Detailed History of KG651/ZS-BRW/G-AMHJ/SU-AZI/G-AMHJ.
With a third Douglas Dakota based in Lincolnshire at RAF Metheringham I have been looking into it’s history, Without Air Atantique and it’s HM Government contract for oil slick dispersal spraying we would of lost these old veterans years ago to the scrap man.
Built in Oklahoma City USA by Douglas with the C/N 13468 , Delivered to the USAAF on 30th May 1944 with the serial 42-108962
- Diverted to the Lend-Lease Programme with RAF serial KG651 in Montreal Canada – 03 Jun 1944
- Arrived in UK – 13 Jun 1944
- Delivered to 109 OTU Crosby in Eden, Cumberland – 26 Aug 1944 and was probable that it would of carried the code GY- with a single letter.
- 24 Sqn Hendon London – 29 Aug 1945, This unit flew with NQ- codes
- 1383 Transport Conversion Unit (T)CU Crosby in Eden – Mar 1946
- 1333 Transport Support Conversion Unit (TS)CU Leicester East – 23 Jul 1946
- WFU and stored with 22 Maintenance Unit (MU) Silloth, Cumberland – 1 Oct 1946
- Disposed by the RAF to Air Prospectors – 21 Nov 1946
- Pan African Air Charters Ltd of South Africa – Registered ZS-BRW – 16 May 1947
- Cyprus Airways, named “Paphos” – Registered G-AMHJ – 06 Feb 1951 – 07 Jun 1956
- Iraq Petroleum Transport Co Ltd – 28 Jun 1956 – 19 Mar 1957
- Hunting Clan Air Transport Ltd – 17 Apr 1957 – 30 Dec 1957
- Hunting Clan Air Services Ltd – 9 Jan 1958 – 11 Jul 1958
- Iraq Petroleum Transport Company Ltd, named “Qa:Petroleum” – 11 Jul 1958 – 28 Apr 1961
- British United Airways Ltd – 15 May 1961 – 12 Jul 1962
- Morton Air Services Ltd – 14 Jul 1962 – 6 Jul 1971
- Leased BUIA – 1 Nov 1968
- British Island Airways – 20 Sep 1971 – 12 Mar 1974
- Macedonian Airways Ltd Southend – 15 Mar 1974 – 30 Dec 1974
- Humber Airways Ltd -Kirtlington , 30 Dec 1974 – 23 Jun 1975
- Intra Airways – 30 Jun 1975 – 5 Nov 1976
- International Air Cargo as SU-AZI – 5 Nov 1976 – 26 Aug 1976
- Intra Airways as G-AMHJ again – 26 Aug 1977 – 23 Jan 1980
- Leased – Jersey European Airways – 1 Nov 1979
- Field Aviation Ltd Charters, Heathrow – 23 Jan 1980
- Express Air Freight – Air Atlantique Coventry Airport – 15 Feb 1982 – 01 Jun 1987
- Leased – Air Luton – 1985
- Aces High 01 Jun 1987 – 24 Sept 1987
- Atlantic Air Transport Coventry Airport 24 Sept 1987 – 21 Mar 2003
- (WFU and stored at Coventry Airport – Jun 2000)
- Presented to the Assault Glider Trust by Mr Stuart Powney on behalf of Air Atlantique – 7 Nov 2002
- Delivered to RAF Shawbury by road – 4 Dec 2003
KG651 – Taken at RAF Shawbury 26 Apr 2012.
- Presented to the RAF Transport Command memorial North Weald– 25 Mar 2014 arrived 27/28th March 2004
- Presented to the Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre – 16 Nov 2015
KG651 – Taken at Metheringham 01 Jan 2016
Most of the ex Air Atantique have found there way into Museums in Holland,Germany and in the UK.
KN353/G-AMYJ is preserved with the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington near York.
Some pictures of the Air Atlantique Dakota’s
KK116/G-AMPY
KP220/G-ANAF at Coventry Airport.
XE280/G-AMRA is Preserved in Berlin Germany.
Lets hope the funds can be raised to restore KG651 to her former glory. The only replacement for a Dakota was another Dakota.