Warbird News

[DaveM]

Mosquito Confirmed At Warbirds Over Wanaka

On Sunday, February 19, 2024, Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow announced one of the world’s most iconic WWII fighter-bomber aircraft for its Easter 2024 airshow. The ex-RNZAF de Havilland DH98 Mosquito NZ2308 is weeks away from the end of a fifteen-year restoration in Auckland and the American owners have generously agreed to allow the aircraft to fly at the Southern Hemisphere’s largest Warbirds airshow before it is dismantled and shipped to its new home in the US.​

Mosquito NZ2308 under rebuild with Avspecs of Armdore, New Zealand. [photo by Dave Homewood]

Warbirds Over Wanaka General Manager Ed Taylor said: “Securing the Mosquito is the ‘icing on the cake’ for airshow organizers. We already had an amazing lineup for our first airshow in six years but now it’s gone next level with confirmation that we are to have a Mosquito on the flight line”.

This Mosquito was built by de Havilland Australia at Bankstown, Sydney, Australia, for the Royal Australian Air Force. Originally planned to become an FB.40 fighter-bomber version (essentially the Australian-built equivalent of the very successful FB.VI) it was given the RAAF serial number A52-20. However, the decision was made to convert a batch of partly constructed FB.40s to dual control trainer status, and this aircraft was converted to a Mosquito T.43 while still on the production line. At that point it was renumbered with a new RAAF serial, A52-1054.

Ed Taylor continued “The news does come with a caveat. Warren Denholm and his team at Avspecs are confident they will have the Mossie flying in time but there is always the possibility that there may be a last-minute problem which prevents that.”​

An overview of the Mosquito in the Avspecs hangar.

This is the fourth Mosquito restored by Avspecs and Warren has told airshow organizers his team has committed to doing “everything within their power” to complete the job on time. All four aircraft have been built for American customers. The only other airworthy Mosquito in the world is in Canada.

The aircraft will be test-flown at Ardmore and then displayed at Wanaka by accomplished American pilot Steve Hinton. Steve, a former Reno Air Race champion, has flown numerous Warbird types, including the last Mosquito from the Avspec’s workshop, and is currently President of the Planes of Fame Museum at Chino in California.​

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[DaveM]

A Day with “Red Air” Professionals Draken International

By Aaron Haase

Draken International is an American provider of tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services including military and defense industry customers. With approximately 150 aircraft, the company operates the largest fleet of privately owned former military tactical jet aircraft in the world. In 2021 Draken International has signed a contract to bring yet more Lockheed Martin F-16s to its fast-expanding “red air” fleet, as the adversary air support contractor adds ex-Norwegian Vipers to the dozen former Dutch examples it acquired earlier this year. Up to 12 F-16s acquired from Norway will form part of this impressive private tactical jet air force, already one of the world’s largest, which also includes a dozen ex-South African Atlas Cheetahs and 22 ex-Spanish Air Force Dassault Mirage F1Ms, plus assorted other subsonic jets, as well as a deep backstock of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s.​

On February 8th, 2024 I was invited to visit the Draken International contingent that is currently stationed in Kinston, NC at the Kinston Regional Jetport. Lt. Col. Jerry “Jive” Kerby USAF (Ret.) was my liaison for the day where I got an up-close look at the Mirage F1M and the McDonnell Douglas A-4K, TA-4K and A-4N Skyhawk aircraft that the unit operates. While I have seen an F1 on static display before, I have never been able to see one take the air.

The day started upon my arrival at the airport where I was greeted by Jive (part of the mission on this day was to deliver a special gift to Jive for his amazing wife, LM “Lunar” Sawyer: more on this later). Jive took me around the building and the hangars, getting a wonderful look at how great their operation is. The planned flying for the day was a four-ship of two F1Ms and two A-4 Skyhawks (an TA-4K and an A-4N).​

The pilots started planning for the flight by performing their pre-flight brief. This is the discussion for the mission that they would be performing with the military units that they would be working with. Once the brief concluded, the pilots got into their flight suits and headed out to the aircraft. Being early in the year, it was a beautiful sound to hear two Mirage F1s and two A-4 Skyhawks start up.​

The aircraft participating in the “fight” were F1Ms N564EM and N575EM, and TA-4K N141EM and A-4N N162EM. Once the aircraft were ready, we took a golf cart to the ready area and watched the four aircraft line up for their pre-flight checks. It was really cool to see these four aircraft lined up together. Once ready, they taxied out for takeoff. The F1 has a very cool takeoff sound with a unique low rumble bass to it. Once they departed, two Skyhawks returned back from a sortie out of MCAS Cherry Point, these aircraft being a pair of A-4Ks (N146EM and N147EM). They arrived in a beautiful low fan break overhead into the pattern and taxied right past us to their parking spots.​

The real treat of the day happened a few moments later when a team of Draken’s maintenance professionals towed out F1M N576EM for a high-powered engine test. The team did multiple engine checks at different throttle percentages and the F1M just roared in place. The culmination was getting to stand just feet away from an F1M running at full burner for a few minutes: it was an incredible, ground-shaking experience!​

After about an hour, the aircraft returned from their sortie. The two F1s returned back in a great section break; the lead F1M N575EM did a low approach as did the TA-4K. The aircraft safely returned to their parking spots and shut down. Once the pilots exited the aircraft, we briefly spoke about their exploits of the day. It is truly great that we have such a professionally run outfit training our current military today.​

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, there was a secondary mission during the trip to Draken. Jive had contacted me a couple of weeks ago to get a framed picture that I had taken at Reno of him and Lunar and he wanted to give this photo to her for Valentine’s Day. I delivered the framed photo to him safely for him to transport back to their home. It was a great honor to do this for Lunar and Jive.

Once again, I can’t thank Jive and all the amazing people at Draken International enough for having me out to experience the thrill of seeing these warriors in their environment, and for all they did to assist me on this visit.​

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[Vector]

F1 resembles a USA A4.

