Tribute to the Dakota

[Hihonyr8811]

Or C-47/DC-3/Skytrain/Gooney bird and what ever else you want to call it, It's no secret that it's my favorite type, It's ZA947s fault, seeing her flying around me whilst I was on top of Tattershall castle on my Birthday in 2005 was what did it
The more I read about them, the more respect and love I had for them, they are a beautiful shape (to me) and if I could learn to fly any aircraft on the planet, I'd pick the Dakota


So I thought I'll post a couple of my own favorite pics and videos. Feel free to add to them, as I really can't get enough
























I wasn't sure where to put this thread to be honest, so feel free to move it if it's in the worng bit

[Mayfly]

thanks for those Helen, I know DT just loved the DC3 on BBMF he always liken it to sailing a large ship rather than flying an aircraft

[Mackrick]

lovely photo Helen like the last one with the Lancaster as well...

[Spitfire]

In 1986 was lucky enough to fly on Concorde - but that year my Dad was determined that I should experience the other end of the flight spectrum so he took me up in an Air Atlantique Dakota

I have to say it was a hell of an experience and the bit I enjoyed the best was sitting on the runway at a 45 degree angle then coming upright as the speed increased

We had the chance to go to the cockpit and it was being flown by two 12 year olds They had the sliding windows open so you got a real feeling of seat of the pants flying - nothing like the clean and clinical feeling of the Concorde.
Max height we got to was 1800 ft and all in all it was just a magic experience I wont ever forget

I can see why you love them Helen

[Hihonyr8811]

Not jelous one little bit

I never got to fly in one

I'll have to make do with watching videos
Was my own fault, I should have got in there before the EU did, but I wasn't quick enough


"sitting on the runway at a 45 degree angle then coming upright as the speed increased"

That is my favourite bit when I'm watching one take off

[Spitfire]

Not jealous one little bit

I never got to fly in one

Sorry Helen - I had to take the risk that you had flown in one

Didn't mean to rub it in

If it's any comfort the inside was very boring - lined with bare plywood and basic canvas seats - although we did have a hostess who served lukewarm tea from a flask into disposable cups

The flight I was on was actually mainly chartered by some rail enthusiasts and we were scheduled to rendevous with the steam locomotive Black Prince going over a viaduct at the Severn Valley Railway - it was something to do with Burma as I remember - all the old gits on board were craning their necks out of the windows to see the flipping train and take pictures whilst me and my Dad soaked up the Dakota atmosphere we were the only two to go to the cockpit too

[Hihonyr8811]

That's ok
As I say, twas my own fault, I didn't know that air atlantique did flights till Cluny put a video up, and by that time they were coming to a close coz of all the stupid regulations

lol I love boring interiors lol

I don't blame you, I'd be more interested in the Dak than the train too

[Mayfly]

I've been lucky enough to fly in the BBMF DC3 with DT at the controls - it was a an appallingly foggy day & it had come down sooner than expected & we had to abandon the fly past at Newark we were suppose to be doing - coming back in to Coningsby we did a couple circuits & there were blue lights flashing from the fire trucks & ambulances - looking out the window I thought 'oh some ones in trouble'....

not until after we had landed did I realsie it was us, we only had 1 green, luckily it was only a bad undercarriage indication, both were locked down. I couldn't believe it was us, it never occured to me.............

[Cluny]

Time to rub it in
Flown on G-AMPY twice , once in 07 and again during the farewell tour this year
Lovely sound , inside and out

[Hihonyr8811]

Just so you know I am officially boycotting my own thread LOL

[Dan4th]

I just......

I just......

Well, it's hard to.........

Don't you just LOVE her?????

EYE do!

Dan4th

[Hihonyr8811]

Same here it's hard not to love them

[Dan4th]

This is for Helen::::::::::

Thought you might like this....

This odd bird now lives about an hour or
so to my northwest on Moosehead Lake.
I've SEEN it several times, but haven't
ever seen it fly. I guess the present owner
has ironed-out the T/O and Landing probs,
but it's still rarely flown.....

Enjoy!

http://www.dc3history.org/floats.htm

Dan4th

[Hihonyr8811]

WOW
I'd love to see that fly, bet it's awkward though, I can't say I know how a normal dak flys, but I should think putting those two great big floats on it alters the handling a bit lol

[Wedgy]

Who do i need to speak to ... to FLY in one?

[Hihonyr8811]

Who do i need to speak to ... to FLY in one?

Oi, get to the back of the Queue, I'm first

[Dan4th]

Wedgy:

I guess you'll need to talk with your TRAVEL AGENT
and go somewhere outside of the EU.....

God knows there are still enuff of them!

Dan4th

[RLN]

Talking of travel agents, my sister-in-law has gone to South Africa for 3 weeks, so I asked her to go to Thunder City and bring back a Lightning. Bet she doesn't

[Dan4th]

Nuther one for Helen::::::::

Can you get to Iceland????????

Good Pilot on THIS one!!!!!!!!!!



ZZZZZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Dan4th

[Hihonyr8811]

LOL I absolutly love that one , it is one of my all time favorites!!!!
Pretty good looking Dak too





You've got me going through my favorites now


If you want low flying Daks, how's this



Love this person, I love watching the films he uploads.



One of my favorite TV/movie sequences of all time



I think it looks easy enough



And finaly, one of the best noises on Youetube
If this doesn't send a tingle down your spine then I dunno what will I'd have loved to have been there .

[Spitfire]

I think it looks easy enough

I could do that

[Hihonyr8811]

It's like a flying caravan I want one

[RLN]

That would be one caravan that the guys on Top Gear wouldn't object to.

[Hihonyr8811]

Did you know, that no known photos exsist of the maiden flight of the first DC-3 on December 17th 1935 from Clover field California.

Only a few engineers turned out for the flight and some of them can't even remember it, it was just considered another routine test flight .
They certainly didn't fore see the significance of the occasion

[Saracenman]

ah, but if it'd turned out to be a bag of shite, NO-ONE would've admitted to being there!

sm