Thanks for the link to my pic, Sam. Hopefully I'll be seeing N56V in a couple of weeks!

The Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon, has another DC-3 that is currently registered with the FAA as N56V.

Hi Savanah, are you going to be volunteering on the project? It is sure going to be interesting to watch the progress of the restoration.

Hey cliff731, you are absolutely correct about the Erickson DC-3 being the current N56V. The Piedmont DC-3 was N56V until the early 70's. If you go to this link you will see there have been 3 aircraft carry the N56v registration since 1970. Thanks. http://aviationdb.net/aviationdb/AircraftQuery#SUBMIT

I'm hoping to...! Life's kind of gotten in the way, so I haven't been over to volunteer yet, but I may be doing that later on this year.

Sam Pierce... thanks for your kind words and sharing the photo with us. The scene is very reminiscent of when my brother was working on a P-40N restoration project.

Those three (3) aircraft you mention also show on the FAA site when searching this registration. The Piedmont DC-3 was first registered as N56V on 14 January 1963!

Interesting, because it was taken *out* of service in 1963.

Savannah Ford, that "first registered as N56V on 14 January 1963" was the registration to Charlotte Aircraft Corporation of Charlotte, N.C., which was later cancelled on 01 July 1970. Evidently Charlotte Aircraft Corporation maintained the original Piedmont FAA civil registration N-number of N56V after Piedmont retired this aircraft in 1963 and it was sold to Charlotte Aircraft. This registration is the oldest of the three (3) aircraft assigned this N-number as showing on the FAA site. It makes no mention of the Western Airlines or the Piedmont Airlines registrations and ownership. Please accept my apology if my earlier statement seemed confusing or limited.

Hey, no problem! It actually clicked a little later as to what you said, because indeed, it kept its registration.

Thanks, Savannah, and I appreciate your kind words. Alas, I wish my statement had been phrased a bit more specific regarding the 14 January 1963 FAA registration activity for Charlotte Aircraft Corporation.