OH-LCH (“Hotel”) is the only

airworthy In aviation, airworthiness is the measure of an aircraft's suitability for safe flight. Initial airworthiness is demonstrated by a certificate of airworthiness issued by the civil aviation authority in the state in which the aircraft is register ...

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The history of OH-LCH

The aircraft was built in the

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factory in

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and was completed on

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1942. It had been ordered by

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, and it had been intended for their routes in

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. However, because of the war, the aircraft was handed over to the

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on 27 December 1942, and from the spring of 1943 to the fall of that year it served in the Northern Atlantic branch of the Transport Wing, probably at

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. Late in the fall of 1944, the aircraft was transferred to the

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, and after the war it was moved to the

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. In 1948 the State of

purchased the aircraft for use by

Aero Aero is a Greek prefix relating to flight and air. In British English, it is used as an adjective related to flight (e.g., as a shortened substitute for aeroplane). Aero, Ærø, or Aeros may refer to: Aeronautics Airlines and companies * Aero (P ...

. Its first scheduled passenger flight took place on 21 July 1948, on the Malmi–

Vaasa Vaasa (; sv, Vasa, , Sweden ), in the years 1855–1917 as Nikolainkaupunki ( sv, Nikolajstad; literally meaning "city of Nicholas),

–

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–Malmi route. During the following winter the aircraft was furnished for passenger use. It flew until December 1960, when it had flown 22 137 hours. It was then used for spare parts, but was reassembled and fitted with a freight door since Aero needed freight aircraft. It retained its previous registration, and was put back to service after

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1963. Aero operated the aircraft until 1 April 1967, when it flew Aero’s last DC-3 scheduled passenger flight. In 1970 the aircraft, along with the other DC-3s owned by Finnair, was sold to the

Finnish Air Force The Finnish Air Force (FAF or FiAF; fi, Ilmavoimat, , Air forces; sv, Flygvapnet, , Air weapon) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of Finnis ...

, and was given the registration DO-11. In 1985, the Air Force retired its DC-3s. and OH-LCH, along with OH-LCD, were sold to Airveteran Oy. The latter aircraft is now at the

Finnish Aviation Museum The Finnish Aviation Museum ( fi, Suomen ilmailumuseo, sv, Finlands flygmuseum) is a museum specialising in aircraft, located near Helsinki Airport in Veromies, Vantaa, Finland. History The Aviation Museum Society ( fi, Ilmailumuseoyhdistys ry) ...

OH-LCH today

The aircraft was previously based at

Malmi Airport Helsinki-Malmi Airport ( fi, Helsinki-Malmin lentoasema, sv, Helsingfors-Malm flygplats) is an airfield in Helsinki, Finland, located in the district of Malmi, north-north-east of the city centre. It was opened in 1936. Until the opening of Hel ...

, but since its closure in 2021, OH-LCH has been based at

Helsinki Airport Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (; fi, Helsinki-Vantaan lentoasema, sv, Helsingfors-Vanda flygplats), or simply Helsinki Airport, is the main international airport of the city of Helsinki, its surrounding Greater Helsinki, metropolitan area, and the ...

. One has to be a member of the Finnish DC Association to be able to fly on the aircraft. The winter months are spent in a

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Vaasa Airport Vaasa Airport ( fi, Vaasan lentoasema, sv, Vasa flygplats) is located in Vaasa, Finland, about south-east of Vaasa city centre. As of 2021, it is the 9th busiest airport in Finland with 19,231 passengers. Regular airlines at Vaasa airport are ...

Specifications (DC-3A-S1C3G)

Sources

* Francillon, René. ''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I''. London: Putnam, 1979. . * *

References

Douglas DC-3 Finnair Finnish Air Force {{Aero-stub