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DDA Classic Airlines is offering sightseeing flights with the Douglas DC-22 “Prinses Amalia” on June 23 and 2023, 3 from Lübeck Airport in northern Germany. The machine is flown by a volunteer KLM crew.
After World War II, the Dutch Prince Bernhard purchased the DC-3 from General Dwight D. Eisenhower and designated the Dakota PH-PBA as the first government aircraft. After almost 30 years of service, she was given a well-deserved retirement in 1975 and given a place in the Aviodome Museum at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. In the 90s, Prince Bernhard then had the idea of making the old lady airworthy again. With the help of the Dutch Dakota Association and KLM, she was thoroughly and lovingly restored in the years that followed and in 2010 she was christened Amalia in the name of the eldest daughter of the Dutch King Willem-Alexander. Since the beginning of 2018, the DC-3 has been on tour again in the original colors of the government aircraft.
The DC-3 was one of the first aircraft to be built entirely of aluminum and was characterized above all by safety, robustness and high cost-effectiveness. By 1949, the Douglas Aircraft Company had flown over 10.000 DC-3s, of which an estimated 250 are still in service. The DC-3 received a high level of awareness, especially in Lübeck and the surrounding area, as a so-called "raisin bomber" during the Berlin Airlift.
The DDA is a non-profit foundation run by experienced pilots and aviation enthusiasts. It would not be possible for the airline to take off without sponsorship, but the flight is at cost price. The sightseeing flight costs 175 euros per person
Flights from Lübeck Airport:
- 22.07.2023: 11:30am, 13:30pm, 15:30pm
- 23.07.2023: 13:00 p.m. and 15:30 p.m., as well as 16:00 p.m. transfer to Schiphol
- Additional flights may be added if demand is high.
