DC3/C47 Dakota Preservation

In the present financial climate, with the ever-increasing costs of operating, maintaining and insuring them, what does the immediate future hold for the Air Atlantique Dakotas, now that their passenger carrying duties have presumably finally come to an end?

Wicked Willip :diablo:

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the input, great website by the way (Planeheritage) that is exactly what i’d love to achieve, already part way though a 1944 auster 5 project with a great Wartime Normandy/ Holland/ Germany history.

Unfortunately not tenthije. The maximum take off weight also plays a part in which regulations the aircraft must abide by. In the case of the DC-3 this effects items such as TCAS & Weather radar and whilst not impossible to fit, it would be an expensive exercise. The requirement for escape slides is directly related to the height of the emergency exits from the ground so again reducing the number of seats wouldn’t really help.

I think it unlikely that there will be a decline in DC-3 operators in the UK, after all there are only 5, and only 1 of these is affected by the new regulations. Whilst Air Atlantique may not be able to carry passengers there has always been a healthy interest in the aircraft for research and development trials as evidenced by the radome fitted G-ANAF, which is due begin a new series of trials later this year. G-AMPY has also been involved in such activity earlier this year.

It is worth pointing out that this is likely to be a temporary hiatus, there are already new regulations coming into force in around 18 months which appear to make provision for aircraft such as the DC-3.

Tom.

Would it not be possible to by-pass the legislation by re-certifying the plane to hold fewer passengers thus falling under the less strict legislation that goes with it? I believe this would not be unprecented as Embraer pulled a similar stunt with their ERJ-135 and ERJ-140 which are the pretty much identical planes.

Well I wish you luck dear boy, although the airframe won’t be too much of a problem to keep up together, you’ll need all the help you can get with those engines! I don’t thing CF get more than about 100 hours in service out of a powerplant before it undergoes a bit of “sickness”…..

Not sure what the current major DC3 operators are after at the moment, the owner has so many fingers in business pies, I’d guess its more a case of covering costs of these nice toys and paying the few staff they have. Some elements of the operation do well and i’m sure subsidise the areas that don’t.

still, nice to have them around and I’m sure they won’t suffer the fate of the axeman….

FB

Why would any company keen to make money want to run an aging Dakota fleet when there are many cheaper, more readily available machines about? Your absolutely right that they will still be flying but the new EU rules will certainly be another nail in the coffin for historic aircraft and unlike so many types in the past that are now near on extinct we still have the opportunity to save one or two for future preservation……….

Just think if people 60 years ago realized the significance of saving a few Lancaster’s, Sterling’s, Halifax, mossys etc etc when they were been sold off for scrap….. Probably the same thing we will be saying about Dakotas in a few years.

Just a dream i have, and i doubt anything will come of it, but who knows????

I think everybody knows what you mean.

You might not need to be an idiot, but slightly crazy is a must.

I doubt very much there will be a major decline in DC3s flying around, after all, legislation is just stopping them from conducting public transport pleasure flying, not actually flying at all. They will more than probably go back to freighting newspapers and equipment, as well as airshow appearances etc. You’ll probably find they will just be seen less on days other than airshows….

FB

ok, replace idiots with enthusiasts, probably not the best wording but you not what i mean……

At 17 I don’t have the cash to offer anything I’m afraid, but good luck with the project. If you find those idiots then in 20 years I just might be able to help out. 😉

Thanks for the support, i appreciate that funds will be a problem but we are in a unique position, at least here in Europe and over the past few months plenty of relatively cheap aircraft have come up for sale.
I’m sure that the lack of cash will make the project fall flat on its face before it begins but I figured that if someone else suggested it then I would be prepared to pay not a donation but as a share holder to see it work so just maybe enough of us might make a go of it.

Good luck with the project.

I once tried something similar with a Pembroke, but had a very hard time finding “likeminded idiots”. Plenty wanted to assist with work and other forms of aid, but when it came to cash-flow, they backed out.

Hopefully you will have more luck.

(I’m in Denmark so I would not be able to join your project)