doll; Shane Wallace of Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber; and Rozendaal, with additional guests to be named later. This event will take place on Sound Off Film’s Zoom platform and will not be open to the public.

“Throttle Thursday” follows on December 18 at 2 p.m. with a pilot-focused Q&A session exploring what it takes to fly and maintain the DC-3 in the modern aviation environment. The event is sponsored by longtime DC-3 Society affiliate partner Bradley Mack Aviation. The discussion will be moderated by Julie Boatman of JulietBravoFox Media and author of Together We Fly: Voices from the DC-3.

“With the 90th anniversary of the first flight of the Douglas Sleeper Transport—the beginning of the DC-3 line—we’re recognizing just how relevant the airplane remains today,” said Boatman. “It was the icon of innovation in its day, and the field from which it flew—Santa Monica Municipal Airport [KSMO]—continues to reinvent itself as a hub for electric and VTOL [vertical takeoff and landing] aircraft. I just know [company founder] Donald Douglas would be proud.”

The session will include members of the Spirit of Douglas “Odyssey” global flight team—Nick Cerretani, Mark Stewart, and Paul Bazeley—along with Sergio Alen of Florida Air Cargo, Brooks Petitt of Vaerus Jet Sales, and Daniel Wotring of Spirit of Douglas and Aerometal International Fleet.

The DC-3 Society noted that additional broadcasts originally planned for Monday and Friday have been postponed and rescheduled for the new year due to scheduling challenges. Revised dates will be announced.

The Tuesday and Thursday sessions will be hosted on the DC-3 Society’s Zoom platform and livestreamed to the group’s Facebook page.