- EVAC of Southern California -
Emergency Volunteer Air Corps

It is a pleasure to tell you about our progress on the DC-3 (The Spirit of Santa Monica) Project !

Earlier this year, Jeff Mathieu and Bob Trimborn presented the plane to the Council reviewing the rich history of the DC-3 and the impending Restoration and Monument Project.

The aircraft has experienced an exciting history, since it was manufactured at Douglas Aircraft, here in Santa Monica in 1942. It was used by Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II, traveling the world, including Africa. After the war, it was used as a domestic airliner and eventually owned by David Price, Chairman of the Museum of Flying.

Mr. Price generously donated the plane to our City earlier this summer, along with a donation of $50,000 for its restoration. To the left, you can see the list of volunteers and donors who have come together with great vitality to complete the Project. Our team, lead by Ted Walters & Airport Manager Bob Trimborn, has indeed been a model project of volunteerism! They have donated over 1,000 hours, with no cost to our City.

The original fabric on the wings and tail were replaced with aluminum, the plane has been coated with several coats of paint primer and has been completely repainted. The soil borings have been completed and the structural engineer is calculating the foundations and wind loads, as the plane will be elevated above the new monument. The monument is being designed to reflect the era of the DC-3. Kiosks depicting the history of the Donald Douglas Plant, the history of Santa Monica and the DC-3, will be incorporated into the Monument.