After seeing a DC-3 at the airport the other day (and realising they date from the 1930s originally), I started wondering what the oldest passenger/cargo aeroplane type still in active (ie non “Airshow only” or “Nostalgia flight”) service was.
I’m figuring it’s probably the DC-3, but I’d be interested to hear other contenders as well.
The related question is about military aircraft- what’s the oldest type still in active service (all those DeHavilland Tiger Moths and Boeing Stearmans in private hands don’t count)?
Initially I thought it might have been the B-52 or the C-130 Hercules, but apparently Brazil is still using Canadian versions of the T-33 Shooting Star (entered service in 1948!). Any other candidates for that one?
No, not unusual. Other examples include the Harrier Jump Jet, A4 Skyhawk, and Dassault Mirrage. The English Electric Lightning on the other hand, had one intake and two engines.
The old reliable de Havilland Beaver, produced 1947-67, is still widely used. Wikipedia says “hundreds” are still flying although many of them have been modified from the original.
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I can’t offer any models older than you’ve considered, but you might enjoy the fleet used in the Canadian reality show “Ice Pilots” (about commercial flying in the Northwest Territories): A DC-3, a DC-4, and a C-46.
I fly regularly on a 1952 de Havilland Beaver that’s operated daily as part of scheduled service to communities around SE Alaska. At one time it was painted army green and hung from the ceiling of an museum, but in truth it was never a military plane.
They used to have a coupla Ford Trimotors flying to and from mainland Ohio out to South Bass Island in Lake Erie as recently as a few years ago, but not anymore, I think.
There are still some really old, pre-WWII cropdusters in use, aren’t there?
There’s maybe a few dozen Grumman Goose flying boats in operation, again mostly in remote coastal areas like Alaska, which date back to 1937 which is about as old as the DC-3.
This may just be piling anecdote on anecdote, but the Trimotor Wikipedia page says the following:
“Characteristically, the aircraft is still in use as of late 2011, mainly for promotional and film work, though one Trimotor operator offers rides.”
This page confirms that a 1929 4AT was giving rides on the airshow circuit last summer. Since the last Ford was built in 1933, that would give the Trimotor the distinction.
The pilot’s name, appropriately enough, is “Dean Bird.”
I did a college internship at a company that refurbishes and modifies DeHavilland Beavers. (Or at least they did 20 years ago.) Rugged old birds; sought after and you could get one restored to better than new condition. It’s got a radial engine, so before every flight make sure to fill it up with oil and check the gas.
No data, but I suspect there are still some light observation craft sorta like Piper cubs in active service for drug spotting and search & rescue. Those designs predate WWII. Also isn’t there a fire-fighting water bomber in CA dating back to WWII?
I think there are still a few F-4 Phantoms in service in other countries. Iran has, or at least had, quite a few of them. I logged quite a few hours in the backseat of F-4s as an aerial photographer when I was in the Air Force. Some of the planes I flew in were older than I was at the time.
The de Havilland Tiger Moth, a biplane that first flew in 1931, is still in use as a recreational aircraft. According to the wiki article, it is still occasionally used as a trainer. There are an estimated 250 still flying. You’ll find a few isolated examples of older aircraft that have been restored to airworthiness, but it could well be the oldest plane in widespread use.
Edit - Nice story in the wiki article. A Tiger Moth was the last biplane to land on an aircraft carrier. It took off again, but going into a headwind it was slower than the carrier itself, which had to turn to avoid a collision.
Heh…reminds me of a story I heard somewhere (possibly apocryphal) about a sport flyer in an old Aeronca Champion who could turn into a stiff headwind, throttle down to near stall speed and actually fly backward.
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Saw this the other day. While the U2 is probably not the oldest in service, it must be getting up there. First flight according to Wikipedia was in 1955. Also pretty cool that the 60 year old design is being kept rather than the technology packed Global Hawk drone.
