67-508: Air Atlantique was an airline based at Coventry Airport operating a number of classic aircraft, both for passenger operation and for cargo transportation. They operated a large fleet of Douglas DC-3 aircraft alongside several Douglas DC-6 and Lockheed Electra aircraft. Originally an air taxi operator, the group diversified into chartered and scheduled passenger and freight operations, as well as oil-spill response, aerial survey, and pleasure flights through various subsidiaries. The group
134-507: A "DC-3 replacement" over the next three decades (including the very successful Fokker F27 Friendship ), but no single type could match the versatility, rugged reliability, and economy of the DC-3. While newer airliners soon replaced it on longer high-capacity routes, it remained a significant part of air transport systems well into the 1970s as a regional airliner before being replaced by early regional jets . Perhaps unique among prewar aircraft,
201-571: A 150 year lease of Coventry Airport from the local authority in June 1998. It was later sold to the TUI group in 2007 as Atlantique began to divest its assets. The group was restructured again in 1998 with all passenger and cargo operations reorganised into a new unit called Atlantic Airlines . A new livery was introduced featuring a dark black fuselage with green stripes. As with the previous rebranding, all non-airline operations including DC-3 work retained
268-489: A catalogue of spare parts and servicing equipment for DC-3s as well as Pratt & Whitney R-1830 and R-2800 engines CFS was spun off as an independent company in 2007. Other subsidiaries included Atlantic Aeroengineering which provided maintenance and special mission modification services to the group from the Coventry base. A short lived Irish operation, Aer Atlantic , offered ad-hoc cargo and passenger services using
335-465: A cost of $ 500,000 per aircraft, Air Atlantique modified each Electra for two-crew operation and installed new mode-S transponders , TCAS , electrical generators, and 8.33kHz capable radios in order to meet new regulatory requirements. The seven active Electras left the Atlantique fleet to operate for the newly independent Atlantic Airlines in 2004. Canadian airline Buffalo Airways later purchased
402-420: A decommissioned model is attached to the store. There is dine-in seating available in the plane. Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Cessna 310 The Cessna 310 is an American four-to-six-seat, low-wing, twin-engine monoplane produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the second twin-engine aircraft that Cessna put into production;
469-404: A letter was added after the model number to identify changes to the original design over the years. The first significant upgrade to the 310 series was the 310C in 1959, which introduced more powerful 260 hp (194 kW) Continental IO-470-D engines. In 1960 the 310D featured swept-back vertical tail surfaces. An extra cabin window was added with the 310F. The turbocharged 320 Skyknight
536-535: A month, bringing the total Dakota fleet to eight aircraft by 1982. Three DC-3s, G-ANAF, G-AMPO, and G-AMHJ were sold along with the Royal Mail contract to Air Luton in 1985. A Bristol Type 170 Freighter , G-BISU, joined the Atlantique fleet in 1984 and was operated on behalf of Instone Air Line until 1987 when it was retired to the Imperial war Museum and then later sold to Canadian operator Trans Provincial. It
603-546: A number of Electras and spare parts from Atlantic. The first ATR 42-300, G-IONA, joined the Atlantique fleet in December 2002. It operated for various subsidiaries within the group including Highland Airways and Atlantic Express and was used by the Liberal Democrats during the 2005 UK General Election . Two further ATR 42-300s, G-RHUM and G-DRFC, were delivered in 2004 and 2005. A larger ATR 72-200, G-HERM, joined
670-535: A scheduled route between Jersey and Stansted. The main trading activities of Atlantic Airlines were subject to a management buy-out in July 2004 which saw all Lockheed L-188 Electra cargo operations transfer to an independent company, Atlantic Airlines . Following the divestment of most subsidiaries, Air Atlantique later operated a number of historic aircraft as the Classic Air Force . Pleasure flights of
737-495: A surveillance role. The company was subject to a management buyout in 2007 and moved to a new East Midlands Airport base as RVL Aviation in 2010. In 1989, the group acquired some of the assets of the bankrupt Malta International Aviation Company (MIACO). The purchase included the CAA-approved engine overhaul capability which was relocated to Coventry and renamed CFS Aeroproducts . The purchase gave Air Atlantique access to
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#1732801299986804-685: A trip entailed short hops in slower and shorter-range aircraft during the day, coupled with train travel overnight . Several radial engines were offered for the DC-3. Early-production civilian aircraft used either the 9-cylinder Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 or the 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp , but the Twin Wasp was chosen for most military versions and was also used by most DC-3s converted from military service. Five DC-3S Super DC-3s with Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasps were built in
