Chill Out In A Cool Old Bonanza - Dairy Queen Style
Friday, April 9, 2010 at 10:15PM 
Hey, after doing all that thinking and drawing to create the Empress 400 Retro Airliner concept, I needed some ice cream, and it was Dairy Queen to the rescue! I really did go have a mint Oreo Blizzard (my fave) from the local store, which has nothing to do really with this pic, but it sure tasted good.
I was at a different Dairy Queen somewhere about a year ago, don't remember where (somewhere in northern Indiana) and they had this late 40’s or early 50’s Beech Bonanza picture hanging on the wall. I thought, wow, you don’t see an old Bonanza with an ice cream cone painted on the side and hanging in a random Dairy Queen every day! So I grabbed a quick pic with my phone and then forgot about it. Today I stumbled across that pic again and decided it was interesting enuf to share. I must say, I’m a sucker for airplanes with interesting advertising on them, especially old ones.
Looks like maybe someone who owned some DQ stores in Arkansas and Louisiana also spent time dragging a V-tail thru the sky. I looked for some additional info on the internet but didn’t find any. It’s not really all that special, but I always enjoy seeing a little slice of the past, especially when airplanes and ice cream are involved!
UPDATE: 12.31.14... 28 sightings now! I think it's really cool that so many people have seen this picture at a DQ and then wind up finding the post here on AirPigz as they chase their curiosity about the image. Keep 'em coming : )
UPDATE: 12.28.13... Just received a comment informing me that this Diary Queen Bonanza pic is also on the wall of a DQ in Wichita KS, just over a mile from the Beechcraft factory! How awesome is that?! It's been very interesting learning of the various locations the pic has been seen, and I love it that people are finding this post when they're looking for info on the airplane pic they've noticed at a DQ : )
UPDATE: 6.9.13... I eventually figured out that I captured the pic in this post at the DQ in Nappanee, Indiana. So, with the comment received today with another one spotted in Alabama, we've learned of at least 7 of those sweet ole Bonanza pix around the country. I'm sure there are many more, hopefully more comments are on the way.
Here's the locations that have reported:
Nappanee, IN
Glen Rose, TX
Carmel, IN
Mukwonago, WI
Branson, MO
Pecos, TX
Semmes, AL
Tampa, FL
Firestone, CO
LaGrange, KY
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
Fairfield, TX
Hiawassee, GA
Ellis, TX
Wichita, KS
Portland, CT
Lynn Haven, FL
Oakville, Ontario Canada
Levelland, TX
Aberdeen, WA
Elenboro, WV
Charlottesville, VA
Thomaston, GA
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Abbortsford, BC Canada
Lindale, TX
Stockbridge, GA
Columbus, GA
Reader Comments (99)
Also on the wall in Lovejoy, georgia
Seen at Westwood mall, Fayetteville, NC
Port Orchard, WA
Saw this V Tail "Bonnie" today at DQ Sedontna, AK......also had great day of fishing! Would like to see full history of this bird....need Serial number to get this. I wonder if it is still a flyer, but with different N#...😎
Add the Morrisville, North Carolina DQ. :-)
Add Orangeville, Ontario.
Pic in Kermit, WV DQ too! Seen it yesterday and decided to research the N number today too!
It's on the wall next to the kitchen window inside of Bonanza on West 71st Street in Indianapolis. The manager told me it came as a part of decorations from corporate picture files
As a friend of mine owns a Bonanza V tail, I was very interested when I saw a picture of this last week which is located in the International Dairy Queen Headquarters building in Edina, MN. The caption underneath states "DQ takes flight. Fort Smith, Ark. 1950's."
Flower Mound TX Dairy Queen. The picture stats the picture was taken at Fort Smith Ark.
This was my great grandfathers plane. His name is written on the side. "Charlie Fite".
On the wall at the DQ in Taylor, TX
There's 1 in Fallon NV as well .
N2965V if it is a 33 is not this airplane . This would be a 1947,48 or 49 V35 . It lacks the 3rd window and has a visually clear plug for the "vertizonal" stabilizer . It also has the square ruddavator counter balance that was retained through the C35 model .
The 33 series Bonanza was manufactured with the traditional tail configuration vs the V tail of the 35 series .
