The Amazing Douglas DC-6B | The Flying Bulls

Without a doubt, the DC-6B is the crown jewel of the Flying Bulls. Built in 1958, the plane has had an illustrious past. She was used to chauffeur heads of state and their celebrity guests all over the world. The sheer size and the unmistakable 1950s coat of the DC-6B are as impressive as ever.
All over the world, the DC-6B is renowned for her eventful history. Manufactured in Douglas, Santa Monica, in 1958, the plane was sold to the state owned Yugoslavian airline JAT. Premier Marshall Josip Broz Tito ordered a luxury model for himself and his celebrity guests. In 1975, Tito sold the plane to Zambia’s head of state Kenneth Kaunda who also used the DC-6B as a luxury airliner – until he left her abandoned outside Lusaka airport.
This is where Chris Schutte, the manager of a small aviation company in Windhoek, Namibia, found her, and by chance discovered a sister plane! In fact, Schutte bought the last two remaining DC-6Bs and began restoring them. However, as troubles along the Angolan border intensified, Schutte was forced to sell one of the DC-6B planes, and that’s exactly when the Flying Bulls appeared on the scene.
In March 2000, Sigi Angerer, chief Flying Bulls pilot, spotted the DC-6B for sale in Africa in an airline magazine and quickly made his move. On July 7th 2000, the plane took off from Windhoek and headed for Salzburg. The flight took 28 hours, with 4 stops, causing no problems. In 2001, restoration began and following thousands of hours of labour, the DC-6B left the workshop in all her glory three years later.
Once registered as “Fish Eagle” under the registration number V5-NCF in Namibia, the plane received the American aircraft register N996DM shortly after its transfer to Austria. Thirteen years later, the DC-6B was finally given Austrian citizenship and now operates under the Austrian registration OE-LDM, making it the first DC-6B to ever receive an Austrian code.
The first DC-6B to receive an Austrian code has fascinated people ever since its arrival, boasting a brand-new interior, four new engines and the latest technology. Everyone agrees the DC-6B is in better shape today than when she left her Douglas birthplace in 1958.
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[jimratliff]

Fantastic Restoration and without a doubt the last of the six's that's in the best shape. Pretty admirable that these guys spent that time and money to restore this classic. It does not go unnoticed. Thank you.

[Bonanza]

Thank you for preserving this wonderful aircraft for all of us to still enjoy. The maintenance cost must be astronomical.

[antefizulic]

I saw this thing flying over my house coming from the sea pretty low. The view, the sound everything was perfect. The Sun was in right position to bring the best of that polished surface. That happend so randomly I was not expecting that epic scene. Now I have a great memory and experience of something that I could only see on black and white pictures without or with very bad recording of that epic sound.

[nickaxe]

SHE IS came into liverpool airport a few weeks had no idea she was coming....oh how I would have loved to see her.

You guys must be so proud of you so much to all the team for your fantastic work saving here for the world.

I remember them coming into my local airport Liverpool Speke when I was a kid in the am now 71.

Please come back to the UK one day soon.

Nick.

[teci]

My grandfather flew that plane with Tito. Glad to see it still flying!

[joevanseeters]

Those chrome engines look beautiful on that plane. The Flying Bulls without a doubt have the best historic warbird fleet in the world. They restore aircraft like no others as they seek PERFECTION in the aircraft. They literally disassemble their aircraft and restore every single part to like brand new (or better than new) making these aircraft better than they were the day they rolled off the assembly line. Very few organizations around the world have the resources and funds to maintain a fleet of almost 30 historic aircrafts. One restoration is amazing, let alone 30+ restorations. The amount of money needed to maintain the team must be astronomical. Thank you RED BULL for keeping these birds in the air and allowing the next generations to witness these amazing aircraft in flight, as they were meant to be seen! Hopefully they create some sort of Trust Fund to keep their facility and these amazing warbirds going for long after RED BULL is gone.

[swatz]

Thanks Red Bull of restore this amazing aircraft and keep flying with it, I live close to Santa Monica airport, where it was manufactured, I love history of aviation! Great job!

[OZD-mbbs]

I love that these Guys keep this bad ass bird in the air!

[emjayw]

That's enough to make this pilot drool.. Dam you guys have some very cool toys 😲👍🇦🇺

[robertdecker]

Thank's, Didi Mateschitz Heroe !❤

[captainsidewinder]

Flyings always has and always will be a TEAM sport 😍

[kenman]

It's cool that it's been retrofitted with modern avionics and tech. Old meets new, in a cool way.

[iicho]

Who else is here after PMDG released the DC6

[madriditunes]

Now I belive, Red Bull gives you wings🤣

[billdemarais]

I was a loadmaster on one of these in the Navy. The Navy called them C-118b's .. Who knows maybe this was one that was in my squadron.

[williamgraves]

I wish I could take a flight aboard this aircraft, bit it probable would be impossible. I wish this because I travelled almost 100, 000 miles aboard DC-6s when I was growing up.

[naberville]

My dad bought a scrapped DC-6 from the everts fleet here in AK and towed it through town up into the hills. Can see it out my kitchen window. Plan is to turn it into a house within the next few years.

[mosca]

That’s how to spend if you’re a billionaire 👍🏻

[robertbrandywine]

What did they change that made the DC-6 require so much monitoring while it was in flight? I mean, the DC-4 wasn't like that, right?

[jmisiaisi]

Show the interior I was involved with this