How To Fly On A 78-Year-Old Douglas Dakota Aircraft In The Netherlands

The famous Douglas DC-3 is known for being the most-produced airliner in history. This is largely due to the number of military versions built that later found civilian use, such as the B. the C-47 “Dakota”. You can still fly with certain examples today, including one based in the Netherlands.

A brief history of the aircraft involved

These flights are operated by the Dutch Dakota Association, also known as DDA Classic Airlines. The particular Dakota flying this group is registered PH-PBA and is a proud 78 years old, according to FlightRadar24.com. Data from ATDB.aero shows it began its career with the US Air Force (USAF).

According to the DDA, the aircraft was stored in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany after World War II. Shortly thereafter, it was purchased by the Dutch Prince Bernhard and re-registered as PH-PBA (the latter component of the registration reportedly standing for PH-PBA). Prince Bernhard Alpha).

Purchased in February 1946, it became the property of the Dutch state in March 1947, becoming a government aircraft. Although it retired from these duties in 1961 to be replaced by a Fokker F27 ‘Friendship’, it remained active until 1975, being used by the Dutch Aviation Authorities as a calibration aircraft.

In conservation

More than two decades later, in 1996, the Prince Bernhard Alpha Foundation was established. This prompted the start of a UK-based restoration project involving PH-PBA, which returned to the Netherlands two years later as an airworthy aircraft. It is worth noting that parts from another Dakota, PH-TCB, were used in the aircraft’s restoration. DDA first painted the aircraft in a classic KLM livery.

Between 2006 and 2010, one side of the aircraft featured a retro Air France livery, commemorated with a visit by the plane to Paris of the KLM board of directors. However, KLM ended its partnership with DDA Classic Airlines in 2016. This prompted the group to repaint the jet in their own temporary livery.

Nonetheless, in 2018 PH-PBA was duly delivered in the color scheme it wore when flying for the Dutch government. It retains this livery to this day and continues to operate regular leisure flights despite being grounded at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Let’s take a look at how you can fly on one of these trips.

The plane made a spectacular sight and sound this weekend as it flew low over Amsterdam. Image: FlightRadar24.com

How to fly with PH-PBA

DDA Classic Airlines operates an extensive program of scenic leisure flights on PH-PBA, meaning that with a little forward planning it’s relatively easy for the average geek to fly. A quick look at the website lists four flights from Lelystad Airport (LEY) on the weekend of October 15th and 16th and four more from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) on the weekend of October 22nd and 23rd.

Depending on the exact nature of the flight in question, these usually appear to last for either 30 or 45 minutes. Tickets for 30-minute flights aboard the PH-PBA cost €150 ($145.42), while the longer 45-minute excursions cost €175 ($169.65). Further away, DDA notes that the aircraft that is named Princess Amaliaalso visits other nearby European countries such as Belgium, France and Germany.

What do you think of the preserved Douglas Dakota from DDA Classic Airlines? Have you ever flown aboard one of the group’s scenic leisure flights? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Sources: ATDB.aero, DDA Classic Airlines, FlightRadar24.com