Somewhere a “Gooney Bird” Flies:

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Sixty-two years after being assembled by Douglas Aircraft, a twin-engine C-47 “Gooney Bird” transport aircraft is still putting in a good day’s work at Hurlburt Field, Fla. At Hurlburt, the 6th Special Operations Squadron uses it to train air commandos for deployments as advisers to air forces in developing countries—many of which still fly the World War II-era C-47. It was produced in scores of variants, one of which was the AC-97 gunship, known in the Vietnam War as “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Lt. Col. Al Phillips, a Hurlburt pilot, told the Associated Press, “It’s a very challenging airplane.” But, he addes, “I love flying it.”

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org