Monday, 27 July 2015 07:15

Gran Canaria's Historic Douglas DC-7 Gets A Makeover

Rate this item
(0 votes)
Gran Canaria's historic Douglas DC-7 plane prior to its makeover by Binter Gran Canaria's historic Douglas DC-7 plane prior to its makeover by Binter Wikipedia

The plane that brought Gran Canaria's first ever charter tourists to Gran Canaria has been renovated; Watch the video below to see the work in timelapse.

The Douglas DC-7 plane, parked at the Gran Canaria aeroclub at El Berriel since 1979, had been looking a bit tatty in recent years as nobody seemed to know what do do with it despite its historical significance. In the 1980s, it was a giant Rothmans cigarette advert and there were plans to turn it into a restaurant. 

A restoration team from SATI, a plane maintenance company owned by local airline Binter Canarias, applied over 200 kilos of paint to the plane after giving the fuselage and wings it a thorough clean. The whole project took over 1200 hours.

The Douglas, highly visible from all roads leading to Gran Canaria's resorts, now acts as an advert for Binter airlines. The timing of the restoration coincides with its announcement that it is expanding its airplane maintenance business at Gran Canaria airport with a new 1,800 square metre hangar. 

The plane has a long and varied history since it was built in 1958, including stints flying across the Atlantic for Swissair and over the Pacific for Japan Airlines (JA). It then spent and then over 10 years flying between Madrid and Gran Canaria with Spantax before being retired to the El Berriel airfield. 

Media

Renovation of Gran Canaria's historical Douglas DC-7
Read 17466 times Last modified on Monday, 27 July 2015 07:39
Published in News
Login to post comments

Join the Gran Canaria Info newsletter list

endanlfifrdeisitnoplptruessv

 

 

Follow us on Facebook

Tip of the day

  • Exchange Money In Gran Canaria Or At Home?
    Exchange Money In Gran Canaria Or At Home?

    Visitors to Gran Canaria often ask whether it is better to exchange their local currency for euros at home or in Gran Canaria. 

    The answer is that it is almost always better to buy your euros at home than it is to bring pounds to Gran Canaria and use local banks or currency exchanges. This rule of thumb applies all over the world. A currency is almost always cheaper the further away you are from the place you can spend it (because demand for it is lower). 

    Exchange rates are almost always better at home than in Gran Canaria

    You are very likely to get a better exchange rate using a British currency exchange specialist or local bank. Many of these companies will deliver your euros to your home.

    One of the best rates in the UK is often from the post office, especially if you do it well in advance.

    The only way you'll get a better rate in Gran Canaria than at home is if the exchange rate changes while you are travelling and this is rare. 

    You also have to bear in mind that currency exchanges in Gran Canaria are getting rarer and some local banks don't exchange money for non-clients. 

    To Transfer large amouynts of money to Gran Canaria, or to make regular transfers, always use a reputable currency broker such as Currencies Direct. This will save you money on exchange rates and bank charges and is highky secure. 

    The risk of bringing cash to Gran Canaria

    Another important factor to consider is the risk of bringing cash to Gran Canaria: If it is lost or stolen, there is no way of getting it back. 

    It is much safer to bring a debit or credit card and use local bank ATMs to take out money. These days, a good option is a pre-charged debit card. 

    Cards may be slightly more expensive that carrying cash, unless you seek out a bank card with low commissions, but it is much more secure. 

    Bank ATMs like Bankia, Santander and BBVA often charge lower rates than the ATMs in shopping centres and busy tourist areas.

    Alex Says: Always select the Euro option at ATMs in Gran Canaria because the exchange rate is much better than if you opt for the Local Currency option. The same applies when you pay by card in shops and restaurants.

    See our Gran Canaria Tips section for more nuggets of useful local information.

Latest articles

Who's Online

We have 5573 guests and no members online

Login / Register

Take this website to the max, login or create an account now! By clicking on any Social Media platform logo, you can login with just one click.