From: Gaye Lyn VAE
Sent: Monday, November 6, 2017 5:06 PM
To: Peter Riool ABCDlist.nl
Subject: Hey, Peter, remember me????
Peter, how are you???? I’m doing very fine. Can’t begin to bring you
up to date. I’m still at it. And after next week will begin putting a
tiny bit less emphasis on my people and more on my a/c.
I’m including below one of your fabulous research emails to me to remind
you what an incredible job you did (and amount of time you spent) on my
behalf. 😀
I bought a 24′ motorhome/RV in April so I could visit my VAE families
and do more research. At this very moment, I am settled into an RV park
in New Jersey (drove solo from New Mexico — am loving the adventure) to
do local digging. And to make a presentation on 15 Nov (next week)
to the New Jersey Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame. This is the VAE research debut — appropriately at
Teterboro airport from which they staged many of their flights! And
where I worked in the ’80s with absolutely no knowledge that my Dad’s
air line flew out from there!!! How’s that????
I hope you are thriving and happy. Just had to be in touch. When I
re-start my aircraft research engines, I’ll print out and scour your
many emails. I’ve been told by someone rather knowledgeable and
excellent researcher that there’s a DC-3 in shallow waters of Bermuda,
there since the 1940’s. He’s of the mind it might be one of OUR
DC-3’s…and has been encouraging me to take a vacation and go see!!!!
Be cheaper, but not nearly as much fun, to hire a scuba diver to go
look! A future chapter.
My very very best to you!
Gaye Lyn
Veterans Air Express & Veterans Air Line
Founder, 1945: Saunie B. Gravely | Current day Researcher: Gaye Lyn
Gravely
Web: www.VeteransAir.org
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On 11/7/2017 3:52 AM, Peter wrote:
Hi Gaye Lyn,
good to see you are still having fun chasing down memory lane.
I already had a quick look (of course) at the possible Veteran DC-3 near
Bermuda but no luck (‘till now that is).
Drive safely.
Peter
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17-3-2018 om 20:21 screen Gaye Lyn:
Peter, hello to you!
If you watch for such things, you’ll see that I was on your website
today. I have really begun in earnest to trace the DC-3 in the photo
with my Dad that you have so graciously put on your website.
And…I have a favor.
You may recall there was some confusion when you first posted the image
as to the tail number/SN of the Gaye Lyn . My more recent digging around
has at least eliminated N88829. Our records show that her certification
date was 23 May 1946. The Gaye Lyn was already in service late
November/early December 1945. Process of elimination makes N86583 the
most likely of our three DC3’s. It was built 7 January 1944 with an RFC
date of 14 September 1945. You’ve listed N86583 with her last known
owner on your website (text in that red box is my notation):
Here’s my favor, Peter… would you be so kind as to change the
information on the listing with Dad’s photo? Your stats above match my
records as well:
Douglas C47A – 75 – DL (Long Beach) Skytrain
Registration: N86583
C/n: 19411
There is a fun fact associated with all of this. This DC-3 was
manufactured in Long Beach California in 1945. I worked in Long Beach in
1992 for Gulfstream Aerospace. I was their first woman aircraft sales
rep. (Shame on them! There should’ve been a woman on the sales team long
before me, but I was honored to have the distinction. I digress…) The
regional sales office was located in their G-4 Completions Center. I
was like a kid in a candy store because I walked the floor of the
completion center every day, on every break and every excuse I could
find. Actually, it was better than a candy store!
Hope all is well, Peter. Lots going on with my research activities, including
for N86583. Please remind me what this abbreviation is [B/U]. Does that
mean Broken Up? Because I have this tiny bit of information ” Rr – B/u
-23Aug76″ in my notes that I believe is associated with YV-144C (Latin
Carga) — the end entry in the above database screen shot for
19411/NC86583. Along with that, I have a notation from Henry Holden
(another of my aviation network) that the aircraft was ” scrapped” but I don’t
know Henry’s source. I’ll double back to him on this. But…I would
sure love to know what boneyard she may be resting in!
On a more personal note, maybe sometime next year, Harry and I will be
coming to The Netherlands. Nothing yet planned or confirmed, but if it
materializes, you’ll be the second one to know in hopes that we can get
our paths to cross….
Which reminds me…by any chance, have you ever heard of this aviation
convention? AIRLINERS INTERNATIONAL. Below’s the link for the 2018
event. I’ve got my fingers crossed that they may invite me to make a
presentation on Veterans Air Express for the show. Now that could be
some audience! www.airlinersinternational.org/
Okay I’ve stolen enough of your time for one day. Thanks for wading
through this!
Look forward to staying in touch.
Gaye Lyn Gravely
Current day Researcher
Saunie Gravely, Founder, 1945
Veterans Air Express & Veterans Air Line
w: VeteransAir.org
——————————————————————————–
On 3/17/2018 1:53 PM, Peter wrote:
Hello Gaye Lyn.
I have changed the info with the picture back to N86583. That was the
first identity with the picture.
As there was always some doubt I kept those files and swapped them back
again.
[B/U] and scrapped have the same meaning: broken up / turned into
beer/coke/soda cans. No chance of finding anything I would think.
Cheers,
Peter