My dad flew this plane for Ozark Airlines. He has many good stories and memories flying this bird all across the Midwest. Sweet Machine. Thanks for the video

My father, a lifelong private pilot, was Air Intelligence Officer in Pleiku, Vietnam, in 1964. At one point, he was a passenger on a Vietnamese C-47 to a dirt strip in a spot with a lot of VC. They felt safe, but knew they'd be sitting ducks after dark. When they went to leave, one engine wouldn't start. They tried various things, but it refused. With sunset nearing, my father brought a cargo strap out, put it over a propeller blade, and got eight guys to pull it. The engine started. Just another version of 'auxiliary power', I guess.

Love all the historical comments on here. Thanks. First time I went up in the air I was 11 and I rode in one of these beauties from Cuba to Key West (1959) to spend my summer vacation with my realatives who lived in KW since '49. That was the biggest thrill of my life. It didnt fly very high, so on the way over the Caribbean I could see the crests of waves and some large boats. The aisle was so narrow you had to crab walk to your seat; narrower than a Greyhound bus. I flew in it again for my '60 summer vac. and finally on Dec.23, 1960, when I left Cuba on a supposed Xmas vacation with the intention of not returning. I was escaping from a communist Cuba. I had just turned 13. The airline that flew these babies from Cuba to Key West was "Q Airlines" (Q for Cuba). Those flights are wonderful memories for me.

Very interesting !! I didn't know about the long idle.

On the vehicles that I service, I like to check the voltage drop between the lug on the starter motor, and the positive battery post while cranking,, also between the case of the starter and the negative battery post, again, while cranking. Tracking down, and reducing resistance in the starting circuit can make a huge difference. Great video !

This brought back good memories. Even though I was assigned to a B-52 squadron I was a flying mechanic on both C-47's and B-25's for Base Flight and Transient Alert at Dow AFB from 4/'58 to 6/1962. Even though we had winters sub 20 degree temps every year, I enjoyed every day at Bangor Maine.

My Dad flew one of these babies for years...took me to College and back to the Cleveland Browns game in the middle of Winter at Lakefront stadium. Gosh I miss him badly!

Nice video. My late father flew them around New Guinea in WW2. He was 19 and fresh out of flight school when he sat left seat and flew it from SF to Sydney. They would pack those things with fuel drums and would hand crank the fuel to the tanks with barely enough to make Hawaii on the first leg. He loved that plane. Got 2 DFC's in her.

I was 5 years old, 1949 and watched my grandmother arrive in Rock Springs, Wyoming coming from Durango, Colorado. I think it was Frontier Airlines and we must have been on an elevated observation deck because I can remember being able to see into the cockpit as the ground crew cocked the wheels..! 😍

I had an emergency at home when I was in the navy. They had to fly me from a carrier in the Med to Indy. It was the most epic flight sequence ever. A Grumman C-2 Greyhound COD off the ship in the dead of night in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea to Rota Spain. Then a private charter Red Cross DC-3 to London, then on a regular commercial airline home. But the trip from Rota to London was just crazy cool. I was the only human passenger. Lots of crates and animal cages. I was able to sit on a little fold down jump seat in the cockpit and from startup to shutdown. And this was back in the early 80's so there was no computerized avionics. It was VOR to VOR and VFR all the way.

You just made my day. My father flew C47s (RAF Dakotas), among others, in WW2. I always wondered why it took so long after turning the props before the engines fired..Thanks for the education.

In 1968, I saw a C-47 right engine, started by 'rope', like a lawn mower. The rope was pulled by 15 Marines at MCAS in S. Carolina. 'It took 2 tries then we were on our way back to Florida. I'll never forget that..

