Cockpit Shot of the Herpa DC-3 with Dan Gryder

This is a regular blog post. Please check out the other entries if you’re looking for show notes or links to show audio.

Got a great picture from Dan Gryder last night of the cockpit of the Herpa DC-3. Not sure what kind of lens was used, but it captures the whole cockpit beautifully. Just look at that! And, what, 17 feet off the ground? Enough to make a 172 jockey drool on his kneeboard.

(I’m assuming that it’s the lens and that Dan doesn’t have a Popeye left forearm and a Tyrannosaurus Rex right arm – unless his left arm is overdeveloped from helping left-seat students manipulate the center-console controls. We all know that Dan is darned generous with the left seat and spends most of the time in the aircraft in the right seat.)

I put in this week for the first training group in May and am hoping to get in for one of the two groups that Dan thinks will come through in May. Of course, he’s an airline pilot and does lots of other things, so the schedule won’t firm up until Dan gets his airline schedule for the appropriate parts of May. But I’ll be sure to update you guys when I get the schedule locked down.

Remember that you, too, can become type-rated in the DC-3. And might even have the experience of flying with Capt Force and getting on the podcast episode(s) about it. Such as that experience might be. (I’m more into the idea of flying with Capt Gryder myself . . .). Dan's contact information follows.

The AV NET
147 Sky Harbor Way
Griffin, Ga 30223
678-688-7069
Email: contact@TheAviatorNetwork.com
Website: www.TheAviatorNetwork.com
Training: http://www.thedc-3network.com/training.htm

I also put in my order with a US dealer for my very own 1:200 scale Herpa model of the Herpa DC-3. Many thanks to Herpa for helping Dan get the aircraft out to events like Sun 'N Fun and for providing great ways for guys like me to connect with the golden age of commercial aviation. Check out the full line of Herpa aviation products here.

Depending on the timing, I may also try to get over to see the distributor of the Sky Arrow 600 for the eastern US while I’m down in Georgia and take a test flight. They’re located near Atlanta, so I’m going to go see them if I can swing it.

Sun 'N Fun Update for April 8, 2008 - DC-3 Pilot Dan Gryder Reports In!

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We’re crazy lucky to have as our ad hoc correspondent at Sun ‘N Fun in Lakeland, Florida Dan Gryder, captain of the Herpa DC-3, banjomeister extraordinaire, and great guy. We called Dan earlier today and actually caught him in the air. Once he landed, we hooked up for this interview and discussion about the events so far at Sun ‘N Fun.

If you’re interested in flying the DC-3 (or, like me, going for a type rating in the aircraft) or want to book Dan and the Herpa DC-3 for your event, please call Dan’s office at 678-688-7069
or e mail DC-3@earthlink.net.

Herpa builds the world's finest die cast miniature models and has again sponsored the Herpa DC-3 for 2008. Herpa has also funded flight operations at 2008 Sun n Fun. Visit the Herpa web site at http://www.herpa.de/.

Thanks, Herpa, for sponsoring such a gorgeous aircraft and amazing pilot.

DC-3 Performance and Type Ratings with Dan Gryder

Subscribe to Airspeed through iTunes or your favorite other podcatcher. Or listen online right here by clicking: http://media.libsyn.com/media/airspeed/AirspeedGryder.mp3. It's all free!

64 feet long. 95 feet wingtip to wingtip. 17 feet tall at the tail. 18,300 lbs. empty and more than 25,000 lbs. max gross. Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-series engines generating 1,200 horsepower each. Manufactured in 1937. A gorgeous airliner and an unmistakable emissary from the golden age of aviation.

It’s a Douglas DC-3 and, unless you count the C-47 Skytrain, there’s nothing else like it. Few of these workhorses of the cargo and passenger operations of the 1940s remain. But you can fly one. In fact, you can get a type rating in one. That’s right. A type rating in an airliner.

Dan Gryder is a 757 and 767 pilot for a major airline. He has more than 11,000 flight hours and type ratings in numerous large aircraft. He’s been a flight instructor for more than 25 years and is a CFI, CFII, MEI , ATP GOLD SEAL and AGI. But the most interesting thing about Dan is that he’s the pilot of the Herpa Miniature Models DC-3.

No, the DC-3 that he flies isn’t a model, unless you count 1:1 scale as a model. But it’s painted in the Herpa livery and you can get a darned fine smaller version from Herpa.

And, even cooler, Dan will move over to the right seat and train you to fly this icon of American aviation.

To say that we were intrigued would be an understatement. So we called Dan and asked him to join us here on Airspeed to talk about the DC-3, where you can see it at airshows, and how one goes about getting a type rating in the aircraft. We caught him late at night after he had spent most of the day out in the Three with several students.

[Interview audio.]

Contact Dan:

The DC-3 NET
147 Sky Harbor Way
Griffin, Ga 30223
678-688-7069
Email: contact@TheDC-3Network.com
Website: www.TheDC-3Network.com
Training Page: http://www.thedc-3network.com/training.htm

Contact Herpa:

Herpa Miniaturmodelle GmbH
Leonrodstreet 46-47
90599 Dietenhofen
GERMANY
+49(0)9824/951-00
www.herpa.de

Herpa Miniaturmodelle Douglas DC-3 (http://www.herpa.de/collect/(S(taauqr55koxb1k45tf5jmd45))/detail.aspx?ProductID=513470&lang=en-GB&express=1&thumb=1)

the image that leads this entry is used by permission.