Summary

  • The Douglas Commercial 3 (DC-
  • is an 80-year-old aircraft that continues to fly today, with an estimated 164 still in operation across all variants.
  • The DC-3's ruggedness and reliability make it popular in developing countries and it can easily land on grass and dirt runways.
  • Although there are no longer regularly scheduled passenger flights on the DC-3, avgeeks can still enjoy flights on private charter planes in New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

The Douglas Commercial 3 (DC-3) was one of history’s most mass-produced, well-engineered aircraft. Built to last, to land anywhere, and never to break, Douglas churned out more than 11,000 of the type before and during World War II. But how many of these aircraft are still flying today?

The 80-year old aircraft that will never die

For an aircraft built before the Second World War, you’d be forgiven for assuming most would have been retired by now. So, imagine our surprise when we discovered one had suffered a runway excursion in Colombia in August 2020. Out of interest, we thought we’d take a look at how many of the type are still accounted for right now.

According to information kindly shared by Michael Prophet and compiled by Coert Munk for the DC-3 Appreciation Society, there are an estimated 164 DC-3s across all variants flying regularly. This includes military variants (the C-47 and Dakota) as well as those in commercial operation.

A Douglas DC-3 parked at an airfield.
Photo: ChrisDavidson Photography | Shutterstock.

Michael notes that none are in regular passenger operation, although some are used for charter/enthusiast flights from time to time. Judging by the fact the Aliansa aircraft had 13 passengers onboard, it seems some are perhaps used for special charters in this developing country, too.

The bulk of the operational DC-3 fleet is in North America. Eighty-nine registrations are thought to be active in the US, with a further 19 in Canada. Australia is home to six of the type, while South Africa has around 16 registered as active. The UK has just three.

Some of the bigger fleets are found in developing countries, however. Colombia, home to Aliansa, has 17 registered models (16 active). Thailand is a hot spot, too, with seven confirmed in existence. Elsewhere, Bolivia, China, France, India, Mauritania, and New Zealand have between one and three aircraft a piece.

The ruggedness and bulletproof reliability of the DC-3 have made it strangely relevant to today’s missions despite its 80-plus years of age. It can easily land on grass and dirt runways, making it popular in developing countries.

Some have even been converted to turboprops, using the Rolls-Royce Dart engine or the Pratt & Whitney PT6A powerplant. Munk’s research suggests that around 33% of the DC-3s had turboprop engines. Others are kept flying through salvaged spare parts and new old stock. The over-engineered nature of the DC-3 means many of the spare parts manufactured for it in the ’30s were never used, so there’s a surprising stock still around.

Munk also notes that several DC-3s have been refurbished in recent times. In 2020, around seven were believed to be undergoing preparations to fly again.

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In its heyday, the Douglas Commercial DC-3 was flown by a range of interesting airlines. Air France, Swissair, and Aer Lingus were some major European customers, but the real home of the DC-3 was in the United States.

The aircraft was operated by all manner of US airlines, some of whom are still with us today, others who succumbed to consolidation following the deregulation of the industry. Notable operators included Delta Air Lines, Braniff Airways, Hawaiian Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines, Pan Am, and of course, United.

American Airlines was instrumental in the development of the DC-3, and along with TWA, Delta, and United, it ordered an entire fleet of the type. The aircraft married reliability with comfort and performance, quickly becoming the go-to model for long-distance flying.

It truly proved its worth during World War II, when it was the most widely used military transport, flying as the C-47 for the US Army Air Corps. It also found a place with the US Navy as the R4D, as well as the Marine Corps and Royal Air Force as the Dakota. So prevalent was the DC-3 that President Dwight Ike Eisenhower named it one of the four most important things that won the war.

In 2019, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a mass take-off of 35 DC-3s was orchestrated from Duxford Aerodrome in the UK to Normandy. It was the largest assembly of the Douglas aircraft since WWII and something that must have been breathtaking to see.

Can I fly the DC-3?

While there are no longer scheduled DC-3 passenger flights anywhere (some scheduled cargo services are still available), avgeeks can still enjoy flying on this historic marvel.

In New Zealand, the company FlyDC3 operates as a private plane charter offering flights onboard its DC-3 airliner. They provide scenic tours around Auckland, the North Shore, and Hauraki Gulf, as well as private charter flights lasting anywhere between 30 minutes and one hour. This company flies with Betsy, a 1944 Oklahoma-built Douglas DC-3 registration NZ3546.

A Douglas DC-3 flying in the sky.
Photo: Zigmunds Dizgalvis | Shutterstock.com

The Dutch Dakota Association also operated weekend sightseeing flights until April this year. The company had a Royal DC-3 Dakota called “Princess Amalia,” although flights with this company are currently not bookable on the website (as of November 2023). Earlier this year, the company had financial constraints, and it relied on the help of several supporters and enthusiasts of the DC-3 to keep the historic airliner in the skies.

The Swedish organization Flygande Veteraner also operates an 80-year-old DC-3 called Daisy. This example is particularly special because it is still painted in the retro livery of Scandinavian Airlines SAS.

The wreckage of a Douglas DC-3 on an Icelandic beach.
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock.

The DC-3 is a piece of history globally. For instance, a wrecked DC-3 has become a tourist sensation in Iceland. Located in Sólheimasandur, this DC-3 crashed on Wednesday, November 21, 1973. Seven people were onboard the aircraft; fortunately, none were injured in the crash. Since that day, the airline has remained stuck in the Icelandic black-sand beach, creating an iconic tourist attraction that thousands of travelers visit each day.

Have you ever seen a DC-3 in action? Have you ever had the pleasure to fly in one? Let us know in the comments.

Source: DC-3 Appreciation Society.