Boarding PH-PBA!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

At 14:00 hrs today I will take off in PH-PBA for a scenic flight.

More later!

Meanwhile look up what kind of aircraft PH-PBA is....

[Bill Murray]

I envy you my friend, not too many of those old soldiers left.
Funny, they were quite common when I was younger (1950s).
Now the few you see are mostly used as "Fire-fighters" dropping retardant materiel on our massive brush and forest fires in our middle and western parts.

Our local airport does have some sort of 1940's biplane that you can hire for a two hour or so tour over the Atlanta area. Quite expensive, but I may get Pat to get me a ticket for my 75th birthday in a couple of years.

Enjoy your tour, my friend.

Cheers
Bill

[Barry Churcher]

Have a great flight Hanno. Make sure you take a few photos of the Dutch countryside. I have read about the DDA before but I must confess I had to Google PH-PBA this morning.
met vriendelijke groeten.
Barry

[Keith Webb]

I had my first flight in one of those just last year. It was wonderful, and I marvelled at how well insulated and quiet it was (relatively speaking) compared with a bomber like the Hudson.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks guys! Can't talk right now .... I have a SEG from ear to ear!

[Bob Carriere]

..... a DC - 3...?

NRC used a completely refurbished DC 3 to do geological survey a few eyars ago...... it was the most suitable for slow stable long flight time dependable research plane around ...... the contractor had it refitted just for that purpose....

Bob

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

..... a DC - 3...?

A C-47 to be precise, and one with a unique history: PH-PBA c/n 42-100971 - read her history here. Suffice to say I was thrilled to fly in such a classic aircraft, not to mention a D-Day and Market Garden veteran, plus the ex-Royal and ex-Netherlands Government aircraft! I was lucky to fly in PH-PBA, as normally these scenic flights are carried out by PH-DDZ, currently undergoing maintenance, which has less of a history.

PH-PBA is operated by DDA Classic Airlines under full JAR regulations, and it is tribute to their crews and volunteers that they are able to keep these aircraft flying. The passengers are briefed before flight and then taken to the aircraft for a tour around the aircraft, pointing out construction details etc. Then they take off, and the passengers are given the opportunity to have a look in the cockpit and change seats with other passengers to enjoy the view of the landscape only 1400ft below. After landing all passengers are handed over some memorabilia as a remembrance of the flight. The whole experience is worth every Euro and this must be one of the best birthday gifts I ever had!

I've uploaded a few videos on youtube, nothing compared to Keith's professional work, but interesting to see maybe: http://www.youtube.com/user/mcspooltube

Hanno

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

..... a DC - 3...?

NRC used a completely refurbished DC 3 to do geological survey a few eyars ago...... it was the most suitable for slow stable long flight time dependable research plane around ...... the contractor had it refitted just for that purpose....

Bob

That is right Bob, straight, level and boring make the best platform for aerial photography. People click on goofle Earth and just "expect" to see high quality current imagery. They forget how much back end work goes into collecting, processing and preparing those images.

A couple of my Geo Tech classmates have gone to work in that industry. Hard work and many idled hours in airports between meetings, conferences and trade shows. But they've done well enough.

[Lang]

Hanno,

Was Aert Mente one of the pilots?

He was probably one of the world's youngest 747 captains at 28, suppose he would be about 45 now and flys the DC3 in his spare time off fom Martinair/KLM.

Lang

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lang

Was Aert Mente one of the pilots?

He was probably one of the world's youngest 747 captains at 28, suppose he would be about 45 now and flys the DC3 in his spare time off fom Martinair/KLM.

Lang,

You're probably asking because you know him?

But no, sorry, the captain was a 63 year retired Martinair pilot (ex-naval engineer, ex-flight engineer, then pilot), the co-pilot is flying the last Douglas-designed aircraft (MD-11) for KLM.

Hanno

[Keith Webb]

Enjoyed your videos Hanno, the only thing missing was you should have turned your camera around for us to see your S.E.G.

[motto]

The company I worked for still operated C47s in Papua New Guinea for quite a few years after I started with them in 1966 and had only just disposed of the set of JATO bottles held for emergency purposes.

