The groundbreaking for the park will take place at 1:45 p.m. at the Donald Douglas Plaza, Airport Avenue and Donald Douglas Loop South on the south side of Santa Monica Airport. A formation flyover of seven DC3s will take place during the groundbreaking.
After the flyover, the seven DC3s will land at the airport and park near Barker Hangar, the site of the party, and a display of World War II equipment and planes, including the restored DC-3, which has been dubbed “The Spirit of Santa Monica.”
A USO style holiday party in the hangar with entertainment and dancing to a big band, Gregg Elliott orchestra, will get underway at 3 p.m. The program will include comments by actor Cliff Robertson and astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
Seats will be auctioned off on a special sunset flight in “The Rose” a DC-3 aircraft.
David Price of the Museum of Flying donated the DC3 and $50,000 toward the cost of its restoration. The party will also kick off a sponsorship and donation campaign for development of “The Spirit of Santa Monica” Monument Park.
The Spirit of Santa Monica first took flight from Santa Monica in February, 1942. After a short run as a commercial airliner, it served both the Army and Navy in World War II. After the war, it returned to service as an airline and then went into corporate service.
In the last two years, volunteers have spent more than 3000 weekend hours to rebuild, repair, scrape, prime and paint the “Spirit.”
Digital recreation of the DC3 once used by President Eisenhower for MS Flight Simulator by Mark Beaumont mark@paxship.com
