75th Birthday Present

[Dave6T4]

I recently celebrated my 75th birthday. Although I always tell my daughter and son that their presence is presents enough, this year they went together to purchase me a unique gift. There is an historic aircraft museum in nearby Hamilton, Ontario that offers rides in some of their planes for a membership fee. They paid for a 50 minute flight in a WW2 era DC-3 cargo plane. Up here in Canada, these were called the Dakota, so there is a Mopar theme to this. Also known as a C-47 ( '47 was the year I was born ). This museum also has one of the two British Lancaster bombers flying in the world. A 30 minute flight in this beauty costs $3500.00, and is booked up for a year ( or so my kids told me! ).

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

I recently celebrated my 75th birthday. Although I always tell my daughter and son that their presence is presents enough, this year they went together to purchase me a unique gift. There is an historic aircraft museum in nearby Hamilton, Ontario that offers rides in some of their planes for a membership fee. They paid for a 50 minute flight in a WW2 era DC-3 cargo plane. Up here in Canada, these were called the Dakota, so there is a Mopar theme to this. Also known as a C-47 ( '47 was the year I was born ). This museum also has one of the two British Lancaster bombers flying in the world. A 30 minute flight in this beauty costs $3500.00, and is booked up for a year ( or so my kids told me! ).

What an amazing gift!!!

 

[Cranky]

Cool beans!! I was in the AF and never got to go up in anything that was a military air craft.....just cattle car commercial charter to and from Germany.

 

[Dave6T4]

I finally got to go up for my flight in the C-47 (DC-3) this past Saturday from the Hamilton Warbird Heritage Museum. This was a gift from my daughter and son, and I enjoyed it very much. The Museum sells rides on some of their restored Warbirds to support the Museum and the work that is done there. Saturday was a beautiful day, and the Museum said that they had 19 flights on various planes to process that day. The Museum is situated half way between Toronto and Niagara Falls. Our flight took us over the Falls and down to Port Dover on the shore of Lake Erie. This town is only an hour's pleasurable drive along the lakeshore road from my home, and I visit it regularly in the summer. It sure looks different from the air. Pictures from the Museum's collection on "Who Likes Aircraft" thread. I was on the Dakota for almost 1 1/2 hours from engine start-up, warm-up, taxiing for take-off, and 1 hour flight.

 

[Budnicks]

Great, very cool type of gift, good/great kids

HB 75th

 

[qkcuda]

You must have flown right over my house Dave. Glad you had a good day for it. I grew up in Mount Hope and used to visit the airport frequently for race gas. I even took a few flights from there.

 

[dadsbee]

Glad you got that in and she's still staying airworthy. Some of my parts probably rode along with you.. I still have some NOS C-47 stuff left here in my hangar and sold, and or donated, a fair number of things to War Heritage over the years.

 

[440 4 speed]

I finally got to go up for my flight in the C-47 (DC-3) this past Saturday from the Hamilton Warbird Heritage Museum. This was a gift from my daughter and son, and I enjoyed it very much. The Museum sells rides on some of their restored Warbirds to support the Museum and the work that is done there. Saturday was a beautiful day, and the Museum said that they had 19 flights on various planes to process that day. The Museum is situated half way between Toronto and Niagara Falls. Our flight took us over the Falls and down to Port Dover on the shore of Lake Erie. This town is only an hour's pleasurable drive along the lakeshore road from my home, and I visit it regularly in the summer. It sure looks different from the air. Pictures from the Museum's collection on "Who Likes Aircraft" thread. I was on the Dakota for almost 1 1/2 hours from engine start-up, warm-up, taxiing for take-off, and 1 hour flight.

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How is your hearing? Nice you got to do that. At our age we don’t need gifts.

 

[James Hogan]

That must have been sooo cool! What a great gift from your kids. Very thoughtful also. Happy birthday!

 

[Dave6T4]

As an added bonus, this particular Dakota saw action on D-Day, dropping paratroopers.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Awesome, happy birthday

 

[Imperial One]

Nice one Dave.

Here is me on the CWH Lancaster in 2006.

 

[eldubb440]

happy birthday!, was there a thread?

 

[Dave6T4]

happy birthday!, was there a thread?

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My birthday was actually back on June 5, but I just was able to get my flight this past weekend.

 

[eldubb440]

My birthday was actually back on June 5, but I just was able to get my flight this past weekend.

well now you have 2 fbbo birthdays...... cheers

 

[GTXDAN]

Happy Birthday. That's a great gift. Every so often a B 17 shows up around the Atlanta area selling rides and I keep thinking I will go some time but never had the time. Now I'm retired I need to go.

 

[Hey-O]

Now that's what you call a good time, congrats!!!