Which DC-3 ?

Lien · Post by **Lien** » 27 Nov 2003, 00:54

I just found this picture, and all I know it surely is a DC-3 in 1967.
Can anybody help me by finding out the Airline and in which
country this is ?
If you could also find out the nationality of the plane I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Skystef · Post by **Skystef** » 27 Nov 2003, 01:55

To Lien

Linair = Libyan National Airlines
Created in 1962 by Sabena + some oilcompanies to undertake inner Libyan flights, which Sabena self started in 1959. Flights were undertaken to provide a link to the outer world for sites set up for oil exploration in the vast Libyan landscape. Mostly the airstrip was nothing more than sandy flatland.
Linair was taken over by another Belgian company BIAS in 1965 when Sabena withdrew from the Libyan sky.
It operated almost a dozen DC3's in the Sabena period (all OO- regis), later in the BIAS period some DC3's were replaced by 3 F27's + 1 F28.
Operations ceased in 1973, or according to other sources in 1976.

SS

BBKing · Post by **BBKing** » 27 Nov 2003, 10:26

Great Job Q707 !!

suetens · Post by **suetens** » 27 Nov 2003, 10:49

All DC3 from Linair were brought back to Belgium and were parked for months at the end of the airport, Steenokkerzeel, where BIAS had his technical Dept.
All DC3 were sold together with some of DAT to USA to operate night courier flights.
I believe some are still in operation.
I worked with BIAS till they stopped their operation.
suetens

Lien · Post by **Lien** » 27 Nov 2003, 13:03

Thank you Q707, how did you find so much information on so few
clues ?

seutens wrote:All DC3 from Linair were brought back to Belgium and were parked for months at the end of the airport, Steenokkerzeel, where BIAS had his technical Dept.
All DC3 were sold together with some of DAT to USA to operate night courier flights.
I believe some are still in operation.
I worked with BIAS till they stopped their operation.

I am interested in the BIAS story, seutens, can you give more info ?
was BIAS technical Dept where now is the sabena flight school ?

Lien · Post by **Lien** » 27 Nov 2003, 13:18

According to Aerotranport web, OO-CBU C-47 was last used by SNBA !?

suetens · Post by **suetens** » 27 Nov 2003, 16:06

Dear Lien,
I started with BIAS when they were operating two DC6.
We were allready flying to the sunny destinations like PMI, VCE, etc.
We than sold one DC6 and added one Caravelle VI-R, R was for reverse
SN was operating the type III without reverse, so many times we flew for SN when it was bad weather. When bad weather the Caravelle III was using a parachute to stop.
We than sold the one DC6 and the one Caravelle and bought two DC8-33 from KLM.
The last year we operate, we had an average of 250 hours per month per aircraft, even KL was estonished of our total hours.
The DC6 and the Caravelle registrations always were names of people working in BIAS, OO-GER for Germaine, OO-VAN for Van Antwerpen,
OO-DEP for deppe the chief pilot, OO-PAY for Payens the technical Director,etc.
Hope these few infos are ok for you.
suetens

Skystef · Post by **Skystef** » 27 Nov 2003, 18:15

Lien wrote:Thank you Q707, how did you find so much information on so few clues ?

My pleasure Lien

, when reading some good books U can gather a lot of info.

Lien wrote: According to Aerotranport web, OO-CBU C-47 was last used by SNBA !?

A misleading conclusion, but in fact they are right: DAT was the last operator from 1969 till 1971, and as U probable know DAT became SN Brussels in 2002. But of course there was never a DC3/C47 with SNBA.

Suetens wrote:All DC3 from Linair were brought back to Belgium and were parked for months at the end of the airport, Steenokkerzeel, where BIAS had his technical Dept.

Then U probable recognise this 1972 scenery

.
I suppose the wooden BIAS building doesn't exist anymore.

OO-CBX

Suetens wrote: All DC3 from Linair were brought back to Belgium and were parked for months at the end of the airport, Steenokkerzeel, where BIAS had his technical Dept.

