Day 1 Spirit of Douglas Journey Sector 2
Leaving a second home behind and heading south into history
Wheels up. Sector 2.
After months of planning and work from the wider team, today we are wheels up from Dole, France on sector 2 of The Spirit of Douglas’ World Cruiser tour.
A calm and cool day to head out from Spirit’s second home in the AeroPassion hangar in rural France where she has been safely stored alongside 3 other DC3 friends for company. In fact, Francesco’s quiet Dola hangars shelter about a quarter of all the remaining airworthy DC3s in Europe. It must feel like leaving her second home and old friends.
Final preparations complete, she is wheeled out in the early morning. The team is tired, but excited to be off.
Gently lifting off into smooth skies, there are magnificent views to the French Alps to our west. The peaks and snow mesmerising to everyone aboard.
Continuing south at around 12,000ft we enjoy more views down over the Mediterranean to the isles of Corsica, Elba (the site of Napoleon's first exile) and Montecristo. Landed in the historic city of Salerno, the site of a major WWII battle in 1943 which included the extensive use of C-47s skytrains (military version of the DC3). This was part of the American 82nd Airborne operations to strengthen the allied beachhead at Salerno where several were lost to friendly fire. True Italian meal: pizza and seafood. Photo flights tomorrow morning and then late afternoon flight planned to Greece.
It's good to be on the journey.
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