What/Where did you fly today? - Part 2

[Fritz]

Flying from Shannon (EINN) to Caernarfon (EGCK) using live weather, fog came up (of course!), and I decided to divert to Anglesey/RAF Valley (EGOV), which offers an ILS approach - and less fog, as it turned out.



@DFaber: It's an airliner, but I hope it isn't boring!

[curt]

@Fritz, The classics are classic because they are classic, and the Dc-3 is definitely classic. Never had a chance to ride in one for real, but I did get to explore a turbo-dakota at the national test pilot school once. I think it was converted by New Zealand and then eventually ended up at the national test pilot school in Mojave when they were done with it. (This isn't my picture it's already online, and mine is almost identical)

[Fritz]

There seem to be several types of turbo DC-3s. One is the Basler BT-67, which has a longer front fuselage (to counterbalance the lighter engines), but yours looks different.

[legoboyvdlp]

Not a Basler, which has 5 props...

Fritz, legoboyvdlp LOVES your screenshots!

[someguy]

I've been a passenger in DC-3s several times, to Caribbean SCUBA destinations without scheduled service: once from Miami to South Caicos and once from mainland Honduras to the small island of Guanaja. They are loud, slow, low, and have more legroom than any modern airliner. Every plane was in spectacular condition, fully restored with radial engines.

The airstrip on Guanaja back then was not like the one in today's FG. It was basically mud with basketball-sized rocks embedded. No sweat, the DC-3 soaked it all up in stride. At the end of the rollout, a bunch of locals ran out to lift the tail and pivot the plane around for the taxi back downwind. I doubt there's another 20-seat plane in the world that could survive such primitive conditions routinely, much less gracefully.

I never did get used to the tail settling after touchdown. It was damned embarrassing!

[morlanius]

It wasn't quite today, but this is somewhere I have been recently.
http://morsflights.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/stansted-airport.html

Jay

[Johan G]

Because this topic has grown to An-225 size we will start in a fresh topic: What/Where did you fly today? - Part 3

Thanks to everyone for sharing some amazing screenshots and videos. Keep them coming!