A historic airplane that has been seen slowly flying along the Lake St. Clair waterfront in recent weeks is mapping the shoreline for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Dave Wheeler, a pilot and manager of business development for Texas-based Airborne Imaging, said the 1942 Douglas DC-3 was contracted by the Army Corps of Engineers to map the shoreline throughout the United States.

"(The mapping) looks for sediment building up and anything that may affect navigation," said Wheeler.

He said the Army Corps conducts the survey every five years, and his company was contracted to map the shoreline of the Great Lakes from 50 yards inland to several hundred yards into the waterway.

The 71-year-old plane, which is painted with Army Air Force markings, was also one of the first to fly using a Global Positioning System, Wheeler said.