Hi all,
just added another page:
Propliners in Florida, 1992 (see below for the url)
Could use a few updates on recent sightings on some (17 images).

Cheers,
Ruud

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website: http://www.ruudleeuw.com (Aviation History & Photography)
Most recent updates (Jan03):
Propliners: http://www.ruudleeuw.com/us92.htm Florida 1992
Update "Tanker 130 Down!" with involvement in Covert Ops by CIA:
http://www.ruudleeuw.com/tanker130.htm
In the gallery Airlines Remembered: Braniff, Airfreight Express, Trans Travel Airlines (http://www.ruudleeuw.com/remember.htm)
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Ruud,

I don't understand. The Dutch authorities allow the Connie to fly around Holland...but make it difficult for the beautiful DC-4? Apparently I am missing part of the story somewhere. That DC-4 is the most beautiful Skymaster I have seen. However I think South Africa also has a beautiful DC-4. Now they will have two beautiful Skymasters....but I hope
Holland has hers returned some day.

Best,

Doug Vernon

Doug; The SAHF already operates two DC-4s (ZS-AUB + ZS-BMH). Besides these, Phoebus Apollo operates two examples (ZS-PAI/PAJ) + the Carvair 9J-PAA. So, there is already plenty of DC-4/C-54 action in SA. My last visit to this wonderful country was in 2001. Must go back soon...

Rgds

Nicolai

The Connie is by no means assured of somesort of commercial operation !
First they have to find the props (preferably of the electrical adjustable kind) and they have to form a crew, if they want to get it from Amsterdam to Lelystad.
The flying status maybe only for display purposes, but they (the Aviodrome Museum) havent't managed that for the DC-2 either (all finances went to getting N749NL home).
The DDA couldn't operate the DC-4 on that basis, they need paying pax for scenic trips or to get them to an air show. That is what they hope to do again with the DC-3s (they messed things up for 2002 season, the trips had to be done with Fokker F.50s !).
The Dutch aviation authorities haven't given up on their restrictive attitude, although they've promised to bring it in line with the rest of Europe and that could bring more breathing space for those who want to keep the "Flying Industrial Heritage" where it belongs: in the blue yonder...

Things are a bit more complicated than you put them here. First of all to say that the DDA messed things up is not quite correct. Specially with historic airplanes not operating on a commercial basis things are quite though. All kinds of problems do exist like maintance etc. The DC-3's could not be flown because the DDA was not satisfied with the restrictions the Dutch authorities were putting on the operation. If all goes ass planned they will fly later this year. The restrictions put on the DC-4 specially about carrying passengers were such that the DDA could not operate this aircraft the way they wanted to, so the airplane is leased to a South African company and at the moment is parked at Monchen Gladbach, Germany.
For the Aviodrome Connie: it (she)has an experimenatal exibition license, so it can be flown but not with passengers. It was never the intention to fly it with passengers. Slowly it is being painted in old KLM colours and when there are props for the aircraft, the nr 3 engine installed it can be flown again. The Aviodrome doesnot have a full time crew available for any of their aircraft so the crew has to be formed from people, pilots and flight engineers, to fly it in their spare time, which is always a problem. The same counts for the DC-2. The museum has a small fixed staff and the rest of the work is being done by people who are retired or are working in their spare time. At the moment moving everything from Schiphol to Lelystad is a big operation for the museum.
The bottom line is that it is very hard to have historic airplanes flying, specially in The Netherlands but there are a lot of people who do there utmost to make it possible.

Thanks to all for your responses to my statement.

Best,
Doug Vernon