We were among the many people at the Blossom Festival Saturday that spotted this airplane, seen above and below, as it made a loop above the downtown area. We noticed several festival-goers exclaiming with excitement about the unique plane, and we would love to know more about it! If you recognize the plane and happen to know its owner/pilot, let us know . . . we think it’d make a great feature story!
It is a C-47 Skytrain, the military equivalent of the DC-3, one of the first major airliners used in the U.S. They were made by Douglas starting back in the 1930s, and some are still in use today (I’ve seen them on the tarmac in San Juan, Puerto Rico).
The stripes on the wing and fuselage are called “invasion stripes” and were added to aircraft that flew in Europe for and following the D-Day invasions to help identify them as friendly aircraft.
Don’t know who owns it.
It’s name is “Sky King,” and it’s owned by Scott Glover, in Mount Pleasant, Texas.
It depicts an aircraft from the 53rd Troop Carrier Squadron.
http://tvrphoto.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/celebrating-the-75th-anniversary-of-the-dc-3/
It is a C-47. Couldn’t quite make out a tail number, so no dice on the owner/operator.