THE RETURN of DC-3 Dakotas to local skies awoke many memories for LookBack readers who used the commercial carriers in their youth.
June Widders experienced flying in the Dakota first-hand when she flew from Cyprus to Rhodes with her mother and father in 1946.
She explained: “It was the only way to get to Rhodes at the time.
“My mother didn’t like flying so we had to come back on a boat, but I didn’t mind it.�
June’s father, known to friends and colleagues as ‘Pep’, was a Lieutenant Commander during the war and made many contacts while he was posted in Egypt.
He set up a business in Cyprus where the family stayed until 1949.
Celia Lloyd was another Dakota flyer.
She and her family took a trip to Rome in 1957, when she was seven years old.
Celia said: “Can you imagine flying to Rome in a Dakota? My brother, Paul, tells me we were all sick on the way back, but I don’t remember.
“It was very exciting. We had to take a week off school when my mother decided we were going on holiday.
“When we got to Rome, people couldn’t believe it when they saw British children on holiday there as going abroad was still unheard of in the ‘50s.
“Paul thinks we were on the flight for six hours and we stopped off in Lyon to refuel. We had our picture taken by the plane and there were about 30 other passengers.
“I always remember that we went out on G-AMPO and came back on G- AMPY.�
The DC-3s were back in operation over Merseyside at the weekend to give previous passengers pleasure flights to remind them of their childhood journeys. A former Starways craft was being flown for pleasure flights from Speke Airport.
It is hoped the Dakotas will soar over this year’s Southport Air Show.
Among the nostalgic passengers were Celia, who lives in Daneway, Ainsdale, and brother Paul Snape.
Celia, now 56, said before the flight: “Imagine if we flew on G-AMPY again after all these years.
“That would be unbelievable.�
LookBack would love to feature memories from Starways crew, who ran the Dakota DC-3 services. If you were one, please get in touch on 01704-536655 or e-mail us at: visiternews@southportvisiter.co.uk or write to us at: Lookback, Southport Visiter, 26-32 Tulketh St, Southport PR8 1BT.
Any photos you bring into our office can be scanned in while you wait.
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