Enjoyed the video. My first commercial job as an F/O was on the DC3 in the early/mid 80's. The panel layouts were very original, much more basic than shown here. However after doing essential safety checks in the cockpit, my job was to remove the oil drip trays below the engines, and turn them over 12 blades to check for hydraulic lock, although I never encountered any. We did not have a pre-oiler or external batteries. Having completed the pre-start checks, essentially we had 2 switches next to each other. The first engaged the starter motor onto the flywheel and after 15 seconds the second switch was used to clutch the the flywheel to the engine. It's difficult to remember now , but after say 5 seconds the fuel was selected on, and after a little coughing, the engine would start fine, perhaps catching with a bit more throttle. Good batteries were needed....how else would you be able to operate the electric hydraulic feather pumps if an engine had to be shut down on say take off. Or unfeather for a restart....although I picked up a tip from an X Sunderland pilot. They flew that long that routinely they shut an engine down in order to top up oil for the throttle dash pots ( or something like that ). To save the starters and have a bit of fun, they would dive to the sea, side slip, get the prop turning and then put the fuel in !! One night the starter would not work, so out came the manual starting handle...that's when I learnt it was a 2 man job !! Very difficult to get the flywheel up to speed and barely turned the engine when clutched....but it freed the starter so we were OK. Only did it once, but you could start with 2 ropes. One bagged onto the top prop tip, to get the engine turning, and the second wrapped around the prop boss, like a windlass, to keep it turning...with lots of bodies running on this rope. About 1400 hours and about a dozen engine failures. Your ears became tuned to the engine note and vibration...very easy to doze off at night...and recognise a particular cough, like someone clearing their throats, telling you of a problem.

"The engine(s) will talk to you if you listen to them" - words of wisdom!

Such a beautiful machine that roars to life and sounds oh so sweet!!! Gotta love old classic powered machines, steam engines, radial engines..heck even old muscle cars. love my 73 firebird. cliche but, they sure dont make'em like they used to.

Nice vid. Never used a power cart on our C-117s back in the '70s. All of us 'enlisted types' had credentials to start & taxi our 117's - a lot of us actually flew them, including right seat takeoffs and landings!

Listen and feel. Most anything mechanical will let you know.

In my outfit in the Navy, we had 2 C-47's. We never turned the props through or pre-oiled, but we did use external power to start them always. Our APU was a gas-powered engine hooked to a 28VDC generator. It spun the props through pretty fast.

Great video on one of my favorite airplanes. Thanks for the excellent video explaining the start up of this classic beauty.

great video!...always pre oil...I had a friend that would not pre oil his r1820 in a T28. it repaid him with a master rod bearing failure at 5000 ft.

That smoke.. we used to call ours 'mosquito abatement' to that machine.. LOL thanks for the video and the memories..

Nice video! Now all we need is one on how to start the DC-3 cabin heater!!! That's probably more involved than starting the engines... :-) :-) :-)

I love seeing this DC-3 I work at turbine solutions so I get to see it everyday

Such a beautiful aircraft! Thanks for sharing this video! Very interesting!

Awesome! Interesting tips about the voltage and being able to run the stater for longer due to the increased capacity. Never even crossed my mind to beef up the battery capacity for extended cranking, even though we learnt about electrical principles in high school physics 11/12. Useful tip for where I fly up in Canada, we some cold days during winter where it can take a few extra cranks to get going first thing in the morning.

Nice job. I`m lucky to have flown in one from ORD to MKE at least once. Think it was Piedmont Airlines. Smooth flying airplane. Tail draggers rule. (owned and flew 3 of `em for about 1300hrs.)

I learn a lot from this video for my future checkride 🤣

So well explained. Greetings from Finland.

Great video, even better aircraft.

I always wanted to get a DC-3 type rating. An Lake Central Airline DC-3 was the first airplane flight into Chicago Midway in 1955. I've been hooked on the DC-3 ever since.

that was a nice treat, thank you so much.

Pulling the Props through - I have never seen that ever in the years I was flying DC-3's in our Airlines (1,600 hours) & have never seen hydraulic lock. Had a chuckle about the Electric Boost Pumps, I only flew one Aircraft with Pratt's that had them - all the rest of my hours were on Cyclone Engines (Which BTW the Company bought for $20 just after the War). We had a Wobble Pump behind the Captains seat which was my job to work. We told the Hostie that lever was to retract the Tail Wheel. :o)

Thank you for such a great insight, I’m sorry if I missed it if you don’t pull the engine through, do you drop the spark plugs out of the lower cylinders o drain the oil?