871-506: A very large number of civil and military operators of the DC-3/C-47 and related types, which would have made it impracticable to provide a comprehensive listing of all operators. A common saying among aviation enthusiasts and pilots is "the only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3". Its ability to use grass or dirt runways makes it popular in developing countries or remote areas, where runways may be unpaved. The oldest surviving DST
938-399: Is N133D, the sixth Douglas Sleeper Transport built, manufactured in 1936. This aircraft was delivered to American Airlines on 12 July 1936 as NC16005. In 2011 it was at Shell Creek Airport, Punta Gorda, Florida . It has been repaired and has been flying again, with a recent flight on 25 April 2021. The oldest DC-3 still flying is the original American Airlines Flagship Detroit (c/n 1920,
1005-837: Is a conversion of the DC-3/C-47. Basler refurbishes C-47s and DC-3s at Oshkosh , Wisconsin , fitting them with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engines, lengthening the fuselage by 40 in (1,000 mm) with a fuselage plug ahead of the wing, and some local strengthening of the airframe. South Africa-based Braddick Specialised Air Services International (commonly referred to as BSAS International) has also performed Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop conversions, having performed modifications on over 50 DC-3/C-47s / 65ARTP / 67RTP / 67FTPs. American Airlines inaugurated passenger service on June 26, 1936, with simultaneous flights from Newark, New Jersey and Chicago , Illinois. Early U.S. airlines like American , United , TWA , Eastern , and Delta ordered over 400 DC-3s. These fleets paved
1072-615: Is estimated about 150 are still flying. "DC" stands for "Douglas Commercial". The DC-3 was the culmination of a development effort that began after an inquiry from Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA) to Donald Douglas . TWA's rival in transcontinental air service, United Airlines , was starting service with the Boeing 247 , and Boeing refused to sell any 247s to other airlines until United's order for 60 aircraft had been filled. TWA asked Douglas to design and build an aircraft that would allow TWA to compete with United. Douglas' design,
1139-625: The Channel Islands . In 1991, on account of two pollution control DC-3s being based at Inverness Airport , the group founded Air Alba as a flight training school based at the airport. It was renamed Highland Airways in February 1997. The airline expanded into freight and passenger operations as well as contract work for the oil industry and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency . Highland Airways
1206-520: The Shorts 360 aircraft which had returned from operations with Atlantic Reconnaissance in the USA. Scheduled passenger services between Southampton and the Channel Islands began in 1988 using a leased Hawker Siddeley HS 748 aircraft. Flights operated five times a day with fares of £29 each way; although initially the service was not a success, incurring losses of £750,000 in the first year of operation in
1273-714: The UK Department of Transport in 1987. The original terms of the contract required seven spray-equipped DC-3s to be kept on standby although this was later revised down to two. Nevertheless, this contract required a significant expansion of the fleet. The first call-out for Air Atlantique was the Piper Alpha disaster on 6 July 1988. Between then and the late 1990s, it expanded its operations to create pilot training facilities, aircraft engineering shops, survey and aerial reconnaissance work and other aviation-related activities. In 1987 it formed Atlantic Flight Training with
1340-586: The United States Air Force (USAF) selected the Cessna 310 for service as a light utility aircraft for transport and administrative support. The USAF purchased 160 unmodified 310A aircraft with the designation L-27A and unofficially nicknamed Blue Canoe , later changed to U-3A in 1962. An additional 36 upgraded 310 designated L-27B (later U-3B ) were delivered in 1960–61; these aircraft were essentially military 310Fs and as such equipped with
1407-698: The 1933 DC-1 , was promising, and led to the DC-2 in 1934. The DC-2 was a success, but with room for improvement. The DC-3 resulted from a marathon telephone call from American Airlines CEO C. R. Smith to Donald Douglas, when Smith persuaded a reluctant Douglas to design a sleeper aircraft based on the DC-2 to replace American's Curtiss Condor II biplanes. The DC-2's cabin was 66 inches (1.7 m) wide, too narrow for side-by-side berths. Douglas agreed to go ahead with development only after Smith informed him of American's intention to purchase 20 aircraft. The new aircraft
