How To Take Off And Land A DC-3

[@badguy1481]

I flew the C-47 in Vietnam. In training they never warned us about landing with a trailing cross wind. Many pilots "joined the garden club", as a result, when they ran off the runway during their landing roll out...since the Vietnamese controlled runways were NEVER changed due to prevailing wind direction. The tail of the C-47 is like a big barn door. With a trailing cross wind, the tail causes the rudder pedals to have "reverse command". In other words, normally pushing in the left rudder causes the aircraft to turn left during the landing roll out. With a trailing cross wind, pushing in the left rudder causes the aircraft to turn RIGHT! The ONLY "fix", is to pull the yoke back into your gut and "pedal" the rudder pedals, like a bicycle, so you have a feeling how the rudder pedals are acting under the wind condition experienced just after landing. When that is done...there'll be no problems under ANY crosswind conditions.

[@DSH1092]

Its been awhile since you wrote this comment... just wanted to say thanks for the incredible first hand information. Very cool.

[@marty177]

I love the sound of those engines! Just purring!

[@chickemtruck9500]

AV WEB is the best channel in process of getting my license learning a lot

[@alexmonamochamuch2652]

Amazing, I rode this plane last Saturday, I live in Central Washington and they brought this plane over for our aviation day, it costed $295 to ride it, it lasted an hour but was well worth the $295

[@64jorthom]

What a great bird! It looks to me it goes into the sky by itself! This was a good restoration, it could be from one to ten, ten, What a great job, is to feel proud of it! Thanks for sharing this video, it is awesome!

[@douglasrodrigues332]

A modernized instrument panel on this one. I got to fly a 1943 C-47 That was mostly original with the exception of the radio and transponder. It looked like a relic from out of the past. It even had the original metal fold down bucket seats in back for the skydivers, and no insulation what-so-ever. All it needed to be more original was to have a radio operator in the back with a huge tube radio, a desk, and a telegraph key.

[@bulgingbattery2050]

A very good and reliable aircraft, even by today's standards.

[@joanosteen2642]

As a Pan Am stewardess based in Miami, I worked these--early '50s.

[@ThatDudeWithAGuitar-2k]

Really nice video - I've seen this aircraft in Arlington, WA at the EAA Fly-In. They let me sit in the left seat - was definitely the highlight of the day! Thanks!!

[@mikemcpherson5550]

Different DC 3 but same livery I think.

[@1351mn]

My dad's first Airline job was flying DC-3 for Lake Central Airlines

[@ElPasoJoe1]

Very cool. One of my favorite aircraft...

[@rebjab]

With a crosswind you always land the upwind main mount first and it may require more power on the upwind engine to correct runway .alignment. At least it did in the Navy C-117D in Nam.

[@raymondeaton5692]

Still the most iconic image of an "airplane".

[@dave4shmups]

Great video! It seems so counterintuitive to have to push the yoke forward on takeoff, but it makes sense with the tail wheel.

[@ChileExpatFamily]

I have a lot of time PIC in one of these. I always loved it!

[@marsgal42]

Nice! It's neat seeing an airport I've flown to myself, though I flew there in a Piper Cherokee 140.

[@aaronlopez4645]

It was very nostalgic for me, having come to the U.S in one at 9 years old from Cuba as a political refuge family. My favorite old ✈ DC-3 followed by the Super Connie.

[@AVweb]

I thought I'd try the image stabilization but I won't do it again. Too distracting. Russ Niles

[@AVweb]

GoPro original duct taped to something that stuck out from the underside of the airplane. Russ

[@solomonpilot2510]

WOW ! LOVE IT MY UNCLE FLEW DC 3 FOR ETHIOPIAN AIR LINES !

[@Jolinator]

WHAT A BEAUTY !

[@ElBJosh-zg5kn]

Is it just me or does this lovely lady of the skies engines sound mysterious? Like making you expect the unexpected?

[@triplanelover]

uneventful? wow, I just got a mini checkout in the -3 couple weeks ago; 20k + hours in big stuff never a -3. I was working my stones off. Even hard to taxi. You need to get lots of practice in to "relax" in this one. Very stable and solid flyer though. Rudder is key but how you use it is even more important. Congrats on a beaut!

