shines
T
heweekendof19-21Maywasoneof
sunandclearskiesinsouthernCal-
ifornia. It was the perfect few days
for Douglas DC-3 enthusiasts to
gatherandadmiretenexamplesofthe
famous aircraft.
BilledaspartoftheFlabobFlyingCircus,
several variants of the airliner flew in to join
the healthy population of resident vintage
aircraft. Visitors had the opportunity to fly
inseveralofthestarattractionsandthese
were kept busy throughout the weekend.
TheFlyingCircusisanannualevent
heldatoneofCalifornia’soldestairfields
where the local aviation nuts are known as
‘Flabobians’.Andy Wright
FLIGHTPATH|TOP:The C-47A on the left, owned by James
Lyle, flew in from Florida. It had served
with the 434th TCG and towed a Waco
glider to Normandy early on the morning
of6June1944.
RIGHT:This 1943 C-53D is operated
by the Inland Empire Wing of the
Commemorative Air Force and is based
at Riverside, California.
TOP RIGHT: One of the aircraft based at
Flabob, this 1943 C-47A (N013NA) served as
FD879 with the RAF. It is very active,
providing flight experiences and promoting
youth education in aviation.ABOVE:N341A was built as a DC-3A, but
converted to be the one-and-only C-41A for
service with the USAAC. It is now flown by
Golden Age Air Tours.ABOVE:It’s not every
dayyouseesomany
Douglas transports on
the one airfield.LEFT:A low pass from
the Lyon Air Museum’s
1945 built C-47B.
[All images Michael Phophet]