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#17328012999861474-569: The 310 to improve performance. Aircraft engineer Jack Riley produced two variants, The Riley Rocket 310 and the Riley Turbostream 310. Riley replaced the standard Continental 310 hp (230 kW) engines with 350 hp (261 kW) Lycoming TIO-540 engines. These turbocharged intercooled engines were installed with three-blade Hartzell propellers in a counter-rotating configuration to further increase performance and single-engine safety. At 5,400 lb (2,400 kg) gross weight
1541-845: The 43rd aircraft off the Santa Monica production line, delivered on 2 March 1937), which appears at airshows around the United States and is owned and operated by the Flagship Detroit Foundation. The base price of a new DC-3 in 1936 was around $ 60,000–$ 80,000, and by 1960 used aircraft were available for $ 75,000. In 2023, flying DC-3s can be bought from $ 400,000-$ 700,000. As of 2024, the Basler BT-67 with additions to handle cold weather and snow runways are used in Antarctica including regularly landing at
1608-557: The Air Atlantique name. In August 2002, the group created the Atlantic Express brand to cater for executive passenger and ad-hoc freight charter work. Operations began with the group's Metro III and Cessna 406 aircraft along with a leased Embraer 120 Brasilia . Operations expanded with the introduction of ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft between 2003 and 2005. From May 2006 to January 2007, Atlantic Express operated
1675-712: The Atlantic Surveys subsidiary. An engineering base was set up in the former British United Airways hangar at Blackpool airport which became the main UK operating base. Three Dakotas stationed at Blackpool operated newspaper flights to Belfast and the Isle of Man, with other aircraft operating nightly mail flights on the Glasgow-East Midlands-Luton and Newcastle-Liverpool runs. In 1984, the company relocated all cargo operations to Stansted Airport under
1742-547: The Cessna 310 over its contemporaries, such as the Piper PA-23 , were its speed, operating costs and aftermarket modifications, such as the Robertson STOL kits that made it popular worldwide for its bush flying characteristics. It could use short runways, while at the same time carrying a large useful load of 2,000 lb (910 kg). or more, at speeds that were high for a twin engine piston aircraft. In 1957,
1809-521: The DC-2 in service from Amsterdam via Batavia (now Jakarta ) to Sydney , by far the world's longest scheduled route at the time. In total, KLM bought 23 DC-3s before the war broke out in Europe. In 1941, a China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) DC-3 pressed into wartime transportation service was bombed on the ground at Suifu Airfield in China, destroying the outer right wing. The only spare available
1876-493: The DC-3 continues to fly in active commercial and military service as of 2021, eighty-six years after the type's first flight in 1935, although the number is dwindling due to expensive maintenance and a lack of spare parts. There are small operators with DC-3s in revenue service and as cargo aircraft . Applications of the DC-3 have included passenger service, aerial spraying, freight transport, military transport, missionary flying, skydiver shuttling and sightseeing. There have been
1943-434: The DC-3 on the Atlantique air operator's certificate ceased in the summer of 2008 owing to new safety regulations which required extensive modification of the airframes which proved uneconomical. The first DC-3 , G-ANAF, was purchased from West Country Aviation in 1977 for £72,000. G-ANAF required extensive restoration so a second DC-3, G-AMCA was leased from Fairey Aviation and became the first DC-3 to enter service. G-AMCA
2010-629: The DC-3s originally built for civil service had the Wright R-1820 Cyclone , later civilian DC-3s used the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine. The DC-3 has a cruising speed of 207 mph (333 km/h), a capacity of 21 to 32 passengers or 6,000 lbs (2,700 kg) of cargo, and a range of 1,500 mi (2,400 km), and can operate from short runways. The DC-3 had many exceptional qualities compared to previous aircraft. It
2077-483: The DST was given the designation DC-3 . No prototype was built, and the first DC-3 built followed seven DSTs off the production line for delivery to American Airlines. The DC-3 and DST popularized air travel in the United States. Eastbound transcontinental flights could cross the U.S. in about 15 hours with three refueling stops, while westbound trips against the wind took 17 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours. A few years earlier, such
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2144-485: The Royal Mail contract along with three Dakotas to Air Luton. The Group moved its base for a final time to Coventry in December 1985. A new livery was introduced in November 1986, featuring a grey and white fuselage with a green stripe. The tail logo of an osprey was not added until 1987 following a competition open to both staff and customers. Air Atlantique was awarded a five year maritime pollution control contract by
2211-629: The South Pole during the austral summer. Douglas C-47-DL serial number 41-7723 is on display at Pima Air & Space Museum near Tucson , Arizona . The aircraft was previously displayed at the United States Air Force Museum . Data from McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920 General characteristics Performance An attraction for the city Taupō in New Zealand , is a McDonald's outlet, where
