Two very different old ladys
 

Still working for thier money after all these years.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/n...t/DSC03951.jpg

I would polish that old lady just for a chance to fly it for an hour.
Great shot!

I am sure they would take you up on that - seriously.

I did a polished aluminum Cessna 195 once...for $50 dollars. That will go down as the single worst business deal I ever made in my life. I am not sure $500 would be enough for a C-195, let alone a DC-3. Bottom of the wing was the part - my arms are still sore and that was 22 years ago!

Love this picture - a classy old dame, and a fire-breathing Cougar in the same shot. I would love either one.

The American Flagship has been to BNA a few times... It is pretty amazing up close and personal.

Nice looking light twins ;)

That awesome Stinson. Im going to have to remember that one: Fire-breathing Cougar!

Ill find a good picture of her cockpit.

I understand the cost savings but how can you take her radials and give her turbo-props?

That my friend, I believe is a Basler BT-67. The old gal has a new pair of shoes.

Sweet shots. Where are they based?

Flagship Detroit used to be based in VBW (Bridgewater, VA) as a dedicated Sprayer
(Gypsy Moth, Mosquito, Med Fly). It had extra windows just aft of the pilot's
side-windows, allowing a pilot to see the engine and wing and spray pattern on the
OPPOSITE side of the aircraft. The hydlaulic reservior was moved back to the main
cabin, and wall right behind the pilot seats removed, making a large, almost
727-sized cockpit. A wonderful sprayplane, if a bit under-powered with 1200 hp
Wrights; but a gentleman's sprayer, without the cramped crash-cage and helmets, and
the convenience of being able to get up and have a sandwich and a leak between spray
blocks.

The owner had the desire that it be restored someday (by others), so had long narrow
spray tanks built that could be slipped through the small right-side passenger door,
rather than cutting it open. He also had a set of original seats, and overhead hat/coat racks.

Most of my (meager) DC-3 time is in that airplane.

The American Airline Museum basement photo archive has a cool picture of it in a
crowded hangar getting an overhaul, with someone about half-finished polishing it
from dull to mirror-finish. I've also seen a picture of it in its heyday in an
air-to-air early AA color publicity photo against blue sky and cumulus.

And in another book of Vintage airline posters, it's in an AA poster titled "West
With the Night".

And lastly, I saw it in an aerial photo parked in Boston Common!!, in the
mid-Thirties, being shown to the public. (Not as many trees there then, I guess.)

As one could guess, I really miss it.

Not a Basler, but a great first guess! Its based in So-Cal.

Dose that pick-up line work on all the "old birds?"

I think the T-Prop DC-3 in the photo is one of the other conversions, from Texas or South Africa. The BT-67 is stretched, and has exhaust out the top of the nacelles.

Flagship Detroit is based in Shelbyville, TN now if i'm not mistaken.

Well put! Great looking airplanes. These are from the real era of aviation!

Hey GM, what are you up to these days?? I remember flying with you in Los Al. You were doing part time Medfly, part time something in at Hawker???