Ringway Reports - Manchester Airport Reports

DC-10 'G-DMCA' (C/n 48266)
(Special thanks to Lee Collins, Philip Edwards, Ken Fielding, Steve Grimshaw, Stuart Prince and Chris W for making this page possible) Noted almost daily at Manchester since March 1996, DC-10-30 G-DMCA operated it last flight into Manchester as an Air 2000 sub-charter, touching down mid- morning on Runway 24R as AMM056D, G-DMCA was finally retired and the aircraft registration was officially cancelled by the CAA from the UK register on 3/11/03. A selection of images of G-DMCA in service serving Monarch Airlines for many years courtesy of Stuart Prince, Ken Fielding and Lee Collins..
G-DMCA in service


(c) Stuart Prince	(c) Lee Collins

Breaking up of G-DMCA

During November 2003 G-DMCA was finally broken up. A selection of Images from Steve Grimshaw during the breaking up process ...

(c) Steve Grimshaw	(c) Steve Grimshaw

(c) Steve Grimshaw	(c) Steve Grimshaw

G-DMCA on the move

A typical wet day at Manchester on Thursday 11th December 2003 saw the final movement of G-DMCA. With many thanks to Ken Fielding, we can bring you the process of such a difficult operation in pictures.

The journey down taxiway Alpha to the Viewing Park (c) Ken Fielding	Negotiating the track down the side of the engine test bay. (c) Ken Fielding

Entering the Aviation Park (c) Ken Fielding	A little tricky fitting under the electricity and phone cables. (c) Ken Fielding

G-DMCA - The final resting place, in a cradle at the entrance to the Viewing Park. (c) Ken Fielding
G-DMCA the facts - history at Ringway
Purchased from Zambia Airways in spring 1996, the DC-10 was the first dedicated long range aircraft with non-stop capabilities introduced to the Monarch fleet. The DC-10 was instrumental in helping Monarch build up their non-stop long haul programme, alongside leased MD-11s, before Monarch acquired two new Airbus 330s in 1999. Towards the end of its time in the Monarch fleet, G-DMCA was largely used as a standby aircraft. Date of Manufacture: November 1980 Obtained from: Zambia Airways, Spring 1996 Previous registration: N3016Z First recorded Monarch Airlines revenue service: London Gatwick to Alicante, 17 March 1996 Last recorded Monarch Airlines revenue service at Manchester: To/From Gerona, 21 October 2001 (MON3580/3581). Departed to Gerona at 1246. Returned to Manchester at 1722. 142 passengers were on the outbound MON3580 with 111 holidaymakers returning on MON3581. The aircraft then departed to Gatwick as MON361P at 0838 on 22/10 and positioned back to Manchester at 0319 on 25 October 2001, from Luton, as MON361P according to airline records. Last recorded airline revenue service: To/From Orlando Sanford, 26/27 October 2001 (AMM056C/056D - Air 2000 subcharter). Departed to Orlando at 1728 (26th). Returned to Manchester at 1114 (27th). 219 passengers were on the outbound AMM056C with 323 returning on AMM056D. Flight deck crew: 3 Cabin crew: 11 Seating capacity: 361 Length: 158�7� (48.33m) Wing span: 165�4� (50.39m) Height: 57�9� (17.60m) Cruising speed: 550mph (885kph) Maximum range: 6200 st m (9978km) Maximum take-off weight: 260,815 kgs Maximum landing weight: 259,455 kgs Empty weight: approx. 120,000 kgs Fuel Capacity: 110,000 tonnes
G-DMCA the facts - broken up
* Over 9 tonnes of hydraulic fluid and fuel was drained prior to breakage. * 6 week process in total. * Last formal aircraft breakage at Manchester Airport was a Dan Air HS748. * 58 feet long fuselage section remains. 19 feet diameter front fuselage with full cockpit and 75 passenger seats with possible future usage as a classroom using the already installed video system. * 'G-DMCA' has been placed in a special cradle. The procedure took one and a half hours to put the aircraft in place.
G-DMCA to take on a teaching role
North West schoolchildren will enjoy unique interactive lessons at Manchester Airport in 2004 - aboard former Monarch Airlines Douglas DC-10 �G-DMCA�. The DC-10, which first operated in November 1980 and made its last flight in 2001, will become a permanent exhibit at Manchester Airport's Aviation Viewing Park after being retired from commercial service. From next spring, children will be able to enjoy this classroom with a difference, which has been created out of a 60-feet section of the forward fuselage and flight deck and includes 70 passenger seats. Internally, the DC-10 will look exactly as it did when it flew long and short-haul flights from Manchester and the new exhibit will offer children exclusive access to areas previously open only to flight crew. A 12-strong team of ground staff, engineers and contractors, worked on the project for six weeks and heavy cutting equipment was used to remove the front section that weighs 20 tonnes, during the painstaking operation. Peter Hampson Manchester Airport General Manager (Airfield) said: "We are delighted to be the first airport in the country to be offering this wonderful educational resource. It has been a real team effort across the Manchester Airport Group to recondition the aircraft. "We get many requests from schools and children to board a plane when they visit Manchester Airport. With the arrival of the DC-10 at the Aviation Viewing Park, they can do that and learn all about the operations of a commercial aircraft." Visits to the DC-10 by school parties can be booked by contacting The Airport Tour Centre 0161 489 2443.