 

[DaveM]

Sea Fury Sawbones Sold to Australia

By Zac Yates

Australia will soon have a flying Hawker Sea Fury for the first time in close to a decade as the crowd favorite Reno racer Sawbones has been purchased by warbird and aerobatic pilot Paul Bennet, and has arrived “Down Under” for a March airshow debut.​

Engineers carefully lift the aircraft in order to lower the undercarriage and sit the aircraft on Australian soil. [Photo Paul Bennet Airshows via Facebook]

One of the batch of Hawker Fury airframes secured by Ed Jurist and David Tallichet from Iraq in 1970, FB.11 325 was restored to flight by George H Baker’s American Aero Services with a Wright R-3350 in place of the original Bristol Centaurus, folding wings and a second seat for a passenger. Registered N71GB and wearing Royal Australian Navy markings the aircraft first flew in 1990 and went on to compete at Reno 18 times, first under the name Sky Fury (as Race #711 and #47) and later as Southern Cross (Race #47 and #71). In 2008 she became Race #71 Sawbones with Royal Canadian Navy roundels over the kangaroos and quickly became a crowd favorite. However her racing career ended with a canopy failure at the 2019 National Championship Air Races, pilot and former Space Shuttle commander Curt Brown making a safe landing, and later the aircraft went up for sale.​

Curt Brown was Sawbones’ regular pilot at Reno and flew to victory in an Unlimited Class Silver Heat at the 2013 air races. [Photo by Moose Peterson]

The Royal Australian Navy operated the Sea Fury from 1948 until 1962 and the country has periodically been home a handful of privately-owned examples since 1985, but not since the 2010s has the distinctive shape of Hawker’s finest been seen over Australia. That will change once this aircraft, which arrived in the country in mid-February and is now on the Australian civil register as VH-HPB, takes to the skies.​

The port wing is reattached to Sea Fury VH-HPB. Although built as a “Baghdad Fury” with fixed wings, when restored in the U.S. during the 1980s folding wings were fitted. [Photo Paul Bennet Airshows via Facebook]
“I have wanted a Sea Fury for a long time,” Paul Bennet told Vintage Aviation News. “I went to discuss this one with Mark Clark from Courtesy Aircraft Sales and I made an offer which was accepted, so here we are.”

Bennet is no stranger to flying vintage heavy metal as he operates an enviable roster of warbirds under the Paul Bennet Airshows banner and has extensive time in other types. “I have had plenty of experience flying warbirds such as Avenger, Trojan, Wirraway, Harvard, Mustang, Kittyhawk, Spitfire, Hurricane etc so I am looking forward to displaying a Sea Fury,” he said.​

The starboard wing of the Sea Fury is gently eased into place. The Royal Canadian Navy’s maple leaf roundel remains on the wings but changes to the paint scheme are coming, as hinted at by the fuselage roundel. [Photo Paul Bennet Airshows via Facebook]

As well as showcasing his warbird fleet around the continent Bennet, based at Maitland in New South Wales, also displays his Wolf Pitts Pro and flies with the three ship SkyAces formation aerobatic team.

Bennet said he plans to debut the Sea Fury at Airshows Downunder Shellharbour on March 1-3 and then display it again at Warbirds Over Scone on March 23 and 24.​

​

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[DaveM]

Protected: Gregory “WIRED” Colyer And His T-33 Ace Makers

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[Greyfell]

Protected: Gregory “WIRED” Colyer And His T-33 Ace Makers

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[DaveM]

Aero Legends Offering Spitfire Flights Alongside C47/DC3 During D-Day 80th Celebrations

Aero Legends, the UK’s premium provider of vintage flying experiences, just announced an exclusive opportunity to soar through history alongside the legendary C47/DC3 Dakota. In honor of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Aero Legends will offer the opportunity to fly in the iconic Spitfire with an RAF pilot and rendezvous alongside one or more C47/DC3 Dakotas. Fliers will experience the thrill of formation flights with iconic World War II aircraft and create memories that will last a lifetime.​

Spitfire HF9 TD314 in formation with Spitfire NH341/DB-E. Photo via Aero Legends.

Aero Legends’ mission is to provide their customers with the opportunity to relive the flying experiences of Battle of Britain pilots using authentically restored wartime aircraft from the era, including the legendary Spitfire. Their ever-growing fleet of aircraft is the most diverse in the UK and is maintained to the highest standard.

Aero Legends offers options that provide a unique chance to experience WWII history, flying alongside meticulously restored aircraft that played a crucial role in the D-Day/Normandy campaign of 1944. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to honor the bravery and sacrifice of those who served.​

Book your flight now and make the memory of a lifetime during this historic occasion. https://www.aerolegends.co.uk/experiences/special-offers/​

Aero Legends operates from three venues including historical WWII London/Essex and Kent locations. Each provides unbeatable value with the ability to experience iconic landmarks such as the Battle of Britain Memorial, White Cliffs of Dover, spectacular views over London, and The Needles during your flight. All three are free from restrictive airspace and commercial air traffic. Unrestricted local airspace means you can experience unlimited aerobatic maneuvers, in particular above the airfield for your friends and family to see. Our London/Essex, Kent, and Dorset locations are family friendly with great facilities such as cafés, museums, and runway viewing areas. For more information, visit www.aerolegends.co.uk​

TD314 was built at Castle Bromwich in late 1944 and fitted with a Merlin 70 as a High-Level Fighter (HFIXE). She was one of the last high-back Spitfires built as the production line switched to low-back aircraft in February of 1945. She was delivered to 33 MU at Lyneham on 30th March 1945, transferring later that month to 30 MU before a further move to 6 MU where she was prepared for service with 183 (Gold Coast) Squadron at Chilbolton on the 24th June 1945. 183 squadron only kept its Spitfires for a short time before re-equipping with Tempests. Her complete story can be found HERE.​

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[DaveM]

Martin Marauder at French Valley Airport Bound for Pima

By Adam Estes

Sometimes, in order to find some of the rarest restoration projects you have to look for things that are in plain sight. Such is the case with a row of hangars at French Valley Airport in Murrieta, California where Aircraft Restoration Services (ARS), led by Pat Rodgers, has been quietly restoring a Martin B-26 Marauder for display at the Pima Air and Space Museum (PASM) in Tucson, Arizona. One of the fastest medium bombers of WWII, the Marauder overcame a turbulent development period to have the lowest combat loss rate of any American bomber, and served dutifully in the French, South African, and British air forces. Yet today only seven aircraft remain intact, including the one at ARS.​

This Marauder is a composite airframe consisting of the forward fuselage of B-26B 41-31856, the wings of B-26 40-1501, and the tail from another Marauder, but the PASM has chosen to represent the aircraft as 41-31856. Little is known on the wartime record of this aircraft, but it seems that it was one of many aircraft that stayed in the continental U.S. to eventually be caught up in the drive to scrap thousands of surplus aircraft and recycle their precious metals into peacetime applications. By the late 1940s, the forward fuselage (including the bombardier’s station, cockpit, and navigator and radio operator stations) was bought by Charles Everett Patterson of Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood near Los Angeles, who sought to convert the bomber’s nose section into a camper. And while that would most certainly have been a sight to behold, Patterson never completed his personal project (his wife Martha French Patterson wrote the book The Backyard Bomber of Pacific Palisades about the family and their adventures), and the fuselage section along with that of B-26B 41-35075 remained on his property until 1982, when the man perhaps most responsible for the survival of as many Marauder components as there are left stepped in.​

