Namibia Commercial Aviation
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| Operating bases | Windhoek Eros Airport | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fleet size | One Douglas DC-6 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Windhoek, Namibia | ||||||
| Key people | Chris Schutte | ||||||
Namibia Commercial Aviation (NCA) is a Namibia-based charter airline that operates a Douglas DC-6B. The airline operates sightseeing charters. The airline is based at Windhoek Eros Airport.
History
The predecessor airline of NCA was Hire and Fly, which was founded in 1977. Chris Schutte, a former station engineer with South African Airways, founded Hire and Fly, which operated single and twin-engine Cessna aircraft.[1]
In 1989, Hire and Fly expanded by taking over the Cessna fleet of Namib Air (now Air Namibia). By 1992, the airline was operating seven Cessna 210’s and up to eight twin-engined Cessna 310’s when the company changed its name to Namibia Commercial Aviation.[1]
Acquiring the Douglas DC-6A
In December 1990, the company received a contract from the United Nations to provide airlift to war-torn Angola. The company acquired a Douglas DC-6A, which it registered as V5-NCB and started to fly it by June 1991. A second DC-6A was acquired in September 1991. Both of these were leased to a Zairean airline in October 1993, though one was repossessed the following year and sold.[1]
Historic Douglas DC-6B aircraft acquired
In September 1992, NCA purchased 40 tons of spare DC-6 parts from the Zambian Air Force. The sale was contingent on purchasing two DC-6B which had been parked for 15 years. These two were eventually registered in Namibia as V5-NCF and V5-NCG.[1]
V5-NCF had a manufacturer’s serial number of 45563, the second to last DC-6B serial number although it was the fourth to last DC-6B delivery, which took place in January 1958. It served as the presidential plane to then Yugoslavian President Josip Broz Tito, who used it on a state visit to India in January 1959. Later, it served as the personal transport for then Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda.[2] V5-NCF’s first revenue flight after restoration took place on March 20, 1995.[3]
V5-NCF is no longer operated by NCA having been sold to pay for the restoration of V5-NCG. The aircraft formerly registered as V5-NCF is now based in Austria sporting the Red Bull livery.[4]
V5-NCG was restored by NCA and was first operated on a revenue flight on March 31, 2001. The aircraft was the last Douglas DC-6B built. It is still in operation with NCA.[1]
Due to the recent passing of the owner of NCA in Windhoek, Namibia this beautiful aircraft is now up for sale. According to the family in a recent article in the German aircraft magazine "AERO International", Chris Schutte was the driving force behind the aircraft, and the family can no longer sustain the enthusiasm Chris had for flying and maintaining it.
The aircraft in question is V5-NCG and was delivered 15.11.1958.
References
- Figgen, A., Ultimate Six, Airways Magazine, Vol. 5., No. 1, March 1998, p. 37-38.
- Wegg, J., NCA’s Ultimate Sixes, Airways Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 1, March 1998, p. 39-42.
