Air Chathams DC3 Scheduled Service

[E Shirley]

Hi All

I haven't seen a TR of the Air Chathams DC so I guess it's my turn.

Air Chathams ran a DC3 on their scheduled service from Auckland to Whakatane between October 2015 and March 2016.

Last weekend I flew WHK-AKL on DC3-CV05 arriving AKL at 13:00 and transferred to EK435, the Emirates A380 (in F, I needed the SC).

Experiencing the contrast between the two aeroplanes was special. The crew on the A380 having to endure my overflowing enthusiasm.

The DC3 has been beautifully restored and the flight crew were equally nice. They added to the sense of occasion by encouraging passengers to take turns looking into the 'flight deck'.

I find as a passenger that it is often little things that add to the enjoyment of a flight. Having a safety instruction card that has safety instructions on one side and a history of the aeroplane on the other is a nice touch. The aeroplane's history is also available on Air Chathams website.

I'm hoping that they will return the DC3 to scheduled service next summer because it would be fun to do the flights again.

I'm a longtime lurker because in most cases someone else has posted something similar but this gem seems to have slipped under the radar. I have some photos of the DC3 and the "flight deck" but can't add them to my post because the file size is too large, how do I work around that?

 

[Mattg]

Sounds like a fun trip! I've never flown on a DC3 so I would consider this in the future if it worked out.

I would love to see some photos if you have any. To reduce the file size, have you tried emailing the photos to yourself? You could also use an online tool such as this one: Free Image Optimizer - Compress and resize photos

 

[E Shirley]

Thanks for the tip, I sent the photos to me from my iphone. I hope this works properly and you can see these photos...

The position of the landing gear on the DC3 (under tail and wings as opposed to modern aircraft nose and tail) means that when you board the aircraft it is at a slight incline.





The cabin crew on EK435 must have seen my enthusiasm for the DC3. About 40 minutes before landing in Brisbane one of the crew asked me to remain in my seat after landing so that I could visit the flight deck. I was looking forward to experiencing the contrast between the two aeroplanes and the visit to the A380 flight deck made the journey even more special. Big Thank You to the Emirates Crew. I'm sure you can guess which one is the A380!

 

[Deleted member]

Now that look like a fun day out.

 

[BAM1748]

The cabin crew on EK435 must have seen my enthusiasm for the DC3. About 40 minutes before landing in Brisbane one of the crew asked me to remain in my seat after landing so that I could visit the flight deck. I was looking forward to experiencing the contrast between the two aeroplanes and the visit to the A380 flight deck made the journey even more special. Big Thank You to the Emirates Crew. I'm sure you can guess which one is the A380!

QUOTE]

I guess EK didn't want to be out done by a 65 yo aircraft flying for a $2 NZ company, very cheap PR to have you giving them the thumbs up as well. Good story though.

Matt

 

[E Shirley]

I guess EK didn't want to be out done by a 65 yo aircraft flying for a $2 NZ company, very cheap PR to have you giving them the thumbs up as well. Good story though.

Matt[/QUOTE]

Yes, compared to an A380 the dollar value of a DC3 is minuscule but the human input from engineering maintenance and flight crew has a value beyond dollars dollars IMO.

The aeroplane has some charm of its own and attracts like minded aviation enthusiasts so quite different to the DYKWIA experience that you occassionally see in J (which is why I like F, you can't see them).

The DC3 flew from AKL to WHK Saturday and back on Sunday. Air Chathams put together a package that included a shuttle van transfer from WHK to accommodation.

We were lucky that the weather was good. WHK is a nice enough place for dinner when the sun is out. Otherwise it might have felt like a long wait for the flight back.

NZ Aviation is in a bit of a low patch at the moment (Air NZ pulling out of services to rural airports as a quick update for those who might not know the background). Must be the 'Aussie Battler' in me that admires the Air Chathams team for just making this happen.

 

[samh004]

I believe there was once a planned DC3 AFF trip but it didn't come together. I've walked around in one a few times at LRE, but no such luck in a flying one. Looks like a great experience!

 

[E Shirley]

Pleased to see that Air Chathams has more fans:
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11868452

 

[trooper]

Do they still operate the Convair 580's? Ive flown/jumped DC-3's (or more likely C-47's) numerous times..... but the Convair......:mrgreen:

Edit ; Well they are still listed in the Fleet page.....

 

[Justinf]

The old DC3. I'm going to Yellowknife in February and am desperately hoping that Buffalo Airways has its licence back so I can fly the short hop to Hay River.

 

[Mattg]

Do they still operate the Convair 580's? Ive flown/jumped DC-3's (or more likely C-47's) numerous times..... but the Convair......:mrgreen:

Edit ; Well they are still listed in the Fleet page.....

Yes, they do!

I flew on one of their Convair 580s about 6 months ago. I wrote a trip report about it: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-photos/air-chatams-step-back-time-79922.html