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IAF gifts vintage DC-3 Dakota to Bangladesh

 
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747-237
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 10:55 pm    Post subject: IAF gifts vintage DC-3 Dakota to Bangladesh Reply with quote

http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/09/19/iaf-gifts-vintage-dakota-aircraft-to-bangladesh

IAF gifts vintage Dakota aircraft to Bangladesh

2014-09-19

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has gifted a Dakota aircraft from its museum to Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) following a formal request.

This is also to further strengthen historical ties between neighbours, the IAF said in a media release on Thursday.

Air Marshal SS Soman, Air Officer Commanding in Chief Western Air Command, handed over the aircraft to the visiting Bangladesh air chief Air Marshal Muhammad Enamul Bari in a befitting ceremony at Air Force Station Palam.

The IAF says the Dakota aircraft has played a sterling role in the history of the Indian Air Force.

“Much nostalgia is associated with the aircraft as it was one of the pioneers of the transport fleet of the Indian Air Force.”

The aircraft played a critical role during the 1971 war of independence. It played a crucial role in formation of the BAF.

The aircraft was used for transporting troops in Srinagar during 1947-48 war and also for the famous Tangail drop during 1971, the biggest and most ambitious air drop operation since World War II, the IAF says.

It was the first transport aircraft that landed at heights of 11,500 ft in Leh flown by the legendary Wing Commander Mehar Singh.





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PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is that an airworthy Dak?

Or was it made airworthy before it was gifted off?
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The_Goat wrote:
Is that an airworthy Dak?

Or was it made airworthy before it was gifted off?


According to "Warbirds of India", the case might be the latter.



So recently the BAF requested the IAF for an example and the IAF decided to donate one of the two DC-3s it had at Palam to the BAF's collection

The example that will be handed over, IJ817 is known as the Silver Dakota (The other one being pained yellow). It has been parked outdoors for years pending the expansion of the display area.

It turns out that IJ817 is a Communication Flight Dakota, just like the original Dakota that served with the Kilo Flight. The Comm Flight Dakotas are equipped with conventional passenger doors instead of the Cargo doors. The aircraft was with Training Command Communication Flight during the 1971 War.


http://www.warbirdsofindia.com/wbnews/368-dakota-gift.html
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 7:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, the Wing Cdr Meher Singh Dakota itself! On a different note, this was one of the four aircraft out of bounds for civilians, at the Palam Technical area. I haven't een lucky enough to be on a flight on the secondary runway 27 (or the more exotic runway 09 landing!) for quite some time, so I cannot say anything about it. From memory, the remaining ones were the yellow Dakota, the exotic Tu-124K, the lovely restored Caribou, and the exotic Il-14, which was moved ahead, some time back. I really hope that the IAF museum gets a bit more space to take these beauties (and sentinels of history!) in.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
From memory, the remaining ones were the yellow Dakota....

Sumantra, is this one open & accessible to the public (visitors to the museum) ?
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
sumantra wrote:
From memory, the remaining ones were the yellow Dakota....

Sumantra, is this one open & accessible to the public (visitors to the museum) ?
No, no...unfortunately. All these are on my must-see list: an IAF Comm Sqdn Il-14 in VIP config, the rare TU-142K variant (I've only seen a PLAF 142K in Beijing, and that too, from the outside), the yellow DC-3, and the beautifully restored Caribou.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 2:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
747-237 wrote:
sumantra wrote:
From memory, the remaining ones were the yellow Dakota....

Sumantra, is this one open & accessible to the public (visitors to the museum) ?
No, no...unfortunately.

Regrettable - I will have to go through my Dad's log books to see if the yellow DC-3 is amongst those he flew. I know the AN-12 is.
I doubt he flew the DC-3 given to Bangladesh, though.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sumantra Sir, I suggest that you give AF Museum a visit again. The Daks have been moved indoors now. Outdoor is the Caribou and IL-14 which can be seen from T1D.

