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The Breitling DC-3 will embark on a record-breaking world tour from March to September and will touch down in Bahrain as part of the high-flying celebrations organised by the Swiss luxury watchmaker and aviation chronograph specialist.
Celebrating its 77th birthday this year, the DC-3, below, will become the oldest plane to circumnavigate the world and will also land in Jordan, Qatar and the UAE.
The 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.
The world tour, which will take in the Middle East, India, South-East Asia, North America and Europe, will begin and end in Breitling’s home country of Switzerland, taking off from Geneva in March and landing back in September at the Breitling Sion Airshow 2017.
The DC-3 will stop in the kingdom from the mid to the end of March, providing selected VIPs with the opportunity to get up close to the legendary aeroplane. 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.
This steel Navitimer 01 (46mm), powered by Manufacture Breitling Calibre 01, will be distinguished by its case back, which will be engraved with the Breitling DC-3 World Tour logo. 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, thus ensuring they are truly part of the entire adventure.
Each watch will be delivered with a certificate signed by the flight captain. Aed Adwan, Breitling Middle East, saidd: “As a privileged partner of aviation, Breitling has demonstrated its
commitment to safeguarding aeronautical heritage by supporting the restoration of legendary aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3.
“Through this world tour, Breitling is once again displaying its determination to share its passion for aviation with a broad audience, especially in the Middle East where we have specifically included stopovers in four different countries.”
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 around the globe.
