Entrants in the Manchester, Conn., Road Race on Thanksgiving Day had plenty of reasons to keep their eyes on the road. But before the field of 15,000 could hit the streets, a Pratt & Whitney-powered aircraft gave runners a reason to look to the sky.
A Douglas C-54E Skymaster - "Spirit of Freedom" - did a flyover before the start of the 4.748-mile race, providing a patriotic sendoff for the 75th running of the event. The cargo plane was one of 330 Skymasters used in the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and 1949, as Allied aircraft airlifted more than 2.3 million tons of food and supplies into West Berlin.
The "Spirit of Freedom" was retired from military service in the 1970s, according to the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation, which owns and operates the C-54E. The foundation acquired the aircraft in 1992, restoring it and creating a museum and memorial inside the aircraft. The "Spirit of Freedom" now makes regular appearances at air shows and events throughout the United States.
The C-54E Skymaster is powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasp engines. The R-2000 was a derivative of the R-1830 Twin Wasp, designed for the Douglas DC-4. Pilot Tim Chopp said the R-2000s are still providing dependable power, more than 60 years after the aircraft first entered service.
Pratt & Whitney is a longtime sponsor of the Manchester Road Race.
View photos of the C-54 Skymaster via the Pratt & Whitney Facebook page.
Coverage:
- Hartford Courant: 'Spirit' Of Berlin Airlift To Help Launch Road Race
- Journal Inquirer: 'Spirit' will be in the air
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