Our frequent contributor Ted Luebbers recently saw one on his travels to Maine.
“This one is at the Greenville Municipal Airport (3B1) in Maine,” he reports. “Years ago she flew off Moosehead Lake in Maine.”
“These are also World War II vintage floats that are being reattached to get ready for water flights again,” he continues. “This aircraft was reported to have served in World War II as a C-47.”
It’s actually a C-53 Skytrooper not a DC-3 or C-47. Troop Transport version.
I saw this airplane a long time ago at a show in Manchester NH. It was in the downwind leg of the pattern when a commercial was landing. The tower told them the DC-3 was in the pattern and the pilot said no contact. Not being a pilot yet, it was like saying he could not see a 747 its profile look that big and I thought he should get his eyes checked. I have learned a lot since. (PS it did not have its lights turned on)