And BTW its Tu-124K and Not Tu 142. Tu 142 are the Naval Albatross.

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

shivendrashukla wrote:
Sumantra Sir, I suggest that you give AF Museum a visit again. The Daks have been moved indoors now.
This is heartening news, Sir!
shivendrashukla wrote:
Outdoor is the Caribou and IL-14 which can be seen from T1D.
Not directly from T1-D, unless one has a fantastic lens: but even then, I doubt it. There is far too much in front. If you use runway 27 or better still, 09, yes, one is in luck. However, I want to see these beauties up and close!
shivendrashukla wrote:
And BTW its Tu-124K and Not Tu 142. Tu 142 are the Naval Albatross.
I apologise: this is a consistent typo. The fingers type what they want to, and the Tu-142 is also a must-see for me. I have seen the Tu-95 up and close at Monino, and I want to see a Tu-142 also. I know that externally, they are quite similar.
I have seen the Tu-124K up and close at Datangshan, Beijing. However, no one is allowed inside. I really want to see the two examples in India: the one in Lucknow (no official work takes me there, unfortunately), and the one at Palam. I want to see the `Rajhans' lettering up and close. I want to take pictures. I know that will not be possible at Palam, unless the IAF museum grows, or the collection is re-oriented to make better space utilisation at the cost of reducing space for people to walk around better. What happened to the alternate plans for the IAF museum, do they look feasible to you, Sir?
I could not see the Tu-124 at Monino, since that was parked in the distance, and fenced off. I guess after the fire which destroyed a large part of the fuselage, the authorities do not want to take chances with it. They have repaired quite a bit of it: there is a new Aluminium skin on the Tu-124 at Monino, at least, there was one, when I visited it - the only time when I did so, in 2011. But then, this is not a rare `K' variant! And I want to see the K variant, in the VIP configuration. I know this will bring back sad memories of Wing Cdr Clarence D'Lima and his brave crew.
I guess I can dream on!
Cheers, Sumantra.


Last edited by sumantra on Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

shivendrashukla wrote:
The Daks have been moved indoors now.

Warbirds of India wrote:
IAF decided to donate one of the two DC-3s it had at Palam


So are you saying that there are still more than the one yellow DC-3 that are now indoors?



sumantra wrote:
I want to take pictures. I know that will not be possible at Palam....


So wait - you mean you cannot take pictures at the IAF museum in Palam ?
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
So are you saying that there are still more than the one yellow DC-3 that are now indoors?
Shukla-ji would have more details: I am also quite excited on hearing this, and that too, in my home town.
747-237 wrote:
So wait - you mean you cannot take pictures at the IAF museum in Palam ?
In the museum, yes, but not of the beauties close to the Palam Technical Area, where the Caribou and the Tu-124K are, and the closer part, where the Il-14 is, from what I guess are the approximate coordinates. Frequent flights on Air India have ensured that I do not get to have even a decent view of the secondary runway...even the main runway. It is the new runway, each time, unfortunately!
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
747-237 wrote:
So wait - you mean you cannot take pictures at the IAF museum in Palam ?
In the museum, yes, but not of the beauties close to the Palam Technical Area.....

Where is the AN-12 located, in relation to these area - and in terms of taking pics?
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
Where is the AN-12 located, in relation to these area - and in terms of taking pics?
The An-12 used to be in the outdoor area of the museum, to the West of the hangars. Eminently photogenic, however, you will need an appropriate lens. The aircraft placed in close vicinity will be an irritant if you want to get the whole plane in the field of view. At least, that is what I remember from a memorable visit there, three years back. The plane itself did not look very nice, with a hasty paint job on the metal surfaces, which sprayed a lot of paint on the perspex windows as well. The Caribou was lovingly restored: it looks simply great from a distance. I do not know about the exotic Tu-124K. Shukla-ji has used the secondary runway for many of his recent travels: he will be able to tell us better - Shukla-ji?
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sumantraji, have you seen the B-24 Liberator at the IAF museum at Palam recently? I would love to know what condition it is in.

