Amphibian Do 24ATT

In the early 1930s, the Dutch Government commissioned Dr. Claude Dornier to design a flying boat for use in their colonies, particularly in Indonesia. The result was the Dornier 24, whose maiden flight took place on July 3, 1937. Sea trials followed and within months the 24 went into production. 
 
The Dutch Navy initially took delivery of 30 units of the equipment after which a new model, the Do 24T, with improved 1,000HP Bramo engines went into production. Roughly 200 were rolled out to become a sea rescue and transport aircraft. The Do-24 has rescued more than 11,000 people throughout the Mediterranean, the Baltic and North Seas, the Atlantic and the English Channel. 
 
The plane found useful service well into the 1970s with the Spanish sea rescue wing. The aircraft's amazing operational characteristics in the most hostile of conditions earned her a place in history as one of the best ocean going flying boats ever. 
 
The last Do 24 was the Do 24TT (later known as the Do ATT), the result of Dornier's desire to test the high seas capability of an amphibious, economical aircraft. 
 
Production began in 1979 and was completed in 1983, the Do ATT was fitted with an advanced technology wing cut from a single piece of aluminum spar to simplify production efforts with improved PT6A-45Bs. It took to the skies on April 25, 1983 and was later retired to the Deutsches Museum in Germany. 
 
Iren Dornier, grandson of Claude Dornier, then removed the aircraft from the museum and brought it to the Philippines in 2003. It was retrofitted and restored in good working condition. It also underwent a series of rigorous test flights both on land and water and has received its airworthiness from the Philippine Aviation Authority (ATO). 
 
The certification became the GO SIGNAL of the aircraft to push through with the planned World Tour which jumpstarted on February of 2004.