David Tallichet, a WWII B-17 pilot turned aircraft collector, purchased the noses of 41-31856 and 41-35075 and brought them to his Military Aircraft Restoration Corporation collection at Chino Airport. By this time Tallichet had recovered Marauder sections that had been film props, and the wrecks of three Marauders (40-1501, 40-1459, and 40-1464) that made forced landings near Smith River, British Columbia on January 15th, 1942 and were recovered from the region, nicknamed the Million Dollar Valley for the value of the three wrecks. The nose of 41-35075 is now in storage with Aero Trader on behalf of Kermit Weeks. In 1995, the nose of 41-31856 and the wing section of 40-1501 were loaned by Tallichet and MARC to the Empire State Aerosciences Museum in Glenville, New York, just northwest of Albany, and was registered with the FAA as N4299S.​

In 2015 the composite airframe, which now included another tail section acquired by Tallichet (the vertical stabilizer of which bears stencils for B-26B 41-31748), became a project for the PASM with work initially being carried out at the museum’s restoration hangar before being transported to Rodgers’ hangar in Murrieta for the PASM to use that space for several other projects, such as a Lockheed R5O Lodestar. Currently the composite airframe of Marauder 41-31856 stands tall in the Murrieta hangar on its gear with much of the forward section interior being fitted out. Other items in progress include the installation of the aircraft’s two Pratt and Whitney R-2800 engines and dorsal turret, furnishings inside the aft section, and the addition of several control surfaces. There is no estimated date for the eventual completion of the aircraft but upon recognition it will be returned to the PASM, which is already host to a B-18 Bolo, B-23 Dragon, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell and B-29 Superfortress, not to mention the B-17 inside the 390th Memorial Museum which sits within Pima’s facility.​

Additionally, ARS has another composite Marauder at French Valley, this one being Rodgers’ personal project largely based around the remains of Aleutian Islands veteran B-26B 40-1370 (as previously reported on by VAN). ARS is also restoring two Vietnam War combat veteran Bell UH-1 Hueys with one (64-13773) destined for the upcoming National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas and the other (63-12930) being restored for the Navy SEALs Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Special thanks to Pat Rodgers and Aircraft Restoration Services for their cooperation in the making of this article.

For more information on Aircraft Restoration Services please visit their Facebook page. For more information on the Pima Air and Space Museum visit their website.​

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[DaveM]

B-29 Doc History Restored Tour To Visit Atlanta

PRESS RELEASE The B-29 Doc History Restored Tour will land at Georgia’s Gwinnett County Airport (KZLU) where aircraft from the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Airbase Georgia will join Doc’s History Restored Tour, March 21-24, 2024. The tour stop will include B-29 Doc Flight Experience rides, along with ground and cockpit tours of B-29 Doc, which is one of 1,644 B-29 Superfortress aircraft built by the Boeing Company in Wichita during World War II. Multiple World War II historic aircraft from Airbase Georgia will also be available for rides and tours.

The aircraft participating in the event at Gwinnett County Airport, just a few miles northeast of Atlanta, include:

Aircraft Offering Ride Flights* B-29 Doc North American P-51 Mustang

Aircraft on Static Display Bell P-63 Kingcobra FD-1G Corsair *ride flight aircraft will be available for ground and cockpit tours when not executing ride operations.

“As operators of these historic warbirds, it’s our mission to ensure the legacy of these magnificent machines and the stories they hold are not forgotten,” said Josh Wells, B-29 Doc executive director. “The stories of those who designed, built, flew, and maintained these unique aircraft must be preserved for future generations. Partnering with CAF Airbase Georgia expands the reach and impact of our shared missions and provides a unique and one-of-a-kind opportunity for people to get up close and personal with history.”

Ride flight tickets for the aircraft involved with this tour stop are on sale now; for the B-29 Doc via www.b29doc.com and for the P-51 via www.airbasegeorgia.org. Tickets for ground tours can be purchased at the gate during the event.

“The B-29 Doc is a spectacular restoration and fitting tribute to America’s veterans and the Arsenal of Democracy,” said Airbase Leader Joel Perkins. “Bringing all our aircraft together will bring to life the legacy of the Greatest Generation.”​

Event Details for the B-29 Doc History Restored Tour in Georgia at Gwinnett County Airport All aircraft will arrive on Wednesday, March 20, and will be hosted by Sheltair – LZU, at 850 Airport Road, Lawrenceville, GA, 30045. The aircraft will be available for rides, ground and cockpit tours on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 21-24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Aircraft availability for ground and cockpit tours will be dependent upon the schedules for ride flights, which can be found at www.b29doc.com and www.airbasegeorgia.com. Tickets for general admission for ground and cockpit tours will be $10 per person or $20 per family and will be available at the gate.

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[DaveM]

Ex-RNZAF de Havilland DH98 Mosquito NZ2308 First Engine Runs in New Zealand

The ex-RNZAF de Havilland DH98 Mosquito NZ2308, under long-term rebuild at Avspecs Ltd at Ardmore Airport, Auckland, New Zealand, edged a step closer to flight today. Maintenance staff fueled her tanks for the first time on February 23, 2024, in preparation for engine runs, which are set to happen next week. As is common with all airworthy restorations, it usually takes a fair bit of time from the first engine runs to the first flights, but it is a major milestone on NZ2308’s journey back into the air. However, it seems likely that we can now measure the time to that happy day in weeks, rather than months, or years.​

Exciting Times! The AvSpecs team fired up NZ2308s Rolls Royce Merlin’s for the first time! Screenshot from Avspecs Ltd video
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On Sunday, February 19, 2024, Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow announced that one of the world’s most iconic WWII fighter-bomber aircraft will take part in its Easter 2024 airshow. The ex-RNZAF de Havilland DH98 Mosquito NZ2308 is weeks away from the end of a fifteen-year restoration in Auckland and the American owners have generously agreed to allow the aircraft to fly at the Southern Hemisphere’s largest Warbirds airshow before it is dismantled and shipped to its new home in the US.​

An overview of the Mosquito in the Avspecs hangar.

This Mosquito was built by de Havilland Australia at Bankstown, Sydney, Australia, for the Royal Australian Air Force. Originally planned to become an FB.40 fighter-bomber version (essentially the Australian-built equivalent of the very successful FB.VI) it was given the RAAF serial number A52-20. However, the decision was made to convert a batch of partly constructed FB.40s to dual control trainer status, and this aircraft was converted to a Mosquito T.43 while still on the production line. At that point it was renumbered with a new RAAF serial, A52-1054.​

NZ2308 flying with 75 Squadron in the early 1950s

The aircraft will be test-flown at Ardmore and then displayed at Wanaka by accomplished American pilot Steve Hinton. Steve, a former Reno Air Race champion, has flown numerous Warbird types, including the last Mosquito from the Avspec’s workshop, and is currently President of the Planes of Fame Museum at Chino in California.​

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[sikatri]

Fantastic old planes!

