What piston airliners flying these days?

[Mechta]

I nearly spat my tea across the room when I heard a government minister just say they were, 'investigating what piston engined airliners were available to help get stranded passengers back to the UK'.

Apart from a handful of Trilanders (are they still flying?), and Air Atlantique's fleet, what could be rustled up?

Could we see Wroughton's Connie in the air?:ok: It might take a few XC99s to make a difference though...:}

[Herod]

I always knew this so-called "jet" would be a flash in the pan.

[PEI_3721]

Via last years series of ‘Ice Pilots’ (Discovery Channel), Buffalo Airways in Yellowknife (NWT), still operates a passenger service with a DC-3 (C-47), and C-46 and DC-4 aircraft as freighters.

[Stationair8]

Good thing that the EU grounded those remaining DC-3/C-47's a few years back!

[tail wheel]

Apart from a handful of Trilanders ....

Even Paris to London you'd need a tent, cut lunches and a Shell road map! :}

[VX275]

The Lancaster was designed as a 'Bomber Transport' so maybe some lucky barstewards will get a trip in PA474 :rolleyes:

[Mechta]

A quick wikipedia search revealed that BA looked at buying some new build Trilanders a couple of years ago. Did they have a vulcanologist on the staff?

The owners of that AN-2 at Popham must be rubbing their hands with glee!

[tail wheel]

There was a Twin Pioneer for sale in Australia....... :}

I'm sure the turbine fleet could be pressed into short haul service as European sectors are relatively short. But who would meet the operating cost difference? Not Government, I'll bet.

[EDMJ]

[QUOTE]Good thing that the EU grounded those remaining DC-3/C-47's a few years back!/QUOTE]

It was only in the UK that new regulations were (mis)interpreted to mean "grounding". DC-3/C-47's continue to fly passengers in Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland (well, probably not just now..) and in Germany (D-CXXX; fully certified for commercial operations).

Then of course there are also five passenger carrying Ju 52/3m and Red Bull's DC-6 in Europe...

[yoganmahew]

Ju52s landing in Kent, eh?

[JEM60]

JU 52s been landing at Duxford for years, every July.

[obnoxious]

2 DC4s at North Weald!

[pigboat]

Even Paris to London you'd need a tent, cut lunches and a Shell road map!
And a calendar for the time enroute. ;)

[Runaround Valve]

The last Douglas DC-6B ever built is still flying in Namibia in Southern Africa. It is in a passenger configuration and does tours. It will be coming to Australia next year for a tour. Have a Google to find out more.

[JEM60]

North Weald C54s definately non-fliers.

[Batchy]

Lets put the DC3 back into production, they always said it was irreplaceable.

Alternatively there are two Connies in Europe that could be flown.

http://www.superconstellation.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q9LDAVDy0w


Batchy.

[Brit312]

Sadly, both these aircraft are at this time unable to fly. Nice video though

[skyfish2]

OH for the sound of real aeroplanes in the sky, might well happen, we can only go further back with this shower in power!!

[Proplinerman]

Ash cloud leads KLM to return the DC6B to service.

In a dramatic response to the ash cloud crisis, KLM returned a DC6B to the skies to ferry stranded passengers around Europe. Here we see the aircraft arriving over Hamburg, cruising serenely through the ash cloud which has grounded jetliners.

Flickr Photo Download: 668overHamburg140907DC6ae (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48975048@N06/4527987200/sizes/o/)

[much2much]

A think a tent may be a little over the top perhaps a good stock of ships biscuits and plenty of fresh lime to prevent the onset of scurvy in case of stonger than forcast head winds

[Proplinerman]

I actually flew from Coventry to Hamburg and back by DC3 (Air Atlantique) in September 2007, via Lelystad going, direct on the way back.

For me of course, as a dedicated propliner enthusiast, the trip was an absolute dream-by far the longest flight I have ever done in a pistonliner. Also, although obviously it took much longer than the equivalent flight by jet, it wasn't actually as slow as you might think, because we flew at 1500/2000 feet, (at 125 mph), but in a DC3 flying at this height, you simply take off, set course for your destination (no hills in Holland or, I presume, on the north German plain), climb to 1500 feet, then fly straight to your destination. No messing around following airways or stacking.

It would give today's air passengers initially, a rude awakening to travel in such an aircraft, but I think they would come to appreciate its charm and the fantastic views. Mind you, that last bit's probably just wistful thinking.

