C-47 'Geronimo' (for bmac62) by junge1
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Description
When I spotted this aircraft I reacted like metal shavings do to a magnet, I instantly changed course and headed toward it. While approaching three things went through my mind. a) What is it? b)Is it real? and c) What happened?
Here is its history from the sign seen on the right.
'In late 1942, this C-47DL rolled off the production line of the Douglas Aircraft factory in Long Beach, California. It was destined for Australian shores as part of the USA 5th Air Force and it arrived at Brisbane in January 1943. As is usual with most US war time aircraft, it was given a name, 'Geronimo'.
After service based in Mareeba and Brisbane in 1944, it was to become one of 12 other C-47s to be handed over by the US Air Force to the Commonwealth Government.
After a refit and over haul it was registered UH-AEO and entered service with Australian National Airways in March 1945. It was to fly with ANA for 13 months until handed over to the newly formed Trans Australian Airways. This was TAA's first registered aircraft and flew their inaugural flight between Melbourne and Adelaide in December 1946. As a passenger aircraft it was to last until 1956 when it was refitted for aerial survey work. In 1957 it was passed from TAA to East West Airlines. 'Geronimo' ended its lengthy service with East West in 1976 and it sat at Tamworth, NSW waiting for disposal. Late in 1978, 'Geronimo' was flown to Maitland, NSW for delivery to a DC-3s operator called TRASMAR. This was it's last flight as TRASMAR ceased operation in 1981.
An Australian film crew during 1983 repainted the aircraft in the war time dive drab. 'Geronimo' had a sex change and was now called 'Miss Fortune' and was carrying a film producers telephone number on its tail.
'Miss Fortune' was transported by two semi-trailers to Cairns to take part in a film called 'Sky Pirates'. In the film the pilot, John Hargraves, crashes on the Barrier Reef. After the (film) crash, it was ferried back to Cairns Wharf and was placed in Tonkin Metal Industries scrapyard, Cairns.
After stumbling onto 'Geronimo', now in 50 pieces, Heritage Homestead asked to buy a wing or the nose. Mr. Vic Tonkin kindly donated 'Geronimo' to us to preserve it for prosperity. No sooner said than done, three semi-trailers and two cranes later 'Geronimo' stands as a visual memorial to all those fortunate enough to visit Heritage Market.'
This picture was taken in Kuranda on 15 December 2011,
Sig...
Comments (51)
dbrv6
Great capture and presentation of the plane. What a long history.
jocko500
cool find here
ia-du-lin
cool capture
whaleman
And its life goes on! Very interesting information and photo! Thanks!
midnightmum
Yes wonderful shot I have seen that too.
fallen21
Stunning capture.
vis151
wow............. That is cool!
mariogiannecchini
Great capture and very interesting history!
carlx
Superb find and capture, Sig!!!
sandra46
AMAZING CAPTURE
flavia49
amazing shot and story!!
Jay-el-Jay
A wonderful shot and it is interesting to learn the story behind it.
dragonmuse
Great history. Glad it's demise didn't cost any lives.
debbielove
A great shot! Excellent History to with this Dedication as well.. I am getting a feeling of REAL Deja Vu! I have seen this Aircraft, just like this in a Aircraft magazine of late that I've bought! Weird huh? It was Black and white, where as, yours is colour of course and actually better lol Thanks mate Rob
moochagoo
I would have been mad to see that. Stunning find.
junge1
Well, every aircraft eventually winds up in a salvage yard. Here in Arizona its at Davis-Monthan AFB. I have aerial photography from the 50s that shows acres and acres of B-36s, then a couple of years later the same for B-47s and throughout the years all the aircraft in the US inventory, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Army wound up there. 'Geronimo' was destined for the same in Cairns, and it was nice for the salvage guy to donate it to the Heritage Market in Kuranda. That way all the visitors that go to the markets to buy Aborigine and other souvenirs a have chance to see this aircraft and read about its history. I literally have seen 1000s of C-47s and C-54s during the Berlin Airlift. Us boys were in hog haven and I could tell whether they were coming or departing by the noise they were making. Besides we lived in an approach pattern. I just wonder how many of the visitors to Kuranda had the kind of reaction I had to seeing it.
Briney
Ah-ha, what an interesting image and story! Those "carbon offsets" seem to have gotten in the way a bit though... heaven knows what the "Great Green Fleet" will eventually look like... aircraft flying on bio-fuels... what will be next!!!?
erlandpil
Fantastic capture erland
Bothellite
What a story and great photo. It's shocking to see something where it doesn't belong, on thinks.
danapommet
A wonderful capture Sig and a fantastic story.
Campo-Diaz
Superb!. Interesting history.