[@Kickinpony66]

I've read some of the previous comments about the Take-off, and Landing; and I have this question... Wouldn't it be better to have the aircraft take-off from 3-point, rather than push it up on the Mains? (I've watched the AAC video on B-17 flight training, and it recommends you attain flight from the 3-point)

[@olivierwery7336]

Kickinpony.66 from what I know the reason to push a Tail dragger on the mains is to reduce induced drag. And get to speed faster. You also don't risk getting the ame airborne before it's ready to fly. The other thing is that it's a twin engine so you probably want to keep it on the ground unyil you reach vmc.

[@Kickinpony66]

Ok, right on. Makes sense!

[@trudymckim6229]

Kickinpony.66

[@wreckdiver001]

Good video but your camera frame rate ( if you shoot at 30fps shutter should be 1/60, etc.) is incorrect or you have a unit that suffers from :"rolling shutter effect". What camera are you using?

[@AVweb]

Used two cameras. A Sanyo Xacti HD and a GoPro original.

[@ProbableCause-DanGryder]

This video make me want to learn how to fly a DC-3,

[@seabass132003]

Hi, what camera did you use and what mounting to get that outside the airplane shot.

[@capiluis]

This video makes me want to learn how to fly a DC3

[@thammanoonkamfunt5470]

Amazing Aircraft

[@MrGoblin60]

At take off the "instructor" kept saying "Push on the yoke". Is this to get the tail wheel up and the fuselage parallel to the runway surface? Same thing on touchdown and he also said not to use the brakes; why is that?

[@hazmatharry]

MrGoblin60 my best guess is that if you used the brakes without having the tail wheel on the ground, it would tip forward and the propellers would hit the ground.

[@dondidykes9507]

Isn't a Dc 3 the same as a military c47?

[@jackalope501]

Yes. The Douglas DC-3 was mustered into service in 1942, the military variant being the C-47.

[@mikezinn7212]

Known in Britain as the Dakota. Glorious aircraft. Flew in one 10 years ago in Sydney, Australia.

[@terryofford4977]

Yes sometimes called a Dakota.Too. Beautiful aircraft, many still flying in S America.

[@NZfabrock]

You can tell the difference quite easily, the DC3 has a single rear door for passengers while the C47 has a double rear door this was done to aid the loading and unloading of cargo for military service.

[@drifterpilot]

Is it possible to land a DC-3 in a classical three-point taildragger landing stance without bending the airplane? Has anyone ever done it? All the different DC-3 landing techniques (even short field) seem to require a wheel landing on the mains before landing the tail of the airplane.

[@AlexsFlyingClub]

You may find this webpage of interest (three point landings are discussed at various parts of the page): www.douglasdc3.com/dc3throt/dc3throt.htm It's highly discouraged, but it seems that it has been done safely.

[@welshpete12]

+Alex's Flying Club, thank you for posting , fascinating stuff !

[@JohnTaylor-zf3ms]

When I checked out no other training option existed but "wheel" landings. A wheel landing afforded best directional control and earliest braking. Though I didn't see it addressed here the DC-3 could be a dangerous bitch in a strong cross-wind if you didn't stay on top of it; and a 3 pt landing could be disastrous because of reduced directional control at very low speeds. On one occasion in a high x-wind I actually had to stop on the RW, turn directly into the wind, and call for a tug. Memorable airplane, in so many ways.

[@badguy1481]

In the military, we practiced and sometimes used what's called a "tactical" landing. The aircraft is brought down, like an elevator with a very steep angle of descent. At the last minute, power is cut and the aircraft "flared" to the point of "stall". It wasn't the intention to touch all 3 wheels at the same time. It was, of course, intended to limit exposure of the aircraft to ground fire as well as limit the roll out distance (for short runways). But it may have been quite possible all three wheels hit the ground, if not at the same time, within a short amount of time, compared to a normal landing.

[@ΓιοςτουΔία]

Ευχαριστουμε πολυ για την καταχωρηση

[@RoboTekno]

Great video. It must be tough to fly such a huge tail dragger. Seems counter intuitive to pitch forward before final rotation :P

[@badguy1481]

My understanding...the DC-3 was one of the last aircraft, of that size, to be designed without "pilot assist". In other words, the muscles of the pilots are the only things that activate the aircraft control surfaces. But it's an interesting question: Can one take a DC-3 off WITHOUT pushing forward to bring the tail wheel off the ground before pulling back on the yoke to take the aircraft off the ground? I'm guessing, trying to do a 3 point liftoff (if that's even POSSIBLE) would increase the takeoff roll significantly because there's more profile exposed in the forward direction. The aircraft, while still on 3 wheels, might lift off at a lower speed because of the higher angle of attack of the wings...but there would be a problem if one pushed forward on the yoke, to obtain level flight. If the aircraft speed at which that is done is not sufficient, the aircraft could stall, become unstable, and fall back to the runway or ground...a VERY dangerous condition at such a low altitude.

