It was past 10 o’clock, and we were beat after eight hours grinding around Illinois and Wisconsin on check rides for a new Part 135 air-taxi company. Goldie and I were sitting in the dark, deserted terminal building at Rockford Airport while Don went back out on the ramp to see if the mechanic was getting anywhere with the right engine on N47CE. Don had rejected two takeoffs in the DC-3 that night when, just before reaching Vr, the right engine oil pressure light came on. “That’s for real, Don. I didn’t do it,” I said from the right seat. The odd thing was that everything checked out OK — no light and good oil pressure — when we did static run-ups, even at high power settings.
Unusual Attitudes: Flights of the Condor
Key Takeaways:
- Condor Enterprises, a new Part 135 air-taxi company, faced initial operational challenges with its historic DC-3 aircraft, "Happy Charley," during certification flights, including a recurring engine issue.
- The FAA inspector (narrator) harbored significant skepticism about Condor's long-term success, based on the past failures of similar passenger-carrying DC-3 ventures and her preference for utilitarian freighters.
- The crew included Goldie, an Iranian Olympian and Baha'i refugee, who sought a stable life in the U.S. after fleeing religious persecution.
- Condor Enterprises' DC-3 ultimately crashed during a training flight approximately a year after receiving certification, resulting in three fatalities and confirming the narrator's earlier doubts about the company's prospects.
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