2easyco 41 Posted June 4, 2019 Report Share Posted June 4, 2019 Soon after starting school at William Crane a trip was arranged to take a pleasure flight in a Dakota operated by Derby Aviation. It was only to Skegness and back but it was our first flying experience and I’ve just found a report I wrote for the school magazine. It was dated 7th April 1960 and the aircraft reg. was G-AMSW. I just researched this aircraft on the internet and was astonished to learn the same aircraft crashed on a mountain at Canigou, France on 7th October 1961 killing all 34 on board. In this 75th DDay anniversary year I discovered the same aircraft was produced in 1944 so probably operated in the landings by the USAAF and many were lost in the conflict. General Eisenhower was quoted as saying the C47 (Dakota) was second only to the atomic bomb in ending WW2. 2 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,507 Posted June 4, 2019 Report Share Posted June 4, 2019 Interesting 2easyco, how did we manage before the Internet?!! I’m sure it was very sad for you reading what happened to the very plane you’d flown in. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted June 4, 2019 Report Share Posted June 4, 2019 I remember Derby Airways back in the early 60's. They operated Dakotas out of a grass airfield at Burnaston. My father sometimes used to send me there (I had just passed my driving test) to put parcels on the plane to Dublin. I could park right next to the aeroplane, weight the parcels on a scale and pass them up to the pilot. Couldn't do that now! 2 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,457 Posted June 4, 2019 Report Share Posted June 4, 2019 Weren't Derby Airways what became the beginnings of British Midland ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted June 4, 2019 Report Share Posted June 4, 2019 Yes, it was originally Derby Aviation who bought Mercury Airlines, Manchester and then changed their name to British Midland. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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