By Lookout Staff

December 16, 2010 -- You still have a chance to hop on an old DC-3 Friday when Santa Monica celebrates the 75th anniversary of the maiden flight of the aircraft that transformed the city and virtually changed the way America traveled.

Douglas DC-3 aircraft like the one that first took flight from Santa Monica Airport on December 17, 1935 will be on display along with a formal presentation and dedication of a commemorative plaque between noon and 3 p.m. on the southeast transient tie-down area adjacent to the airport administration building.

The DC-3 aircraft “Flabob Express” will be available for flights from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for $250 a piece.

DC-3s being manufactured at Douglas plant in Santa Monica (Image courtesy of Santa Monica Public Library)

The fixed-wing, propeller-driven airplane would help airplanes replace trains as the most efficient and fastest way to travel across the country.

Some six months after its maiden flight, the DC-3 would be used by American to launch passenger service with simultaneous flights from Newark, N.J. and Chicago, Illinois. United, Eastern and TWA would jump on board with American as major airlines ordered 400 DC-3s.

The new craft required only three stops to refuel during eastbound flights across the country that took some 15 hours. Due to prevailing headwinds, westbound trips took an extra two-and-a-half hours.

The U.S. Army Air Corps version played a key role in World War II.

A total of 16,079 DC-3s were built. Today, more than DC-3s are still in use, many for military and civilian operations in underdeveloped countries that have only dirt or grass runways.

Friday's program is a collaborative effort produced by the American Aviation History Society and the Museum of Flying.

To make reservations for a ride on the "Flabob Express" please call 714-549-4818 or log onto www.aahs-online.org. In addition to the display aircraft, there will be exhibits on Douglas aircraft and the history of the Santa Monica Airport.

For more information, call the Museum of Flying message center at 310-398-2500.