Dakota Farewell and Security

Just to say the aircraft isn’t in any way dangerous!;)

It is the authorities perceived threat of danger, that means the new regs have to be implemented.

The mere fact that so many of them still flying in various parts of the world proves their safety beyond doubt, that and the fact that the operators and their maintenance staff care deeply about their machines and look after them so well means they are as safe as any modern airliner and very possibly a lot safer than some.

i would have been one of the envious looking chaps standing on the other side of the fence, glad you had a good flight, shame about the low cloud, the typhoons departure was really showing off though!

I flew in the Dakota from Manston today. Great flight. As I went through security my camera bag was opened and the security gentleman pulled out my rubber blower for removing the dust from camera/lense. Unfortunately, it is one of those rocket looking blowers and to the uninformed would look highly suspicious. Needless to say it was taken away only to be returned some 5 minutes later in the departure lounge.
All I can say is at least they were on the ball (even if it was only a pleasure flight).
Flight was delayed whilst waiting for a Typhoon to depart.

Just to say the aircraft isn’t in any way dangerous!;)

It is the authorities perceived threat of danger, that means the new regs have to be implemented.

thats why i highlighted the word dangerous, it is in no-way dangerous, otherwise they would charge slightly more for the privilidge!

I too was lucky enough to fly on the Dakota from Southend on Sunday, no real problem with the security check just put everything in the tray and passed through, unfortunately it is something that is not going to go away now, as Newforest says try Stansted and LAX too if you want ‘the treatment’ as I have! Ironically once we were up the cockpit door was open for most of the flight which is probably unique in this day and age until July 16th.:(
The flights were originally meant to depart from Biggin Hill until Bromley Council refused to issue a permit for them on the grounds of noise, while there waiting for the courtesey coach to take us up to Southend I watched a Cessna Citation plus another bizjet taxi out and take off making far more noise doing so! Maybe I should have booked under the name B. Ecclestone. . . . . . 😀

Hopefully in the future somebody realizes what a loss pleasure flights in this amazing peice of the past is, and sorts it out, it would be great to live in a time where you make the choice of whether you fly in a slightly more ‘dangerous’ plane or not

Just to say the aircraft isn’t in any way dangerous!;)

It is the authorities perceived threat of danger, that means the new regs have to be implemented.

found out about the flights a little late, but took great pleasure in seeing the Dak take off and land at manston earlier on, shame i missed the chance to be on board, i think we can all sympatize with all the security measures, tbh, i would enjoy it all the same, making the experiance last a little longer even!!!

Hopefully in the future somebody realizes what a loss pleasure flights in this amazing peice of the past is, and sorts it out, it would be great to live in a time where you make the choice of whether you fly in a slightly more ‘dangerous’ plane or not

Gents I posted a link to this thread on our volunteers forum and this was the reply.
”Dear Alan et al,

Perhaps I flatter myself, but I always give the passengers a quick chat before we start the Security Search. I welcome them to AACF and explain that the MPTOW of a DC3 puts it into a certain category of aircraft that requires security searches. I always make a bit of a joke of it by explaining that we are not particularly concerned about terrorism, we are much more concerned as to whether any of them is a ‘mole’ from the DfT, making sure we do the job correctly; which is why we do the job correctly! This usually gets a laugh. I always tell them to visit the loo before the search, because if they do it afterwards, then they have to be searched again. I tell them I am deeply suspicious of people who want to be searched twice. This also gets a laugh. Yes, I know it’s not cutting edge humour and when one has cracked the same joke ten times in a day, one starts to fade away, but it seems to do the trick.

The point of this, is that they know why they have to be searched, know that it isn’t because there is a credible threat of terrorism and know that we don’t do it because we feel like it, we do it because we have to. Perhaps because Chrissy and I are not professional Security staff who do the job all day, every day, we can take the time to explain to relatively small numbers of passengers, why we do what we do. The fact that we can, to some extent, make light of it, means that we ‘carry’ the passengers with us rather than alienate them by just doing it with no explanation. This is no disrespect to professional security staff whom I do not envy one little bit.

I presume that at Southend, it was the professionals that did the job and not GST. I am not aware of any problems at Coventry; there weren’t any in Jersey either.

Alan, please feel free to post this on that other forum if you wish.”

Apparently it was Southend security staff who did the searches and not our own staff.
Who do just as ‘proper’ a job as the ‘professionals’ but with a bit more aplomb!
Glad you enjoyed your flight and hopefully no-one will be put off from flying with us in the future.

A commercial flight (aircraft operated on an AOC), from an ‘international’ airport, in a big passenger carrying aircraft….

Blame the religious misfits who have forced the hands of the aviation regulatory organisations. They dont see DC3s as heritage, merely another passenger carrying aircraft

Sadly, even a ‘pleasure flight’ has to go through security these days

Welcome to the free world in the 21st Century, old chap:mad:

I had a ride in a Dakota yesterday at Southend – for the first and last time, unless I emigrate outside the EU. It was a great experience and I am very grateful that the Classic Flight exists to allow us to experience such delights.

I have to say, though, that the thinking behind the rules which are forcing it out of passenger carrying service were also in evidence yesterday at Southend. Would you believe that we had to go through full security for a 20 minute joyride? This seemed more than I have experienced in the last few years – we all had to remove our shoes (I can’t recall when I last did that at a UK airport) and had to produce our ID for a second time at the gate. Surely there is meant to be some commonsense in assessing the risk etc? (Oops – I just used “security” and “commonsense” in the same paragraph…)

These are the times we live in, a DC-3 is still quite a lump of metal, and from southend, sizewell isn’t too far away. And whilst it may not actually damage the reactor, just imagine all the fuss it would create.
Arguably a 20 minute check in and showing a bit of ID is a small price to pay.

This seemed more than I have experienced in the last few years – we all had to remove our shoes (I can’t recall when I last did that at a UK airport)

Not been through Stansted recently then!:D

I had a ride in a Dakota yesterday at Southend – for the first and last time, unless I emigrate outside the EU. It was a great experience and I am very grateful that the Classic Flight exists to allow us to experience such delights.

I have to say, though, that the thinking behind the rules which are forcing it out of passenger carrying service were also in evidence yesterday at Southend. Would you believe that we had to go through full security for a 20 minute joyride? This seemed more than I have experienced in the last few years – we all had to remove our shoes (I can’t recall when I last did that at a UK airport) and had to produce our ID for a second time at the gate. Surely there is meant to be some commonsense in assessing the risk etc? (Oops – I just used “security” and “commonsense” in the same paragraph…)

I too had a Farewell flight at Southend yesterday. It was truly a great experience. All apart from the check in which seemed ridiculous, I could not believe it either and not only did I have to take off my shoes they did a full body frisk aswell, having not been to an airport in years I was somewhat shocked it did not suit the atmosphere of the day, but was worth it in the end!