Canberra in the skies over the midlands (plus Dragon Rapide news)

We’ll be at Oxford / Kidlington over this weekend for Rapide pleasure flying as mentioned above. The view of the countryside from the Rapide is always enjoyable, but at this time of year is spectacular on a sunny day. The weekend forecast is looking good! Here’s an indication of the view from G-AIDL taken very recently.

Tim

AACF Volunteer
http://www.classicflight.com/

The new EuOps from day one have never technically stopped a Dakota from carrying passengers in the UK, but the cost of the modifications has. I think that point has been made very clear from the start, has it not? To operate the aircraft with 19 seats at the utilisation levels that they were getting would result in a very expensive 15 minute pleasure flight.

I should just state that these are my personal views.

Not knocking the volunteers or even ClassicFlight if I’m honest – just the whole issue behind the supposed ‘retirement’ of the Dak from pleasure flights.

Maybe I have a simplistic view of the problem – if less than 20 seats is the way around the EuOps garbage then remove seats to bring the number to 19 and maybe charge a little extra for those 19 seats? I paid for a flight back in 2006 and looked forward to maybe repeating the experience. Sadly, that is no longer an option here in the UK…

If, as you say, the financial aspects of the Dak pleasure flights are ‘deeper’ than has been stated publicly and are not viable to continue with, then say so – just don’t ‘hide’ behind EU legislation that can be worked around by seeking an exemption.

As Will says Bob, we are not in the best position to comment on these situations being just the hard working volunteers who help to keep these old girls up in the sky. Suffice to say that the situation is and was far more complicated than can easily be discussed on here, for instance the statement from which you quote fails to mention that the aircraft to which exemptions were granted had to be modified in order to meet the new requirements and that they all have a seating capacity under 20 seats. As far as stopping popular flights is concerned, I believe it would be correct to say that the DC3’s have never covered the costs of there operation since the various member companies of the former Air Atlantique group were sold off, as before there was much cross subsidy and usage of the aircraft.

Interesting to see that there is supposedly an exemption from the new airliner restrictions for Daks. I had noticed that the programme on the website for La Ferte Alais included pleasure flights in a JU-52 and I had been meaning to post asking how a JU-52 could operate passenger flights in France while the Dak was not allowed here. I had thought it was the traditional French way of resolving these problems by forgetting that the restriction existed but I assume the JU-52 has been granted a similar exemption.

Will,
Good to hear they will remain in use – hopefully then the return to pleasure flight operation will just be a case of welcoming passengers back on board.

The confusion lies with the statement made by No.10 – if the exemption was there for the DC-3 why stop what were obviously popular flights?…..

I did email ClassicFlight in March regarding this but never received a response…

Hi Bob,

its no secret that the Daks will be working for their living this year, though not as passenger carrying aircraft. As for the future, who knows… the important thing at this stage is that they remain living, breathing aircraft.

As far as any future strategy goes, DGH and I, on the volunteer side of things, are not best placed to gaze into a crystal ball. (I no longer work full time at AACF, but still do the odd freelance graphics job for them, as well as enthusiastic support as a volunteer)

Pleasure flights this year are mostly Rapide ones, with some other aircraft waiting in the wings. But as you will all appreciate its a ferociously expensive, challenging business to be in, for more details on how you can help, see www.classicflightclub.com.

Will

So, still no response to the question asked in these forums about the No10 petition on the DC-3 flights and the revelation that no exemption request has been forthcoming from any DC-3 operator?

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18785

Currently, the CAA has received and granted exemptions for DH 104 Dove (a British monoplane short-haul airliner), DH89A Rapide (short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s) and Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer aircraft (transport aircraft built in the 1950s). The CAA has not received any exemption requests for DC 3 aircraft. If a request was received there is unlikely to be any reason why the CAA would not be able to issue an exemption.

Hope it goes well, but i am sadly booked that day somewhere else.

We’ve got another photo event during the day on June 13th were there will be a selection of female models posed in period clothing with some of the aircraft if you fancy that – alas no pleasure flying on that day though.

For more details see this thread : http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=90648

i came up for the photo night last year, and froze 🙂

If i get enough cash i will, id love also to sea the venom.

Will you’re a cruel man!! But having seen said Canberra ‘in the flesh’ so to speak I can say shes a beauty. I doubt you’ll let me have ago though will you as last time I flew one of your models I seem to recall it nearly ended up on the roof of Hanger 5!! 😮

cometguymk1 – why not try one of our open days, plenty of other de Havilland delights to see as well. 🙂

Have always wanted to get up in a Rapide but they keep avoiding me

Ooooh that was cruel!! :diablo:

All of a sudden the Canberra afficionado’s of the forum felt their hearts skip a beat..nicely done! 😀

What a great cause though, let’s hope the pleasure flights go some way to helping WK163 and WJ874 in their plight to stay alive..

Well done for highlighting this Will, I like your style!

You nearly made me choke on my beer, nevermind great model though …..fingers crossed the real thing will be in the air before long;)