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:
- A new Part 135 air-taxi company, Condor Enterprises, sought certification for its DC-3 operations, facing initial mechanical issues during check rides and the FAA inspector's strong skepticism regarding its passenger-carrying business model.
- Despite initial challenges and the narrator's prediction of failure, Condor successfully completed its certification and proving runs.
- Tragically, shortly after receiving FAA certification, a Condor DC-3 crashed during a training flight, resulting in three fatalities and the destruction of the airframe, marking an abrupt end to its brief operations.
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