Oldest airliner in service

[Golf Charlie Charlie]

Anyone willing to take a stab at which is the oldest commercial airliner in service today with a major Western or international airline ?

I know definitions here can vary. I am not thinking of a clapped out 40 year old 727-100 in the boondocks of South America, but - like I say - major international scheduled or non-scheduled carrier. I also know cycles and hours make a difference as well. But for simplicity the oldest in calendar years ?

Was thinking, to kick-off, of some of Northwest's old DC-9-30s.

[Bumz_Rush]

I thought they served the Boondocks of North America.....

[amanoffewwords]

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=138139&highlight=oldest+commercial+airliner

[Conc]

How about some of the Alaskan outfits operating DC-6s, C-46s etc. Or Air Atlantique, still operating C-47s and Dragon Rapides etc.

[brabazon]

How about Buffalo operating DC-3s in Canada?

see here:

http://www.douglasdc3.com/buff/buffalo.htm

[The SSK]

According to last year's JP Fleets (nearly a year old now) NW still had 105 DC9s (10s, 30s and 40s) which pre-dated 1970.

Oldest was N8908E, a -14 from Sep 1966

[lasernigel]

Brabazon Think you're on the right track there.The aircraft you linked to C-FLFR has a manufacturers serial No of 13155.However Buffalo run a DC3 with MnSer 9371 reg C-GWIR.
Trying to get a date for it's manufacture but seem to be going round in circles!Think honours must go eventually to a DC3.:ok:

IMHO Think qualification must be in service with a registered airline and not a museum piece that doesn't earn a living.

[spitfires rule]

Tolair services flies a DC-3 that is 61 years old.

[Oshkosh George]

Spitfires Rule
Beat yer! see below

Lasernigel
If you go down the page linked to by Brabazon,you will see the date of manufacture for this machine(1942),and the others in the table.

I must say they really look immaculate, beautiful machines!:cool:

[rotornut]

Also, I heard there is a sked using AN-2s in Cuba.

[chiglet]

Aer Lingus are using a De Haviland Dragon....
Lufthansa are using a Junkers 52
watp,iktch

[Conc]

Ju-Air in Switzerland? They operate 3 JU-52s I think.

[Cameronian]

Yes, Rotornut , there is. The company is called Aerotaxi and they've got quite a few of them that they use for ferrying tourists out to the "keys" along the north of Cuba.
I piloted one (CU-T1175) for an hour in 1997 - flying very, very, very low on a jolly around the Varadero peninsula. I had chartered it for some friends and "let slip" I had a PPL when I made the booking. We had just got strapped in (metal bench seats for parachutists in this aeroplane) when the pilot came back and offered me the right hand seat - much to the chagrin of the old gnarled minder with the Kalashnikov, who was there to make sure the next stop wasn't in Florida. After a very dramatic take off on that little bit of the runway which didn't look like the Somme, I was astonished to hear that I had control at 30 metres (100 ft on the metric Russian altimeter). Had the time of my life for an hour as the Captain repeatedly told me "lower, lower!". I had to fly round the local taxi office's (just a hut!) radio antenna ten minutes into the flight and was told "lower, lower!" twice more after that! We were flying so slowly that I don't suppose ground effect even existed! We'd have been met by the police on landing if we'd been anywhere else. It took two weeks to get the smile off my face. Great people!
I have no idea how old the aeroplane was but the registration may allow someone to tell us.

[The SSK]

I have no idea how old the aeroplane was but the registration may allow someone to tell us Hate to tell you this but it's a youngster.

1988

[Cameronian]

If they keep flying it the way they encouraged me to, coupled with the exposure to salt that it will get doing its regular flights to the keys, it probably won't last as long as some either!
But what an experience it was.....

[rotornut]

Very interesting, Cameronian. I know at least one person who flew in one as a tourist down there but never as a pilot. Quite the experience!

[Stand 22]

Air Atlantique have:

DH Rapide G-AIDL built 1946

DH Rapide G-AGTM built 1944

C47B Dakota G-AMPY/KK116 built 1944 - being restored to flight for 2005.

C47B Dakota G-AMRA/KK151 built 1943

With the exception of PY, all are used for passenger flights at airshows/opendays.

[PaperTiger]

However Buffalo run a DC3 with MnSer 9371 reg C-GWIR.
Trying to get a date for it's manufacture but seem to be going round in circles!Delivered to the USAAF April 13, 1943.