C/N 9581

C-47A-30-DL

ZS-GPL was bought by the construction company Grinair Limited in March 1971 and based at Grand Central Airport. The company named the aircraft Mosadi Mogolo and it served with Grinair until March 1976 when it was sold to Sandriver Safari for operations by United Air Services with is maintenance base at Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria.

It was re-registered in Botswana as A2-ACH with Air Services Botswana (Pty) Ltd in February 1980 for operations in the then Rhodesia to provide transport for election officials and monitors during that country’s independence elections.

The Dakota returned to United Air Services in March 1980. Sandriver Safaris/United Air Services was taken over by Wonder Air (also based at Wonderboom) in 1988, along with its fleet of DC-3s.

On 11 January 1996 ZS-GPL was sold to a traditional healer Mr S.E. Mbatha. The amount of flying done during this ownership is not known, but in 2001 ZS-GPL was purchased by Capt Flippie Vermeulen for operations by his company Springbok Classic Air. The aircraft was registered in his wife Maryna J Vermeulen’s name on 12 April 2001 and is currently based at Rand Airport.

ZS-GPL was sold during 2009 to Indigo Aviation and was ferried to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania. She was registered 5H-DAK and named Wave Dance. Her first Service with Indigo was 22 June 2009.

Previous History

Delivered to the USAAF as Skytrain 42-23719 on 22 May 1945. It remained within the USA during World War II and was passed on to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation on 26 August 1946. It was sold as NC47573 to General Airways Inc of Portland, Oregon.

During 1966 it was sold to North American Aviation Inc at Los Angeles. In December 1970 the new owner was Elbee Co, also from Los Angeles, who then sold it to Grinair in March 1971.

Thanks to DC-1, DC-2, DC-3 The First Seventy Years by Jennifer Gradidge for some of the historical information.

Contributed by Karel Zaayman
Life Member Dakota Association of South Africa
6 August 2008

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Frederic Lert

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Frederic Lert

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Frederic Lert

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Rand Airport 9 February 2006 Photograph: Timothy Webster

ZS-GPL Springbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Bruce Perkins

ZS-GPL Springbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Bruce Perkins ZS-GPL Springbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Bruce Perkins

ZS-GPL Springbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Bruce Perkins

ZS-GPL Springbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Bruce Perkins

ZS-GPL Springbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Bruce Perkins

ZS-GPL Springbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Stephan Rossouw SR Photography

ZS-GPL Springbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Stephan Rossouw SR Photography

ZS-GPL Springbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Stephan Rossouw SR Photography

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Rand Airport 28 July 2003 Photograph: Thomas Posch

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Rand Airport 10 July 2008 Photograph: Thomas Posch

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Rand Airport 23 September 2008 Photograph: Steve Brimley

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Leon Apicella

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Leon Apicella

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Leon Apicella

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris www.businessureaviation.com titles under the wing Photograph: Leon Apicella

C/N 9581 ZS-GPL Sprinbok Flying Safaris Photograph: Leon Apicella

C/N 9581

ZS-GPL

Indigo Aviation

Rand Airport 2009

Photograph: Bruce Perkins