The good old 1830-92 and -94 good ones on the Super 3's 1820's I love the smell of AVGAS....😎👍

My Dad overhauled the carburetors on these beasts in Miami for years (Precision Air Inc) They were the workhorses flying cargo, people, drugs, even as mosquito control planes in the Keys. Radial engines sound awesome

Interesting, but did not see the oil pressure meter come up

Fascinating - does a ground crew guy disconnect the battery cart plug that’s hooked into the underside of the plane when you are about to taxi and fly?

Wow Russ, great video! Alway wanted to get into the front office of the ole DC3 and see how they did the start procedure. Keep up the good work and training programs.

seriously cool plane - i flew in one of these from Joburg to Nelspruit about 20 years ago!

If you were actually going flying, how would you disconnect the battery cart? Would you set the park brake or put it into PARK on the PRNDL?

I always pull props through counterclocwise six blades before starting...nev had hydro-lock. Also went to 50 inches on take off (R 2000 7m 2. To pattern altutude before meto. Only had one cracked cylinder in thousands of hrs flying.on 7 m2 its usually #1 Big radials,have to letem warm up to temp first...

It's a beautiful thing.

One day I'll get to fly a DC-3, subscribed

That flyover at the end. Awesome!!

Great video!

Seen one on Canada on ski's.We loaded a half ton pickup in it among other things.😃

most beautiful plane ever built.

Hey Dan I was the kid that was really interested in planes at the airshow in GA.

Can the DC 3 engines reverse pitch for breaking on landing like a turbo prop. ?

Great airplane. I had my first flight on it in 1947, flew from Karachi to Bombay with a stopover at Ahmedabad. The airline was Orient Airways.

While flying we always had to check for a fine stream of smoke, trailing out of the engine. Such would indicate a "blown stack"...a precursor to an eventual engine shut down.

The real purpose of turning propeller by hand is to check that there is no hydraulic lock on lower cylinders.

awsome gold seal flight training

Nice. Thank you.

First aircraft I ever flew in. Still remember the curtain that separated the cockpit from the cabin area.

I've worked around a lot of Radial Engines - primarily the PW R-2800 on the old USAF C-118. I worked all of the Instrumentation on that airplane. I always saw the ground crew "pulling" the props through (slowly) which would cause the lower cylinder's valves to "open" and release any trapped oil, if there was in fact any oil in that cylinder.Not being an "engine man," I'm not sure if a radial that is "just started," that the motion of the prop would be "so fast" as to cause a hydraulic lock and bend a rod. (not allowing any trapped "thick oil" to drain first.)Hey, move the prop a little - valves will open, and any "trapped oil" will drain out an open value. Couldn't be simpler, that is unless someone left a mag switch in the "On" position. There is always the chance that "Murphy's Law" will be in effect.

Flew a Lockheed Loadstar Wright Cyclone engines faster than a DC-3. From Calgary to Lax. via Seatac.

N143d. I see y'all fly over Griffin sometimes.

They should upgrade to these old workhorses with turboprop engines and glass cockpits. Maybe a pressurized cabin too.

Awww... I was hoping for better sound of the engines. Nice to see the plane & cockpit, though. And nice shot at the end. Thanks.

Thank You' ⛅ Safe Flying Always👍🇺🇸

...and the Lindbergh Special is ready to fly

Qué belleza de avión

Why do you have to turn the avionics off before you start an engine? Maybe so all volts/amps are available to engine?

Why do you put mixture on first then mags on.

So when he says, move the starter switch to the on position, is it spring loaded to return to off? Or does it stay on until you move it to off? Thanks

In fact, engine 2 is started first and engine 1 second. That's normal for a DC-3/C-47, cos the cargo/entrance door is at the engine 1 side. In this case it was easier to get the last people in, while engine 2 on the other side was already running.

Thanks for an entertaining and instructive video .. ;;☆》

Just wonderin back in the day when this plane was used ALOT, did they. use those secrets at airports? Did they have a power cart?

will the external power charge the main ship battery? or only engine gen?

I don't even have a pilots license or know what I am doing here, but at least I now know how to start a 1930s transport.

