MUSKEGON, Mich — The Michigan Flight Museum sent a C47 into the air tonight — a historic airplane flown during both the Korean War and World War 2.
The best part? This flight was a surprise for a Korean War Veteran who is no stranger to the sky. He flew C46 and C47 airplanes 73 years ago.
Today, he got the surprise of a lifetime.
At just 18 years old, William Goryl enlisted in the Air Force.
“I was so happy at 18 to become a flight engineer because I loved that and I loved mechanics,” Goryl said.
Now, at the ripe age of 91, Goryl got to revisit the plane he called home from 1951 to 1955.
“We have on board the aircraft a 91-year-old Korean Veteran who was a crew member on C47s, but also on C46s,” Bush said.
Geoff Bush works with the Michigan Flight Museum as the Flight Coordinator for the C47 airplane.
“Not everybody has the opportunity to fly on these airplanes, much less have a job that involves being on them on a regular basis,” Bush said.
The surprise for Goryl? It wasn't until minutes before the plane took off that he learned he would be a passenger.
“We do rides on the C47 and I happen to have a seat with your name on it,” Bush told Goryl.
Bush tells me that the surprise was a success.
“It was a surprise for him. He thought he was just coming out to tour the airplane, and we revealed to him that he was actually going to sit in a seat and take a ride,” Bush said.
But — what's a C47?
According to Bush, “It was the first aircraft that the airlines could make a profit with because they could put enough people in to offset the cost of flying the missions."
In other words, "It’s older than I am," Bush remarked.
The C47 may be old, but Goryl was — and is — an expert. Just ask him.
“I knew everything about my plane — everything. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t fix,” Goryl said.
Now, The Michigan Flight Museum takes off beyond the grounds of Muskegon Airfield.
“We just load it with fuel and people and go,” Bush said.
Bush added that the amount of airplane tours varies depending on the location, some locations reaching 300 to 400 passengers on any given day.
What makes this so special?
“You get to experience a piece of history that not many people can,” Bush said.
If you want to take a ride in a C47, the Michigan Flight Museum will be coordinating flights out of the Kalamazoo Air Zoo on Saturday, August 24th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information on how to sign up, click here.
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