Rich-History 1944 C-47 SKYTRAIN Inbound for CMA Display

Expected to fly in late today at Camarillo, California Airport CMA is a 1944 C-47 Skytrain acquired by the local American Aeronautical Foundation from Canada. The non-profit foundation, founded in 1982, already bases an airworthy North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber at CMA. This B-25 appeared in the popular film "Catch 22".

The AAF wanted a WWII historic aircraft capable of carrying many passengers, and the C-47 carried 28 troops in its wartime military configuration. The C-47 will be used to provide rides when refurbished. It will probably be parked near the B-25 next to the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force ramp at CMA.

The C-47 has a rich history. Built in Oklahoma City in 1944, it was stationed later that year in Italy with the 12th Air Force and 60th Troop Carrier Group. After being returned to civilian service in 1946, it was purchased by the Israelis and saw action in the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War. The C-47 remained in Israel until 1999, when the Israeli Air Force sold it as surplus to Global Aircraft Industries in Edmonton, Canada.

The aircraft is expected with a ferry permit to clear customs this morning in Spokane, Washington and refuel at Livermore, California before arriving at CMA. That is the plan.

See http://www.aluminummistress.org/news.htm for daily updates and http://www.aafgroup.org .

Sorry, the newspaper-supplied link to the aluminum mistress C-47 does not work, but the second link to the AAF's site does, and shows the aircraft. With a little digging in the main site, you will find the daily reports now as of 21 May 2008. So, look over the main site also for full screen photo of this C-47B.

Efforts to fly the C47B across the American border to enter the USA were stalled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), who is requesting additional documentation on the aircraft's extensive ownership trail before issuing a Ferry Permit. An FAA spokesman stated "The plane is 60 years old, and we needed the whole history of the plane's registration, who's had it and what it's been used for. It's a paperwork issue".

The FAA requested its counterpart in Canada to do an on-site inspection of the C-47, and that won't happen until next month. The ferry group originally were reportedly told it would be a simple one-hour procedure to get the permit. Stay tuned.

For ray w-the full history of the C47B aircraft up to the 2008 acquisition by the AAF is contained in the AAF link in my first post.

For Zane, if the Aluminum Mistress arrives CMA today, will have more info probably here tomorrow. Thanks for the interest. Stay tuned.

The 1944 Douglas C47B "Aluminum Mistress" finally arrived at CMA Tuesday, 23 September, escorted dramatically by a B25 also owned by the American Aeronautical Foundation. The flight from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada took eight hours over two days. The plane was flown VFR because of lack of instruments and no IFR certification. Hand held GPSs, charts and a compass were used to navigate. Flight was at lower altitudes because of a lack of any deicing system. The route included fuel stops at Great Falls, MT and Reno, NV. Some arrival drama occurred-the right engine ran out of fuel on approach because of its higher fuel burn, which was of some concern.

Still in its old Israeli Air Force desert camouflage, the plane will be restored by Foundation volunteers by installing new hydraulic lines, a modern flight deck panel and a complete strip and repaint. (Shortly after return to civilian service in 1946, Israel bought it and it saw action in the Six-Day and Yom Kippur wars).

Attempt will be made to match the original color scheme of 1944 and '45. Passenger flights are expected to be offered sometime in the next year. Interested persons can observe the aircraft this Saturday parked adjacent to the Commemorative Air Force ramp at 455 Aviation Drive, Camarillo, CA airport. More information is on the link in my original post here.

Thanks, Zane, for the link which has two fine in-flight photos of "Aluminim Mistress". We have three here, taken on the ground in Canada. See N215CM.

More photos uploaded today of "Aluminum Mistress" N215CM on the ramp at CMA. Looks like new or newly overhauled props are on the plane for the ferry flight.