The DC-3 is STILL going strong after all these years.
How many still flying? Let’s see now, I will see if I can remember all 181 of them.
Well, there the ones in Australia: 8 (VH-AES, VH-ABR, VH-AGU, VH-EAE, VH-EAF, VH-MMA, VH-OVM, VH-TMQ)
Bolivia: 1 (CP-2421)
Canada: 24 (C-FBKB, C-FCUE, C-FDTD, C-FGCX, C-FKGL, C-GKKB, C-FLFR, C-FMKB, C-FTGI, C-FTGX, C-FVNS, C-FWUI, C-GAWI, C-GDAK, C-GEAI, C-GEAJ, C-GGSU, C-GHGF, C-GJKB, C-GOOU, C-GPNR, C-GRSB, C-GVKB, C-GWZS)
China: 1 (N41CQ)
Colombia: 16 (FAC1654, FAC1658, FAC1667, FAC1681, FAC1683, FAC1686, HK-1175, HK-1315, HK-2006, HK-3215, HK-3286, HK-5016, PNC-0213, PNC-0256, PNC-0257, PNC-0258)
Denmark: 1 (OY-BPB)
El Salvador: 1 (YS-347E)
Finland: 1 (OH-LCH)
France: 2 (F-AZOX, F-AZTE)
Germany: 1 (ZS-NTE)
Hungary: 1 (HA-LIX)
Iceland: 1 (TF-NPK)
India: 1 (VP905)
Mauritania: 1 (5T-MAH)
Netherlands: 1 (PH-PBA)
New Zealand: 3 (ZK-AWP, ZK-DAK, ZK-JGB)
Norway: 1 (LN-WND)
Russia: 3 (RA-05738, RA-2059G, RA-2944G)
South Africa: 13 (SAAF6814, SAAF6825, SAAF6828, SAAF6839, SAAF6852, SAAF6854, SAAF6885, SAAF6887, ZS-ASN, ZS-BXF, ZS-CAI, ZS-CRV, ZS-DIW)
Sweden: 1 (SE-CFP)
Switzerland: 1 (N431HM)
Thailand: 7 (RTAF46151, RTAF46153, RTAF46154, RTAF46156, RTAF46157, RTAF46158, RTAF46159)Turkey: 1 (N3291)
United Kingdom: 4 (G-ANAF, N147DC, N473DC, ZA947)
United States: 86 (N103NA, N115U, N131PR, N138FS, N143D, N144WC, N146RD, N147AZ, N150D, N151ZE, N15MA, N15SJ, N17334, N173RD, N18121, N193DP, N198RD, N1XP, N200MF, N231GB, N24320, N25641, N26MA, N271SE, N272R, N272ZZ, N2805J, N28AA, N3006, N300BF, N300MF, N30TN, N3239T, N33611, N33632, N33644, N33VW, N34, N341A, N345AB, N34DF, N353MM, N353MM, N400MF, N4089T, N43XX, N44587, N45366, N467SP, N472AF, N47E, N47SJ, N47TB, N500MF, N5106X, N534BE, N583V, N59314, N60154, N61981, N62CC, N64766, N64767, N64784, N705GB, N728G, N734H, N737H, N74589, N751A, N763A, N791HH, N7AP, N8336C, N834M, N836M, N844TH, N86584, N8704, N87745, N877MG, N882TP, N92578, N932H, N982Z, N99FS)
—–Purposely not included: C-47 HK-2820 was destroyed in a fatal crash near the Guatiquia River, close to the village of Salinas de Cumaral, Restrepo, Meta, Colombia, on July 8, 2021. Douglas R4D-8/C-117 N28TN made a belly landing at the Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, on December 8, 2021, after experiencing engine problems.
Thanks to John Terrell for the research.
By: MFowler - 2nd January 2022 at 20:45
adrian_gray said, “I’ve never seen a turbo Dak – can’t help feeling it won’t sound as good!
You would be correct. We had one operating out of our local airport for awhile doing the same thing, surveying for minerals, and it was always jarring to see that familiar shape sailing low overhead, and hearing … an odd sighing whistle, kind of like a high-pitched bike tire deflating.
By: adrian_gray - 20th December 2021 at 22:11
I’ve never seen a turbo Dak – can’t help feeling it won’t sound as good! Back when oi were a lot younger ( circa 1995) there was one that trundled into Stansted late at night, I was told it was bringing mail from Schiphol, but in summer I wouldn’t shut my window until I’d heard it go by.
By: Prop Strike - 20th December 2021 at 11:43
And still earning a living.
A Turbine DC-3 is presently operating out of Southampton, on a survey contract looking for Lithium in Cornwall
”A low-flying 1940s plane doing survey work will be a common sight over mid and west Cornwall during the next two to three weeks.
The geological mapping plane is hoping to identify where lithium and other minerals may be located underground.
The flights are happening in the mornings at about 100m (328ft).
Bell Geospace, which is doing the work, said the “aircraft is able to sense and measure geological properties which cannot otherwise be seen”.
It is hoped the information gathered will be of use to companies hoping to evaluate potential for geothermal energy or lithium extraction, as well as to the British Geological Survey and the government.”
By: adrian_gray - 17th December 2021 at 17:52
Nearly three times a big a gap between it’s first flight and today as there was between then and the Wright Brothers – also December 17th.
Sign In
December 17, 2021 at 12:12 pm