I saw it many years ago and it was in a bad shape. With tyres deflated, windows all opaque and so on. Looked very forlorn indeed.

That is a real gem that the IAF museum has. It is one among only about six or eight Liberators in existence all over the World, all ex-IAF.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 2:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The_Goat wrote:
...have you seen the B-24 Liberator at the IAF museum at Palam recently? I would love to know what condition it is in.
Sir, I'm afraid I visited the place three years back, and the museum was in a phase of renovation. I think the best-preserved IAF Liberator is perhaps at the RAF Museum at Hendon, which I saw in 2009. The IAF Musuem one did not allow access from up and close. It was out in the open, and did not look in good shape. The ones inside the Hangar are were in good shape, and this included the Spitfire, which if I am not wrong, contrary to a few reports about pilferage of parts, is perhaps one of the very few still-flyable planes, and being brought back to flyable condition somewhere in the UK. I am not very sure about the latter part: I think I will ask around. Among the outdoor displays, the Mig-25, the Mig-23, and the Iskras were in good shape, and to some extent, the Fairchild Packet as well. The An-12 as I wrote, had been carelessly spray-painted over, with the pain(t) getting onto the perspex surfaces rendering them opaque. On the other hand, I have heard that the lovingly restored Caribou, which looked spic-and span the last time I sighted it from the secondary runway, cannot be accommodated inside the Museum premises for lack of space.
Talking of Air Force Museums, I visited the USAF Museum in Dayton Ohio, less than a month back, on a trip to Chicago. This will be the subject of a detailed trip report, with lots of pictures. The outdoor exhibits are not ship-shape, as can be expected: in fact, some of the IAF exhibits outside are in much better shape. Second, the Presidential and experimental planes gallery is extremely jammed in, with hardly enough space to walk around. The planes are in great shape there, however, as they are inside a (rather small) hangar.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
I think the best-preserved IAF Liberator is perhaps at the RAF Museum at Hendon, which I saw in 2009.


No sir, the best preserved IAF Liberator is with The Collings Foundation in Massachusetts. It is the only airworthy example, and regularly flies around in airshows.

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/tour_b-24j.htm

In fact, one can even book a ride on it.

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_flightexperiences.htm
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 4:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sumantra Sir, Tu 124K has not been restored per se.. However it is in good condition. Giving it company is An12, MiG 25, C-119, MiG 23, Iskara, Liberator, EE Canberra and Mi 4. On the threshold of 27 are Il 14 and Caribou. I myself havent had the time to go and look inside the museum. But from outside I could see the yellow Dak of TTU in company of the abovementioned aircraft. Looks like a visit is due.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 4:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sumantra / Shivendra - you guys should plan a visit to the museum....if you let me know, I will fly down to DEL for that. Maybe the Goat can join us as well.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 4:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
Maybe the Goat can join us as well.


I would love to, if I am in India and in Delhi at that time.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
Sumantra / Shivendra - you guys should plan a visit to the museum....if you let me know, I will fly down to DEL for that. Maybe the Goat can join us as well.


I would love to join you, at your convenience Sir..
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

shivendrashukla wrote:
747-237 wrote:
Sumantra / Shivendra - you guys should plan a visit to the museum....if you let me know, I will fly down to DEL for that. Maybe the Goat can join us as well.


I would love to join you, at your convenience Sir..


If something can be planned in Dec / Jan let me know as I might be able to make it. But of course I fear the dreaded Delhi fog at that time of year.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is getting really interesting!
The_Goat: a flying ex-IAF Liberator: trust you to know about all this.
747-237 and The_Goat: It would be great if we are able to coordinate a visit, together. It is a shame that Shukla-ji and I are in Delhi right now, and we haven't met. I am not very tech-savvy, but emails do well with me. I will PM you my email ID, can you please PM me yours as well?
I am attaching pictures from my 2011 visit to the museum.
It had been in my head all day at work, and I jsut had to take my albums out, and have a look. Please pardon the quality, since they are digital pictures of prints from my Analog SLR, which has now not operational.
747-237: I know what this particular An-12 `Cub means to you.

