|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 13, 2008 18:03:19 GMT 12
We are extremely fortunate in New Zealand to have the amazing groups of people who keep the Catalina and DC-3/C-47 Dakotas ZK-DAK and ZK-AMY flying and allowing passengers to ride and enjoy the amazing experience of these flights.
Especially so now because on the other side of the world in Britain and Europe new EU regulations for passenger-carrying aircraft are forcing the cessation of almost all the Dakota and other large warbird aircraft from flying paying passengers.
This will spell the end, from next month I think it is, of any such flights in Europe as I understand it. Without revenue from passengers this will almost certainly ground a lot of the aircraft currently flying.
So though we sometimes lament decisions that our own governemnt and its transport related departments might make, thank goodness that we still have our lovely Dakotas and the Cat in the air where they belong.
Last weekend I was told by Cathy Haigh, who's training to become a Catalina pilot herself (they're working towards an all female crew by the way!!) that there are only two Catalinas in the world that take passengers, one in Holland and the one in NZ. I guess once the EU regulations kick in it might be down to just one?
|
|
betsy46
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 85
|
Post by betsy46 on Jul 16, 2008 20:46:34 GMT 12
The EU are introducing legislation on the 16th July governing operating procedures and equipment on passenger carrying aircraft. Due to a lack of thought this will cause all historic aircraft to be prevented from carrying passengers as the requirements of the legislation cannot be met on these old aircraft. For example; it will require escape slides to be fitted on an aircraft that has a door only 4 feet from the ground; fit oxygen masks on an aircraft that is un-pressurised and never flies high enough to require them. These aircraft have many years of safe flying left in them, which would provide hours of enjoyment to so many people and maintain a link with our historic aviation achievements during WW2 and beyond.
|
|
betsy46
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 85
|
Post by betsy46 on Jul 16, 2008 20:56:29 GMT 12
The legendary Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft has seen its fair share of important events and activities. The aircraft, which was originally designed in 1935 as a luxury civilian aircraft, was drafted by the military during World War II. During that time it served a vital function during D-Day by parachuting allied troops into occupied Europe. After a few years of war-time service the aircraft went back to its original role as a civilian aircraft and it has been maintained and kept in service.
The legendary and much-loved ‘Daks’ have up until now been used as a luxury civilian, nostalgic aircraft. Now, in Europe, it would seem that they will no longer act as a passenger aircraft but will instead be used only exclusively for commemorative flybys and other historical air displays. The change comes in the face of new rules that insist that all passenger-carrying aircraft meet current safety standards, regardless of their age. Previously the safety of passengers in historical aircraft was the responsibility of the UK Civil Aviation Authority but this has now passed to the EU and this has brought about the change in requirements. Such massive changes are virtually impossible to make for the Dakota and so a decision has been made to ground the aircraft in Europe. Lovers of this legendary and fiercely historic landmark aircraft were determined to ensure that the aircraft would not go out without notice and so organized a national farewell tour.
As part of the tour the planes stopped at Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport from where it spent two days conducting public flights, giving people a last chance to ride in one of these legendary stalwarts of the skies. At a cost of £99, enthusiasts could enjoy a 20-minute farewell flight in the Air Atlantique aircraft. The Dakota used for the commemorative flights was built in 1944 and has the distinction of having being used in the Berlin airlift of 1948 – an event that is generally thought of as being the starting point of the Cold War. After it was taken out of service it made a number of film and TV appearances. Some of the passengers were war veterans who had parachuted out the aircraft before and who were now curious to see how it landed. Modern pilots who visited the cock-pit might have been struck at just how different it is from a modern aircraft and pilots will often comment that flying this sort of aircraft makes you feel as if you have traveled back in time.
During the rest of the nationwide farewell tour, the Dakota visited as many different cities in the UK as is possible before finally being retired from the public service for good….or bad….
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 22, 2008 23:05:05 GMT 12
|
|
|
|
Post by sleemanj on Jul 22, 2008 23:49:23 GMT 12
Certainly an interesting situation. I wonder if it also knocks cost share (no pecuniary gain, just every person including crew pays thier share of the costs) on the head or if it's just purely commercial ops that are getting the old heave-ho.
|
|
