Dakota news from Denmark

There is good news coming from Denmark this week. The DC-3 Vennerne (Danish Dakota Friends) has received administrative approval from the Danish civil aviation authorities to conduct technical work and checks on their Dakota OY-BPB, to bring it back to airworthiness. This Dakota was grounded at Stauning in 2019 and it is generally assumed that this grounding was permanent. Until February 2026!

A lot of money and blood, sweat and tears still lie  ahead before it flies again but this is such good news to hear of DC-3s heading back to the skies again rather than museums!

The Dak was delivered as a C-47 Skytrain (c/n 20019) to the USAAF as 43-13553 in 1944. After the war had ended it was passed on to the Royal Norwegian Air Force as 313553 in 1945. The RNoAF leased the Dakota to DNL, Det Norske Luftfartselskab, as LN-IAT in 1947 and it then went to SAS in 1948. SAS sold the Dakota to the Royal Danish Air Force as 68-682 in 1953, and was reregistered as K-682 in 1960.

Withdrawn from military service in 1983, it became OY-BPB in 1985 and was operated by the Foreningen For Flyvende Museumsfly. Despite becoming a civilian, OY-BPB continued to fly in its final (colourful) RDAF-livery. It carried 'Foreningen for Flyvende Museumsfly' on the starboard and 'DC-3 Vennerne' on the port side of the cabin.

Photo: OY-BPB seen during its final flying season at the Daks over Normandy event at Caen-Carpiquet (6 June 2019), Gert Jan Mentink