Dakota G-AMHJ Moves From Shawbury to North Weald, Weald Aviation

Was AMHJ an ex Air Atlantique machine that was flown to Shawbury several years ago ? If so does it have reasonable hours, engines, paperwork that make the restoration worth while.

“RAF Transport Command Memorial’s First DC3” What is this organisation / group ? Does it have RAF support ? sounds odd as BBMF already have a C-47.

I think all the information about this would be on www.dakotair.com
Whatever it may be called, i’m sure you’ll agree its a great cause!

Was this not the reason Air Atlantique could not continue with their DC 3 passenger operations because of changes and EASA regulations that meant daft things like the aircraft would need escape slides and oxygen.Totaly daft I know but I think this was the issue that the DC3 fell into unfortunately.

Mike E

If I remember correctly it was intimated that derogation could be available but Air Atlantique chose not to persue it.

Funnily enough, every other DC-3 operator in Europe seems to have negotiated the rule changes and kept on flying passengers without escape slides and weather radar and all the other supposedly ‘mandatory’ items mentioned in the scare stories put around at the time.

if I recall correctly from my time at Coventry two or three of the DC3 fleet actually still had the
fittings and part of the gear mounted on the rear bulkhead under the tail cone for Glider towing.
I cant remember which ones but think it was some of the spraying ones and not the passenger freight ones.

It was all hectic at the time I recall we had to do a major wing mod on 11 airframes in about 2 weeks and man handling a DC3 wing is not funny and all those damn bolts.

Mike E

I wonder about their statement to return to fly and carry fare paying passengers.

Was this not the reason Air Atlantique could not continue with their DC 3 passenger operations because of changes and EASA regulations that meant daft things like the aircraft would need escape slides and oxygen.Totaly daft I know but I think this was the issue that the DC3 fell into unfortunately.

Mike E

It wasn’t flown into Shawbury. It was dismantled at Coventry and moved by road. I don’t believe a Dakota has a fatigue life as such.

They are not an RAF unit but a private organisation, fronted I believe by a couple of Ryanair pilots.

I do wonder how long it will be before the MoD step in and make then change the name to something without ‘RAF’ in it.

Was AMHJ an ex Air Atlantique machine that was flown to Shawbury several years ago ? If so does it have reasonable hours, engines, paperwork that make the restoration worth while.

“RAF Transport Command Memorial’s First DC3” What is this organisation / group ? Does it have RAF support ? sounds odd as BBMF already have a C-47.

Its an expensive way of getting a Dakota in the air again. Looking at prices in the U.S for airworthy machines makes the economy of it marginal.

it’s a great shame that the Assault Glider Trust’s collection couldn’t have been kept together. With the ongoing retrenchment, contractorisation and sharing of support and trade training between the three services, it’s not beyond the realms of possiblity that additional hangars would become available at Cosford eventually