Great aircraft the 1st time I ever flew was on a DC3 I even remember the call numbers it was CWIC

Got some smoke in my eye during that last shot.

It would have been nice if you showed the switches you are turning moving and flipping instead of just filming you guys talking. As far as hydraulic lock being an old wives tale I believe you may be the only one who believes that. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia: Radial and inverted engines[edit] Hydrolock is common on radial and inverted engines (cylinders pointing downwards) when the engine sits for a long period. Engine oil seeps down under gravity into the cylinder through various means (through the rings, valve guides, etc.) and can fill a cylinder with enough oil to hydrolock it. The seepage effect can be observed by the blue-white smoke commonly seen when a radial engine starts up. In order to prevent engine damage, it is universal practice for the ground crew or pilot to check for hydrolock during pre-flight inspection of the aircraft, typically by hand-cranking the propeller for several turns to make sure the crankshaft cycles normally through all cylinders. Nice old airplane. I'd hate to see you distroy your engines.

Yeha.i been in one of these owned by feildair in nz sowing fertilizer. Only had two seats. And a five tonne hopper

I flue in a DC 3 form Fargo ND to Omaha NE 1966 . Great old bird.

Thats one high tech ground power unit

Is this DC-3 coming over to Europe in June ?

"Amperage" does not exist. There is voltage and current. The unit of current is amperes (amps). Technical people should always try to use the correct terms when explaining things to the uninitiated.

Why when the engine starts does it not sound like the ones in the movies? With the distinctive starter sound?

The use of a power cart is not a secret. I now a real secret to start a R-1830-92 engine that refuses to start in the ordinary way: 1- forget the manual. 2- prime the engine until the fuel begins to drop at the engine fuel drain. 3- push the power level to maximum power position. 4 - pull the airplane stick against your chest (or use the safety belt to tie the stick back). 5- Start the engine (don't forget to turn on the starter vibrator if exists one). 6- At the moment the engine starts, pull immediately the power level to about 1500 rpm position. :-) Sorry guys for my bad english. :-(

What engines are on the DC3? LOVE THIS!!

I would believe how many volts and amps you have hooked up if you you told me.

Is this the same one as they Used in the movie BAND OF BROTHERS?

Gotta disagree with your #1 secret Dan. We ALWAYS pull the prop through by hand to check for hydraulic lock. As you state, you can feel it. Believe me, without doing that the very powerful starter motor will just persist and may cause VERY serious internal damage to the plane. For comparison, my Mack B61 had an air starter rated at 25HP and that's just for a 6 cyl diesel engine.

Even though those two six volt batteries are pretty good size and I'd have to make some modifications to the Dodge, it would still be worth while if, like he says, you can't run those batteries down. I've never seen any battery that won't eventually go dead if drained long enough.

so how much oil does one engine go through ( in quarts) per 100 miles?

Come and fly The DC 3 OVER MY HOUSE AND WAKE ME UP!!

Still not shure if I got the idea how to get that ship turning its props, but will be able to describe the faces with unparalleled accuracy for years.

Dan what are doing over here?

Believe me, you can have enough voltage and amperage to burn those starters up. Try about 10 12 V batteries in series. ;-). They'll last a few seconds. What he meant was PROPER specified voltage, and enough current supply to keep that voltage near that specd. That's what happens when you get pilots talking about electricity. Alright, mixtures on, mags....nada, smirk, eventually...WOO HOO. LOL

So the boost pump just an electric fuel pump, like Piper. So does the DC-3 have an engine primer...

I did not see any oil pressure rise!

Takes a lot to start these radial engines - not just a start key in the ignition.

So do the cylinders have drains to avoid locks?

What would it cost to get typed rated on your Dc3. Already commercial multi rated...

Your not qualified until you are able to start'em in northern Wisconsin in January after an overnight on the ramp !!!! A little gasoline in the oil helps. :)

What's the small door for on the left by the propeller?

What type of fuel does a DC3 use?

I'm typed in the DC3 about 2000 hours........what an airplane! We did 6 blades, then mags on. We didn't spin the engine ...6 blades, then eyes to the oil pressure gauge.