The end of an Era was witnessed last night, as Corona's DC-3, Rose, took to the sky for her last flight in the LA Basin.
Rose has been acquired by the Boeing corporation, and she is intended to be part of a museum in Brazil. The ramp just won't be the same without her.
In April 1943 Rose was delivered from the Douglas Aircraft factory, Santa Monica, CA directly to the U.S. Army Air Corps. She served with the 8th Air Force in Europe thru August, 1945. During which she flew approx. 1,700 hours as a C-53 (Military designation of a DC-3 as opposed to a cargo version C-47).
1945 'Rose' was sold thru the Reconstruction Refinance Agency to Pan American Airways. Flew with Pan Am thru 1956 primarily with their PanAgra fleet in Central and South America.
1956 'Rose' was converted by Remert-Werner in St. Louis, MO to a DC-3C (executive interior with AC/DC electrical and many other mods).
'Rose' then flew with at least two corporations thru the late '60's / early '70's. She then flew for a company called Hawkeye Airlines in the Ohio / mid-west areas for a few years and the she was in Las Vegas for awhile as a executive airplane. Rose was then sold to a parachute jump group in Lodi, CA and S. Oregon. In approx. 1995 she was sold again to a corporation in McMinnville, OR. We purchase 'Rose' from that corp in 1997.
DreamFlight has owned / operated 'Rose' since 1997 .
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In other news..
Cessna 68U has had a seat repair done
Cessna 17J will be going to Toms to re-re-re-re-activate the XM radio, and attend to some squawks and software upgrades
Cessnas 20U and 1ES have some new tires.
Business as usual otherwise.
Blue Skies,
- Mike