The Liberator, first, in a disappointing condition: I was clicking against the light, this actually hides a few blemishes in the Liberator. It was a foggy winter mid-day.


There was a spot on the positive print.


More coming up.
Cheers,
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I want to write a trip report on a visit to the IAF museum, along with the history of some of these planes (as told to me by a senior retired IAF officer), and some interesting anecdotes, and some of my experiences with getting to know some of these vintage beauties.
More so, since I have written TRs on my visit to Monino and Datangshan, and have also visited the RAF museum at Hendon, and the USAF museum at Dayton (which I will definitely write about, since I have digital pictures of the same: a huge number of them). The others: I have only analog prints.

First, the An-12 from a rather unflattering angle:



The next three will show how the perspex windows have gone opaque. Sad.







And yes, this is the famous Spitfire. The negative got multiply exposed, hence the poor quality:



Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 7:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
747-237: I know what this particular An-12 `Cub means to you.

sumantra wrote:
First, the An-12 from a rather unflattering angle.


Sumantra - thanks for that. Those are actually very nice pics of the AN-12. Yes, it means a lot to know that my Dad flew that same airplane in the 1960s, and my then future uncle was his navigator on there too. (I guess I owe my existence to two IAF officers meeting on the AN-12). So yeah, I need to go visit this old bird someday ... maybe carry the old log books, and an AN-12 pin (badge) my Dad got in Moscow when they took AN-12 deliveries. Plus, I knew people that flew that Caribou, & DC-3; so it's well worth the visit for me.

So here is your treat - my old man designed this AN-12 invitation card when he was a Wing Commander flying this and other AN-12s in Chandigarh, I believe, in the 60s with Squadron 44. Looks a lot like your pictures above (and don't miss that nose) !!








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PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 10:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What an innovative card! And I did not know that you had an IAF link on your Mummy's side as well: this is surely a lineage to be treasured. It is really great to know that you know people who flew that Caribou, and that DC-3. I look forward to you visiting us, and relegating us with stories that you must have heard again and again, in your childhood.
About `that nose': the Soviets used the glazed nose (almost the same design) in their military and civilian aircraft considerably, post WW2: a story that started with the Tu-4 `Bull' (the copied B-29 Superfortress), and the German technology they `inherited' (which resulted in unique and amazing designs such as the Kuznetsov NK-12 contra props)
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sumantra, I was going through the old man's log books, to get some more info about his time flying BL727 in Sqdn 44.

Apparently, the first time he flew her was close to 52 years ago, on Feb 13, 1963; Chandigarh-Bangalore-Barrackpore.






And the last - June 15, 1965; Chandigarh-Leh-Chandigarh.




Thought you might enjoy these - and make plans for us to go see her in Palam, in 2015, 50 years from the last time he did.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
Apparently, the first time he flew her was close to 52 years ago, on Feb 13, 1963; Chandigarh-Bangalore-Barrackpore.
And the last - June 15, 1965; Chandigarh-Leh-Chandigarh.
Thought you might enjoy these - and make plans for us to go see her in Palam, in 2015, 50 years from the last time he did.
...and will I not enjoy these? What a magnificent handwriting your Papa had, and how meticulously did he document his flights! The handwriting in the blue ball-point pen, the red fountain pen, and the black ball-point: amazing! It will be a real pleasure to visit the AFM at Palam, and see the beauties with you, and your bag of stories about each plane there, and IAF memories from both your parents' sides!
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 4:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
...and will I not enjoy these? What a magnificent handwriting your Papa had, and how meticulously did he document his flights! The handwriting in the blue ball-point pen, the red fountain pen, and the black ball-point: amazing! It will be a real pleasure to visit the AFM at Palam, and see the beauties with you, and your bag of stories about each plane there, and IAF memories from both your parents' sides!
Cheers, Sumantra.


