De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

Designed by Geoffrey de Havilland, the DH89 ‘Dragon Rapide’ first flew on 17th April, 1934. The type was used extensively as a short haul civilian passenger carrying aircraft leading up to WWII, at which point it served with the RAF in a number of roles, namely as a navigational training aircraft and operationally as a communications aircraft. Post war, many military variants were converted back to civilian where the aircraft was once more taken on by many commercial operators throughout the world. This aircraft, ‘G-AKIF’ was built in 1944 and served with the RAF from January 1945 until it’s military retirement in 1947. Today the aircraft is operated by a highly respected Vintage aircraft operator based in the UK. History Built in late 1944, the aircraft was delivered in January 1945 to the Royal Air Force, Halton Station Flight as NR750 and was coded 'THA-F'. Following retirement from military service in 1947, the aircraft was sold to 'A Hamson & Son’. Not long after, it was sold to Manx Air Charters Ltd (which later changed to Manx Airlines), on the Isle of Mann. From there it changed hands several times with various domestic airlines and operators. The aircraft was operated in Norway between 1971 - 1973, before coming back to the UK where in 1974 it made a TV appearance in ‘South Riding’ (dressed in costume as G-ADAE). Currently the aircraft is operated by a very experienced and highly respected vintage aircraft operator in the UK.