On August 11th, 2025, at 11:19 local time, a Douglas DC-3, converted and modernized into a Basler BT-67, departed from Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh on its delivery flight to South America to join Mirgor, an Argentine company which will use this aircraft for cargo operations in Argentina, and flights to Antarctica during the South American summer, under an agreement with the Argentine Air Force.

An 82-year-old veteran

This veteran aircraft was built in 1943 as a Douglas C47-A-10-DK and began operating for the US Army Air Force in February 1944 with the registration number 42-108859. A few weeks later, the aircraft joined the Royal Air Force and was re-registered as KG403. In the 1970s, it commenced civilian operations for Canadian and US airlines, carrying the registrations CF-BKP, N107AD, and N700CA.

In July 2013, the DC-3 was acquired by Basler Turbo Conversions, a U.S. company based at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, which retrofits and upgrades Douglas DC-3/Douglas C-47 aircraft using state-of-the-art equipment, transforming them into Basler BT-67 aircraft.

Basler BT-67

As they mention on their social media, “Basler Turbo Conversions takes the legendary DC-3 and puts it through the industry’s most extensive remanufacturing process. Built into each airframe is the sum of our knowledge and our proprietary processes, along with state-of-the-art components, world-class Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R engines and Hartzell propellers.

The BT-67 modernization includes a complete airframe overhaul, aerodynamic improvements, structural modifications that increase strength and improve performance, and new systems that improve reliability.”

Prior to its arrival in Argentina, the Basler BT-67 with serial number 12438, performed several test flights during June 2025 and July 2025, as you can see in our database. These flights were carried out with the US registry N700CA, which it had held since 1992 when it began operating for Champlain Enterprises Inc, a company based in Plattsburgh, New York.

The start of the journey

The long delivery flight of the Basler BT-67, currently registered with the Argentine registration LV-VYL, started on August 11th with the first leg, Oshkosh (OSH/KOSH) – Fort Lauderdale (FLL/KFLL). This 2,154-kilometer journey was the longest of the delivery flight, which lasted about seven hours. It landed at FLL at 19:13 local time.

Following four days in Fort Lauderdale, the aircraft continued its ferry flight to Argentina, taking off from Fort Lauderdale’s Hollywood International Airport on August 15th at 06:37 local time bound for Balboa, one of Panama City’s three airports. That same day, an hour after arriving in the Panamanian capital, it departed for Trujillo, on the Peruvian coast.

Fort Lauderdale to Panama City (Balboa) was a 5 hour and 40 minute flight, and Panama City (Balboa) to Trujillo was over six hours, giving a total flight time of 11 hours and 49 minutes. In terms of distance, the total covered was 3,780 kilometers between the two routes.

Over the next three days, the refurbished Basler BT-67 made one flight per day, operating Trujillo (Perú) – Antofagasta (Chile), Antofagasta (Chile) – Puerto Montt (Chile), and Puerto Montt (Chile) – Río Grande (Argentina) on August 16th, 17th, and 18th, respectively. It flew for over 15 hours and traveled a distance of nearly 5,400 kilometers.

From Oshkosh to Río Grande

The aircraft landed at Rio Grande Airport in Argentina on August 18th at 12:06 local time from Puerto Montt after a 4-hour flight, the shortest trip of the long journey. Oshkosh – Fort Lauderdale – Panama City – Trujillo – Antofagasta – Puerto Montt – Río Grande was the delivery flight, covering approximately 11,280 kilometers and being more than 33 hours of flight time.

According to our database, the BT-67 reached a maximum altitude of 13,000 feet and a speed of approximately 250 knots, 460 kilometers per hour.

Mirgor, the private owner who acquired this aircraft, announced that it will base the Basler BT-67 in the province of Tierra del Fuego, using Río Grande (RGA/SAWE) and Ushuaia (USH/SAWH) as its bases. If operations to Antarctica begin in December, flights will depart from Ushuaia, Argentina’s southernmost airport. The flights would be between Ushuaia and Marambio Base (QAB/SAWB), the Argentine base in Antarctica.

BT-67 operations

In accordance with Basler BT-67 Conversions, several companies in the United States and Canada operate Basler BT-67 aircraft, as do air forces from various countries around the world. In addition, Alfred Wegener Institute, Enterprise Aviation, and Polar Research Institute of China conduct flights from/to Antarctica or the North Pole with these aircraft.

Airtec, Airborne Support, Bell Geospace, and Triangle Aviation have Basler BT-67s based in the United States, headquartered in California (Maryland), Houston (Texas), Houma (Louisiana), and Smithfield (North Carolina), respectively. On the other hand, Cargo North and Kenn Borek Air operate Basler BT-67s in Canada and Spectrum Air Surveys in South Africa.

The Mauritanian Air Force, the Malian Air Force, the Colombian Air Force, the Colombian National Police, the El Salvador Air Force, the Guatemalan Air Force, and the Royal Thai Air Force also operate Basler BT-67s, mainly for personnel and cargo flights.

Basler BT-67s are crucial aircraft for operations in Antarctica and the North Pole, especially for intra-continental logistics and transporting scientists and cargo between research stations and bases. These ski-equipped aircraft have the ability to take off and land in short distances and on remote runways, which are mainly ice.

As we saw with the Basler BT-67 LV-VYL’s delivery flight from Oshkosh to Rio Grande, although it did not utilize its full range, the BT-67 can cover long distances and fly for a long period of time, exceeding 3,500 kilometers with a maximum fuel load and reaching more than eight hours in the air. Such aircraft can carry up to 38 passengers or a maximum cargo load of four tons.

To follow Basler BT-67 and Douglas DC-3 on Flightradar

For the Basler BT-67s, all aircraft were refurbished, as was the LV-VYL, but the table considers its year of manufacture.

Cover photo: © Lucas Gabardo Michalzechen – JetPhotos (Fort Lauderdale, United States)