Flying in a C-47 - today.
First and foremost, this is Alan Shapiro and I inside a C-47 in Cape May, NJ, in early September 2026. Alan flew a C-47 during the war. It was a tremendous honor to spend a little time with him like this.
So...there is an organization in Beaver Falls, PA, called the Air Heritage Museum and Aircraft Restoration Facility. Air Heritage Aviation Museum – Museum and Aircraft Restoration Facility
I've been wanting to visit the museum to see what they had and see what it was all about since I moved to Pittsburgh a couple years ago. I finally went there in late August and joined the museum as one of their many members and volunteers. A couple weeks later I showed up to put in some volunteer time, ready to do any menial task or manual chore just to help out.
As fate would have it, their C-47, Luck of the Irish, was requested on short notice to fly to and be in an airshow in Cape May, NJ, at an old WWII Naval Air Station (NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum). Due to the short notice, and it being Labor Day, "Lottie," the plane's nickname, needed crew. One of Lottie's mechanics, and a master aviator otherwise, spent some time with me and then asked me if I'd like to be on the crew for that weekend! "Uhhh....yes!!!!!" After we got the pilot's approval, I was in!
The following day we reported early to get Lottie ready and off we went! I was like a kid in a candy store the whole time! It made no difference to me what they wanted me to do - or not do - and I was perfectly happy helping load and unload the plane and doing the all the grunt work they needed! It was a banner weekend and a heck of dive back into aviation circles for me - and I loved it, every minute.
I've flown in a C-47 before, Hairless Joe, but only as a passenger and it was a short flight. Flying in Lottie for a while was fun as well as a moving experience. It was fun because Lottie flies low and you can enjoy the scenery. She also bounces around a bit from time to time, but not too much, and I love that kind of stuff. You can feel a plane like this fly, even in the belly of the cargo area, and unlike commercial airliners there's not much between you and the sky around the plane.
It was a moving experience because Lottie is an actual WWII warbird and veteran of the Bulge and Operation Varsity. This very aircraft, among other things, dropped desperately needed supplies to our units on the ground in Bastogne on December 24 and 26, 1944. That was not lost on me, nor were the other missions Lottie was a part of. I've studied this stuff a lot and I've loved military aviation since I was a boy and, obviously, the war's warbirds are one of my passions. However, when you are flying in a plane like this and have time to think about, to feel it, it's an experience way beyond study and infatuation.
I also tried to channel Joe Feola - see his wartime history here if you have not already. I wanted to get to know the plane as much as possible and feel what she was like so I could further talk to Joe's kids about it when I had the chance. Fate smiled on me again as Joe Jr. held a Labor Day dinner at his house, with his brothers and others, and I was able to regale them with what it was like to spend time in and with the plane. I told them as much as I could about what it must have been like for Joe and this follow-up to his history was very well received and a delight to talk about.
As a paratrooper, I had to imagine myself jumping out of the aircraft as so many did during the war. The noise, the ride, the seats, the surprising roominess, and so on...I tried to feel it, to go back in time and place to what that must have been like. I then thought hard about what must have been going through every paratrooper's mind as they were sitting there, waiting for the light, waiting to go. We can all read about this stuff, and study it, and watch videos and listen to oral histories, but we'll never know what it was actually like. However, I'll try to get close to that every chance I get, and I encourage you to do the same. With Lottie, it wasn't too much of a stretch.
At airshows, Lottie is on static display, meaning that she sits on the tarmac instead of flying in and during the show. I became a huge fan of this because anyone can go in Lottie. She's a big girl and loves the attention. The museum, and Lottie's crews, to their credit, highly encourage this. I was fortunate enough to get to work this part of Lottie's show, meaning that I stood in the door and welcomed people on board as they climbed in. Part of that work is talking about the plane a little bit, and the war, and answering questions. Public thanks to Naomi, John, and Bill for allowing me to do that.
It was great weekend. I can forever say that I helped crew this plane...
...and I did it again a couple weeks later!
I worked Lottie's door for most of the day in Lancaster and we were very busy! Hundreds of people walked through and spent time with Lottie. I especially enjoyed helping all the kids know about what they were experiencing and, refreshingly, a lot of them had some really good questions.
Alas, this airshow too came to an end we - the whole crew - were exhausted. It takes a lot of work to pull off a successful mission with a bird like this, even now. But being tired afterward does not take away from the enjoyment of being a part of something that is very special, every time.
Lottie and her home museum do not receive any money from any organization or entity. Nobody at the museum gets paid. The work done on Lottie is all done by volunteers, the whole crew is made up of volunteers, and Lottie flies on donations, small museum membership dues, and proceeds from merchandise sales. My point here is that other warbirds (and airshow participants/WWII groups) may be operating in a similar manner. Please consider supporting your favorite plane or group in your own way as you are able.
Public thanks to Bill, Jack, Barbi, Carol, and Wanda for making me feel welcome and for letting me help on both these trips. Huge gratitude goes to John and Naomi, Lottie's pilots. John and Naomi are consummate aviators who do this because they love it. The time they give to Lottie and her missions is nearly immeasurable. Plus, for me, both were very gracious as I followed them around like a puppy while trying to help and learn as much as I could about Lottie and what it takes to keep her flying. I'd fly with one or both of them anywhere, anytime, on any aircraft.
As of this writing, late September 2026, airshow season is coming to a close but stay tuned for next year!
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