 

[DaveM]

How Mileage Programs Outperform Airline Revenue in 2024

Changes to Delta Air Lines’ SkyMiles program were in September 2023, and they made it more difficult to accrue status and take advantage of benefits. Delta now awards status based on a single parameter, dollars spent, and increases the amount of spending necessary to get it rather than a mix of dollars spent and miles flown. To put it briefly, SkyMiles is now a big-spender program rather than a frequent flier program. These adjustments are so significant that a writer at The Points Guy, the biggest travel rewards website, said he would no longer pursue airline status.​

Have Airline Companies Turned into Banks?​

Airlines were subject to federal government regulation as public utilities from the late 1930s until the 1970s. Which airlines could fly which routes and at what price were determined by the Civil Aeronautics Board. It sought to determine rates that would provide airlines with a reasonable profit while still being reasonable for passengers.

Then, in 1978, a comprehensive bill was established by Congress that deregulated the aviation market and eventually eliminated the CAB. Freed from restrictions, airlines came up with innovative strategies to seize market share. Of them, American Airlines was the most assertive. It established low-cost “super saver” rates in the run-up to the deregulation legislation in order to sell the last few available seats on aircraft.

Because the flights were scheduled to take off whether or not all of the seats were occupied, this meant lower fares for last-minute customers and more income for AA. Business passengers, who often purchased tickets at a premium and longer in advance, were disgruntled by these prices. To provide customers with more perks, American created AAdvantage, its frequent flier club, in 1981. Other airlines used a similar strategy.​

The Way Airlines Save Money​

Airlines make up points and resell them to banks with co-branded credit cards for actual money. Banks give cardholders points for their purchases, while credit card companies profit from the fees charged when a card is used. Cardholders may use their points to purchase tickets and other products and services via the airlines’ online storefronts.

For the airlines, this represents huge savings. Until the points are redeemed, or until they are lost, they are not charged for them. Loyalty programs are now quite profitable thanks to this structure. Customers now charge Delta’s American Express credit cards alone for close to 1% of the US GDP. Moreover, if we take American Express at New Jersey casinos we will see that the owners of this card have problems in the field of gambling in NJ. After all, they can make a deposit, but they cannot withdraw funds. Wall Street lenders placed a higher value on the mileage programs offered by the main airlines than on the airlines themselves, according to a 2020 Financial Times research. For example, United’s MileagePlus program was valued at $22 billion, even though the company’s market capitalization was just $10.6 billion at the time.

Does this represent a decent value for American customers? That is a more difficult question. Redeeming points for a ticket or hotel stay may seem like a free bonus, but because credit-card swipe fees raise costs across the economy and Visa or Mastercard take a share of each transaction, using points is really more like receiving a little kickback. The system seems detrimental to Americans without point-earning cards.​

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[DaveM]

AA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 Aircraft Mass Arrival Schedule Set

PRESS RELEASE

The schedule is set for groups of specific aircraft types to land as mass arrivals prior to the start of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, which is July 22-28 at Wittman Regional Airport. These groups will arrive at specific times on July 19-21, prior to opening day.

“These arrivals add to the camaraderie at Oshkosh that makes it aviation’s annual family reunion,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety. “We schedule these mass arrivals in advance to give time for those who might be interested to find more information and complete any additional training that might be required by the individual aircraft group, as well as to let other pilots know when these groups will land at Oshkosh and plan their own arrivals accordingly.”

The established schedule includes the following dates, along with links to the specific aircraft types:

Friday, July 19

• 11 a.m. – Cherokees to Oshkosh
• 5 p.m. – Cessnas to Oshkosh

Saturday, July 20

• 10 a.m. – Mooney Caravan (registration opens February 28)
• 1 p.m. – Bonanzas to Oshkosh

Sunday, July 21

• 10 a.m. – Cirrus COPA to Oshkosh (C2A)

Information can also be found in the “Flying In” section at EAA.org/AirVenture and will be included in the FAA’s AirVenture Notice (commonly known as NOTAM). These mass arrivals to Oshkosh are organized by independent organizations, which may require membership or additional training and briefing prior to the flight. Arrival times could be altered by weather and other factors.

About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and EAA’s membership convention. Additional information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available at www.EAA.org/airventure. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or visit www.EAA.org.​

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[DaveM]

An Expert’s Thoughts on Warbird Safety

By Doug Rozendaal

I just returned from a 3-week adventure where I attended CAF Centex B-25/C-47 Ground School, the National Warbird Operator Conference, Stallion 51 Recurrent Ground and Flight Training, and B-29 Ground School with Doc.

I have been flying warbirds for almost 40 years, and I can say that our industry’s approach to training has improved significantly. I have attended numerous commercial type-specific training courses, put on by brand-name companies that anyone in aviation would recognize, and the quality of training that is available in our business today is as good as or better than many of those.​

Long-time CAF veteran pilots Doug Rozendaal (left) and Tom Travis (right) were pictured in the cockpit of That’s All, Brother a few days ago. The two men flew the D-Day veteran Skytrain successfully on her first post-restoration flight this afternoon. (photo via CAF)

In these recent courses, we spent almost zero time memorizing the minutiae that the commercial courses use as filler to stretch the class to justify their exorbitant prices. All of the warbird courses were focused heavily on CRM (crew resource management) and scenarios that forced thinking and systems knowledge instead of rote responses to CAS messages. In one class, we did evacuation drills from the actual airplane. In another, we had a simulator that was wired to the classroom and the class got to watch a very high-time experienced warbird pilot (that I see every morning in the mirror) feather the wrong engine. A long and worthwhile discussion followed. In the Mustang, I was able to explore the nether regions of the envelope where I hope to never tread, but gained a clearer understanding of how close I fly to it, and that I can fix it if I find myself there.

In short, it made me extremely proud of our industry and how far we have come since my early days when ground school for many groups was either non-existent or a one-hour coffee session to check the box. The problem is that all of us know warbird operators who do not avail themselves of the training opportunities that exist today. Some go through the motions, sit in class and smile, but fail to grasp the concepts, and fail to acknowledge the risks in our business. Make no mistake, flying warbirds is a high-risk business. Between John Lohmar [who took over the NWOC Safety Briefing from Doug –ed.] and me, we have thirty years of warbird accident data, and data shows that every year an average of ten of our friends perish in a warbird accident.​

Ten dead friends are not acceptable. The military would not tolerate this accident rate and neither should we. But it will not change unless we change. This begs the question: what needs to change?

The answer is an easy one: recurrent training. When the FAA mandated annual recurrent training for the Mitsubishi MU-2, the accident rate dropped precipitously. Today, the MU-2 enjoys a safety record equivalent to a King Air 90. The same happened with Robinson helicopters. When the FAA mandated training, the accident rate improved considerably.

Nobody wants the FAA to mandate anything, and they don’t have to. Early on, the Cirrus SR22 also had an unacceptable accident rate, but rather than following an FAA mandate, the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) took it upon themselves to address the problem, create good training programs, and encourage operators to participate. They did it by changing the culture of the Cirrus ownership experience, and it worked. Again, the change was significant.

