Beloved vintage DC-3, the Miss Montana, to fly to the Bahamas carrying donations.

[MontanaMama]

I am in tears I'm just so excited and proud of my fellow Missoulians for doing this. I am headed to Costco today to fill my car with toiletries and food so that I can take part in this mission in my own little way.

Brava Miss Montana!

The Missoula-based Museum of Mountain Flying’s Douglas DC-3 will leave Saturday night to Florida on a hurricane relief mission, with the aim of making flights daily for up to a month to storm-stricken Grand Bahama.

“They got their deposit and bank account this morning, so they’re committed to go, and the airplane’s ready to go,” Dick Komberec of the museum board said Thursday. “I understand they’ll be making two trips a day hauling 40,000 hot meals per trip.”

Miss Montana and crew will be based in Fort Lauderdale, less than 100 miles from the Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport, the largest city in the northernmost island of the Bahamas.

View the entire article here: https://missoulian.com/news/miss-montana-to-fly-to-bahamas/article_b66a89d6-78a9-53f0-8137-6f305441263b.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-2

More about Miss Montana here: https://missmontanatonormandy.com/miss-montana-2/

[Dennis Donovan]

1. What a GORGEOUS Gooney!!!

That (the DC-3 design) is an 84 year old airplane STILL doing the job!!

[MontanaMama]

3. Isn't she something?

Miss Montana is a beauty to be sure.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

18. I flew in one of those once.

They're unpressurized so they have to fly at a lower altitude.

[CatMor]

2. Wonderful ...

it is really something they can deliver 40,000 hot meals per trip. I wonder if that is a typo because it's amazing. There are still so many good people in this country.

[Mopar151]

4. A very cool thing.

DC-3's have vast reserviors of good karma. "Miss Montana" being the "hot lunch lady" of Grand Bahama is just another example.

[MontanaMama]

7. "Hot Lunch Lady"

Oh yes, she is that.

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[GemDigger]

5. Missoula, you rock!

[malaise]

6. Lovely

[Mopar151]

8. Favorite of smugglers!

"Pot Pilot" Robert Eby claimed to be able to crash land one in a 300' field.

"Air America" was rumored to have a modified "wet wing" DC-3, that could fly ~ 17 hours on full tanks. Supposedly, this was the "gold plane" that flew money out of Thailand.

[Dennis Donovan]

9. Reliability is Douglas Commercial #3's middle name!

I had the wonderful experience of flying in one in the early 90's (I soooooo wanted right seat, at least, but was pax only - still, it was a thrill!!).

Legendary aircraft - if aircraft had souls, this one would have the best karma possible.

[MontanaMama]

10. That is fascinating!

What a colorful history the DC-3 has. From WWII to wild land fire fighting. Miss Montana flew spoke jumpers into Mann Gulch 70 years ago. 13 of those fire fighters died on that fateful mission. She flew over Mann Gulch on the anniversary of that mission and dropped 13 wreaths on the site.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. Thanks for posting the video. I just linked to it.

Young Men and Fire. Seventy years ago this week: August 5, 1949, the Mann Gulch fire.

[MontanaMama]

19. Thank you!

Speaking of Norman MacLean...there’s a festival honoring him and his works this weekend in Seeley Lake. Headed there take take it in right now.

[Aristus]

11. I've heard good things about Missoula.

Nice liberal town, I'm told.

My neighbor's son went to college there. I wish some of that had rubbed off on him. (He's a bit of an Ayn Rand worshipper. He's young...)

[MontanaMama]

12. Missoula is quite blue...thank goodness

or I wouldn't be able to handle it. I hope your neighbor's son comes to his senses!

When I read this story in the paper this morning, I broke down and sobbed. Mr. MontanaMama thought I'd lost my marbles. I think I (we reasonable people) are starved for goodness and kindness in our current climate.

[Delmette2.0]

13. Thank you for the links.

It is easier for me to donate gas money than to drive a lot of goods over to Missoula.

[MontanaMama]

15. What a great idea!

I went to Costco yesterday after work and bought a few cases of toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap. I’ll deliver it this morning when the hangar opens at 10am. The cashier at Costco said there’d been quite a few people in purchasing donations. Warms my heart in this time of so much ugliness.

[DFW]

14. I used to fly on those things 25 years ago

They were the mainstay of what was then PBA (Provincetown-Boston-Airline) that made the 20 minute commute between Boston and Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod. One of the planes was called "Old '36," since that was the year it was first put into service. Now it is "Cape Air" and only uses 7 seat Cessnas. Cheaper and cleaner to operate, I'm sure, but about 99% less cool!

[MontanaMama]

16. 99.9% less cool!

[panader0]

20. Best plane ever made.

In '58 when I was 7, I flew with my family from Morocco, where my dad had been
stationed, to Goose Bay, Labrador. The seats ran down the sides with little
buckets. As soon as the plane lifted off the adults spread out a blanket
on the floor and started gambling and drinking. My brother and I slept on the floor in
the back, next to the cargo covered with a net.
Those planes are plain but dependable.