On my recent holiday at Gran Canaria, I didn’t manage to spend much time at the airport but nevertheless I did catch some interesting objects:
At the entry to the Technical Museum in Las Palmas, the forward fuselage of an Iberia DC-9-32 is displayed. Don’t know which ship it is but it doesn’t look like it has been a long time at this site, in very good condition. Hopefully it will be kept that way.
Another view of the DC-9. The only modification appears to be the addition of an Iberia logo on the nose. The museum itself was very good and is recommended – aviation-wise it had a Spanish Air Force F-5 inside, available for visitors to sit in. Also in very good condition.
Further south, near San Agustin at the El Berriel Aero Club, this well known DC-7C is displayed in a terrible condition. It last wore Airtours livery to promote the resort opposite the airfield, but now it just looks sad.
The tail cone has been missing for at least 25 years – this very aircraft could be seen in a Swedish comedy movie in 1980 and didn’t have the tail cone then either! When I last took a photo of it, in 1986, it wore ‘Rothmans’ livery to promote the cigarette brand.
Looks like they painted this one with wall paint, it’s cracked all over the aircraft.
Punctured tyre…
Through the windows and this open exit, parts of the interior could be seen. There appears to be something inside but exactly what I couldn’t see.
The DC-7C itself appears to be the last DC-7 built – former EC-BBT of Spantax but originally delivered to Swissair as HB-IBP in November 1958. It then flew briefly for SAS as SE-CCH between June and September 1962, until being sold to Japan Air Lines as JA6306. Spantax bought it and re-registered it as EC-BBT in August 1965. It was withdrawn from use in 1976.
Here’s a photo of the San Agustin wreck in happier days – at New York-Idlewild in 1959. Photo by Mel Lawrence:
Surely the last built DC-7 – last of the big propliners – deserves a better fate than to rot away at a tourist resort? 🙁
By: Sonnenflieger - 5th May 2005 at 14:36
Could you give me the directions to the museum in Las Palmas ?
Sure, they have a website at http://www.museoelder.org to begin with. The museum itself is situated between the harbour and Santa Catalina Park. You’ll probably won’t have any problems finding it. The website is unnecessarily complicated though, but the intro page has a nice aerial view of the area!
By: seahawk - 5th May 2005 at 14:24
Could you give me the directions to the museum in Las Palmas ?
By: Ren Frew - 5th May 2005 at 13:20
I drove past the DC-7 a few years ago when I was there. A real shame, but I guess there are relics like that all over the world ?
By: dodrums - 5th May 2005 at 11:44
I was in Gran CAnaria a week or so ago, and saw the DC7 from the coach. It’s in much worse condition than I thought :(. The strip at the aero club is used by 2 companies that do tandem skydiving from Cessnas, the jumpers landing on the beach at Playa del Ingles.
The other DC-7C at Las Palmas airport didn’t have a rudder when I saw it.
Ken
By: dodrums - 5th May 2005 at 11:44
I was in Gran CAnaria a week or so ago, and saw the DC7 from the coach. It’s in much worse condition than I thought :(. The strip at the aero club is used by 2 companies that do tandem skydiving from Cessnas, the jumpers landing on the beach at Playa del Ingles.
The other DC-7C at Las Palmas airport didn’t have a rudder when I saw it.
Ken
By: steve rowell - 5th May 2005 at 07:13
Thats a shame the DC7 has been left to deteriorate to such a poor condition, it deserves better
By: steve rowell - 5th May 2005 at 07:13
Thats a shame the DC7 has been left to deteriorate to such a poor condition, it deserves better
By: Sonnenflieger - 5th May 2005 at 00:39
Thanks everyone. Yes, the airfield is still in use. I saw several helicopters and some Cessnas when I was there. There is a DC-7C at Las Palmas airport as well, in considerably better shape and used by the airport authority AENA for training. I saw it parked next to an Air UK F27 which apparently has been donated to the airport for some reason…
By: Sonnenflieger - 5th May 2005 at 00:39
Thanks everyone. Yes, the airfield is still in use. I saw several helicopters and some Cessnas when I was there. There is a DC-7C at Las Palmas airport as well, in considerably better shape and used by the airport authority AENA for training. I saw it parked next to an Air UK F27 which apparently has been donated to the airport for some reason…
By: Bmused55 - 5th May 2005 at 00:18
Nice photos and grand tour Hans.
Shame about the DC-7 The old lady deserves a more gracefull decline.
By: Bmused55 - 5th May 2005 at 00:18
Nice photos and grand tour Hans.
Shame about the DC-7 The old lady deserves a more gracefull decline.
By: EGNM - 5th May 2005 at 00:10
a good posting! I saw the DC7 last in 1999 when it was in Airtours c/s for the new hotel. At one point we looked at buying into the hotel and went on a tour – at the time I was at a stage where I logged everything and the rep even took us on a tour of the landing strip at the side of the hotel so I could log the Cessna’s there!
Is the strip still used?
By: EGNM - 5th May 2005 at 00:10
a good posting! I saw the DC7 last in 1999 when it was in Airtours c/s for the new hotel. At one point we looked at buying into the hotel and went on a tour – at the time I was at a stage where I logged everything and the rep even took us on a tour of the landing strip at the side of the hotel so I could log the Cessna’s there!
Is the strip still used?
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May 4, 2005 at 10:18 pm