Not quite true, 3 of the 7 Dakotas were left behind: OO-AWJ was used for spares since 1970, OO-SBC was written off in 1971, and OO-SBH belly landed in March 1969.

Suetens wrote:All DC3 were sold together with some of DAT to USA to operate night courier flights. I believe some are still in operation.

Found none, but i suppose there are still 2 ex Belgian DC3's active: ex OO-SNC (Belgian State) now CU-T1059 and ex OO-TBA (Sobelair) now N3BA.

SS

744rules · Post by **744rules** » 27 Nov 2003, 19:56

I know it's

fftopic: but if this site would have some kind of rating system, this topic gets the max score.

:thumbsup2:

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 27 Nov 2003, 20:08

Don't get me on about ratings, I've seen the problems they cause on other forums.

One forum I went on had a system whereby members rated each other as positive contributors or negative contributors, and it ended up getting personal and very nasty and eventually was taken off. The same goes for subject ratings. If someone doesn't like another poster, they could end up voting all their posted topics as rubbish just out of bad feeling.

Lien · Post by **Lien** » 28 Nov 2003, 03:26

Thank you Q707 and seutens for all this incredible interesting information
which not many of us have ever heard of before.

I din't anyway.

You're right 744rules, I never got soo much relevant information in
such a short time.

We too often forget that airlines like BIAS are also part of Belgian aviation.

Thank you all very much.

suetens · Post by **suetens** » 28 Nov 2003, 09:47

You are right, I forgot but one of the Linair(BIAS) DC3 had an accident in Steenokkerzeel, while parked in stormy weather, one of them broke out,
turned 180° and hitted one other DC3 parked next to the one.
Some of these DC3 had a cargo door.
For the information, BIAS also had a DC4, the first Company aircraft,
one of the DC4 operated a long time in Congo between Léopoldville and Stanleyville and was shoot down on take off in Stanleyville.
After the wooden building, the BIAS owner bought a house on the Vilvoordelaan in Zaventem and the complete staff moved in that house also the technical Dept.
The house is the one next to the Air Parking where Air Belgium was in.
Nice week end to all of you.
suetens

suetens · Post by **suetens** » 28 Nov 2003, 10:34

Just for the story.
The BIAS DC6 operated a lot of flights to New York. In those days at BIAS everybody was helping each other in the different jobs, so I had the chance to flight as stewart of the New York flights.
Starting in Brussels to Shannon, Reykjavik, Gander, New York, one night rest and the return flight.
We all were happy to fly and nobody was calculating his hours, because after landing in Brussels, each of us was helping offloading bagages, etc.
BIAS was doing his own handling: check-in, loading, boarding, off loading,
stairs, etc.

qnnm · Post by **qnnm** » 29 Nov 2003, 22:16

This late afternoon I did some research in my archives and discovered following B/W photoprints (received from friend):
Linair DC3's
OO-AUV / OO-AUW / OO-AWJ / OO-AWM / OO-CBU / OO-CBW / OO-CBX / OO-CBY / OO-SBC / OO-SBH / OO-UBT

BIAS DC4
OO-VAN

BIAS DC6
OO-ABE / OO-ABG / OO-PAY / OO-SDC

BIAS DC8
OO-AMI / OO-CMB

BIAS Caravelle
OO-CVA

Can someone help me with possible missing pictures in these categories ?

Besides these, I also discovered pictures of:
OO-FAI DC3 COBETA
OO-FAI DC4 FAIREY AIR FREIGHT
OO-EEN Vickers Viking AVIAMEER
any additional info on these are most welcome.

Lien · Post by **Lien** » 29 Nov 2003, 23:06

Hi qnnm,

can't your pictures be put in the luchtzak photo gallery ?

As all these planes have played an important role in Belgium's
aviation history.