2278-624: The Soviet Union as the Lisunov Li-2 (4,937 aircraft). After the war, thousands of cheap ex-military DC-3s became available for civilian use. Cubana de Aviación became the first Latin American airline to offer a scheduled service to Miami when it started its first scheduled international service from Havana in 1945 with a DC-3. Cubana used DC-3s on some domestic routes well into the 1960s. Douglas developed an improved version,
2345-529: The Super DC-3, with more power, greater cargo capacity, and an improved wing, but with surplus aircraft available for cheap, they failed to sell well in the civilian aviation market. Only five were delivered, three of them to Capital Airlines . The U.S. Navy had 100 of its early R4Ds converted to Super DC-3 standard during the early 1950s as the Douglas R4D-8/C-117D . The last U.S. Navy C-117
2412-481: The U.S. Army and U.S. Navy and the type continued in United States military service into the mid-1970s. On December 19, 1992, Cuban defector Major Orestes Lorenzo Pérez returned to Cuba in a 1961 Cessna 310 to retrieve his wife and two sons. Flying without lights, at low speed and very low altitude to avoid Cuban radar, Pérez picked up his family by landing on the coastal highway of Varadero beach, Matanzas Province , 93 mi (150 km) east of Havana and managed
2479-629: The US Navy with the designation YC-129 alongside 100 R4Ds that had been upgraded to the Super DC-3 specifications. From the early 1950s, some DC-3s were modified to use Rolls-Royce Dart engines, as in the Conroy Turbo Three . Other conversions featured Armstrong Siddeley Mamba or Pratt & Whitney PT6 A turbines . The Greenwich Aircraft Corp DC-3-TP is a conversion with an extended fuselage and with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AR or PT6A-67R engines fitted. The Basler BT-67
2546-417: The acquisition of two Cessna 310 aircraft and the later addition of seven Cessna 152 aircraft for flight training. The Atlantic Reconnaissance subsidiary was formed in 1988 to look after the pollution control work alongside other airborne remote sensing, survey, and patrol contracts. In 1994 it was awarded a contract with US-based Marine Oil Spill Response Corporation to operate a Shorts 360 aircraft in
2613-414: The aircraft had a weight to power ratio of 7.71 lb (3.50 kg) per horsepower. This resulted in a cruising speed of 260 knots (480 km/h; 300 mph) at 18,000 feet (5,500 m) and a 3,000 ft/min (15 m/s) rate of climb. The Cessna 310 was a common charter aircraft for the many air taxi firms that sprang up in the general aviation boom that followed World War II. The advantages of
2680-472: The airliner market, around ninety percent of airline flights on the planet were by a DC-3 or some variant. Following the war, the airliner market was flooded with surplus transport aircraft, and the DC-3 was no longer competitive because it was smaller and slower than aircraft built during the war. It was made obsolete on main routes by more advanced types such as the Douglas DC-4 and Convair 240 , but
2747-448: The company fleet swelled in size with the arrival of 7 Cessna 152′s in shipping containers, these being registered as G-HART (Tail Wheel conversion), G-BPBG, G-BPBH, G-BPBI, G-BPBJ, G-BPBK and G-BPBL with BH/I/J/K & L all being sold in 1990. Concern about the future viability of piston DC-6 operations meant Atlantique leased two Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft in late 1993. Since the first aircraft required maintenance, short term lift
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2814-595: The company received an Air Operator's Certificate in 1971 and began air taxi operations with Cessna 310 and Cessna 336 aircraft. The Air Atlantique name was adopted in June 1977 when freight charter flights were launched with Douglas DC-3 aircraft. It was thought the name would both appeal to the French-speaking population of Jersey and appear near the top alphabetically in the Yellow Pages . Freight charter operations commenced on 19 July 1977 with
2881-682: The design proved adaptable and was still useful on less commercially demanding routes. Civilian DC-3 production ended in 1943 at 607 aircraft. Military versions, including the C-47 Skytrain (the Dakota in British RAF service), and Soviet- and Japanese-built versions, brought total production to over 16,000. Many continued to be used in a variety of niche roles; 2,000 DC-3s and military derivatives were estimated to be still flying in 2013; by 2017 more than 300 were still flying. As of 2023 it
2948-652: The face of stiff competition. The HS 748 was returned to the lessor in March 1989 and the Southampton route dropped. From 1990, scheduled services were operated under the brand Air Corbiere. A Fairchild Metro III was purchased in 1992 to operate alongside the Cessna 406s . The Metro was the only example of the type on the UK aircraft register. Scheduled services, which ended in 1994, included daily flights linking Coventry-Gloucester, Jersey/Guernsey to Rennes, and Liverpool to
