Sparfell is supporting The Spirit of Douglas project, an iconic DC-3 undertaking a round-the-world tour, while delivering its one-stop-shop solutions across business aviation, yachting and lifestyle services.
The Spirit of Douglas team sought a strong, reputable and highly experienced partner in flight operations, capable of supporting a mission of such scale and complexity. This partnership comes at a particularly meaningful time for Sparfell, as 2025 marks 75 years of the Queffelec family’s aviation heritage, a legacy that began in the early 1950s and continues today within the group.
The connection to Douglas aviation history made the collaboration a natural fit. Within the Queffelec family, Douglas aircraft are deeply woven into that story: the Chairman’s father was a DC-3 pioneer with 5,700 flight hours, and Philip G. Queffelec, Chairman of Sparfell, has long been connected to the Douglas legacy through his career as a McDonnell Douglas representative. In this context, supporting The Spirit of Douglas was an obvious choice—backing a project that is both technically demanding and deeply human.
From an operational standpoint, Sparfell is supporting the aircraft’s air operations throughout the World Cruiser Tour, ensuring the consistency and reliability required to move a historic aircraft safely between destinations. The aircraft first flew in 1942 as a Douglas C-53, before being converted into a VIP DC-3, including the addition of an AiResearch Maximizer speed kit in 1955.
The World Cruiser Tour is presented as a global odyssey, retracing the great air routes of aviation history across countries, continents and oceans.
