[SEDXC] W4LZU Special Event Station

[Joel Levine]

"1940 Douglas DC-3 Visits Lawrenceville"

Look for Special Event Station W4LZU around 14.265 and 7.260 and 
aeronautical mobile on 2 mtrs during the day.

EAA Chapter 690 at Gwinnett County Airport, Lawrenceville, Georgia will 
host Captain (Ret.) Ron Alexander with his fully restored 1940 Douglas 
DC-3 on Saturday, August 29 from 9 AM to 6 PM.  A classic aircraft from 
the early days of commercial air travel, the Douglas DC-3 re-creates the 
romance of pre-jet air travel. The aircraft played a vital role in 
airline history and was the first airliner to make a profit carrying 
passengers. The technology used on the DC-3, designed in the 1930s, 
remains in use on many modern day airplanes. The visit provides an 
opportunity for aviation enthusiasts, grandparents, parents and kids 
alike to see and ride in this unique aircraft.

In 1991, Capt. Alexander's 1940 DC-3, N139PB, was parked at Tamiami 
Airport in South Florida, for sale.  Alexander, owner of Alexander 
Aeroplane Company, purchased the plane.  The airplane was ferried to its 
new home at the Griffin, Georgia airport where it was completely gutted 
and refurbished by Ron and the Alexander Aeroplane employees. The 
process took almost a year to complete and the plane was then used as a 
promotional tool for his company, flying to airshows throughout the 
country and being placed on display. Hundreds of people enjoyed touring 
the airplane and riding aboard it. A program was developed allowing 
pilots to rent the airplane for a day to receive ground and flight 
instruction. This provided the individuals with a taste of what it was 
like to fly this beautiful airliner.

Alexander first soloed at age 16 and received his Commercial Pilot's 
license at age 18. He served as a pilot in the USAF for 5 years, 
including a 1 year tour in Viet Nam, receiving the Distinguished Flying 
Cross and 2 Air Medals. Upon his return from service he flew for Delta 
Air Lines for 33 years, retiring in 2002. Not one to actually "retire," 
he founded Alexander Aeroplane Company, a provider of aviation supplies, 
and Poly-Fiber Fabric Coatings. In 1996 he founded the SportAir Workshop 
Program now operated by the EAA. Alexander still owns and operates 
Atlanta Aerospace Composites which does composite repairs for regional 
jets and corporate aircraft and the Peach State Aerodrome.

Alexander is busy developing the Candler Field Museum located in 
Williamson, Georgia. The Candler Field Museum will replicate the 
original Atlanta Airport as it existed in the early 1930s, when 
Hartsfield Jackson was called Candler Field.  His DC-3, with more than 
82,000 hours on the airframe, will be an integral part of the museum, 
and will allow visitors to enjoy the increasingly rare sight of an 
airworthy DC-3. Next year, 2010, is the 75th anniversary year of the 
DC-3. It's truly remarkable that an aircraft manufactured almost 70 
years ago is still actively flying in its original configuration. Flight 
reservations may be made through the Chapter web-site, www.eaa690.org.

Joel
WA4HNL
jlevine at bellsouth.net