DC-3 Cruising Altitude Question

[User546]

Back when the DC-2 / DC-3 was used for airline travel, and cargo runs, what was its typical cruising altitude? Of course it would vary upon locale and terrain, but lets just assume somewhere over the flat midwest where mountains and higher obstacles don't typically exist.

Also, was either of these aircraft equipped with an oxygen system from the factory, or was this a supplemental addition? Or, did they not even fly high enough to require one?

Thanks in advance!

 

[LearLove]

Never flown on (did sit in one thanks to the nice guys at Miami Valley in BUF years ago) but from what I can tell by reading Gann's books is that altitudes back then were anywhere from say 2000-3000 agl upto around 10,000 on the east coast and the stuff he flew in the northern atlantic. He talks of flying in upstate NY this time of year that they went lower to get the fresh smell of the "greening" landscape in the plane.

thats all I got.

 

[bafanguy]

In our Part 121 operation ( circe 1968 ), we weren't allowed to go above 8000 feet due to lack of oxygen equipment for the crew/pax.

 

[jarhead]

I had a ride in one as a teenager during high school. That was back in 1958. Military folks at the reserve station at MSP came to the school and offered seniors a chance to have a ride on a DC-3. It was a recruiting effort as I recall. I can still recall that, as it was the first time in my life I had ever been on an airplane. It was about a 45 minute ride.

I do recall that the DC-3 was not pressurized. The one I was on had vents in the windows in the back that could be opened in flight by just pulling a rubber sealed plug out of the center of the window. The DC-3 may have flown higher than 10,000 feet in the military during WWII, but I'm sure all on board would have had oxygen masks on.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

We flew the Three anywhere up to 10,000. Normally between 6 and 10,000.

 

[Headwind]

In the 70's we jumped from DC3's at 15,000. Anyone remember Mr. Douglas? Best I can remember it took about 30 minutes to get to 12,500 or 15,000.

HEADWIND

 

[Donsa320]

I had a ride in one as a teenager during high school. That was back in 1958. Military folks at the reserve station at MSP came to the school and offered seniors a chance to have a ride on a DC-3. It was a recruiting effort as I recall. I can still recall that, as it was the first time in my life I had ever been on an airplane. It was about a 45 minute ride.

I do recall that the DC-3 was not pressurized. The one I was on had vents in the windows in the back that could be opened in flight by just pulling a rubber sealed plug out of the center of the window. The DC-3 may have flown higher than 10,000 feet in the military during WWII, but I'm sure all on board would have had oxygen masks on.

LOL...you were in a C-47, not a DC-3 and those rubber plugs in the windows were not vents....they were holes through which the troops could shoot rifles as a defensive measure. A doubtful effort but that is what they were for.

~DC

 

[pilotyip]

With a single speed supercharger they run out of Man Press around 10K, they will go higher they just really run out of guts.

 

[User546]

...but from what I can tell by reading Gann's books is that altitudes back then were anywhere from say 2000-3000 agl upto around 10,000 on the east coast and the stuff he flew in the northern atlantic. He talks of flying in upstate NY this time of year that they went lower to get the fresh smell of the "greening" landscape in the plane.

I'm currently reading "Fate Is the Hunter" and thats what got me curious about this question. It always seems like they were at 6000-8000 feet, and I had always assumed I guess the DC3 flew a lot higher then that in normal service. And I also never remember seeing or hearing about an O2 system in the airplane.

I knew you guys here would have the answer!

 

[Cat Driver]

We normally flew them between 6 and 8 thousand, depending on lenght of trip etc.

 

[RockyMnt1]

DC-3 in the Jungle

I flew on one (as a pax) in 1971 around the mesa country of Venezuela. We were on the way to view Angel falls. Actually got to see the falls just before the clouds moved in. What a great flight! Noisy and uncomfortable and the pilot had a feather in his cap!! Half the panel dials read zero. Got to go up front to see real granite filled clouds as we maneuvered around the cloud shroudded mesas that inspired Edgar Rice Burroughs. Landed on a dirt strip at a camp (Canima) that someone cleared in the jungle using a bulldozer. Take a look at the movie "Arachnophobia" and you can see what Canima looks like. We then took a 3 day trip up the river with "Jungle Rudy" to the base of the falls. Those were the days.