Like COPA, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) set out to change their operating culture nearly 20 years ago and it has made a difference. Annual recurrent systems training, CRM training, and flight training were required, and that created safety awareness.​

A pilots’ briefing from the 2024 Annual Texan Roundup. Image by Gary Daniels

As mentioned previously, unlike when I started flying warbirds forty years ago, good quality warbird training is now readily available. There are several commercial operators specializing in various types, and many museums, like the CAF, that have annual training events for several specific types, general warbird safety, and CRM programs. Most Units will accept guests at their ground school sessions. If not, it’s easy to join the CAF or another museum and participate in their safety training.

One area that I find particularly concerning is poor systems knowledge. When I learned to fly– and even more so when our warbirds were built –pilots learned ‘how the airplane worked.’ Today, in all aspects of aviation, we are teaching students “how to work the airplane.” Flying a warbird is fundamentally different than a modern jet and while learning ‘how to work the airplane’ might be adequate in a modern automated aircraft with a comprehensive Quick Reference Handbook, it is not acceptable in a warbird. The emergency checklists in our airplanes are very short and critical decisions are left to the discretion of the pilot. Having strong systems knowledge helps make smart decisions. That is an imperative.

Knowledge, skill, and discipline are the three-legged stools of aviation safety. Knowledge and skill come from training, and discipline is required to do work and be on a continuous quest for self-improvement.

Safety training is like a marketing campaign; it needs to maintain “Top of Mind Awareness.” This doesn’t happen automatically. It requires effort and commitment. Like marketing, the campaign doesn’t stop when sales are good, it continues. It is hard work, it requires an investment of time and money, but the payoff is huge.​

An image of a session from the Vintage Wings of Canada’s Warbird U training programs. Photo by Richard Mallory Allnutt

From the Part 121 operators with a nearly perfect record to the GA examples who embraced training and got better, there can be no argument that recurrent training improves safety and that the warbird industry’s safety record needs improvement. This doesn’t happen easily. Step 1 is to set a good example. If that pesky pilot we see in the mirror does the right thing, our peers will follow. And if they don’t, we need to encourage them and offer them avenues to seek out and participate in regular recurrent training.

If you are a warbird operator, or any type of pilot for that matter, as the ice melts and the grass turns green, look in your mirror and commit to getting some quality recurrent training before the flying season starts.

It is trite– but true –that the life you save may be your own.​

About Doug Rozendaal Doug Rozendaal’s aviation career started as a DC-3 freight dog. He became a Warbird Airshow performer, Instructor, and Examiner. Doug is an experienced warbird pilot, aerobatic pilot, and designated pilot examiner. For more information about Doug, click HERE.

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[DaveM]

Veteran Auster Restored In Original Kiwi Colors

By Grant Newman

Following a two-year full restoration, a historic Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Auster has been brought back to life again. Formerly decorated as a civilian machine, Auster J/5 NZ1701 emerged wearing authentic RNZAF markings after former owner, Auster aficionado John Kelly, stripped the aircraft to its bare structure and began refurbishing it to match the condition it was in when it operated with the RNZAF. Incorporating other ex-RNZAF Auster parts, it is as authentic as a modern rebuild to flying condition can be, with the obvious concessions to operating it in the modern aviation environment. The wooden trim surrounding the windows was skilfully handcrafted by Kelly, who also recovered the aircraft with fabric.​

[Photo by Grant Newman]

Kelly’s association with the type is a long one, having restored and operated Auster VH-WMM in Australia, towing its remains across the Nullabor Plain from St Arnaud, Victoria, to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia to overhaul it. That particular aircraft now resides in New Zealand as ZK-AGY. In depicting NZ1701 in its Air Force markings, Kelly contacted the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, where its color scheme and markings were carefully researched. On its nose is a cartoon Kiwi clutching a Taiaha, a Maori club-type weapon. This marking is a personal addition by Kelly himself.

One of a total of seven Austers acquired for RNZAF service as communications and liaison aircraft, NZ1701 arrived in New Zealand by sea in 1947. The first six Austers were bought for the sum of £1,200 each. When delivered, they were engineless and they were fitted with surplus 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major I engines on arrival, as opposed to the Auster J/1’s usual 100 hp Blackburn Cirrus Minor engine. The Gipsy engines fitted to the Austers were surplus de Havilland Tiger Moth engines. After construction to flying condition at RNZAF Base Ohakea, NZ1701 was sent to RNZAF Base Rongotai, Wellington to serve with the Communications Flight. During this time it operated from Rotorua for fire patrols for the New Zealand Forestry Service.​

In 1952 NZ1701 was transferred to RNZAF Base Hobsonville and was fitted with floats for operation as a seaplane. The brackets for fitting the floats have been incorporated into the aircraft’s restoration. At Hobsonville, the aircraft was used for training personnel on handling aircraft on the water for flying boat operations. After a relatively short RNZAF career of eight years, NZ1701 was sold by tender to the Piako Aero Club in February 1956, receiving the registration ZK-BQL after emerging as a civilian aircraft two years later. After being passed through various owners’ hands, the aircraft suffered an accident at Omaka in 1988, but was rebuilt again. After he bought it, Kelly did much of the restoration himself. He acquired the aircraft’s wheeled undercarriage from an ex-RNZAF airframe engineer who held onto them following the aircraft’s conversion to a floatplane. The aircraft was re-registered as ZK-BQS in February 2022, but Kelly has since sold it to an operator who he felt would appreciate its history.​

[Photo by Grant Newman]

During its time at Rongotai, NZ1701 was featured in a photo shoot by an Evening Post reporter as part of an RNZAF recruitment drive on 22 June 1950 with a young boy by the name of Robert Mann, who was photographed in front of the aircraft. The photo set was appropriately named “Robert goes to Rongotai” and depicts Mann at various times during his visit to the airport that day. Kelly has a copy of the image and on the aircraft’s completion was keen to recreate the photo featuring Mann confronting NZ1701. On 11 May 2022, on a sunny afternoon outside Kelly’s hangar at a private airstrip near Nelson, a photoshoot took place that recreated the original image that Kelly has a copy of, with his friend Rob Boult as a stand-in for Mann. Boult was brought along to replicate Mann’s possible age as he would be today.​

The author would like to thank John Kelly, Rob Boult, and Andy Heap for their assistance in preparing this article.​

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[DaveM]

New Tailwheel Flight School Opens in Connecticut

By Luc Zipkin

In the warbird industry, we often focus on aircraft restoration shops, museums, and airshows as epicenters of the movement for historic aviation. Increasingly, however, appropriate pilot training is difficult to come by. More and more every day, we as an industry are nearing a world where we have airplanes to fly but nobody to fly them. Thankfully, there are a small number of businesses that provide top-notch warbird training, particularly for advanced trainers and fighters.​

Goodspeed Flying Service founder Luc Zipkin taxis in his Piper J-3 Cub, which is now being used to teach the next generation of warbird pilots. [Photo via Luc Zipkin]

There is a gap, however, and that’s in local, grassroots tailwheel instruction. Texans and Mustangs are glorious beasts, but they’re also expensive and challenging to fly. At an introductory level, most people don’t have access to quality tailwheel instruction, if any. Tailwheel skills are critical to safely flying almost all warbirds, and the next generation isn’t getting them from freight flying in Beech 18s like previous generations did.

