Last Three Passenger-Flying Dakotas Grounded

The Douglas DC-3 entered service in 1935, was built by the thousands, and had important roles in some of the biggest events of the 20th century. The type ferried countless GIs during World War II, had a major role in the Berlin Airlift, has starred in Hollywood movies for decades, and has lived on to remain a favorite of aviation fans of all ages.

But what Hitler and Hirohito could not do, European Union bureaucrats finally have. The three remaining DC-3's offering commercial passenger flights in the UK have been grounded by overreaching safety regulations.

Reuters reports that Tuesday brings new EU rules that require any planes used for commercial passenger flights to retrofit weather radar, oxygen masks and escape slides. The rules don't make room to exempt antiques like the DC-3, even though those that remain in service don't fly in weather conditions requiring radar, aren't flown at altitudes which require oxygen, and have exit doors just four feet off the ground.

The DC-3s are known also as Dakotas in the UK. The last three flying passengers in the UK have been operated by Air Atlantique Classic Flight Ltd, using planes retired by the British military in the early '70s.

Air Atlantique's commercial director, Richard Parr, says, "It's really about keeping these aircraft living and flying for people to see and not putting them in museums to become, as we call it, stuffed birds."

The company flew about 9,000 passengers on the DC-3s as part of a "Goodbye Dakotas" tour between April 19, and the last day of operations Monday.

FMI: www.airatlantique.co.uk/