N47HL —

GOT MY FIRST TYPE RATING IN THE DC-3. GREAT AIRCRAFT BUT YOU HAVE TO FLY IT WITH PRECISION AND KEEP WELL AHEAD OF IT.

RIP Bluebonnet Belle... :(

Great airplane, I can’t count the number of uses we have adapted this plane for. I flew it as a gunshot, trooptransport, cargo hauler, search plane, and trans Pacific traveler. We did some support work for Green Berets, I saw Psy Ops performed in Nam and I am sure that there has been more than one fitted with skis. The most radical one I have ever seen ( at DCA) was a tri turbo one in USCG paint.

She was not ready for take off. Watch the video. DC3s lift their tail almost horizontally, and then take off. I flew in many of these in my younger years. Many. All good experiences. If you have a good pilot. If you rotate too early, you lose a plane.

This time, N47HL did not have a good pilot. Watch the video. The pilot tried to rotate but she was not ready. Pilot fault. Too bad the plane was destroyed.

Too bad for you.

Thank you everyone for your comments! It is quite sad that this aircraft is no more. Still thankful there were no fatalities in the crash. From what y'all have said it sounds like the Goony Bird can be quite the handful.