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Reliving History On Air Service Berlin's DC-3/C-47

SCL767 From Chile, joined Feb 2006, 8272 posts, RR: 5
Posted (3 years 8 months 2 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 6552 times:

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This year marks the 60th anniversary of the end of the Berlin Airlift. To celebrate this remarkable achievement I decided to book a flight on an original DC-3A "Roisenbomber" whilst on vacation in Berlin. Air Service Berlin operates an original DC-3A/C-47 "Roisenbomber" famously known as the Candy Bomber, and offers sight-seeing flights operating at the Berlin Schönefeld Airport Terminal C. Air Service Berlin´s DC-3A/C-47 was built in 1944 and was repaired and restored true to its original configuration in England and is currently the only flight-ready DC-3A in Germany.

Air Service Berlin's Terminal at <acronym title= SXF">

Equipment: DC-3A/C-47
Registration: D-CXXX
Flight: "Rosinenbomber Zeitreise"
Departure Time: 16:30
Cruising Altitude: 2,000 ft.
Seat: 3D
Duration: 35 minutes*

*includes the motoring and cutting off of the engines

Flight Route:

Air Service Berlin's sleek Terminal C at Berlin-Schönefeld:

BBI-Brandenburg International, Berlin's newest airport under construction:

A U.S. School bus transported us to the Rosinenbomber:

The Rosinenbomber awaits us for the flight over Berlin:

The DC-3A sitting on the apron waiting for us to board:

Our crew for the flight headed by Chief Pilot Martin Müller:

Time to board the DC-3A/C-47:

CLASSIC:

The luxurious interior of D-CXXX:

Seat 4A on the Rosinenbomber:

My seat assignment for the short flight was 3D:

The Safety Card of the DC-3A:

The right engine begins motoring:

Video of the take-off from Berlin-Schönefeld:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMrNkEX7ugk

The forward section of the DC-3A cabin in-flight:

The cockpit of the DC-3A whilst in-flight:

Flughafen Tempelhof which closed last year:

Flughafen Tempelhof, also known as "the mother of all airports":

Tempelhof's once busy parallel runways now abandoned:

The wing-span of this DC-3A/C-47 is 28.95m:

Flying towards Gatow Airport which is now an aviation museum:

Alexanderplatz from 600 meters above:

Video of the landing at Berlin-Schönefeld:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe60m6s65-k

After we landed back at SXF Captain Müller gave us a "walk-around" tour of D-CXXX:

Notice the Pitot Static Tube:

D-CXXX's engines each produce 1,200 HP:

Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Radial Engine:

D-CXXX's beautiful tail:

Bremenfly's 737-400 D-ABRE parked at SXF:

Germanwings A-319-132 D-AKNN on stand at SXF:

8 replies: All unread, jump to last

CrimsonNL From Netherlands, joined Dec 2007, 1618 posts, RR: 42
Reply 1, posted (3 years 8 months 2 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 6628 times:

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Hi there and thank you for sharing this report! My, she's a real beauty! We're you allowed to visit the cockpit in-flight? I like your pictures, especially the close ups after the flight. The plane's interior looks great!

Regards from another DC-3 fan,

Martijn

Nothing screws you like a job in aviation

Directorguy From Egypt, joined Jul 2008, 1569 posts, RR: 12
Reply 2, posted (3 years 8 months 2 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 6514 times:

Hey there,
Thanks for sharing this wonderful report. The DC-3's a remnant from a time when flying was an exotic pleasure for the adventurous. To get that close to history's simply amazing.
I never imagined the DC-3s would look that shiny and spectacular up close. Great job with the photos btw Big grin

Regards,
DG

SCL767 From Chile, joined Feb 2006, 8272 posts, RR: 5
Reply 3, posted (3 years 8 months 2 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 6215 times:

Here are some more photos of D-CXXX:

The DC-3A on display after the flight:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr130/SCL767/Air%20Service%20Berlin%20Rosinenbomber%20DC-3%20Time%20Travel/DSC02374.jpg

Underneath the Cockpit of the DC-3A, quite unique:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr130/SCL767/Air%20Service%20Berlin%20Rosinenbomber%20DC-3%20Time%20Travel/DSC02363-1.jpg

The Cockpit of D-CXXX:

Notice both the hydraulic reservoir filler neck and the deicing tank filler neck. The Alternate Static Source and the External Power Receptacle are also visible:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr130/SCL767/Air%20Service%20Berlin%20Rosinenbomber%20DC-3%20Time%20Travel/DSC02373-1.jpg

Quoting CrimsonNL (Reply 1):
We're you allowed to visit the cockpit in-flight? I like your pictures, especially the close ups after the flight. The plane's interior looks great!

No, the actual flight was quite short (about 22 minutes) and the pilots were busy at the controls. However, it is possible to tour the cockpit on the longer flights operated by D-CXXX.

Quoting Directorguy (Reply 2):

Thanks for the positive comments. The DC-3A is indeed in excellent shape, both inside and outside. Air Service Berlin does a fantastic job in maintaining this beauty!

Shankly From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2000, 1472 posts, RR: 1
Reply 4, posted (3 years 8 months 2 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 6024 times:

Flew 'XX out of Templehof just before it closed last year and glad to see she is still carrying passengers from this historic city.

Having previously flown on nothing less sophisticated than an HS748, the DC-3 was a fabulous experience and in the same way as Concorde, simply uncomparable. The noise and cabin vibration brought the whole plane alive.

Given the moaning and groaning that goes on today regarding modern jet transportation, we don't know how lucky we are!

L1011 - P F M

SAAB900 From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2007, 479 posts, RR: 0
Reply 5, posted (3 years 8 months 2 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 5884 times:

SCL767, great TR on an aircraft type that you dont normally see on a TR! That Dc3 look's amazing both inside & out! If you dont mind me asking how much was the flight?

Quoting SCL767 (Thread starter):
Flughafen Tempelhof, also known as "the mother of all airports":

I expected Tempelhof to be empty now it's closed down, but it looks like there are two aircraft still under the roof on the ramp! Have you any idea what they are & why they're still there?

Dave(SAAB900).

HOOB747 From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 420 posts, RR: 0
Reply 6, posted (3 years 8 months 2 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 5847 times:

Thank you for this beautiful trip report. And thank you for the photos of a gorgeous DC-3. How fortunate you are to be able to experience a flight on such a dazzling piece of history.

747 Number One Fan from U.S.A

SCL767 From Chile, joined Feb 2006, 8272 posts, RR: 5
Reply 7, posted (3 years 8 months 1 week 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 5734 times:

Quoting SAAB900 (Reply 5):
I expected Tempelhof to be empty now it's closed down, but it looks like there are two aircraft still under the roof on the ramp! Have you any idea what they are & why they're still there?

Thanks for your comments. The two planes currently "stored" at THF are a US Air Force
Douglas C-54G Skymaster (DC-4) and a Fokker VFW-614. Tours of Flughafen Tempelhof are currently available as well.

ThirtyEcho From United States of America, joined Dec 2001, 1634 posts, RR: 1
Reply 8, posted (3 years 8 months 1 week 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 5684 times:

I have at least a hundred DC-3 flights under my belt as both a child and a young man. What I wouldn't give for just one more!

The seat layout in this aircraft seems wrong. In the 2-1 configuration. the single seats were to the right and the double seats were to the left. Later versions were 2+2.

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