ODE TO THE LAST OF THE R4D GOONIE BIRDS
by Billy-Ace Penguin Baker
A total of 13 R4Ds were "written off" by AirDevRon Six during
the years that they were used in Antarctica.
The Goonie 99832 which was rebuilt from parts cannibalized from other Goonies,
such as Charlene, crashed and exploded during DF-66 killing the crew of six men.
After this fatal crash, which was in support of a field party, the Goonies were
mostly used for cargo flight and most of these were shuttles to Hallett Station
and back to Mcmurdo. Rickity Rack.
During DF-68, only one of the three remaining Goonies was put into operation.
This aircraft made 25 flights and and flew 86 hours. On 2 December 1967 on a
routine cargo mission to Hallett Stations, this aircraft, made the last flight
of a USN Goonie in Antarctica.
At the end of the year that season when the last of VX-6's three remaining Goony
Birds were being back loaded aboard the USNS Pvt. John R. Towle all hands
cheered and said good bye, and good riddance. But when one of the planes, while
being loaded on the deck of the ship, was dropped and smashed, grown men shed
tears. The wings had been removed from the three aircraft (photo attached) and
during loading BUNO 99853 slipped from the sling and was so badly damaged that
it was abandoned.
Being a true Old Antarctic Explorer of long standing--99853 had arrived on the
ice on 1 October 1957--she did not give up easily, after being dropped from the
sling the aircraft was pushed out on the ice to drift away and sink but was
still plainly visible from McMurdo a year later. After that it was gone.
It is not known how many Douglas DC-3s remain entombed in the Antarctic, but
only one--832--claimed the lives of men. The versatile aircraft was immortalized
in Antarctica by having three geographic locations on the map of Antarctica
named after it:
Dakota Pass, R4D Nunatak, and Skytrain Rise.
References: "Flying The Midnight Sun", by Al Muenchen, 1972.
"Dakotas in the Antarctic", History and Research
Division US NSFA, September 1970.
Well done Good and Faithful Servant.......