This troop carrier was first assigned to the Ferry Command and flown to Presque Isle, Maine where it flew under the command of pilots from "Northeast Airlines".
It flew some of the very first survey routes and ferry flights to and from England laying the ground work for what would become known as the North Atlantic Routes used by thousands of aircraft to deliver supplies and personnel to England.
In November 1942, it was transferred to North Africa with the Air Transport Command where it shuttled troops and wounded in and out of the North African campaign, then it supported the war in North Africa and eventually took place in the Invasion of Sicily and Italy.
After the war, its C-53 airline type configuration made it a valuable resource in the post-war rebirth of the worldwide airline transport system. It was sold to the Danish Airlines and flew as the Gorm Viking on the Danish/SAS famous Flying Viking service. The airline operated her until its merger with SAS who sold the airplane in 1952.
After its career as an airline aircraft, the C-53 found itself headed back to the United States where it became outfitted as a corporate DC-3.
In October 1952, it was registered to Rampo Foundry & Wheel Works in New York as N9959F.
In 1963, the aircraft made one of its most important moves to the be the official state transport aircraft of the Governor. The airplane participated in the opening of many General Aviation Airports in the state of Ohio.
Then it was in the Air Force Museum until 1990, when it was bought by Ohio University of Athens for its engines alone to keep their own DC-3 flying. Left engine-less at Dayton the aircraft faced an uncertain fate until Ken Joseph entered the picture.
Ken bought engines for the airplane and had it brought to Beach City, Ohio. It was a chance encounter while driving through the Ohio countryside that Jason Capra stumbled across it, and began the restoration
It's going on tour next year,
New Philadelphia, Ohio – May, 29-30
Reading, Pennsylvania – June, 3-5
Washington, Pennsylvania – June, 25-26
Indiana, Pennsylvania – July, 9-10
Meadville, Pennsylvania – July, 16
Oshkosh, Wisconsin – July, 25-30
Franklin, Pennsylvania – August, 13
Akron, Ohio – August, 14
Butler, Pennsylvania – August, 21-22
Marion, Indiana – September 2-4
Kent State University, Ohio – September 11-12
What a great story , what a labor of love . So many hours of labor .
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