Dates

Event

May 1945

Constructed as a TC-47B-35-DK by Douglas at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.

New construction number, 33359, assigned to the airframe.

26 May 1945

Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 44-77027.
Immediately reassigned to the Navy.

June 1945

Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 99856 as a R4D-7.

June 1945

Transferred to NAS Clinton, OK.

December 1945

Transferred to NAS Norfolk, VA.

January 1946

Transferred to VRS-1.
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June 1946

Transferred to NAS Quonset Point, RI.

February 1947

Transferred to Navy Transport Utility Squadron 4 (VRU-4), Royal Air Force Station Hendon, London, England.

February 1948

Transferred to Navy Transport Squadron 24 (VR-24), Royal Air Force Station Hendon, London, England.
Unit redesignated.

Damaged.
Nosed over in mud while being taxied in London, and both engines had to be changed.

From Circa 1948 to Circa 1949

May have flown in the Berlin Airlift.

14 September 1950

Transferred to USNR Transport Reserve, NAS Glenview, IL.

29 September 1953

Transferred to 5th Naval Depot, NAS Norfolk, VA.

1954

Converted to a R4D-6R.

29 February 1956

Assigned to NAS Litchfield Park, AZ for storage.

To U. S. Navy Department, Washington, DC with new c/r N7091C.

September 1956

To U. S. Navy Department, Washington, DC with new c/r N34.

September 1956

Loaned to Civil Aeronautics Administration, Washington DC.
Loaned to CAA for flight inspection.

1958

Loaned to Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC.
CAA renamed.

1962

Redesignated as TC-47J.

21 July 1966

Struck off Strength/Charge from the United States Navy.

29 August 1966

To Federal Aviation Administration, Oklahoma City, OK keeping c/r N34.
Used for flight inspection.

From 1966 to 1979

Spent most of its time operating out of California.

29 March 1968

Certificate of airworthiness for N34 (DC3C 1830-94, 33359) issued.

From 1980 to 1981

Used for flight inspection training at Oklahoma City.

June 1983

Civil registration, N34, cancelled.
Withdrawn from use.

4 August 1985

To Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC with new c/r N34.
Returned to service. Used by FAA for education and to promote aviation and the FAAs heritage.

25 July 1986

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
Notes: At Dayton, OH

15 March 1987

Photographer: Larry Johnson
Notes: At Lakeland, Florida

2 August 1988

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
Notes: At Oshkosh, WI

Circa 1993

Photographer: Ken Videan
Notes: At EAA Oshkosh.

1995

On behalf of the owner stored with/at Basler Turbo Conversions, Whittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, WI.
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1997

Placed on National Register of Historic Places, as one of only two items which move, the other being cable cars of San Francisco.

2002

Restored.
Reconditioned to participate in the US National Centennial of Flight in 2003.

2007

Participated in the celebration of the Oklahoma State Centennial.

2008

Helped to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the creation of the FAA.

15 April 2010

Photographer: James Eubanks
Notes: Sun-n-Fun. Lakeland FL

15 April 2010

Photographer: James Eubanks
Notes: Sun-n-Fun. Lakeland FL

July 2010

Photographer: Hugh Dodson
Notes: At Oshkosh in 2010

15 February 2014

Last flight of N34, a DC-3 Flight Inspection aircraft. It is leaving its home at the FAA Aeronautical Center at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City on its way to a museum in Amarillo. Its being flown by Mike Ahern and Dean Alexander.

16 February 2014

Ferry flight. Delivered to Texas Air and Space Museum, Amarillo International Airport, Amarillo, TX.
The airframe remains owned by the FAA.
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