THE DAKOTA HUNTER

This book is about a Dutch boy, who grows up during the 1950’s in the wilderness of post-war Borneo, where he has frequent encounters with a plane of WW II fame, the Douglas DC-3, (aka C-47, Sky truck or Dakota). For a young boy living in a small remote jungle community, soon the aircraft reaches the proportions of a romantic icon, as the essential lifeline to a bigger world for him, the beginning of a special bond.

After graduation from University in Holland in 1975, he starts his career as a corporate creative executive, and meets the aircraft again during many business trips to the Americas in the 1990’s in Miami and on the Caribbean Islands. The childhood passion for the Dakota flares up and this fascination begins to pull like a magnet. As if predestined or maybe just looking for an alibi to come closer, he starts in 1999 with a partner an odd business to salvage and convert surplus Dakota parts to designer furniture and high-end interior objects/ collector’s items.

As the demand for those war relic parts and cockpits soars, both from collectors and museums, he travels the world to scout and track down surplus, crashed and derelict Dakotas. He ventures deeper into remote mountains, jungles and savannas, where the planes are to be found, still in operation or perished. Wherever he goes to scour the mythical Dakota lost in the mist of legends, he encounters often intimidating, dicey or outright menacing situations in countries like Madagascar, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela and Honduras. Some places are plagued by wars or revolts, others by arms & narcotics trafficking militias, warlords, colonels and con men.

Many of those players try to levy him or put pressure on his dealings. The Dakota Hunter tries to dodge or deal with them, in order to get his trade out of that jungle to Europe: an effort that sometimes takes years and quite often brings no results at all.

Covering a 20 years time span, the 11 chapters of this book describe the authentic reflections of his multiple expeditions, all unequivocally exposing the determination to pursue his passion and to follow his novelty and adventurous spirit to go beyond the known horizons. With a craving for the jungle and a unique expertise of the plane’s whereabouts, he narrates his ventures with entertaining zest. Stories packed with intrigue and plots that unveil one surprise after the other. Often with a pitch on humor and driven by a strong curiosity for the political, military and cultural environment of the countries visited, it makes the book fly far beyond the limitations of an “Aviation” or ‘Pilot” related book.