Photo ID: AC294346 N32MS C-53C

[flieger83]

To all:

The photo identified above, titled "N32MS over Red Mountain In Mesa AZ"
is a PhotoShopped fake.

I don't know the mountains in the background, but I was the photo plane pilot flying a Cessna 210 with the photographer in the right seat and no door. The C-53C was flown by my employer, Mr. Bob Reid, the owner of Royal Aviation at Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona.

I was later the copilot for the delivery flight from Falcon Field to Eindhoven, and then to Gilze Rijen Airbase in Holland. That was in July 1997. The aircraft was delivered to Mr. Jan Driessen, the owner and founder of the "Wings of Liberation" museum in Best, Holland.

A little "trivia" about N32MS. It came off the line in Long Beach on October 14, 1942, one of 12 DC-3A's destined for Northwest Airlines. The USAAF took possession of all 12 and classified them as C-53C's. This particular aircraft flew at Normandy during the D-Day invasion, as well as during Operation Market Garden in Holland. We had the complete flight logs/records from the day it came off production. This was why it was so desired by Mr. Driessen.

The UA is for University of Arizona (Bob Reid's alma mater) and the "D" on the tail is for Mr. Driessen. The serial number on the tail is Mr. Driessen's birthdate.

Steve Wood