Bittersweet saga:
C-54 Skymaster Spirit of Freedom
​ previously flown by Millardair

Report and photos by Gord McNulty, CAHS Vice President
It’s a story of sadness about the loss of a flagship aircraft turning to hope and optimism with a good match as a replacement.
​
After considering every conceivable option, the New Jersey-based Berlin Airlift Historical Association decided it could not restore its tornado-ravaged Douglas C-54E Skymaster Spirit of Freedom. The aircraft sustained an estimated $300,000-plus US in damage after it was tossed against a hangar when a tornado swept through a regional airport in Walterboro, South Carolina on 13 April 2020.  
Ready to roll.  The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation C-54 at EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, WI, in 2007.
As reported in the May 2020 CAHS e-newsletter, aviation enthusiasts in both Canada and the U.S. are familiar with this impressive aircraft, a prominent attraction at many air shows. In 1978, Toronto-based Millardair acquired the transport, a genuine veteran of the Berlin Airlift, after it was retired from military service. Registered C-GQIB, it was used to ferry auto parts between Toronto and Detroit for the next 12 years and was eventually acquired by the BAHF in 1992.

The BAHF was reluctant to part with the Spirit of Freedom. But the magnitude of the repairs and the length of time it would take to complete the job were too much to overcome. The BAHF Board unanimously decided to seek a replacement C-54 and salvage what spare parts they could.

In what BAHF Founder and President Tim Chopp described as a miracle, the organization found a replacement C-54D, which had been parked on the American Aero Services ramp at New Smyrna Beach, Florida, for years. It’s described as one of only two C-54s in the United States that are still capable of flying.

By October, three of the four engines had been test run. Major progress had been made on the inspection check list. Volunteer workers drove long distances to remove airworthy parts from the damaged C-54 in South Carolina. More than $70,000 had been donated in support funding by year end.

The BAHF hopes to raise a needed balance of $55,000 in its C-54 Spirit of Freedom Road to Recovery fundraising campaign. The non-profit organization earns a significant portion of its revenue from air show appearances which were curtailed by the pandemic. Funds are essential to restore the C-54D to airworthy status, maintain and repaint it, and display it on the air show circuit.

Excellent progress is being made with the C-54D. All four engines are running, and taxi tests are now being conducted, as reported in a BAHF Facebook post.

Tim Chopp is heartened by the tremendous support for the organization throughout the saga. He said the BAHF had never experienced such an encouraging response in the 26 years it had operated the C-54 in commemoration of the Berlin Airlift.

Plans are to paint the “new” C-54 in the same colours and name as the old Spirit of Freedom and possibly have it ready and safe to fly this year. The BAHF plans to apply everything they’ve learned over the years to making the new Spirit of Freedom an ever better flying exhibit. 
Up and away. The C-54 Skymaster “Spirit of Freedom” made an impression at EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, in 2007.
Return to the Historical Articles main page <