Yep I've spent a lot of time rooting around in the guts of the 35s from the steel carry through spar in the 47 to the 6 place V35B TC . All of their quirks and design shifts like the change from the solid block 3 point connection of the early 35° tail to the single spar 37.5° tail which is responsible for all of the airworthiness directives and the nick name , the forked tail doctor killer .
I found this about it , the list is a PDF of 286 pages
D-270 Built 1947 Type 35
Regd. . . . NC2865V
Regd. . . . N2865V Flying Yardbirds Inc., California (LO60)
Regd. . . . N2865V Flying Yardbirds Inc., Lompoc, California (US64B,A,B,C,D)
{Last inspected 12.56 in ‘US64B’}
cc by 28.6.99, probably by 19.5.79
D-270 is the serial number . I'm not sure of the other notes but December of 1957 is as late , by this record as it would have flown legally . There were a lot of these that wound up at US64 probably a flight school but possibly a scrapper.
I owned a 47 Bonanza (serial #D-62) twice, for a total of 15 years. This is a model 35 (V tail), not a model 33, which has a conventional tail. I saw one of these pics in a Tyler, TX location and did research to get a copy and had it framed. Beautiful piece of art and aviation history! Just acquired a '55 model that's being restored to polished aluminum. Keep 'em flying!
Spotted in Nelson, MO!
Just saw one on the wall
in Columbus Ga.
Add Taylor, TX!
Taylor, TX
The same picture is on the wall in Oakland, Md's Dairy Queen. My husband looked up the N number as well to see if this plane was still around.
Also on the wall in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. My 4 year old son wanted me to find out about this airplane, and this is where we landed!
Here in beautiful steamboat springs co st 6700'
This picture now hanging in my friends basement from our local dairy queen store
There is also one in a DQ in Pinckney MI
The Bonanza picture in the Dairy Queen stores in many locations belonged to my Father, Charles F. Fite. He was a two term president of the national Dairy Queen Association in the 1950’s. The plane then went to my brother, D. Bruce Fite. He would have the history of the plane. dbfite@aol.com.
We have the same picture at our Dairy Queen in Ozark Al. I wonder if she still flys.
Add Bellingham, Washington to the list!
They also have those photo up at the Warrenton, MO DQ
One in Salmon Arm BC canada
The Bandera, Texas DQ has featured this picture for all 31 years I've spending time here.
HWY 57 Champaign, Illinois... also the home of Flight Simulator.
Add Newport News, VA to your list . . .
I originally saw one at the Dairy Queen on highway 271 north of Tyler, TX near the UT Health Center. Absolutely love this picture! I have a polished Bonanza and also owned serial #62 two times over a 20 year period.
This pic is also on the wall at DQ in Cleburne,TX
Saw this pic at a DQ in San Diego in a community called Carmel Mountain Ranch. A search of the "N" number led me to this site.
Spotted this picture in Akron, Ohio at the DQ in Goodyear Hts. Cool picture of that Bonanza! Feb. 2020.
I graduated with Darrel’s son from high school and Tulsa U. Darrell was a gospel soloist in Ft Smith Ark.
There is also this same photo displayed at the DQ in Trinity, TX.
Laguna Niguel, CA Dairy Queen checking in!
Just saw one at DQ in Cuero Texas
Saw this photo in Texas DQ. Was surprised to see my wife's grandfather's name on the plane. (Charles "Charlie" Fite) who helped franchise and establish Intl. DQ. in the 50's and 60's. I think he was president of the Intl. DQ at some point.
This is the DQ equivalent of "Where's Waldo"
Robert Angus Drive, Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Gainesboro, TN
Saw this photo of N2865V Bonanza in DQ Auburn Maine. It’s now registered as a PA 32 in Florida
Crosspointe, VA! (near DC)
What happened to it? That N-number is now on a Piper
Add Saint Charles, Missouri, 1st Capital Rd.
I've seen the same picture in a few DQ's around here. Would love to know the original story. And Yes, I've also looked it up in the FAA database.
Add Henderson Tx, I’m still flying a V tail.
There is a picture of the v tail beech on the wall in Sistersville west virginia
The bonanza picture is on the wall of the Dairy Queen in sistersville wv