FAA History Lesson -- December 17

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Dec 17, 1935: The Douglas DC-3 first flew. One of the most successful aircraft in history, the DC-3 was the first plane that allowed airlines to begin basing their profits squarely on passenger service rather than on carrying mail. The Bureau of Air Commerce certificated this aircraft on May 21, 1936, and American Airlines became the first to place it in service (using the berth-equipped DST version) on Jun 25, 1936. By 1942, the DC-3 represented 80 percent of the U.S. airline fleet. When production of the DC-3 and its modifications ended in 1945, 10,926 aircraft had been built, 803 as commercial airliners, and the rest as military versions (called C-47 in the U.S. Army, R4D in the U.S. Navy, Dakota or Dakota I by the British). “

In case it hasn’t hit you, December 17th is the anniversary of powered flight. Many aviation events were scheduled on December 17th.

Don Brown
December 17, 2007