Albatross for the Kimberleys?

[Cycling Fish]

Seen in the West that an Albatross has been bought for the Kimberleys.
Anyone heard anything else?
Who do we contact for a job?

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

VERY 'streamlined' airliner ...for its time....BUT....

No Good for going to 'The Horries'.....not enuf windows.....:}

Cheers:ok:

[Hasherucf]

I think they mean more like this

http://www.strangebirds.com/Gitmo-262-on-beach.gif

Maybe a DC3 too ;-)

[WannaBeBiggles]

Cycling Fish, where in the Kimberlys did you see this Albatross?

[Hasherucf]

Rumour was it was bought by a Broome business man. Should look good parked near Golden Budgies B1900

[Clare Prop]

...There's only one Kimberley. ..

[The Green Goblin]

It'll be for the gator so they can start their much talked about RPT run to Kalumburu.

That is if Casa gets off their arse.......

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Why would one need a hull that floats for an RPT to Kalumburu..?

And wouldn't a Caravan on floats be a much cheaper option for 'The Horries'?

:confused:

[Mr.Buzzy]

Dreamin'
The headaches this type opens up in this country are pretty painful. Commercial joyflights at best I'd suggest. Ie land where you took off from.
No civil version of this type produced as far as I know.

Bbbbbbzbzbzbzbzbzbzbzzz

[LeadSled]

Folks,
If it's the DC-3 I think it is, that's not about to happen any time soon, either. All ideas, not enough cubic dollars.
Running an Albatross (Grumman, not DeHavilland) for anything more than a private/historic operation, these days, in Australia, is just not practical ---- and that's without the tender attentions of CASA forever reinventing the wheel.
Tootle pip!!

[Hasherucf]

So are we taking bets?

Albatross Vs DC3 Vs B1900 . Which operates on Broome airport first

My money is on the B1900 .

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

What's the rego of the '3' Mr L..?

Just curious is all, as one 'nice' one was operating here in WA for a time....

Cheers:ok:

[zlin77]

Courtesy Aircraft Sales in The U.S.A. have an Albatross for sale..
Zlin.

[LeadSled]

Ex FSO Griffo,
The DC-3 that is intended is potentially a good airframe, but right now needs some $$$ TLC. I don't think the owners would appreciate me mentioning the rego.
Tootle pip!!

[chimbu warrior]

And after what the authorities did to DC-3's in Europe, it is just a matter of time here. CASA are usually about 18 months to 2 years behind their European and North American counterparts.

Don't get me wrong, a DC-3 is a wonderful aircraft, and I'd personally love to fly one, but compliance with inflexible modern reg's is pretty difficult in a 70-year old aircraft. Actually for that mater it is difficult in a modern aircraft..............

[AustinPowers]

The refueller in Karatha reckons it's a civilian version of the original Military Albatross, apparently they did make them much later

Austin.,., :ok:

[chimbu warrior]

A company in Miami called Resorts International had about a dozen of them civilianized and actually owned the type certificate for the civilian Albatross. They were planning to run them to their hotel properties in the Bahamas. They also planned to retrofit them with -14 Garrett 331's, but not sure if this version ever flew.

[Brian Abraham]

No Albatross ever came off the production line in civil guise. All civil aircraft are breathed upon ex military airframes.

There are two TCDS for the Albatross, one airframe which is permitted to operate in the "Restricted" category, and thirteen others permitted to operate under "Airline Transport" category.

Any others would be operating under "Experimental" or some such.

[tail wheel]

Be a rich fella that thinks six to ten passengers will ever pay the cost of two Wright 1820s and a 60 year old boat hull in salt water! I think Milne Bay Air discovered the same thing the hard way many years ago.

[Brian Abraham]

Certified for 28 pax Tailwheel, though you would need to reduce that to make room for bags. Better than most DC-3s.

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Re the USA Civilian use...

In the mid-1960s the U.S. Department of the Interior bailed 3 military Grumman HU-16's from the U.S. Navy and established the Trust Territory Airlines in the Pacific to serve the islands of Micronesia. Pan American World Airways and finally Continental Airlines' Air Micronesia operated the Albatrosses serving Yap, Palau, Chuuk (Truk) and Pohnpei from Guam until 1970, when adequate island runways were built, allowing land operations.

In 1970, Conroy Aircraft marketed a remanufactured HU-16A with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines as the Conroy Turbo Albatross, but only one prototype (registration N16CA) was ever built.

Many surplus Albatrosses were sold to civilian operators, mostly to private owners. These aircraft are operated under either Experimental - Exhibition or Restricted category and cannot be used for commercial operations, except under very limited conditions.

In the early 1980s Chalk's International Airlines owned by Merv Griffin's Resorts International had 13 Albatrosses converted to Standard category as G-111s. This made them eligible to be used in scheduled airline operations. These aircraft had extensive modification from the standard military configuration, including rebuilt wings with titanium wing spar caps, additional doors and modifications to existing doors and hatches, stainless steel engine oil tanks, dual engine fire extinguishing systems on each engine and propeller auto feather systems installed. The G-111s were only operated for a few years and then put in storage in Arizona. Most are still parked there, but some have been returned to regular flight operations with private operators.

Sounds very expensive to get them certified....

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Just for interest,
If you have a 'spare' $1M, this one has a 19 seat 'executive' layout.....

Airplane for sale: 1981 GRUMMAN G-111 Albatross based Florida, United States | Flightplanet (http://flightplanet.com/airplane-for-sale/grumman/g-111-albatross__1219.php)
And was flown oooonly by a Little Ole Lady on Sundays.....

Cheers:ok:

[AustinPowers]

Griffo .,.,

The refueller in Broome reckons that IS the one !

Austin.,.,., :ok:

[dhavillandpilot]

This is the aircraft that was in Bankstown in the mid 1980's with a family that was flying around the world. All we could do is stare in amazement that someone would be rich enough to afford to have the luxury of a world air cruise in a flying boat.

[Ignatius]

Is that blue Albatoss N42MY still in Perth?

[Clare Prop]

Ignatious, It's been sitting at Jandakot for a while now.