PH-PBA escorted to new home
As Scramble has reported earlier, 2024 is the final year for DDA Classic Airlines. Initially there has been a period of uncertainty over the future of the last airworthy Dakota in the Netherlands. Even at the moment of completing the last passenger flight on 16 October the fate of the DC-3 'Prinses Amalia' was still a secret to the general public. But on 19 October the DDA board announced that Douglas DC-3 PH-PBA would be passed on to the Aviodrome museum in Lelystad. A decision that was much appreciated by Dutch (and foreign) proplinerfans.
In the past weeks the 80-years old Dakota was prepared for its delivery flight to Lelystad airport. In the morning of Wednesday 18 December PH-PBA took off for its final departure from Amsterdam-Schiphol. During the second half of its flight to Lelystad the Dakota was escorted by two Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu, Royal Netherlands Air Force) owned Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning IIs, F-025 and F-030, and a Pilatus PC-7 as photoship. Fun fact: one of the pilots of the F-35s was the son of the Dakota Captain, making this also a family affair.
What the future holds for the vintage Dakota is still not clear. Although the Aviodrome has announced that it intends to continue flying the PH-PBA, the museum obviously keeps its options open... According to comments made by Aviodrome's Raymond Oostergo as published by Omroep Flevoland, they will have to consider at which events the Dak will fly again. And that flying a Dakota is truely expensive, as much as € 100,000 yearly.
What is going to happen? Time will tell…
Photo: Ministerie van Defensie