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[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Passengers get taste of bygone era

By JOHN BISSET - The Timaru Herald | 5:00AM - Thursday, 18 February 2010



HAVING FUN: Chris Mehlhopt at the controls of the visiting
Southern DC3 over Timaru and below, Pat and Brenda Healey
celebrate their fourth anniversary with a plane ride over
South Canterbury. — JOHN BISSET/The Timaru Herald.

She's 66 years old, but the old girl still has plenty of get up and go.

Indeed, the 1944 Southern DC3 was able to lift the spirits of more than 120 passengers yesterday while in Timaru as part of a southern tour.

Four flights around South Canterbury gave passengers a nostalgic trip from a bygone era when aircraft were flown entirely by pilots, with no help from computers.

Poor visibility meant the two morning flights were postponed until later in the day. Although the skies were grey the air was smooth. "It was like a magic carpet ride," said one passenger as they left the aircraft.

On board celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary at 130 knots airspeed were Pat and Brenda Healey of Temuka.

"It was fabulous, just out of this world," said Mr Healey, who used to watch DC3s flying over his home town in the 1950s.

"We could not have asked for a better anniversary. It was comfortable and very smooth and I could have stayed up another half an hour," Mrs Healey said.

Former Timaruvian Chris Mehlhopt is one of many pilots who voluntarily fly the plane, which was the world's first successful commercial airliner. He first flew solo with the South Canterbury Aero Club in 1977 and has since flown helicopters, Aermacchis, Strikemaster jets and CT4 air-trainers for the air force. He currently flies an A320 Airbus for Air New Zealand.

According to Mr Mehlhopt, flying the 1940s aircraft is a real challenge. "You have to fly, and continue to fly it at all times. It's an old plane which has no automation, computers or stability control of a modern aircraft. For that reason, it's fun to fly."

"It's a fantastic aircraft that has stood the test of time, and could still be flying at 100 years old."

The DC3 left Timaru last night for Ashburton.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/3342752/Passengers-get-taste-of-bygone-era/