So, in a shameless bit of self-promotion, I’m proud to introduce Goodspeed Flying Service, a tailwheel-only flight school based at Goodspeed Airport (42B) in East Haddam, Connecticut. At our home base, we have a 2,100-foot paved runway, but in the summertime, we much prefer to train on our roughly 1,600 feet of grass, and a variety of local grass strips. Situated directly next to the Connecticut River– where the airport also has a licensed water runway, docks, and an active seaplane flight school –the Goodspeed Airport both showcases the natural beauty of New England and demands proper airspeed and directional control of pilots. We train in our 1946 Piper J-3 Cub with no electrical system and offer tailwheel endorsements, recurrent training, flight reviews for tailwheel pilots, transition training for a variety of light taildraggers, and ferry flights. In other words, I’m blessed to be able to make my passion my vocation and to build a business around such a fantastic classic airplane in such a beautiful and well-suited location.​

If you’d like to learn more, please visit our website at FlyGoodspeed.com.​

Goodspeed Flying Service will exclusively provide tailwheel flight instruction in the company’s 1946 Piper J-3 Cub out of Goodspeed Airport (42B) in East Haddam, CT. IMage by Luc Zipkin
Luc Zipkin is a writer and content manager for Vintage Aviation News, is aged 19 at the time of writing and, in his own words, grew up in “a family thoroughly consumed by aviation”. Taking after his US Army Signal Corps veteran grandfather who used his GI Bill funds to finance a pilot’s license and the purchase of a Boeing Stearman, Luc soloed in a glider at 14 and then in the family J-3 Cub – now Goodspeed Flying Service’s training aircraft – on his 16th birthday. He is a volunteer with the Tunison Foundation, the Commemorative Air Force and private warbird collections, and was the founder and former president of Young Pilots USA, an advocacy group for young people in aviation.

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[DaveM]

Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame Receives Gift of Art Honoring Paul Tibbets, Jr., And Mission That Ended WWII

The non-profit Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame and Learning Center (OAS) recently accepted the gift of an original work of art honoring the late U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., who piloted the August 6, 1945 mission that led to the end of World War Two.

On January 20th at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach, Florida, the artist, John Shaw, unveiled the oil painting titled “The Peacemakers,” which patron Mark Davis of Phoenix, Arizona then presented to OAS Executive Director Ron Kaplan. The 35” by 65” canvas depicts then Col. Tibbets, pilot, and two of his closest crewmen, Thomas Ferebee and Dutch Van Kirk, with their B-29 Superfortress, ENOLA GAY, as it was being prepared on the island of Tinian the day before they would drop the first of two atomic bombs that would result in Japan’s surrender. The painting’s 45” by 74’ frame uniquely displays Tibbets’ autograph along with each of the eleven crew that served aboard that historic mission.​

Left to right: MarkDavis, John Shaw, and Ron Kaplan

Tibbets, an Illinois native, lived the majority of his post-service years in Central Ohio, where in 1964 he was a founding board member and president of Executive Jet Aviation (now NetJets), from which he retired in 1987. He passed away in Columbus on November 1, 2007, at age 92. Davis, an avid collector of historic aviation art and Vice-President of PerformAir International, based in Gilbert, Arizona, felt that the OAS Learning Center would be the most appropriate organization to display the art and signatures.

NetJets is headquartered at John Glenn International Airport (formerly Port Columbus), not far from the original 1929 air terminal that will serve as the home of the OAS. Among OAS’s growing list of partners and supporters are The Ohio State University Center for Aviation Studies, the State of Ohio, the Wright Brothers Foundation, FlightSafety International, and NetJets.

Donor Davis and artist Shaw collaborated on both meticulously researching the project and tracking down the twelve crew signatures. They believe that only one other collector has assembled all twelve autographs in one place, enhancing “The Peacemakers” historic value. Shaw, of Central Florida, is renowned for the historical accuracy of his work which often depicts notable people and moments in military history. His paintings have enjoyed worldwide acclaim and many lithograph editions of his works, available through Liberty Studios, have quickly sold out.​

Rendering of the future The Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame and Learning Center

In accepting the work on behalf of the OAS, Kaplan offered his gratitude, saying “’The Peacemakers’ is among John Shaw’s finest works. We thank Mark Davis for generously and so tangibly acknowledging the merits of the Arts –the “A” in our aviation STEAM education mission. This remarkable gift is the first original in what will be a gallery of images that enable us to vividly depict the legacies of Ohio’s pioneers of flight.”

About The Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame and Learning Center:

The Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame and Learning Center (OAS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to permanently preserving the inspiring legacies of this state’s outstanding pioneers of flight, prominently heralding their achievements both as a point of pride and to foster continued innovation and a skilled workforce. The OAS will additionally educate the public about the rich history of Ohio’s aviation and aerospace industries, and its airports, including that of the OAS’s future home in the soon-to-be-renovated original Port Columbus Air Terminal, located at John Glenn International Airport (CMH) in Columbus, Ohio. For more information or to contribute, visit www.OhioAirandSpace.org. ​

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[DaveM]

Aero Legends’ Spitfire MJ444 Restoration Update

By Richard Mallory Allnut

Back in March 2017, Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXe NH341 made its first post-restoration flight following a three-year restoration with the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) in Duxford, England. The rebuild had seen the Spitfire, nicknamed Elizabeth, reconfigured as a two-seat Tr.9 trainer variant. Operating with Aero Legends at the company’s various locations in the south of England, Elizabeth has provided the Spitfire flying experience to hundreds of happy customers in subsequent years.​

Spitfire T.9 NH341 ‘Elizabeth’. [Photo by Alan Wilson via Aero Legends]

Business has been good for Aero Legends. In 2021, the company announced that they had commissioned the rebuild of another Supermarine Spitfire to join their stable in two-seat configuration, this being Spitfire Mk.IX MJ444, a WW2 combat veteran which served with several Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) fighter squadrons in Europe, just like her sister-ship Elizabeth.

ARCo is again overseeing the restoration effort, with Airframe Assemblies being a major subcontractor, supplying key structural components at their world-renowned facility on the Isle of Wight. Aero Legends’ in-house engineering division, Vintage Aero, is also assisting with the rebuild of several key items.