3015-404: The first flight transporting lobsters from Jersey to Morlaix . From October 1977, the company stationed a Dakota at Coventry airport to operate a contract transporting car components to Cologne for Ford . The second aircraft was based at Aberdeen operating oil charters. In May 1979, two Douglas DC-6B aircraft were purchased from Greenlandair ; however they proved uneconomical to operate due to
3082-530: The first was the Cessna T-50 . The 310 first flew on January 3, 1953, with deliveries starting in late 1954. The sleek modern lines of the new twin were backed up by innovative features such as engine exhaust thrust augmenter tubes and the storage of all fuel in tip tanks in early models. In 1964, the engine exhaust was changed to flow under the wing instead of the augmenter tubes, which were considered to be noisy. Typical of Cessna model naming conventions,
3149-602: The fleet in October 2005. Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller -driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company , which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II . It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version of the Douglas DC-2 . It is a low-wing metal monoplane with conventional landing gear , powered by two radial piston engines of 1,000–1,200 hp (750–890 kW). Although
3216-533: The late 1940s, three of which entered airline service. Total production including all military variants was 16,079. More than 400 remained in commercial service in 1998. Production was: Production of DSTs ended in mid-1941 and civilian DC-3 production ended in early 1943, although dozens of the DSTs and DC-3s ordered by airlines that were produced between 1941 and 1943 were pressed into the US military service while still on
3283-648: The more powerful 260 hp (194 kW) engines and can be identified by their extra cabin windows, longer nose and swept vertical fin. A USAF study after one year of operational service found the U-3A had direct operating costs of less than $ 12 an hour. The U-3 saw active service in a support role when the USAF deployed aircraft to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War , where they were used on courier flights between air bases . Some USAF aircraft were later transferred to
3350-469: The oil crisis and were disposed of soon after. The company ventured in to DC-6 operations again in 1987 when two other DC-6s joined the fleet Between 1981 and 1982 the company purchased additional DC-3s and was awarded a lucrative postal contract on behalf of Royal Mail. A three year aerial survey contract was also awarded to Air Atlantique by the Ordnance Survey which led to the establishment of
3417-402: The production line. Military versions were produced until the end of the war in 1945. A larger, more powerful Super DC-3 was launched in 1949 to positive reviews. The civilian market was flooded with second-hand C-47s, many of which were converted to passenger and cargo versions. Only five Super DC-3s were built, and three of them were delivered for commercial use. The prototype Super DC-3 served
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#17328012999863484-423: The rear two windows on the 310K (certified in late 1965), with optional three-blade propellers being introduced as well. Subsequent developments included the 310Q and turbocharged T310Q with a redesigned rear cabin featuring a skylight window, and the final 310R and T310R, identifiable by a lengthened nose containing a baggage compartment. Production ended in 1980. Over the years there were several modifications to
3551-522: The subsidiary Atlantic Air Transport . At the same time, an association was formed with Instone Air Line. Instone imported two Bristol Freighters from New Zealand in 1981 to operate freight services; having sold one in 1984 it transferred the second to the Air Atlantique AOC. Air Atlantique operated the aircraft on behalf of Instone until 1987 when it was sold. In 1985, delays caused by weather and engine problems forced Air Atlantique to sell
3618-532: The use of a Cessna 402 fitted with an Ericsson side looking airborne radar to detect oil spills which resulted in G-MPCU joining the fleet in early 1988. Five BN-2 Islanders (G-AXZK, G-BCEN, G-BELF, G-BNXA, G-BNXB) joined the fleet from September 1987 and were converted to spray configuration at Coventry. Atlantic Flight Training began operations with two Cessna 310 aircraft, G-BODY and G-SOUL, which were used as twin engine and instrument training aircraft. In 1988
3685-524: The war effort and more than 10,000 U.S. military versions of the DC-3 were built, under the designations C-47, C-53, R4D, and Dakota . Peak production was reached in 1944, with 4,853 being delivered. The armed forces of many countries used the DC-3 and its military variants for the transport of troops, cargo, and wounded. Licensed copies of the DC-3 were built in Japan as the Showa L2D (487 aircraft); and in
3752-409: The way for the modern American air travel industry, which eventually replaced trains as the favored means of long-distance travel across the United States. A nonprofit group, Flagship Detroit Foundation, continues to operate the only original American Airlines Flagship DC-3 with air show and airport visits throughout the U.S. In 1936, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines received its first DC-3, which replaced