Look forward to it, then !
On a side note, and from my "bag of stories"; in the first picture you will see the name of Wg. Cdr. Anderson (later Gp. Capt.). He was a legend in the IAF, and my Dad's flying instructor; who was also in Sqdn 44. He passed away less than 2 years ago, in Sydney, Australia. I was lucky to be in touch with through his wife, in his later years. A true stalwart aviator, I was told.
On another side note, my mother's brother's (my then future uncle's) name is also on the page in the second picture. It's good to have two close relatives on the same page (at least figuratively Wink ). Sent him that pic, and made his day as well.
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sumantra, here's a pic of the last AN-12 flight for the IAF.....this is BL727 being ferried into Palam on 30 June 1993. They gave her a good send off, being escorted by two MiG-21s.



And here is the ceremonial handover of the aircraft by the Squadron to the museum.



I was fortunate enough to get these pics from another Wg. Cdr. that served in my Dad's/Uncle's former squadron.
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
Sumantra, here's a pic of the last AN-12 flight for the IAF.....this is BL727 being ferried into Palam on 30 June 1993. They gave her a good send off, being escorted by two MiG-21s.
Thank you for sharing these rare and beautiful pictures...it is really heartening to see the IAF also document its iconic types, on their retirement, even if it were on a personal basis. Do you also have the story of the last few IAF Daks at Safdarjung/Willingdon? Pictures would be more than welcome! I remember those with the metallic finish and blue lettering.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
Do you also have the story of the last few IAF Daks at Safdarjung/Willingdon? Pictures would be more than welcome! I remember those with the metallic finish and blue lettering.
Cheers, Sumantra.


Will surely try and get some info about these. If I do, you know I'll be posting them here.

On a recent flight out of Calcutta earlier this year, I saw at least one Dakota hull at DumDum. Any idea which one this is ? I am assuming this is an ex-IAF bird. Would love to know which one, and find out if my Dad flew her.
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
On a recent flight out of Calcutta earlier this year, I saw at least one Dakota hull at DumDum. Any idea which one this is ? I am assuming this is an ex-IAF bird. Would love to know which one, and find out if my Dad flew her.
This is an easy one. This is Biju Patnaik's famous Dakota, the very one in which he had his daredevil exploits in the Sukarno rescue, among others. The other two rotting birds are an NEPC F-27 Fokker Friendship, and an HS/HAL-748. I consider myself extremely unfortunate that I cannot get the forum's top news-man and investigative poster, to read my trip reports Sad

There is an obvious typo in that trip report [F-28 in place of F-27]
90. CCU Call, Spring'14
http://www.airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic14591.html
Cheers, Sumantra.
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Aseem
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

would love to know the exploits of Biju Patnaik.. after all he gave the first name to Sukarno's daughter.

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747-237
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Sumantra. Any idea of the registration ? Two Kalinga Airways DC-3s were written off at CCU; VT-COU & VT-COA. I wonder if it is one of these.
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2016 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
Any idea of the registration? Two Kalinga Airways DC-3s were written off at CCU; VT-COU & VT-COA. I wonder if it is one of these.
Unfortunately, not. This is the only angle one can get of the bird from the terminal building, and that too, with a massive zoom. I do not have your incredible zest to get to the bottom of a mystery like this, though I had briefly tried to track one of those `war surplus' DC-3s in private hands, one which had crashed relatively close to where we stayed in Delhi (A Jamair bird, VT-CZC). Some information is indeed on the Internet now:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safdarjung_Airport
http://www.safesellers.net/safdarjung_airport/encyclopedia.htm
http://hurryup1.wordpress.com/tag/dc-3-dakota/
Cheers, Sumantra.
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