The legendary Breitling DC-3 aeroplane landed in Qatar on Sunday as part of its record-breaking world tour to become the oldest plane to circumnavigate the globe.
The visit of the Breitling DC-3 harks back to the early days of international aviation travel – its maiden flight took place just a few weeks after oil was first discovered in Qatar, a statement said.
Speaking after arriving in Qatar, Breitling DC-3 pilot Francisco Agullo said: “Flying over Qatar at just 2,000ft, far lower than commercial aircraft are normally allowed to, has been a truly unique experience and a personal highlight of this world tour.”
The Breitling DC-3 world tour took to the skies on March 9, seventy-seven years to the day since its maiden flight. Departing from Breitling’s home country of Switzerland, the plane will visit 54 countries over seven months, landing back in Switzerland at the Breitling Sion Airshow 2017 in September. Qatar is its sixth stop, following on from visits to Jordan and Bahrain.
To celebrate the world tour, Breitling is also introducing a 500-piece limited edition of its famous Navitimer aviation chronograph, of which 25 models will be made available for the Middle East market.
Enthusiasts will have to wait until the end of 2017 to get their hands on this model – all 500 pieces will travel aboard the Breitling DC-3 around the planet. Each watch will be delivered with a certificate signed by the flight captain.
The first Douglas DC-3 (DC for Douglas Commercial) twin-engine propeller plane made its maiden flight in 1935, at a time when Breitling had introduced its first on-board chronographs for civilian and military aircraft.
Nicknamed the “Normandy landings plane”, the DC-3 seats 20 passengers and has a cruising speed of 241km/h (130 knots). More than 16,000 DC-3 aircraft were built and most major airlines acquired them as part of their fleet. Today there are fewer than 150 DC-3 aircraft in flightworthy condition worldwide, including the Breitling DC-3, which itself flew for the first time in 1940. It now flies under Breitling colours and participates in a variety of air shows