Anyone know about vintage DC-3 aircraft in the Bay Area?
I am out on the bay kitesurfing most afternoons, just north of the San Mateo Bridge, directly under the landing path for runways 28 L/R. So do a lot of plane watching while out on the water riding around.
Yesterday was the third time I've seen a DC-3 flying from West to East, directly across the landing path - headed towards San Leandro area. Probably about 2k AGL.
1) What a beautiful plane, I'm just intrigued whoes it is? I know that Otis Spunkmeyer used to do air tours of the bay area in DC-3 aircraft, are they still doing this? There is also a very wealthy man named James Gabbert from Sausalito who owns a DC-3, maybe it is based here?
2) My brother is a pilot and I've been up with him a lot flying around the bay area. I'm mystifyed as to how this DC-3 is given ATC permission to transit across such a regulated sector of airspace, basically the ILS glidscope for SFO heavys? We often will fly from KOAK to Half Moon Bay - but transit over the golden gate and then down the cost. I once asked my brother, "Why not just fly striaght back to Oakland?" and he justlaughed saying there was no way you would get ATC clearance to fly across this area.
3) This was roughly between 4-5pm yesterday PST (Aug 22), maybe 3:30-4pm - how best to find archives of the audio? NORCAL approach, Oakland Center? KSFO Tower? Hope someone can find this recording to shed light on the mystery DC-3!
