Constructor's no. 20051 was built to a 1943 United States Army Airforce (USAAF) order and delivered on 12 April 1944 as a C-47A-85-DL being allocated USAAF serial 43-15585. Her military history is currently unknown.
Upon release from the military she was civilianised as a DC-3C. Her 1st civil operator was Trans Pacific Airlines, Hawaii registered NC65393 in 1953, then to Aloha Airlines, Hawaii 1958.
As NC65393 this aircraft arrived in New Zealand from Hawaii on 4 December 1960. She then flew to Hong Kong for conversion to agricultural configuration by Hong Kong Aero Engineering Company. The conversion was completed on 14 February 1961. She was placed on the New Zealand civil register as ZK-BYF to Rural Aviation Ltd on 23 February 1961, having flown 24,190 hours to date, and returned to New Zealand on 4 March 1961.
Upon the formation of Airland (NZ) Ltd. (April 1963- October 1969), ZK-BYF was transferred to Airland ownership on 25 August 1966, then to Fieldair Ltd on 20 February 1978.
ZK-BYF is one of 21 twin engine aircraft used on aerial topdressing in New Zealand during the period 1951-86. To date no further twins have been used on topdressing operations in New Zealand.
Fieldair operated ZK-BYF until 20 January 1980, by which time she had accumulated 10,701 hours flying aerial topdressing operations on the East Coast of the North Island and spent many years based in Gisborne flown by several pilots. ZK-BYF was cancelled from the civil register on 26 March 1982. She retired as a young DC-3 with only 34,891 hours total flying logged. Several agricultural DC-3's retired with 50-55,000 hours total flight time. The world's hardest working DC-3's still flying are about to surpass 100,000 hours airborne.
The DC-3, of which 13 were operated between 1955 and 1986 as topdressers, was the largest aircraft commercially used for aerial application of fertiliser in the western world. DC-3's carried 5 tons per load generally up to 40 miles from base and spreading from 120 feet above the ground while following the contours of the land. This flying was very demanding on the pilots strength and skills, as the DC-3 was designed to fly passengers from point to point, not be manouvered around steep hill country.
During their working life, DC-3's helped to increase the total tonnage of fertiliser spread in New Zealand from 283,470 tons in 1955 up to a peak of 1,331,821 tons in 1974. James Aviation and Southern Air Super also operated agricultural DC-3's.
John Regan bought ZK-BYF in 1981 from Fieldair Ltd minus engines and propellers and transported her to Silverstream, in the Hutt Valley, on 17 March 1982 and removed the fertiliser hopper. He then sourced engines and propellers and fitted these. Since 1992, the RNZAF Museum has had her on loan as gate guardian at Ohakea alias NZ3547.
ZK-BYF was bought by a syndicate of GAPS and GAPS members from John Regan on 25 September 1999 for display in Gisborne. GAPS shifted her to Gisborne in May 2000.
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Pictures of DC-3 ZK-BYF being shifted to Gisborne |
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Click on a pciture to view it full size |
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ZK-BYF is one of the few viable DC-3's left from a national fleet of some 60 that have operated in New Zealand since 1943, and will become the only agricultural DC-3 on display in a New Zealand museum. Only 4 airworthy DC-3's remain in New Zealand.
As the DC-3 cabin is quite volumous, it is planned to use the aircraft as its own display hall, focusing on its aerial topdressing role on hill county farms. Topdressing DC-3s were operated from many places in New Zealand with the East Coast bases being Gisborne, Wairoa, Napier, Takapau, Dannevirke, Oringi, Mangamaire and Masterton.
GAPS was donated a cache of new DC-3 spares by Fieldair Engineering Ltd that will be used to complete restoration of ZK-BYF.