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On 27 April 2006, Flying Bulls came in at Groningen Airport Eelde with their ancient Douglas DC-6B N996DM. The
1958-built propliner has a long history. The Douglas DC-6B was delivered first as YU-AFA to JAT - Jugoslavenski
Aero Transport on 24 October 1958. In 1961, the aircraft was transferred to the Yugoslav Air Force (Jugoslovensko
Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo) as 7451. The DC-6B was converted to a luxury plane and operated as a VIP aircraft
for Yugoslavian president Marshall Tito and his guests. In service with the Yugoslav Air Force the DC-6B
became the JRV marking 73101 and finally 71511. In 1975, the aircraft went to the Zambian Air Force where it was
used as a VIP aircraft for President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. When the Zambian Air Force moved to jet transport, the
DC-6B was withdrawn from use and parked in a corner at Lusaka's airport next to another ZAF DC-6B with
c/n 45564. It was not until 1992 that Chris Schutte, manager of NCA - Namibia Commercial Aviation in
Windhoek/Namibia, came across these DC-6B's in Zambia. A British aviation supplies agent offering
forty tons of DC-6 spares from surplus Zambian Air Force stocks approached NCA. The offer was only valid
on one condition: the buyer had to removed also the pair of Zambian Air Force DC-6Bs which had not flown
for the last fifteen years and which were lying at Lusaka. Although NCA was not actively seeking further
aircraft to add to its fleet, Chris Schutte inspected the two aircraft. He discovered that both airframes,
with the ZAF markings GMB-110 and GMB-112, were preserved in a rather good condition in the hot and
dry Zambian climate. The condition of the airliners was that good that both aircraft were capable of being
flown out of Lusaka. Schutte bought both airframes and first restored the DC-6B with frame-number 45564.
Within seven working days this aircraft was restored by a NCA team to airworthy condition. With the new
Namibian registration, V5-NCG, the airliner was flown to her new base at Windhoek. As NCA didn't need
the aircraft earlier, it last until September 1994 before an NCA-team started with the recovery of the
DC-6B with frame-number 45563. After seven working days period at Lusaka Airport, this DC-6B was
declared airworthy. With the new Namibian registration, V5-NCF, she was also ferried to her new home base
of Windhoek. The V5-NCF and V5-NCG remained in service with NCA until 1999. Due to lack of work Schutte was
forced to sell the V5-NCF. In March 2000, the Flying Bulls business director draw up a preliminary contract
and in July 2000, the plane was ferried from Windhoek to Salzburg. In the period 2001 until 2004, the DC-6B
was brought in a splendid condition. On 4 April 2001, the Namibian registration was cancelled and the airliner
was registered N996DM in the U.S.A. and stationed at Salzburg in Austria. On 11 July 2013, registration N996DM
was cancelled and the Douglas DC-6B was registered OE-LDM in Austria with the Flying Bulls, Salzburg. |
Luchtvaart déjà vu
