Aircraft flies final Hump to Kunming

An aging World War II-era C-47 aircraft, heading for Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, landed at Kunming Changshui International Airport in Kunming, Yunnan province, on Saturday after a commemorative “Hump” flight, widely known as the most dangerous aircraft route in China during World War II.

The plane will be donated by the Flying Tigers Historical Organization to the Flying Tigers Heritage Park in Guilin for permanent display.

The Hump was one of the most important air routes connecting China with allied forces in South Asia. During the war, about 850,000 metric tons of supplies reached China from India via the route, though about 1,500 US planes crashed along the way—ctim to the formidable mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and their fickle, often nasty, weather conditions. Pilots said the huge ridges looked like humps, thus the moniker.

The plane currently has five crew members, including two from the United States and three from Australia. Their average age is above 70 years.

Beginning in Australia on Aug 13, the final flight over the legendary route was pretty smooth until Indonesia, where one of the aircraft’s engines blew out. After six weeks of repairs, the plane took off again and finally made it over the mountains to Kunming on Saturday.(Chinadaily) 

Aircraft flies final Hump to Kunming

An aging World War II-era C-47 aircraft, heading for Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, landed at Kunming Changshui International Airport in Kunming, Yunnan province, on Saturday after a commemorative Hump flight, widely known as the most dangerous aircraft route in China during World War II. The plane will be donated by the Flying Tigers Historical Organization to the Flying Tigers Heritage Park in Guilin for permanent display. The Hump was one of the most important air routes connecting China with allied forces in South Asia. During the war, about 850,000 metric tons of supplies reached China from India via the route, though about 1,500 US planes crashed along the wayctim to the formidable mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and their fickle, often nasty, weather conditions. Pilots said the huge ridges looked like humps, thus the moniker. The plane currently has five crew members, including two from the United States and three from Australia. Their average age is above 70 years. Beginning in Australia on Aug 13, the final flight over the legendary route was pretty smooth until Indonesia, where one of the aircrafts engines blew out. After six weeks of repairs, the plane took off again and finally made it over the mountains to Kunming on Saturday.(Chinadaily)