N473DC —

Awesome Prop Shot*****!

About 1969, the Navy needed to move me from Naples Italy to Rota Spain. The only transportation was an R4D. It was a non-stop flight that seemed as if it took about four days. I recall at the time thinking a good bicycle would have been as fast. While it was interesting traveling in a piece of history, it remains one of the least comfortable flights I've ever taken.

Love the Props. very cool.

In the late 60's my outfit was returning to Corpus from Mobile AL. I forget where we landed, but Trans Texas figured since there was only us Army guys going on to Corpus, they could skip that stop if we didn't mind flying a prop plane on. They pulled out and old "Hanger Queen" DC-3. Our engine guys said start it up. They started one engine, it settled down and they said sounds good, start the other. It too sounded good so we said lets go. Most fun commercial flight I have ever had. It would not pressurize, so it was low and slow.

John-
I can relate to that "low and slow". With heavy emphasis on low and slow! Any lower and slower we would have had to taxi through France!

If John is talking about the bird with ROTA on the tail then I rode on it several times in 70-71 from up at Madrid. TDYs to ROTA from Wiesbaden. I never got to see the Navy's super version (C117) next to a standard C-47.

PS. I saw that R4D parked at the Navel Air Museum about 20 yrs ago.

Can just hear those idling P & W's ticking over - great shot!

Took part in Daks-over-Normandy
https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/history/history-of-dakota-n473dc.htm