Click photo to enlarge
Ninety pupils from the Maniototo Area School wait to be
shown around the DC-3 at Idaburn yesterday. Photo by Gerard
O'Brien.
A DC-3 airliner may soon be a regular visitor at the
Idaburn airstrip and Alexandra Airport if a joint venture
between two companies takes off.
The Southern DC-3 Charitable Trust has teamed up with Trail
Journeys to offer a regular service to ferry corporate groups
to ride part of the Otago Central Rail Trail.
The DC-3 would fly groups from Christchurch to the Idaburn
airstrip, near Oturehua, and the passengers would then ride
the Oturehua-Clyde part of the rail trail and fly back from
Alexandra Airport.
"Potentially, I think it could be very popular, especially
with conference groups," Trail Journeys managing director
Neville Grubb said.
"The whole concept is good and you can get in and out of
Christchurch in one day.
"It should appeal to the conference market because they
usually have a spare day set aside for activities during a
conference."
There had been several inquiries so far about the package, he
said.
Idaburn hosted DC-3 passenger flights for the first time
yesterday as part of the charitable trust's Heartland Tour of
the South Island.
