Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Breitling’s DC-3, which first flew in 1940, is now engaged in a round-the-world tour, with a summertime trip across the U.S. in the flight plan. The airplane, which once flew for American Airlines and the U.S. Army, was bought by Breitling in 2008 and fully restored. At 77 years old, it’s the oldest airplane ever to undertake a round-the-world tour, according to Breitling.

The airplane launched from Geneva last month, and is now flying across Asia. It will arrive in Anchorage in June, and spend the summer in the U.S., making multiple stops, including Phoenix, Oshkosh and New York. It then will depart from Boston in August to return to Europe by way of Greenland and Iceland. 

The oldest surviving DC-3 is N133D, the sixth Douglas Sleeper Transport, built in 1936 for American Airlines, according to Wikipedia. The aircraft is undergoing restoration in Punta Gorda, Florida. The owners plan to restore it to Douglas Sleeper Transport standards and full airworthiness.

The oldest DC-3 still flying is the original American Airlines Flagship Detroit, first delivered in March 1937. That airplane is owned and operated by the nonprofit Flagship Detroit Foundation, which flies it to airshows around the country.

(Source AVWebflash Apr 10/17)

Eighty-two hot-air balloonists launched from England on Friday morning, April 7, 2017, and flew 26 miles across the English Channel to land in France, in an attempt to set a new Guinness world record.
The previous record was 49, set in 2011. Steve Mabbutt, one of the organizers of the effort, said, "Everybody is absolutely delighted," according to the UK Telegraph.

(Source AWWebflash Apr 10/17)

Boom Supersonic has received a new $33 million round of funding for its work to create supersonic passenger travel. 

(Source ATW Daily Mar 31/17)