In this fast pace age we live it today, it is refreshing to pay tribute to an airplane the term obsolete and not reusable may never apply: the legendary Douglas DC-3 and C-47 still lingers on.
Although it has been over 76 years it has first flown, as many as a 900 examples still survive as wrecks in museums and some even keep hauling passengers and cargo.
This page pays tribute to the different Dakota's, DC-3s and C-47s from around the world, restored show-birds, nostalgic airliners, VIP transports, tired cargo haulers and decaying hulks from the past and present.

Photo's and slides from Andre van Loon, Ed Davies, Morne Booij Liewes, Ivan Nishimura, Peter Gralla and Chris Mak collection.

Aircraft reference & data:
DC-3 history and aircraft date from2006 Air Britain, The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 'The First 70 Years' and the 2011 75 Years Celebration Edition + 1996 The Legacy of the DC-3 by Henry Holden.

All rights reserved, no pictures and or contents from this page may be reproduced and/or copied in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical…with out prior permission by the owner of this website.

*****PART 2*****

Sadelca (Sociedad Aerea Del Caqueta LTDA) was established on the 31st of October 1974, flying the local communities of the Illanos Meta province and further afield towards the southerly provinces of Guaviare, Guainia, Vaupes and Amazonas. From its early start up Sadelca has remained a senior carrier operating the sturdy Douglas DC-3 from its main base at Villavicencio Vanguardia Aeropuerto. Sadelca operates several DC-3s with the original Pratt & Whitney R1830-92 radial engines, but also leases several Antonov 32Bs and An26Bs.
From 1976 to 1988 Sadelca operated a single four-engine DC-4 (HK-112) but was seized by the authorities. From 1998 it received its certificate to carry cargo and freight on its flights. Over the years many DC-3s have come and go, but the companies retained its two tone red colours & stylised S logo. More information can be found on Sadelca's website: http://www.sadelca.com/default.htm


HK-3286 (6144): built as a C-47 December 1942 to the USAF as 41-38685, ex PAA NC22434, COPA RX-86, HP-86, HK-3286 Alas Chiricanas SA, Sadelca (Liliana)

HK-2494 ((33105): built as a TC-47B-30-DK for the USN (R4D-7) as 99826 up to 1971, ex N87611 University of Texas, SAEP Ltda Sadelca

HK-1315 (4307): built as a C-47-DL during 1942 as 41-7808, ex NC50037 Lone Star Aviation, PP-DQA, PP-ANG with TAN – REAL – VARIG, HK-1315 with Avianca September 1966, Urraca, SANTA, Taxi El Venado, TAC (1987), wfu Villavicencio September 1999, airworthy with Viarco 2001 now with Sadelca

ATT (Aero Transporte Turistico) XA-RTC (2219) DC-3-322 ex NC25626, XA-SUY Aerolineas del Pacifico, Aerotur. A/c wfu for many years at Merida airport Mexico

Eastern Airways G-AMRA (26735) C-47B-15-DK Delivered 25 November 1944 went to the RAF as KK151 that same year

Skyways Cargo Airline G-APBC (27121) C-47B-20-DK Delivered 10 January 1945 and went to RAF as KN250, now with Missionary flight N300MF at Fort Pierce Florida

Trans Aereos San Miguel CP-1059 (2173) DC-3-313 ex Penn Central NC21785, N257H, N25711 and N517DW crashed December 1987 at San Ignacio Beni Bolivia

SATENA FAC1120 (12446) C-47A-10-DK Delivered in 1944 and went to the RAF as KG411, ex N73853 final days spend wfu at Madrid Airforce base Bogota Colombia

SATENA FAC1120 (12446) C-47A-10-DK Delivered in 1944 and went to the RAF as KG411, ex N73853 final days spend wfu at Madrid Airforce base Bogota Colombia

Africatours F-BEIG (10253) C-47A-60-DK delivered to the USAF as 42-24391 September 1943. ex LX-DKT Legend Air wfu at Oostend, a/c moved to Zaventum Brussels airport for static restoration.

LAICA Colombia HK-329 (4404) C-47-DL Delivered to the USAF as 41-18366 in May 1942, ex NC18648 Universal airlines, crashed at Puerto Alayo, Santander Colombia September 1980

Aerosucre Colombia HK-1078 (9884) C-47-40-DL Delivered to the USAF as 42-24022 in July 1943, ex TI-105, AN-ADD, TI-1004C, crashes Miraflores Mitu Colombia during June 1981

SATENA FAC1132 photographed from the control tower at Villavicencio airport Colombia

ARCA Colombia HK-337 (11831) C-47A-DK Delivered June 1943 to 8th AF, then went to KLM as PH-TCM and PJ-ALP, to Aliansa, crashed March 1999 at Serranja Nevada de Cocuy Colombia

Tala Colombia HK-2581 (27006) C-47B-20-DK ex N94470, ex TALA Ltd to Aliansa. a/c crashed at La Montanita Colombia during November 1999.

Pacific Northern AL N998Z (20145) C-47A-90-DL Delivered to the USAF as 43-15679 during April 1944, ex NC59534, N998Z, N101ZG. Current N574JB War Eagles Museum Santa Teresa NM

Pretoria Air Service ZS-KIV (33257) C-47B-35-DK Delivered May 1945 to RAF as KN611, ex G-ANAS, ZS-DHY, VP-YSM and A2-ZEM. Sold to Wimbi Dira December 2003 as 9Q-CWI

AIR500 N9663N (43385) C-117D USN R4D-8 to NARTU Anacostia, ex C-FALL and Air 500 LTD wfu Fort Lauderdale airport