DC3 ZK-AMY retires this month..

[John Hill]

DC3 ZK-AMY is expected to be retired in a week or so..

AMY is back in the Canterbury skies for the summer, however the Trustees have decided not to renew the 130 hour inspection when it falls due at the end of January as it is a costly exercise and the gifting process to the Ashburton Aviation Museum will be complete. AMY will then go into her hanger at the Museum where we hope many of you will have a chance to see her

http://www.southerndc3.co.nz/files/images/gallery/82/030.jpg

Southern DC3 Ltd :: Adventure Flights in New Zealand :: Southern DC3 Trust ::South Island Airline (http://www.southerndc3.co.nz/home)

[dubbleyew eight]

so good that it will be hangared and not left outside to corrode away.

[John Hill]

Not only will it be hangared it will be frequently dusted and the tyres pumped up.:)

There was a new hangar built a few years ago with her in mind.

[dubbleyew eight]

if the aircraft is in bare metal for some of the finish I would actually paint it aluminium to protect the skin from corrosion.
do try to keep it as airworthy as possible while in storage ...err sorry while in the museum.:ok:

[John Hill]

Corrosion is not a serious issue where we are and the hangar is totally weather tight.

We have a small number of aircraft that have flown here for inclusion in the musuem and we are pretty strict about keeping them in the condition they arrive as far as practical.

Yes, 'while in storage' can be a bit of an issue. Someone grants the museum something which goes on exhibition then 20 years later when the donor dies the family arrive demanding the return of 'their' heirlooms. It is an issue that requires careful handling and the right paper work which I believe in this case is well taken care of.

You should pop across the ditch some time and check out the collection!

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Fabulous and I wish it many years of happy retirement. Saw it at Wigram in 2007 but didn't get a piccy.

Does anyone know what happened to ZK-APB please (of which I have a poor pic)?

[DaveReidUK]

Does anyone know what happened to ZK-APB please (of which I have a poor pic)?Bad news, I'm afraid:

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[India Four Two]

however the Trustees have decided not to renew the 130 hour inspection when it falls due at the end of January

John,

It seems strange to ground an aircraft to save the cost of ongoing maintenance. Is there more to this decision than just the inspection cost?

[John Hill]

India Four Two, although there may be more to the story as far as I know the real issue is that there are just not enough paying passengers to keep her in the air.

[India Four Two]

John,

That's a shame, but not surprising, I suppose. I saw her when I passed through Ashburton two years ago and I thought "How nice to see another airworthy DC-3." I had seen NZ3546 flying at the Tauranga Air Show the previous week.

[John Hill]

I hope you can watch this..

DC-3 aircraft makes its final flight - Story - NZ News - 3 News (http://www.3news.co.nz/DC-3-aircraft-makes-its-final-flight/tabid/423/articleID/329739/Default.aspx)

The supposed last day for ZK-AMY although she might go for a little fly tomorrow in formation with some other aircraft.

Eleven flights today all full of local people taking their last chance and the crew were beaming at the end of it all as we pushed her into the hangar.

She is only a DC3 but 70 years is 70 years after all!

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

Is ZK-AMY the ex Peter Vincent, ex Air North(Darwin), ex Department of Civil Aviation aircraft?

[Fris B. Fairing]

CLX

Yes, ex VH-CAN.

[John Hill]

CLX, yes I believe that is the one and several of the Vincent family were among those on the flight over town with a 'Blunty' in formation.

[mustbeaboeing]

Are those the same seat covers, and presumably seats, installed, having been donated by ANZ after aquiring the former Britannia Airways B767-204's,
some time ago ?

[John Hill]

Sorry but I have no idea about the seats etc.

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

Thankyou for that Fris B Fairing.

Is it an urban myth that when she was owned by DCA, that the instrument panel was modified to be similiar to the DCA F-27?

[Zaxis]

By pure serendipity, I visited the Ashburton museum today. A small sign on highway 1 caught my attention so I turned off and spent a good amount of time wandering around the museum.
I can confirm that ZK-AMY is being kept in a superbly clean and totally weatherproof hangar. She is just waiting for rich sponsor to come along and be put back in the air.
The rest of the collection is also kept in the same condition and environment. In contrast to too many other museums, they are not roped off and you are positively encouraged to get up close.
I'd recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Perhaps a bigger sign on the highway would be the only improvement needed.

Many thanks to the friendly staff who showed me around

[India Four Two]

Zaxis,

I had exactly the same experience when I visited Ashburton two years ago. A lovely museum with, as you say, friendly staff.

I had a really big surprise when I came face to face with a Harrier! I had never seen one up close and I hadn't realized how big it was.

If you haven't already done so, don't miss the RNZAF museum at Wigram (Harvard on a pole as you drive south out of Christchurch). If you are "up north", MOTAT in Auckland and Classic Flyers in Tauranga are "must sees" if you are near by.

[John Hill]

Zaxis, we would love to have a better sign on the highway but such things are not easy to arrange, I hope we can arrange something one day.

Meanwhile, we are hoping to get possession of a WWII hangar for our use which will provide storage for some of the 'non-exhibits' that right now clutter up the 'big hangar' where ZK AMY rests.

[Philthy]

Is it an urban myth that when she was owned by DCA, that the instrument panel was modified to be similiar to the DCA F-27?

I don't know about that, but here's a photo of VH-CAN's panel in September 1989. Somebody more knowledgeable than me will know if it's similar to an F.27's.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l158/Philthy88/Douglas-DC-3-VH-CAN-panel-1-9-89-CAHS-900_zps509e067d.jpg

[Philthy]

And here's a rather nice photo of VH-CAN at Essendon with DCA.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l158/Philthy88/Douglas-DC3-VH-CAN-EN-c59_zps4e2e1654.jpg

Both this photo and the one in the post above are from the Civil Aviation Historical Society collection.

[pithblot]

CharlieLimaX-Ray,

CAN's panel was similar to MMA's when the two were flying out of Darwin in the 80s. So if it was modified, then it was changed again.

Back then CAN was a relative baby, for a DC3 in terms of airframe hours....
it had about 16,000, compared to MMA with 64,000.

[John Hill]

I dont think she has more than 50,000 hours even now.

[blackburn]

Thanks for the photo of CAN’s instrument panel Phil.

It shows that it had an almost full panel on the Co-Pilot side with ADF and VOR displays on both instrument panels plus marker beacon lights quite prominent on both sides. This was certainly an upgrade over a standard wartime DC3. The major changes from memory (now 20 years) were the overhead panels which contained VHF COMs and NAVs which I believe were aligned with the installation in the DCA F27 fleet.

The Southern DC3 website says AMY now has around 18,000 hrs which means it has flown about 5000 hrs more than the two commercially operated DC3's in Melbourne.

[Terry Dactil]

Wow! Flight instruments in a DC3 for the F/O.
Such luxury.
In my day we were lucky to have a yaw string to look at.
Young pilots today don't know how lucky they are.
/grumpy old fart mode off

[Stationair8]

Must make ZK-AMY, one of the lowest time DC-3's.

When the RAAF disposed of the last of the ARDU C-47'S in the late 1990's one of the airframes had less than 10,000 hours.

[India Four Two]

here's a photo of VH-CAN's panel

First time I've seen a standby horizon that's bigger than the main horizons! :E

[stevef]

Wait until you see the size of the missing 'standby' DG!

Actually the autopilot if anyone's interested.