The Spirit of Santa Monica T-Shirt

Relive the days of yesteryear when the Douglas Aircraft Company was the premier employer in Santa Monica. The first flight of a DC-3 took place on December 17, 1935, at the Santa Monica Airport.Over 9,000 of these planes came off Douglas assembly lines, making it possible for passengers around the world to reach their destinations quickly, safely and at prices they could afford. By the early 1950s, more than 90 percent of worldwide air travel took place on Douglas-built aircraft. When the call to arms came for America with World War II, Donald W. Douglas retooled his assembly lines to produce warplanes. Thousands of A-20 Havocs, C-47s and C-54s took off from the Santa Monica Airport to join the U.S. and Allied Air Forces. Many DC-3 aircraft remain in service throughout the world today.