Just as an example ,I think OO-AUW has been around the world, as it is the plane Lumumba has been transported with after his arrest. The reg. can be seen in all documentaries on that story.

qnnm · Post by **qnnm** » 29 Nov 2003, 23:29

...putting the pictures in the Luchtzak photo gallery, is far beyond my technical capacities

maybe in a later stage I can hand the prints over to one of the L-zak specialists, who can do the job.

OO-AUW Douglas C-47B c/n 14852/26297
delivered to USAF as 43-49035, 13 oct 1944. Bought from the US Surplus board and arrived in BRU on 27 jul 1947. Registered in Belgium as OO-AUW 27 jul 1947.
Transferred to Force Belge Metropolitaine in Belgian Congo, 10 dec 1951.
Used by Force Belge Metropolitaine during 1952/1953. Leased to Linair 28 jul 1958.
Alotted but did not carry Congo markings 9Q-CUW. Returned and registered in Belgium as OO-AUW, 20 jan 1961.
Leased to Linair 11 feb 1965. Sold to BIAS 01 jul 1965.
Returned to Belgium in 1972. Sold to Aircraft Assocs. Inc. Long Beach California 1973. Registered as N6903, 13 jul 1973 and delivered on 16 aug 1973.
Sold to Urullo del Mar as XB-DIY, 07 dec 1973.
Sold and delivered to Weldit Enterprises as N6903 on 18 oct 1977 and immediately re-sold again to Aircraft Assocs. Inc. Long Beach 19 oct 1977. Withdrawn from use, Long Beach 16 dec 1977.
Sold to PCD Corp. Mc Allen, Texas jun 1979.
Here ends my last trace ...

Any additional info is most welcome.

Skystef · Post by **Skystef** » 01 Dec 2003, 23:53

qnnm wrote: I also discovered pictures of:
OO-FAI DC3 COBETA
OO-FAI DC4 FAIREY AIR FREIGHT
OO-EEN Vickers Viking AVIAMEER
any additional info on these are most welcome.

COBETA = Compagnie Belge de Transports Aériens (John Mahieu Aviation) : was formed on April 16 1946, was based @ Haren Airport and flew pax charters to European destinations with a couple of Dakota's between 1947-1950.
I found OO-APB and OO-APC as registrations, so OO-FAI of COBETA doesn't excist.

Fairey Freight: was formed early sixties, was based @ CRL to provide freight services for parts to the F-104 Starfighter assembly line. Operated a couple of Bristol Freighters (OO-FAG, OO-FAH) between 1962-1966 and a DC-4 (OO-FAI) between 1964-1966.

Aviameer was formed in the fifties, was based @ ANR, and flew pax charters between ANR-United Kingdom in period 1958-1962(?) with its sole Vickers Viking OO-EEN.

No further info, corrections always welcome.

SS

Post by **sn26567** » 02 Dec 2003, 09:41

qnnm wrote:BIAS DC8
OO-AMI / OO-CMB

I flew with OO-CMB (standing for Compagnie Maritime Belge, to which BIAS belonged) from BRU to PMI (Palma de Mallorca) in September 1972.

I still might have a colour slide somewhere with the plane standing in PMI.

Skystef · Post by **Skystef** » 02 Dec 2003, 09:48

sn26567 wrote:BIAS DC8 OO-CMB
I still might have a colour slide somewhere with the plane standing in PMI.

Always interested to collect it......one day

.

SS

suetens · Post by **suetens** » 02 Dec 2003, 11:55

For the story, To start with the two DC8, BIAS bvba started a new company called BIAS International NV.
CMB, AMI, DAT and Tracto had 51% and the previous owner Mr.Van Antwerpen 49%.
When BIAS stopped their operation, the two DC8 were given to DAT.
They operate some flights to the south.
DAT boss was...........Freddy Van Gaever....................
The OO-AMI went than to Transpommair in OST and operated some flights to USA.
The two registration were effectively CMB for Compagnie Maritime Belge, and AMI for Agence Maritime Internationale.
The original name of BIAS was Belgian International Air Services, and we had renamed the company in Best International Air Smokkeleers.
Greeting to all.suetens