All of them carried a 1-1/2" flare pistol and six flares on the radio compartment bulkhead and the aircraft were never locked up at any time. Anybody could walk out onto the tarmac as the perimeter fence at Lae, our main base, was only waist high. It was a different world then.

Several of our aircraft were still fitted with the High Density or troop seating which was canvas fold up seating with the backs against the side of the fuselage and another row sideways down the middle. I well remember taking off from Lae on a staff charter flight with a total of 54 souls on board. Every troop seat was occupied with many adults having a child on their lap.The rear cargo compartment was full of Eskys and on the cabin floor just inside the entry door under a cargo net were two 9 gallon kegs of beer and large bags of ice.

On takeoff it took an age for the tail to come up and we used the full length of the runway to get airborne with the 1830s giving all they had and the props clawing at the moist tropical air while everyone sat tense and silent awaiting the outcome. When we lifted off at the end of the strip and roared out over the Huon Gulf a cheer went up. It was indeed a different world.

David

[Keith Webb]

Wow, great atmospheric story David. What was your job there?

Interestingly I have just been reading a story about Catalinas equipped with a pair of JATO bottles on each side, which were fitted post war to aircraft scheduled to go to Macquarie Island. There's a photo of one doing a test take-off from Port Philip Bay. The pilot said it had incredible performance up to about 500' when it returned to being just a Catalina at 90 knots.

[motto]

I joined TAA as an apprentice Aircraft Maintenance Engineer-Airframe Keith based in Melbourne. We also operated DC4s and at least one DC6B as I recall.

David

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by motto

On takeoff it took an age for the tail to come up and we used the full length of the runway to get airborne

Great story well told David. Reminds me of a book I read as a kid which told of a C47 loaded (supposedly) with PAP Marston matting. Apparently someone screwed up - it was actually PSP matting!

I've tracked down the probable book - "Grand Old Lady: Story of the DC3", which I recall as being an exceptionally good read. Copies are readily available and dirt cheap: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...condition=used

Also a few copies on ebay: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1959-STOR...item4844617fc6

David, it sounds like the company you worked for disposed of their JATO bottles prematurely! Some great footage of a JATO C47 getting airborne in this old newsreel clip:

http://youtu.be/j7IeoPq2X5o

[Hanno Spoelstra]

That's what I like so much about the Dakota. It started life as the state of the art "Douglas Sleeper Transport" to compete in American coast-to-coast passenger flights, it turned out to be the most versatile workhorse the world has ever known.

Ever heard of the DC 2.5? How many accounts of grossly overloading (even by a factor of 2.5) are documented and still being able to fly? And 77 years after it's first flight, still in commercial operation today . . . will it make a century of flight?!?

What else can one do but to this grand old lady of the skies?

H.

[Col Tigwell]

And there was the one at cyprus which was blown up and repaired with Dexion stores racking.

Hard to kill this airplane.

Regards

Col

[Col Tigwell]

Age is making me a bit rusty on detail

A google search punching

Aircraft repair using Dexion steel will bring out the full story

Regards

Col

[Alex van de Wetering]

I can imagine you can't get that grin of your face! Great movies Hanno. I didn't see you fly past our house while working on our carport yesterday; The Dakota flies over our house quite regularly.... probably to have a look at the old DDA headquarters at Schiphol. Is the Catalina also still flying from Lelystad?

Alex

[John McGillivray]

Here are some photos I took In 1978 in Northern Sask.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Great documentary on today's reality of operating Dakotas in Colombia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-F-c...e_gdata_player

[John McGillivray]

There is a series on History Television called “Ice Pilots N.W.T” One aircraft shown often on the show is the Curtiss C-46 Commando.

http://www.history.ca/video/default.aspx

[Lang]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Great documentary on today's reality of operating Dakotas in Colombia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-F-c...e_gdata_player

Good vision Hanno, pity the commentary is complete drivel.

[Alex van de Wetering]

John,

The same series was shown here on Discovery Channel in Holland as well. They certainly have an impressive fleet of historic aircraft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Airways

Alex

[Rob Fast]

Bloody hot, great ocean vacation...got stung by a jelly fish in 8 foot walls of sheer delight.