New Group Flight Event Series: Air Transport Command during WW II

[Coast]

I am trying to rehab the ATC acronym, and I have recently encountered the ATC or Air Transport Command of WW II from my the research for the upcoming Island in The Sky Group Flight. You may have noticed that I try to come up with a historically interesting theme or core idea when organizing a group flights. So again, I would like to add a series of group flights based on the operations of the ATC during WW II.

The Air Transport Command or ATC personnel were civilian pilots, many from the domestic US airlines who worked for the Army Air Corp during WW II. There is a nice Wikipedia article about the ATC that you can read to get more information. Of special note is the ATC Route Map showing how the ATC flew all over the world delivering much needed supplies and ferrying aircraft for the war effort.

Recently we have added an outstanding freeware C-47 to our respective FSX hangar's (on Storm's SkyDrive) which we will using for the Island in The Sky Group Flight. This FSX aircraft would also be great for group flights about the ATC.

I still don't know which day of week or how often each month these ATC group flights will be scheduled for, but I am working on it. Several aircraft were used by the ATC with the C-47 being one of the most popular and most numerous, especially in the earlier years of the war. Other aircraft used were the C-46, C-54, C-87, and Catalina. While our in-game version of the C-47 is outstanding, freeware, versions of the others are less so. We will probably use the C-47 at the beginning, I will be on the lookout for versions of the other aircraft we can add when the time gets right.

-Coast

[WarHawK]

I think if we can get our hands on some medium quality planes for some different experiences, this would be a great flight idea.

[Coast]

I think if we can get our hands on some medium quality planes for some different experiences, this would be a great flight idea.

Here is a list of the aircraft used by the ATC. There are a couple of excellent FSX aircraft available..

1. Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando --------------- Mediocre FSX freeware available
2. Douglas C-47 Skytrain ------------------------- Excellent FSX freeware available
3. Douglas C-54 Skymaster ---------------------- Mediocre FSX freeware available
4. Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express --------------Cargo variant of the B-24
5. Lockheed C-69 Constellation ------------------ Excellent P3D version
6. Boeing C-75 ------------------------------------ Cargo variant of the Boeing 307/B-17 C

-Coast

UPDATE: 2014-02-08

As of today I have determined the two primary aircraft should be the C-47 and the C-69. The current examples of FSX aircraft for the C-46 and C-54 are not good enough to use. I did not find any example of the C-87, so that aircraft type is not even possible. Finally, I did find the JBK Boeing B307 v1.1 of Simviation which is just adequate (TWA paints were converted to C-75's), and could be used to add a little variety.