3819-539: Was broken up as founder Mike Collett approached retirement with the freight arm becoming Atlantic Airlines and the aerial survey work continuing as RVL Aviation . Many of the remaining classic aircraft were donated to Classic Flight (Classic Air Force) for display at air shows. The Air Atlantique Group was founded in 1969 under the name of General Aviation Services , based in Jersey , Channel Islands . Initially operating as an aircraft sales and distribution business,
3886-586: Was developed from the 310F. Equipped with TSIO-470-B engines and featuring an extra cabin window on each side, it was in production between 1961 and 1969 (the 320E was named the Executive Skyknight), when it was replaced by the similar Turbo 310. The 310G was certified in 1961 and introduced the canted wingtip fuel tanks found on the majority of the Cessna twin-engine product line, marketed as "stabila-tip" tanks by Cessna, because they were meant to aid stability in flight. A single side window replaced
3953-483: Was engineered by a team led by chief engineer Arthur E. Raymond over the next two years, and the prototype DST (Douglas Sleeper Transport) first flew on December 17, 1935 (the 32nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers ' flight at Kitty Hawk) with Douglas chief test pilot Carl Cover at the controls. Its cabin was 92 in (2,300 mm) wide, and a version with 21 seats instead of the 14–16 sleeping berths of
4020-485: Was fast, had a good range, was more reliable, and carried passengers in greater comfort. Before the World War II, it pioneered many air travel routes. It was able to cross the continental United States from New York to Los Angeles in 18 hours, with only three stops. It is one of the first airliners that could profitably carry only passengers without relying on mail subsidies. In 1939, at the peak of its dominance in
4087-551: Was leased in from Renown Aviation using N360Q.The first aircraft, G-LOFA, eventually entered service in early 1994 followed by a second, G-LOFB, that summer. A third Electra joined the fleet in the summer of 1995 followed by two more in 1997. Following the closure of Hunting Cargo Airlines in 1998, three more Electras were purchased. The first aircraft, G-LOFA, was retired in 1998 bringing the operational fleet to seven. A number of additional airframes were purchased for spare parts including two former Fred Olsen Airtransport aircraft. At
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#17328012999864154-516: Was one of the last commercially operating B170s in the world. Air Atlantique became a DC-6 operator again in 1987 with the addition of two aircraft. The first aircraft, G-SIXC, was purchased from an operator in the USA for $ 650,000 and entered service in April 1987. The second, G-APSA, had been in storage in Yemen and required extensive restoration by HeavyLift Engineering at Southend Airport. The aircraft
4221-539: Was owned by Instone but operated on its behalf by Air Atlantique under the same arrangements as the Bristol Freighter and entered service in 1988. In 1987, G-AMCA was removed from freight work and flown to Greybull, Wyoming for conversion to spray configuration by Hawkins & Powers . Air Atlantique then converted a second DC-3, G-AMHJ, which was re-acquired having been sold off with the postal contract two years earlier. The pollution control contract required
4288-467: Was retired July 12, 1976. The last U.S. Marine Corps C-117, serial 50835, was retired from active service during June 1982. Several remained in service with small airlines in North and South America in 2006. The United States Forest Service used the DC-3 for smoke jumping and general transportation until the last example was retired in December 2015. A number of aircraft companies attempted to design
4355-413: Was subject to a management buyout in 2007. In late 1993, the group was restructured with the passenger operations of Air Atlantique/Air Corbiere combined under the name Atlantic Airways . The cargo operations of Atlantic Air Transport became Atlantic Cargo . However all Dakota operations, including pleasure flights and pollution control work, continued to use the Air Atlantique name. The group purchased
4422-455: Was that of a smaller Douglas DC-2 in CNAC's workshops. The DC-2's right wing was removed, flown to Suifu under the belly of another CNAC DC-3, and bolted up to the damaged aircraft. After a single test flight, in which it was discovered that it pulled to the right due to the difference in wing sizes, the so-called DC-2½ was flown to safety. During World War II, many civilian DC-3s were drafted for
4489-453: Was then also purchased outright for £45,000 later that year. Two Douglas DC-6B aircraft, G-SIXA and G-SIXB, were purchased in May 1979. Proving uneconomical to operate, the former was placed in to storage at Manston Airport and later scrapped, whilst the later was sold to Air Swaziland in December 1979. Between 1981 and 1982, eight further DC-3s were purchased although two were sold on within
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