Old Dar es Salaam airport

[Fokkerwokker]

Trying to get together some info about my aviation roots.

As a kid I lived in Dar es Salaam and remember, with reasonable clarity, travelling out on a Handley Page Hermes in about 1951. DC3s and Dragon Rapides seemed to be doing the domestic flying and I specifically remember a 4-ship of Vampires arriving to fly an aerobatic display at the opening of the new airport. We finally left Dar es Salaam on a Canadair Argonaut in about '54

Does anyone have any pics of the airport in this era? Does the airport still exist in any form or has it been swamped by urban sprawl? I have tried to find suitable aerial photographs of the area on the net but have drawn a blank.

Any help much appreciated

FW

[pzu]

My old man was posted to the 'new airport' at Dar around Nov '54 as an ATCO, we drove down from Nairobi - nightstopping at Namanga & Moshi;

Not sure where the old airport was - could have been same location???

Good job we did nightstop, just South of Namanga came across a Swedish White Father looking at his mangled Chey station wagon

Rhino 1 (+headache) Chevy V8 NIL

The new airport was some 10 miles outside Dar, and had just been opened, we lived a couple of miles further out at Ukongwa site of the main prison (King Georgie Hoteli !!!) - the airport estate had been built in the prison shamba (garden);

Our house had been the Project Engineers and was the second to be built - there was a 40ft (?) tall water tank in the garden - great for swimming!!!

Aeroplane Magazine had a photo spread around 18 - 24 months back - with some good shots of the opening - not accessable at present - in the packing, much to my wife's disgust !!!

PZU

[Fokkerwokker]

Thanks for your comments. The old airport was (I think) to the south of the city near a creek where they, allegedly, had the odd hippo wandering onto the airfield! At the time we lived opposite the old KAR barracks which was between the city and the old airport.

The new airport was at a totally different location. I am still trying to find a satellite photo of the area to see if I can identify the old airport.

I will certainly call a the folks at Aeroplane mag to see if they have any photo's. Should have thought of that myself.

Appreciate your input Many ta's!

FW

[Skylion]

FW is correct. The old airport was a couple of hundred yards west of the main road to the south which runs/ran along the west bank of the creek to the south of the main harbour. The National Stadium is built pretty well on the north end of the runway and certainly until 10 years or so ago segments of the runway and taxiways were still evident, along with some of the old wooden buildings.
BOAC introduced the Hermes in place of the Solent flying boats in September 1950. They gave way to the Argonauts on 1st October 1953, although they were reintroduced from about May to December 1954 when the Argonauts were required to fill in for the grounded Comet 1s.
The other type very much in evidence at the old airport was the Lodestar , operated by East African Airways until totally replaced by DC3s, probably around 1953. There were also 2 resident Tanganyika Government Percival Princes.
The new airport opened on 16th October 1954 and the old airport was closed.

[Fokkerwokker]

Skylion

Many thanks for your fascinating description. It brought many memories flooding back. I am now determined to dig deeper and trawl up some photo's of Dar in those days. I suspect BOAC/BA archives will be a good place to start.

Anyone out there hiding pics of old Dar airport?

Brgds

FW

[Skylion]

Photos of the old Dar Airport are very rare so will be very interested if you locate any. (contact :[email protected])The " new" airport now has large new terminal with air bridges and the original, though intact, is used for other purposes. BA archives may be helpful. Dar has seen all their long haul aircraft types since the York, other than Stratocruiser, Constellation ( though there may have been a brief period even of these in 1956/7 immediately before the Britannia), DC 7C , Comet 1 and DC10, so their history there is substantial.

[Fokkerwokker]

Couldn't help but post again as thanks to Google Earth I have now found the old airport site.

The trawl goes on for pictures of that era!

[Skylion]

Glad you are still looking!
Meanwhile BA has added the 767 to its list of types which have served Dar. This means the complete list to date is: Solent, York, Hermes 4, Argonaut, Constellation,Britannia, Comet 4, VC 10 ( Standard and Super), 747 (136, 236, 436), 777 and 767. The Argonaut was the last type at the old airport,and first at the new and was always well patronised on its weekly appearance. It did less well in Nairobi twards the end of its career (56/57) as the Airwork/Hunting Clan Viscounts were more attractive and the transiting BOAC Britannias and SAAs DC 7Bs from Johannesburg were also a better product , but with limited availability for intermediate traffic.

[B Sousa]

If you want to see anywhere in the world today download www.earth.google.com Once you get the feel for using it, nobody can hide.
Screwed up the website.. Try it now

[GroundScot]

you forgot the L1011...........

I was posted to DAR in 1979 and again in 1984.

In 1984 - BA operated the L1011 to DAR, always via LCA and sometimes via JRO in addition.

in 3 versions - TS200, TS50 and TS100 all operated via LCA

best regards

Gs

[Skylion]

True,- had forgotten all about the Tristar, so that's another for the list.
Pictures of the old airport must exist but most of the people who would have taken them left by the mid to late 1960s as the numbers of long term foreigners who stayed on to enjoy the years of the socialist republic were tiny. I can think of only one family who have been in Dar throughout, from then to now, but there may be a couple more lurking about.

[Balloothebear]

These days,most of he expat crews stay over in the Royal Palm Hotel, if my memory serves me correctly,downstairs in the pub (where else ) there are pic's on the wall of airliners from yesteryear, good luck