Aeroplane Photographic Archive

Fitting in most appropriately with this issue's mini-special-section on Douglas's ubiquitous DC-3/C-47 is this splendid study of British European Airways “Pionair” G-ALYF at Liverpool's Speke Airport on February 21, 1951, the distinctive terminal building designed by Edward Bloomfield providing the elegant backdrop. The first of 38 C-47s converted to BEA's specific airliner requirements by Scottish Aviation at Prestwick, G-ALYF was fitted out with a 32-passenger layout in 1950 and flown round the UK early the following year to be demonstrated to BEA staff and officials. The name Pionair was adopted as BEA's DC-3 class name, similar to the Elizabethan name given to the airline's later Airspeed Ambassador. By 1961 all of BEA's Pionairs had been sold on after a decade of excellent service. This particular machine was broken up for spares in 1967, its remains being destroyed during the filming of the TV series Airline in 1981.


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