Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 12, 2011 17:15:16 GMT 12
A late arrival has been "The Jean Batten Clipper".
This well-traveled DC-3 started life with the US Navy as Bu4703, then went to South America post-war before returning to the US as N1699M followed by N69D before returning to N1699M.
N234Z was its next registration then off to Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia as HZ-TA3 and then back to N234Z.
South Africa was next as ZS-MRU, where by October 2002 it had acquired a luxurious interior with leather seats and was operating on safari type passenger charter work.
Intended for Iceland as TF-AVN it never actually got there, but went to directly to Ireland, arriving on 12 September 2005. In January 2006, the aircraft was moved to Dunsfold, UK, where it was used in a James Bond movie "Casino Royale".
In July 2011 it became N451ZS with Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc. Trustee and was ferried to Cergy-Pontoise near Paris to be prepared for a heavily promoted adventure flight to New Zealand.
The concept was was to retrace the route taken by Jean Batten in her Percival Gull G-ADPR from the UK to New Zealand in October 1936.
The DC3 departed from Lydd in the UK 25Oct2012 carrying paying passengers and took 90 hours 46 minutes flying time to reach Auckland on 16Nov2012.
After a short tour around the country, the DC3 ended up in storage at Omaka in July 2013.
On 16Feb2015 the aircraft became ZK-JGB (Jean Gardner Batten) in the name of Airscapade Affairs Ltd., Te Anau.
It was advertised for sale in March 2915, but appeared to attract no buyers as it remained little used in the large aero club hangar at Omaka.
ZK-JGB at Omaka Easter 2015
By the end of 2015 work was being carried out on the aircraft by engineers from Air Chathams, and to facilitate the paper-work involved ZK-JGB was cancelled on 14Dec15 with the registration N451ZS again picked up on the 22nd, reverting to Southern Aircraft Consultancy ownership.
On completion of this work, the DC-3 again became ZK-JGB with Airscapade Affairs on 18Mar2016.
The aircraft still appears to static at Omaka, after further work has been completed by JEM Aviation.
You thought that was the end, but wait - there's just one more:
DC-3C VH-TAE was built as a C-47A-1-DK in November 1943 and went almost immediately to Australia where it became A65-29 with the RAAF in January 1944. Sold to Trans Australia Airlines it became VH-TAE on 9Sep1946 and worked for them as a freighter, fleet name Gregory.
VH-TAE at Melbourne Airport
In 1960 NAC was short of capacity for its freight routes and therefore leased VH-TAE from TAA between 3rd March and late May, when it returned to Australia. It came back again from 20th June to 20th December the same year and was used specifically to relieve the four freighters AOI, AQP, AWO and BKE which apparently required extensive work. While in NZ it retained it's Australian markings and registration and was operated by a TAA crew.
VH-TAE at Rongotai in 1960 while under lease to NAC
and at Christhurch
On returning to Australia in December 1960, the aircraft was immediately re-registered VH-SBL (to make room for a TAA DC-4) and then went on to many years of service in both Australia and New Guinea.
VH-SBL is still airworthy in Australia, flying with Dakota National Air on charter and tour work out of Bankstown Airport.
This well-traveled DC-3 started life with the US Navy as Bu4703, then went to South America post-war before returning to the US as N1699M followed by N69D before returning to N1699M.
N234Z was its next registration then off to Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia as HZ-TA3 and then back to N234Z.
South Africa was next as ZS-MRU, where by October 2002 it had acquired a luxurious interior with leather seats and was operating on safari type passenger charter work.
Intended for Iceland as TF-AVN it never actually got there, but went to directly to Ireland, arriving on 12 September 2005. In January 2006, the aircraft was moved to Dunsfold, UK, where it was used in a James Bond movie "Casino Royale".
In July 2011 it became N451ZS with Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc. Trustee and was ferried to Cergy-Pontoise near Paris to be prepared for a heavily promoted adventure flight to New Zealand.
The concept was was to retrace the route taken by Jean Batten in her Percival Gull G-ADPR from the UK to New Zealand in October 1936.
The DC3 departed from Lydd in the UK 25Oct2012 carrying paying passengers and took 90 hours 46 minutes flying time to reach Auckland on 16Nov2012.
After a short tour around the country, the DC3 ended up in storage at Omaka in July 2013.
On 16Feb2015 the aircraft became ZK-JGB (Jean Gardner Batten) in the name of Airscapade Affairs Ltd., Te Anau.
It was advertised for sale in March 2915, but appeared to attract no buyers as it remained little used in the large aero club hangar at Omaka.
ZK-JGB at Omaka Easter 2015
By the end of 2015 work was being carried out on the aircraft by engineers from Air Chathams, and to facilitate the paper-work involved ZK-JGB was cancelled on 14Dec15 with the registration N451ZS again picked up on the 22nd, reverting to Southern Aircraft Consultancy ownership.
On completion of this work, the DC-3 again became ZK-JGB with Airscapade Affairs on 18Mar2016.
The aircraft still appears to static at Omaka, after further work has been completed by JEM Aviation.
You thought that was the end, but wait - there's just one more:
DC-3C VH-TAE was built as a C-47A-1-DK in November 1943 and went almost immediately to Australia where it became A65-29 with the RAAF in January 1944. Sold to Trans Australia Airlines it became VH-TAE on 9Sep1946 and worked for them as a freighter, fleet name Gregory.
VH-TAE at Melbourne Airport
In 1960 NAC was short of capacity for its freight routes and therefore leased VH-TAE from TAA between 3rd March and late May, when it returned to Australia. It came back again from 20th June to 20th December the same year and was used specifically to relieve the four freighters AOI, AQP, AWO and BKE which apparently required extensive work. While in NZ it retained it's Australian markings and registration and was operated by a TAA crew.
VH-TAE at Rongotai in 1960 while under lease to NAC
and at Christhurch
On returning to Australia in December 1960, the aircraft was immediately re-registered VH-SBL (to make room for a TAA DC-4) and then went on to many years of service in both Australia and New Guinea.
VH-SBL is still airworthy in Australia, flying with Dakota National Air on charter and tour work out of Bankstown Airport.
