The Beach City Baby is a Douglas C-53 Skytrooper built in 1942 which served from 1942 until 1945 in the U.S. Army Air Corps, fighting against the Axis powers of Germany and Italy. It was restored by the nonprofit Vintage Wings Inc. as a flying memorial. Photo courtesy of Vintage Wings Inc.

Over the past five years, Franklin, Venango County, has been home to a World War II troop transport named, Beach City Baby.

Built in 1942, this Douglas C-53 Skytrooper served from 1942 until 1945 in the U.S. Army Air Corps, fighting against the Axis powers of Germany and Italy.

Having served its country during WWII as an actual combat aircraft, the airplane found new life after WWII as an airliner with Scandinavian Airlines and was renamed the Gorm Viking.

By the early 1960s, as jets started to take over most of the flying for the airlines, the older DC-3 type was put up for sale, and ended up back in the United States. It was purchased by the state of Ohio, and converted into a corporate airplane to be used as the governor of Ohio’s official transport.

From 1963 to 1981, the aircraft flew politicians, dignitaries and even the famous astronaut John Glen after his return from the Apollo Missions while he toured his home state of Ohio.

After it was retired in 1981, the aircraft was donated to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, and went through a period of neglect before being sold as surplus and purchased by a private individual in Beach City, Ohio.

The airplane was yet again made airworthy and flown to the small grass airfield where it would sit again abandoned for almost 20 years.

Jason Capra, a pilot and vintage aircraft enthusiast, found this Douglas C-53 Skytrooperbuit in Beach City, Ohio. He and the nonprofit, Vintage Wings Inc., brought the plane back to Franklin, Pa., to restore it and give it a new mission to educate the public on World War II and honor WWII veterans. Photo courtesy of Vintage Wings Inc.

That all changed when it was accidentally found by me, Jason Capra, an airline captain and vintage aircraft pilot, in 2015. With a background in vintage aircraft operations and restoration, I knew I couldn’t let this history die. Working out a deal with the owner, an agreement was made to purchase the aircraft for its restoration and preservation.

A group was formed in 2017 to make the Beach City Baby’s new mission possible. The driving force behind the project is Vintage Wings Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit comprised of supporters, aviation enthusiasts and friends with an aviation backgrounds.

Over the course of the next three years, the team worked religiously two to three days a week making the aircraft safe for flight. In October 2018, the airplane was granted a ferry permit by the Federal Aviation Administration to make on flight from Beach City to Venango County for the restoration to commence.

On Oct. 6, 2018, I and Ian Hengst flew the C-53 for the first time from Ohio to Pennsylvania for its restoration. A large crowd and party awaited its arrival at Franklin.

Two weeks later, the work began on completely rebuilding the C-53 from the ground up. With 20 to 30 volunteers working every weekend, most with aviation and maintenance backgrounds, the WWII veteran aircraft got a full blown restoration back to airworthiness.

After three long years, the C-53 took flight again in May 2022 after being fully restored.

This shows the cockpit of a Douglas C-53 Skytrooper found by airline pilot Jason Capra in Beach City, Ohio. The craft, name Beach City Baby, was restored by Capra and the nonprofit Vintage Wings Inc. Photo courtesy of Vintage Wings Inc.

This is the restored cockpit of the Beach City Baby, a Douglas C-53 Skytrooper built in 1942. The plane served from 1942 until 1945 in the U.S. Army Air Corps, fighting against the Axis powers of Germany and Italy. It was restored by airline pilot Jason Capra and Vintage Wings Inc., a nonprofit with the mission to create a flying memorial to honor World War II veterans. Photo courtesy of Vintage Wings Inc.

Its mission now is to educate the public on the role she played in helping win WWII. A fully restored interior tells of all of her missions in WWII, and commemorates the story of her crew, as well as that of other local WWII veterans.

Beach City Baby offers rides to veterans and fly overs to honor WWII veterans. One is scheduled for the memorial service of Jim Gorman, a financial supporter and member of Vintage Wings Inc. Gorman was WWII veteran who flew a C-53 during his service and was able to ride again a number of times on Beach City Baby.

The aircraft travels the country from May to September every year on weekends attending airshows and other events educating the public. When the aircraft is not flying, it is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays at the Franklin Venango Regional Airport. Admittance is a donation which helps keep the C-53 flying and the mission moving forward.

To learn more, visit www.vintagewingsinc.com or follow them on Facebook under Vintage Wings Inc., a nonprofit historical organization, for more updates and information.

Jason Capra is an airline captain and vintage aircraft pilot who resides in Pittsburgh

Jason Capra pilots the Beach City Baby, a Douglas C-53 Skytrooper bulit in 1942 which served from 1942 until 1945 in the U.S. Army Air Corps, fighting against the Axis powers of Germany and Italy. It was restored by Jason Capra and Vintage Wings Inc., a nonprofit with the mission to create a flying memorial. Photo courtesy of Vintage Wings Inc.