After successfully flying DC-3 Dakotas, the DC-3’s bigger sister is acquired; the DC-4 Skymaster PH-DDS and her sister ship, the C-54 PH-DDY. The DDS flew successively for South African Airlines and the South African Air Force since 1946.
In 1996, the DC-4 ZS-NUR arrived in the Netherlands after a ten-day ferry flight from South Africa. Equipped with 50 first-class seats, the aircraft will be used for members and sponsors of the DDA. The ZS-NUR was entered in the Dutch aviation register in 1997 as PH-DDS and started its activities for the DDA that season. On June 4, 1997, the second DC-4 registered as ZS-IPR landed at Schiphol Airport. The registration PH-DDY was reserved for the C-54, but the aircraft would never fly again and was sold to the Aviodrome in 2003