Flabob Express
On Photo Excursion last week was near the Flabob Airport in Riverside California. So stopped and happened to see a friend, the Flabob Express DC-3. I have been lucky enough to have flown in the Express a few times.
A Big Day In Flight!
The place to be today for a number of reasons! The Palm Springs Air Museum! There will be a flight demonstration of this incredibly powerful T-28 which in some ways out performs the famous P-51 Mustang. It is a real WOW when if flies by low and fast and pulls way up! The flight demo follows a presentation on the very historic X-15 at 1:00 PM.
Then as reminded by my buddy Brian Ratliff, today is the anniversary of the first flight. Yes it was December 17, 1903 that the first successful airplane took to the air. Tell you a secret that will be unveiled next month. There is a gallery of very rare, almost unseen, photos of that first flight on display at the Museum now. A selection of prints that were created from fully restoring the images created from the original glass photographic plates. Seeing these photographs is an incredible opportunity!
And then also from Brian, today is the day that the first Douglas DC-3 rolled off the assembly line in 1935. The DC-3 was perhaps one of the most significant advances in aircraft for both the military and civilian aviation. The DC-3 in it’s military designation, the C-47 can also be seen at the Museum. Down for maintenance, it is right over in the restoration area. Big airplane, you won’t miss it! See you there today!
Engine Check
Engine check on “What’s Up Doc” at the Palm Springs Air Museum. A C-47B that was built in 1944. Currently painted to commemorate the D-Day Invasion, this aircraft served the US Army Air Force, the US Navy and the Royal Air Force during World War II. It went on to serve in the Belgian Air Force, the French Air Force and finally the Israeli Air Force. Aviation artist Stan Stokes painted the Bugs Bunny logo nose art at the Air Museum.
Currently “What’s Up Doc” flies regularly at the Palm Springs Air Museum carrying museum visitors, skydivers, and on a busy air show schedule. So after this maintenance you too can check out “What’s Up Doc”!
Flabob Express
Another view of the “Flabob Express” DC-3 that was flying over Palm Springs yesterday. Part of the “Props & Hops” craft beer festival at the Palm Springs Air Museum. And yes there was beer tasting going on while it was overhead. Not the pilots, I know for sure, I was on board for one of the flights.
Flying Craft Beer Tasting
The DC-3 “Flabob Express” rolling out to the runway from the Palm Springs Air Museum. You could have been onboard Saturday tasting craft beers during your flight around Palm Springs. How fun is that!
DC-3 Backseat Driver
Doing some backseat driving in a DC-3. The “Flabob Express” yesterday flying out of the Palm Springs Air Museum. Can you believe there was craft beer tasting going on behind me! Too fun!
Fun In The Skies!
Yesterday at the Palm Springs Air Museum as their C-47 “What’s Up Doc” does a fly by. Always fun there, you could watch from the ground or even have grabbed a ride headed down to the Salton Sea and back. Bring your camera too and check out the goings on, pretty much everyday, on their website at http://palmspringsairmuseum.org
Photographed with a FujiFilm XT-1 camera and the FujiFilm 50-140 lens. What a great lightweight versatile camera system!
A Flight Of Beer On A DC-3
Yesterday you could have gone back in a time machine and flown luxury class on The Flabob Express DC-3 while tasting craft beers at the Props & Hops Craft Beer Festival at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The plane was originally designated as a C-47B and built in 1945. Very Fun!
Photographed on Hasselblad. Only the best!
My Ride Is Here!
Overhead this morning, the C-47 Skytrain “Bunny” out of the Palm Springs Air Museum. It’s nose art is “What’s Up Doc”. In service for 58 years and here painted with 1944 D-Day Invasion stripes. Also known as “Gooney Bird” it can land almost anywhere even with no landing strip. As the DC-3 it was one of the earliest commercial passenger planes.
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