Here is the aircraft I flew on:

JetPhotos.Net Photo » G-AMPY (CN: 26569) Air Atlantique Douglas C-47B Skytrain by Michael Blank (http://tinyurl.com/2voy9bz)

And for a real taste of nostalgia, take a look at this interior shot:

Flickr Photo Download: 668 16-9-07 in flight Hamburg-Coventry in AA DC3 G-AMPY No smoking sign (http://tinyurl.com/38qfcxw)

Bring back the pistonliners!

[Pull what]

So where is the nearest place to the UK where you can get a ride on a piston engine airliner?

[adfly]

Southampton to Alderney on bnr trislanders

[Proplinerman]

Yes but a Trislander is hardly an "airliner," it's too small to qualify for that title in my opinion. I think you would have to go to Holland to fly on the Dutch Dakota Association's DC3.

[flythisway]

Are Air Alantique not operating any more then?

[Planemike]

Proplinerman...........

Wonder why you exclude the Trislander? It operates a public passenger transport service i.e. anyone can buy a ticket, not a charter or private service. A small airliner, granted, but nonetheless an airliner.

Planemike.........

[Herod]

The Trislander also has the advantage that every seat is a window seat. Flew them many years ago; a splendid little aeroplane.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

I haven't seen any mention of this fine machine;

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/6/2/4/1652426.jpg

The AVRO Nineteen was certainly built as an airliner and the original AVR 652 was deigned as one.

If GKY no longer flies, I'm sure someone will quickly set me straight.

[treadigraph]

'HKY is based and flies with the Shuttleworth Collection. Air Atlantique's Classic Flight operate G-BFIR.

DC-3s are presently barred from carrying passengers in the UK due to some regulation or other but there was talk about this being overturned in some way...

[Proplinerman]

"Are Air Alantique not operating any more then?"

Sorry, forgot about them: you can still fly with them, on a regular basis, in their Dragon Rapides-pleasure flights across the UK.

[PaperTiger]

JU 52s been landing at Duxford for years,and some at Biggin in the 1970s, although to be precise they were CASAs.

[Wander00]

DC3 just flew over our village in France - too far away for pic unfortunately

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

LH are supposed to be refurbing a Connie for nostalgia flights, there was a thread on here, that was getting updates from someone involved in the project, can't remember the title

Now that I'd love to do :ok:

[Cymmon]

Try Loganairs inter-Island flights in the Orkneys.

Fair deal, it´s an Islander but I got Kirkwall-Westray-Papa Westray-North Ronaldsay-Kirkwall for £30 along with a certificate commemorating my trip on the "Worlds shortest scheduled flight" and a small bottle of Whisky.
Unfortunately I had to drink the whisky before my flight to Edinburgh due to the liquid restrictions...:ok:

[Proplinerman]

Re the Lufthansa Connie project: it's actually a Starliner they're refurbishing and here is a link to the project's website.

Return of the "Super Star" | Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin Stiftung (http://tinyurl.com/ybs7v63)

[NQFlyboy]

We still have a Connie flying in Oz. It's a regular visitor to airshows around the country. It landed a couple of years ago at Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays where I live. Sorry I only found out about it after the event. In addition there are quite a number of DC3's still flying in Australia.

Bring back the props !!!

[411A]

As a guy who has actually flown a DC-6B in airline service (many years ago) I will tell you that...the DC-6B was absolutely the most economical 4-engine piston type to ever have been used in airline service.

A combination of 'just the right size' and extremely reliable engines.
400 US gallons/hour whilst cruising at 260 knots TAS.

NB.
My Dad was engineering project manager on the type at Douglas...DC-7, too.
The DC-7 was a bit of a disappointment.
Yes, it was a fast cruiser and a long ranger, however....it burned more oil than a Stratocruiser and the engines were not that reliable, sadly.
However, it was fast, 300 knots, plus.

[WHBM]

The DC-7 was a bit of a disappointment.
Something of an understatement there ! It seems the DC7 (whose achilles heel was the Wright engines) was even worse than the comparably-engined Constellation. The Connie seemed to have a lot of emotional support (still does) and operators persevered with it, whereas the DC6 operators who moved on to the DC7 just got hacked off with it in short order. Some operators (like American) scrapped their whole substantial fleets of them after 5 years service when the jets came along, whereas older DC6s lasted much longer and had resale value for years beyond.

The Wright engine was known by the mid 1950s to be second rate compared to Pratts. Why ever did Douglas, market leaders at the time, make the change ? Notably the DC6 continued in production throughout the DC7's build time.

[411A]

Why ever did Douglas, market leaders at the time, make the change ?

Simple reason.
It was the only engine available capable of the fuel economy and BHP able to lift the weight required, and provide the long range desired.

The only other engine that had the BHP was the R4360, and it was...
a) too heavy
b) consumed too much fuel.