Vintage DC-3 Works for Food

Only in California, some might say, could you expect to find a vintage DC-3 transformed into a fund-raising tool/restaurant. But that's just what visitors to Tomorrow's Aviation Museum on the Compton Airport in Los Angeles will see when they stop in. With some assistance from American Airlines, a DC-3 fuselage found in a Nevada boneyard has been transformed into an eatery nicknamed the "DC-3 Gourmet Food Truck." In a story, published on the AirlineGeeks, the site said, "The food truck's livery features a similar polished aluminum livery donned by American's flagship DC-3 in the 1940s, except that this one pays tribute to the City of Compton. The nose of the DC-3 food truck also features the words, Flagship Compton."

Much of the DC-3’s original interior was removed to make way for a gourmet kitchen that offers tempting meals for less than $20 each. The food truck, sitting next to the facility, also offers an open area for outside dining for visitors to enjoy the experience. A few lucky patrons can find themselves dining inside the old airliner’s cockpit, the major feature of the airplane that was left intact during the upgrades.

The food truck is sponsored by American Airlines’ Regional Council in LA and serves as a fundraising tool for the museum, started a decade ago by helicopter pilot Robin Petgrave. He organized TAM, which is more of an educational facility than a museum, to impact young people, mostly from low-income inner city families, through aviation. Through TAM, Petgrave captures kids' imaginations while promoting the importance of education.