[@phillycheesetake]

How to take-off in a DC-3: Point the plane at the sky. How to land in a DC-3: Point the plane at the ground.

[@billville111]

Philly Cheese Take . . . Not really like that. After the tail comes up you're not ready to fly yet . . . you need more speed

[@badguy1481]

Especially when the aircraft....just sitting there...it's "pointed at the sky". But I get the point. The DC-3 is easy to fly. BUT you have to be a bit more careful with it when taking off and landing than you would need to be with a "normal", non-tail dragging, aircraft. Ground loops and reverse command on the rudder pedals are a real danger under adverse wind conditions.

[@mikemcpherson5550]

@@badguy1481 Reverse command on the rudder? Educate me. Been flying almost 50 years but I missed that. What's the deal? Is it P factor induced yaw?

[@badguy1481]

@@mikemcpherson5550 The PROBLEM: IF you experience a cross wind coming down the runway from the rear (instead of what one would normally experience from the front..because airports normally change the landing runway based on wind direction) the big vertical tail on the DC-3 is like a weather vane. Think about it: The center of gravity is near the center of the aircraft. If you depress the right rudder, on landing, you would expect the aircraft to turn to the right....because the vertical tail control surface..that rotates... moves to the right. But pushing that right rudder presents the vertical control surface more directly into that rear tail wind. This Causes MORE force to be exerted on the control surface. And since that surface is behind the center of gravity..that extra force tends to rotate the aircraft to the left..instead of the right. It may be hard to believe...but it's TRUE. I've experienced it on a C-47 myself. It's VERY alarming when you first experience it if you don't know how to correct for it. And you could very well find yourself running off the runway in the opposite direction from where you THINK you're steering the aircraft. With a quartering tail wind you have reverse command on the rudder. About the ONLY fix to that problem: When the aircraft lands and the tail wheel begins to settle on the ground one needs to pull the yoke back into your stomach...and... "pedal" the rudder pedals, like a bicycle. That way you will KNOW how the rudder pedals will cause the aircraft to respond. No assumptions necessary! It works.

[@mikemcpherson5550]

@@badguy1481 Aaaaaaahaa! A very clear and simple explanation. I can see in a military, or even civilian, unknown, unmanned or unimproved landing area, that old "down wind" landing could definitely bite you. Thank you for that.

[@johnp.3090]

Love that airplane

[@muddrudder2656]

What is yoke?

[@manifestgtr]

how to take off and land a dc-3...is there a better video title ever? I think it took me about a millisecond to click on that after reading it

[@kostaskoukovinis3809]

The simpliest and safer plane ever made .. The less is more !

[@mamainiero]

Were those speedbrakes???

[@mikearakelian6368]

Looks like Mr Dan is the go to guy for DC3 tra...

[@williamleadbetter9686]

what a beautiful aircarft what I wouldn't give to be proficient in a gooney bird

[@theaustralianshooter]

Whats wrong with your camera?

[@johnschneider4160]

Look out!! Tree ahead!!😂

[@joshu6394]

taildraggers must be tricky to fly

[@rrydlo]

nothing. it'S just mounted near the flaps and they are obstructing the view during landing.

[@JackForrest92]

I would probably prefer to fly this to any other aircraft. Hands down.

[@RoboTekno]

I agree :)

[@welshpete12]

From the title . I thought it was instructions on how to take off and land a DC3 . Not just video taken in the air !

[@fritzkatz]

+welshpete12 Do you have a slow ISP? It had a landing and takeoff with instruction NOT just video in the air.

[@maltreatedpony]

It's that ridiculous auto image stabilize that everyone seems to insist on using now

[@fltengi]

No speed brakes on the DC-3. Those were the flaps.

[@davidbarker3618]

fltengi 4

[@kokoeteantigha389]

Someone get him over to Asobo to finetune their DC-3 which lands like an angry, pregnant kestrel stumbling off a rock face.

[@williampollock1274]

How do people get this much money?!😳😲😦

[@proudveteran4696]

high

[@nancychace8619]

Real aviators fly taildraggers! :)