The DC-3 will be grounded from passenger service on 16th July 2008 due to a silly European safety regulation being introduced. Air Atlantique (Classic Flight) preserve and operate a small fleet of aircraft including 3x DC-3's. The DC-3 is a historic aircraft as not only was it one of the pioneers of passenger air travel in the 1940's, it was also a key military and cargo aircraft and kick-started aviation as we know it today. Because of this silly regulation, requiring all passenger aircraft to have oxygen and emergency slides fitted (the Daks don't fly high enough to require oxygen and are only a couple of feet off the ground), Air Atlantique Classic Flight put on a fairwell tour of Britian so aviation nuts like myself could experience flying on a Dak and what air travel was like decades ago. I'll do a full trip report in the coming weeks, but here are a few photos and brief description of the flight.
The flight took us from Blackpool, north in to Morecambe Bay then back to Blackpool. The flight lasted 45 minutes (instead of the scheduled 30 minutes!) and was one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had in aviation. My flight aboard a 1944 De Havilland Dragon Rapide in June was good, but this was excellent and I loved every second. There's loads of room inside, more than I was expecting. Once the engines were started, you could hardly hear yourself think!! The engines were really loud and the sound the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasps that power it are quite unique and one of them sounds you associate with vintage aircraft. Everything shook and rattled as you'd imagine a plane as old as this to do. It even smelt of old plane, musty with the smell of grease and avgas. It was just like being in the 1940's! We took off on runway 28 and the pilot performed a few steep turns as we flew up the coast, circled Morcambe Bay and headed back to the airport. Because it was a quite windy, gusting 25mph, you could feel it being thrown all over the place. There was quite a big crosswind on landing which made it a bit bumpy and there was a huge screech as the types touchdown. I can't put it all in to words what it was like, it was just fabulous. Something I've always wanted to fly on and the sad thing is, that'll be the last time ever because they get grounded on the 16th July (from passenger service anyway). Today was probably the last time we'll see a Dak at Blackpool, for passenger service at least. End of an era
Parked on the apron, photo taken as we walk across to board G-AMPY
Everyone all excited and watching the engines starting up
Climing out from runway 28, looking north up the Blackpool coastline
Heading north up the Blackpool coast towards Morecambe Bay
Touchdown on runway 28 (this was the second flight in the afternoon)
My last view of the cabin as I disembark
Happy flying,
Darren
I don't think there are any interesting aircraft in BLK at the moment. There's a couple of business jets around, that's all. LS671 is operated by wither G-CELK or G-CELJ.
