Douglas DC-3 Flies Again After 13-Year Hiatus

The Air North C-47A conversion Yukon Sourdough returned to service in its first step toward the airshow circuit.

Julie Boatman

Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at 05:08 PM ET

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Yukon Sourdough—a 1942 Douglas C-47A converted to a DC-3C. [Photo: Stephen Yeates]

Key Takeaways:

The 1942 Douglas C-47A (DC-3C) "Yukon Sourdough," painted in Air North's yellow-and-green livery, successfully completed its return-to-service flight at Hagerstown Regional Airport after being grounded since 2009.
Pilots Jim Sells and Mike Macario reported the 40-minute test flight went smoothly, with only minor squawks such as an intermittent intercom and the need for engine fuel pressure adjustments.
After further testing and pilot training, the aircraft's current stewards plan for it to join the D-Day Squadron and participate in the airshow circuit.

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With a bit of a crosswind at play, pilot Jim Sells and co-pilot Mike Macario climbed aboard Yukon Sourdough—a 1942 Douglas C-47A converted to a DC-3C. What lay ahead? The return to service flight of the airplane painted with a bold yellow-and-green livery—the colors of Air North in Canada—at the Hagerstown Regional Airport (KHGR) in Maryland.

The Douglas Gooney Bird hadn’t flown since 2009.