"The Hump" was the nickname Allied pilots gave the airlift operation that crossed the Himalayan foothills into China. It was the Air Force's most dangerous airlift route, but it was the only way to supply Chinese forces fighting Japan during World War II. The Japanese also controlled Burma, on India's Eastern border, cutting off the last land route to the Chinese. Aid would have to come by air and American planes would have to come from the West — over the "Roof of the World." It was incredibly dangerous. More than 1,000 men and 600 planes were lost over the 530-mile stretch of rugged terrain. It was dubbed the "Skyway to Hell" and the "Aluminum Trail" due to the number of planes that didn't make it.

The C-46 cargo plane's heavy engines could cause an immediate nosedive. Lack of oxygen could cause pilots to veer off-course and into almost certain death. Once out of fuel, crews would have to bail out with minimal protection, cold weather gear, and nine rounds of a .45-caliber pistol.

The history of the C-46F “China Doll” is typical of post-WWII surplus transport aircraft. “China Doll” was one of the 234 C-46Fs built at the Curtiss plant in Buffalo, NY. She rolled off the assembly line and was accepted in July 1945, with Curtiss Construction No. 22486 and AAF serial No. 44-78663. On Columbus Day 1981, she was flown to Van Nuys airport in California, and then to her permanent home at Camarillo Airport in the spring of 1982.

They were called the American Volunteer Group and later became known as the Flying Tigers. Though only in combat for less than seven months, the group became famous at the time for its ability to inflict serious damage on Japan's better-equipped and larger aircraft fleet. They are credited with shooting down a confirmed 299 Japanese airplanes, and about that many unconfirmed, with losses of only 12 of their own in actual combat, which is a record that's never been broken to this day.

In 1941-42, 311 people were recruited for what was officially called the 1st American Volunteer Group. They flew US-made Curtiss P-40 Warhawks painted with a menacing looking shark-mouth design that eventually became iconic.

These badges were made for American pilots during their flight over the Hump. The Chinese symbols were to inform local villagers of these pilots’ good intentions in helping China defend its land during Japanese invasion, so they would rescue them if they crash landed nearby.