The restoration is now at an advanced stage, with the basic airframe essentially complete and systems integration in full swing. We have just received the latest progress update from Aero Legends and reproduced it below, with permission.​

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The engine frame has been fitted and split-pinned. The oil tank is on and various pipes have been installed as far as we can go without the engine. The oil suction filter, vacuum regulator, pre-oil pump, and spin-on filter assemblies have also been fitted. The engine is due to arrive on Tuesday (February 6th – see below) and the plan is to install it immediately. Systems parts continue to be installed, including both sets of rudder pedals, the airbox control, and the pitot-static system. The undercarriage selector is being assembled and will soon be ready for bench test.​

The rear fillet fairings are well underway and will be completed next week. Work will progress forward one panel at a time, finishing with the leading edge wrap-around fairings. The cowling rails are being formed and the front diaphragm has been cut and trimmed. The new tail wheel fork has just come off the machine and will be separated from its mounting. This is the first time this component has been made new since Spitfire production ceased! The ailerons from Spitfire Mk.IX TD314 will be removed from that airframe and trial-fitted to MJ444. If all is satisfactory, they will serve as templates for MJ444’s new ailerons.​

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MJ444’s Service History:

MJ444 rolled off the Castle Bromwich production line during 1943. The aircraft joined 411 Squadron RCAF on September 21st, 1944 before transferring 403 Sqn RCAF. Flying Officers Mac Reeves and Stephen Butte DFC are known to have flown MJ444 during its time with 403 Sqn (part of 127 Wing under the leadership of legendary Wing Commander James Edgar ‘Johnnie’ Johnson). The photographs below show Stephen Butte at North Weald in 1944 (right) and upon his return to the same revetment in 2002, where Aero Legends now conducts its flying experiences.​

On the left, Stephen Butte is shown on a visit to North Weald in 2002, and at the same location (on right) with his 403 Squadron Spitfire during 1944. [Composite image via Aero Legends]

Wing Commander ‘Johnnie’ Johnson and his labrador Sally on the wing of his Spitfire in Normandy, c. June–August 1944. [Photo Crown Copyright expired]

On December 14th, 1944, MJ444 transferred to 443 Sqn RCAF, another unit within 127 Wing, while based at Advanced Landing Ground B.56 in Evere, Belgium. While with 443 Sqn, two of MJ444’s regular pilots included Pilot Officer P.C. Gomm, a Brazilian, and Flight Lieutenant Edmund Harold ‘Hal’ Fairfield, a Canadian from Cardinal, Ontario.​

A wartime photograph of Harold Fairfield while serving with 443 Squadron RCAF. [Image via Fairfield family]

Hal Fairfield was a highly experienced fighter pilot. He had cut his teeth on single engine fighters in late 1942/early 1943, flying Hawker Hurricanes with 129 Squadron RCAF from RCAF Dartmouth in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Interestingly, one of the fighters he flew with 129 Sqn also survives today, this being Hurricane Mk.XII RCAF 5667, which is presently operated by the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia.) In mid-1943, Fairfield transferred to 127 Sqn RCAF, flying coastal patrols from RCAF Gander in Newfoundland. In January 1944, Harold Fairfield travelled to the UK aboard the SS Pasteur along with the rest of 127 Sqn. Once in England, 127 reformed as 443 Sqn. They were soon taking the fight to the enemy, making regular trips over the channel to soften up coastal defenses in France. They participated in the D-Day landings as well, with Fairfield and his squadron-mates protecting the skies over Juno Beach, the Canadian beachhead in Normandy.​

A Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX of 443 Squadron RCAF taxies to dispersal along the perimeter track at B2/Bazenville in Normandy, France alongside a cornfield where farmers are gathering wheat with a horse-drawn harvester and binder. [Image via Wikimedia]

Fast forward to January 13th, 1945, when 443 Squadron had repositioned to Belgium. Hal Fairfield flew MJ444 on a ground attack sortie this day during the Battle of the Bulge. On the return trip home, having helped his squadron take out five enemy vehicles (and damaging a further twenty five) near St. Vith, Belgium, Fairfield’s fighter began trailing engine coolant. MJ444 must have sustained ground-fire damage during the fight, but without Fairfield realizing it, as it was 443’s Squadron leader, Thomas Decourcy, who first noticed the problem. Fairfield nursed his crippled Spitfire as long as he could, managing to pass back over friendly lines before the inevitable engine fire erupted and forced him to bail out. Fairfield made it down safely, although not without incident; his parachute snagged a tree. Thankfully a local farmer brought along a ladder and helped rescue the stranded pilot from his awkward perch. A short while later, a U.S. soldier took Fairfield back to base in his jeep.​

The page in Harold Fairfield’s logbook which depicts the mission he flew in MJ444 on January 13th, 1945 – note the amusingly understated remark “Bailed Out” to the right of the entry. MJ444 bore the squadron code 2I-A that day. Interestingly, Fairfield was flying combat again just a week later in a replacement Spitfire also coded 2I-A, but this time a Mk.XVI. [Image by Steve Daoust/Fairfield family]

MJ444 wasn’t so lucky as Fairfield, of course, burying itself into the Belgian mud, where it lay until an aviation archeology team located and dug up what remained in 2020. What they found now serves as the basis for Aero Legends’ resurrection of MJ444 – albeit in two-seat form. We can’t wait to see the aircraft take flight – and the same is true for Fairfield’s family in Canada.​

MJ444’s Merlin engine emerging from the mud in Belgium during 2020. [Image via Steve Daoust]

Hal Fairfield survived WW2 and married his wartime sweetheart, Sylvia Gething, who had served with the Women’s Royal Naval Service as a Rotor Print Operator with the Admiralty Signals and Radar Establishment in Haslemere, Surrey between 1943 and 1945. Returning to Canada after the war, they raised four children and lived a happy life in Cardinal, Ontario.

The author wishes to thank Steve Daoust very much for the details about his father-in-law, E.H. Fairfield in the preparation of this article.​

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Throughout the restoration process, Aero Legends has been working with Bicester-based film company Ralle, which has documented the early stages of the project with beautifully produced videos. Click the image below to watch all the episodes.​

In honor of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Aero Legends is proud to announce an exclusive opportunity to soar through history alongside the legendary C47/DC3 Dakota. To book your flight in this iconic aircraft visit www.aerolegends.co.uk.​

Aero Legends Offering Spitfire Flights Alongside C47/DC3 During D-Day 80th Celebrations

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[DaveM]

Dutch call Time on DC-3 Pleasure Flying

By James Kightly, Commissioning Editor

One of the world’s longest serving vintage aircraft rides organizations is finishing up their passenger flying operating at the end of 2024. Founded back in 1982, as the Dutch Dakota Association, now DDA Classic Airlines, they have been operating passenger pleasure flights from their native Holland through several parts of Europe for decades.

