Aircraft history:
Douglas DC-3 XA-UDY, with c/n 12192, was originally built as a C-47A-1-DK model under contract number AC-28405. She was delivered to the USAF on the 23rd December 1943 with tail code 42-92396. During February the following year (1944) she left for the Royal Canadian Airforce with tail code FZ635 based at 32 sq OTU Vancouver. Later on she moved to Comox Airforce base. On the 1st of May 1946 she was sold to Trans Canada Airlines and received a civil registration CF-TDZ. Fifteen years later, winter of 1961, she joined the Canadian Department of Transportation as CF-TDV. During 1975 she was sold to Millardair Ltd as C-FTDV. In September 1991she was cancelled from Canadian registration and was sold to Mexico as XC-BCE, its unclear to which company she went to.
As XA-RZF she was seen in service with TANSA (2001). During July 2007 she was seen as XA-UDY with full California-Pacifico titles at Ensenada Airport, Baja California Mexico. She was used to carry tourist from Esenada to the Shores of Laguna San Igancio for whale watching tours. Acc to the owner, Captain Rogelio Velasco the a/c is currently standing idle and is for sale!
http://www.michaelprophet.com/News_articles/News_articles2010/DC3_anniversary.html
During December and January of this year I was contacted by Mexican aviation consultant Luis Alfonso Flores Ramos, who is also president of SMEAL (Sociedad Mexicana de Estudios Aeronáuticos Latinoamericanos). He brought to my attention that an airworthy Mexican DC-3 registered XA-UDY (c/n 12192) took part in a small event, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Douglas DC-3. For the full story check out the SMEAL website here:
http://smeal.com.mx/evento.php?id=1
See also this link: Sociedad Mexicana de Estudios Aeronáuticos Latinoamericanos
Also Facebook:
http://tinyurl.com/4sdjktr
Del/1942
Douglas C-47,
C/N: 12192
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