Ten Years Ago: Making the Impossible Possible

In the summer of 1985, Bruno Dobler—then Crossair’s chief pilot and director of the Horizon Flight School—purchased his first DC-3 in Canada. It took a total of 27 hours to fly it in several stages from Montreal to Altenrhein on Lake Constance. There, it underwent an extensive refurbishment at what was then known as Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein. On December 17, 1985—the 50th anniversary of the first flight of a DC-3—Dobler, together with several other aviation and tourism experts, founded Classic Air in Grenchen. Aside from him, few believed his venture would succeed. The general consensus among experts was that he was a crackpot for wanting to operate a 50-year-old aircraft commercially in the country with the strictest aviation regulations. But in the spring of 1986, the DC-3—registered as HB-ISB in the Swiss aircraft registry—received its commercial certification. Prior to that, the DC-3, which had been refurbished at a cost of approximately one million Swiss francs, had to undergo intensive noise testing. Classic Air thus owned the world’s first noise-certified DC-3.

In May 1986, its sister aircraft, the HB-ISC, arrived from England. It, too, was brought up to the latest technical standards in Altenrhein, ensuring that nothing stood in the way of its operation under strict Swiss regulations.

The young nostalgia airline had a tough time getting started. Its exclusive flights required a repositioning in the market. After three years, it created its own flight program, “Faszination.” From then on, it was also possible to book individual

Book seats on the two Douglas DC-3s; until then, Classic Air had always chartered the entire aircraft exclusively for groups, companies, and clubs. The concept of “Experience – Enjoyment – Uniqueness” caught on. As early as its fourth fiscal year, in 1989, Classic Air turned a profit. For both shareholders and employees, business is not the top priority. They pour their heart and soul into an idea and take great joy in the two legendary DC-3s.

During the recession years, the nostalgia airline proved its worth and consistently posted satisfactory results. Since 1992, the well-known Zurich-based perfume wholesaler Silvio Denz of Alrodo AG has held a majority stake in Classic Air. The workforce has grown steadily; today, the company employs 36 people, 12 of whom are permanent employees. The company headquarters was moved from Kloten to Bülach, where there are more opportunities for expansion. In recent years, an average of about 10,000 passengers annually have enjoyed sightseeing flights aboard the two legendary DC-3s.

Today, Zurich-Kloten Airport would be missing a real attraction without the two DC-3s. With their noses pointed skyward, they regularly weave their way past passenger jets more than 50 years their junior on their way to the runway. Then, for an hour or longer, they whisk 28 passengers away to a world where flying was still a leisurely experience.

Classic Air AG, Ackerstrasse 2, 8180 Bülach
Tel. 01/860 44 24, Fax 01/860 47 07