Their current aircraft is Douglas DC-3C registered PH-PBA and named ‘Prinses Amalia’. The board of the volunteer organization has revealed that (albeit it with enormous regret) 1 October 2024 will mark the end of their pleasure flying activities.​

Chairman Feije Jaski told Vintage Aviation News that there is not one single factor causing them to shut down operations, but an increasing accumulation of restrictions making successful, break-even activities harder, and more difficult to realistically budget. Not a commercial airline, and not a ‘for profit’ organization, but a volunteer group, but still required to adhere to passenger flying standards.

In October, they will loose their current hangar, and no affordable alternative has been found. Increasing restrictions that have impinged include ratcheting up limits on airline movements at Schiphol (and DDA Classic Air being likely to be one of the first airlines to be restricted) increasing demands on CO2 emissions standards, and less availability and viability of avgas for piston engines at the airports frequented.

Feije Jaski said the: “Increasing cost of landing fees, parking, legal levies, handling (aircraft and passengers), ATC, insurance, maintenance etc make it extremely difficult to maintain the level of ticket prices that are still acceptable to the public.​

“There is a limit to what is still saleable and what is not. In 2025 we will have to increase our prices with roughly 25% to break even. Our estimate is that we will loose a considerable amount of business if we do so. This jeopardizes the position of DDA.”

Rather than facing a decline, or death by a thousand cuts, Feije Jaski stated: “We have no intentions to wait for these developments and rather take things in our own hands.”

The Dutch Dakota Association has a notable, long history of providing vintage airline experience from Continental Europe. Founded in March, 1982, they have clocked up over four decades of pleasure flying. Strongly identified with the DC-3, they have also owned a DC-2 and operated a DC-4. Their first DC-3 was an ex-Finnish machine, painted in period KLM colors as ‘The Flying Dutchman’ and registered PH-DDA. (The names used are worth a note. Operating from Holland, the DDA’s main aircraft type are generally recognized as DC-3s in civil use, ‘Dakotas’ after the British Commonwealth type name, and will be known as members of the C-47 family by American aficionados.)​

The (then Dutch Dakota Association DC-3 PH-DDA wore modified KLM airline colors. The Dutch relationship with Douglas airliners goes back to the DC-2 in 1934. [Photo by James Kightly]

Operations started in 1984, with PH-DDA based at Schiphol Airport, with newly airline-standards trained pilots and cabin crew, and a skilled and complete technical support service. That summer, the DDA received the certificate of airworthiness from the Minister of Transportation Neelie Smit-Kroes. The following year the DC-3 won the ‘Concours d’Elegance’ at the Fairford airshow.​

A bigger Douglas ultimately proved to be two engines and capacity too far, but was a notable highlight on the European airshow circuit for a few years. [Photo by James Kightly]

The Douglas DC-4, seen here at IWM Duxford at one of the late 1990s major shows (and above) reveals ‘the Flying Dutchman’ banner. [Photo by James Kightly]

A second DC-3, a Beech 18 (primarily for crew training) was added, then a DC-2. In 1989, a 1944 Stinson L5 Sentinel that had been privately owned by DDA patron HRH Prince Bernhard (until 1956) was added to the collection. In 1996 and 97, two Douglas DC-4 Skymasters were added to the roster. The first PH-DDS started pleasure flights in 1997, though the other DC-4 was sold, and DC-4 operations only lasted until 2000.

Tragically, after many years of passenger flying, on September 25, 1996, the DC-3 PH-DDA crashed near on mud flats Texel, after an engine failure. All 32 passengers and crew were killed. A huge shock to the vintage aviation community, the DDA record: “This accident leaves deep marks on the surviving relatives and the DDA.” A memorial was erected in the garden of the Provincial House in Haarlem.

After a full review, it was decided to continue and to even expand operations. Replacement DC-3s were brought online. In 1998; after a thorough restoration, the PBA Foundation transferred the former government-owned aircraft, registered PH-PBA (for ‘Prince Bernhard Alpha’), to the DDA board to add to its operational fleet. Douglas DC-3 PH-DDZ flew again after a full rebuild on May 7, 1999. The pleasure flying continued with steady success.​

Among other administration changes and challenges, in 2012 PH-DDZ was grounded, requiring a new engine, and flights continued only with PH-PBA. In 2016 the sponsorship by the airline KLM ended, and in the supermarket chain Jumbo was the last major financial sponsor, but withdrew support on 1 January 2023. Issues with a secure, long term base with hangarage, and speculation over what price tourists would pay for tickets as well as other concerns over longer term viability with fuel and extra costs operating historic machinery added to the aforementioned accumulating challenges.​

However they intend to finish on a high. As Feije Jaski tells us: “In 2024 from April until October the Dakota will fly every weekend to and from Dutch airport for round trips over the Netherlands. We will also visit Lübeck and Weeze in Germany and Oostende in Belgium. The highlight of the year will be the 80th commemoration of D-day in Normandy, where we will organize three round trips per day over the beaches for a period of two weeks.”

So there are a number of opportunities to fly this DC-3, bookings here, and clearly it is not a chance to miss.​

This year is the last chance with the DDA Classic Airlines operation to make a flight over the Normandy beaches. [Photo by Nigel Hitchman]

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[DaveM]

B-29 Doc Joins Sound of Speed St. Joseph Air Show List

PRESS RELEASE

Boeing B-29 Superfortress Doc is set to join an impressive list of aviation performers at the 2024 Sound of Speed Air Show in St. Joseph, Missouri from September 14-15, 2024.

The tour stop will include B-29 Doc Flight Experience rides, along with ground and cockpit tours of Doc, which is one of 1,644 B-29 Superfortress aircraft built by the Boeing Company in Wichita during World War II.

“Adding B-29 Doc to our 2024 air show lineup brings a unique opportunity for air show attendees to see one of only two B-29s still flying today,” said Sound of Speed Air Show Chairman Julius Rice. “Doc’s flight crew and team are committed to sharing the history and significance of the B-29 by letting people climb inside the warbird to get a first-hand and up-close look at what was the world’s first all-electric, pressurized, high-altitude long-range bomber. Getting to see a B-29 in person is one thing, but getting a chance to climb inside and even fly in one, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

B-29 Doc Flight Experience tickets are on sale now for Doc’s appearance at the Sound of Speed Air Show in St. Joseph. Information about rides and flight ticket information can be found here: www.b29doc.com/rides. Ride flight tickets are on sale now.

For questions and admission information for the Sound of Speed Air Show, visit www.sjairshow.com.

B-29 Doc will arrive in St. Joseph, Missouri, at Rosecrans Memorial Airport Thursday, September 12, 2024 and will be available for B-29 Doc Flight Experience rides Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 13-15, 2024, prior to and following the air show. In addition to ride flight opportunities, Doc will be on static display during the air show Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15 with ground and cockpit tours. For details about B-29 Doc Flight Experience Rides, visit www.b29doc.com/rides.​

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