Firts flight of this aircraft took place on 04Nov70 (as AMB-110, the painter had made a mistake which was corrected to AMDB-110 before its 2nd flight). It was delivered on 20Jan71 to the Brunei Government and was used as a VIP transport for the Brunei Malay Regiment. Brunei Airlines took ownership on 26Aug81 and registered it as VR-UEH (it was converted for civil use by the Singapore General Aviation Services). It was stored on 11Aug82 but resumed its active life as VS-UEH during 1983. On 01Jan84 it was again reregistered as V8-UEH for Royal Brunei Airlines.
The Mount Cook Group assumed ownership on 30Apr84 and named it "Tutoko". Air Pacific leased it from 04Dec85 to 29Jan86. After a final flight for Mt. Cook Airlines on 12Feb96 it was stored once more, at Christchurch and later at Brisbane (Jun96). It left for the North American continent and was registered as C-FYDU on 28Aug96 for Air North Charter & Training.
A big thanks for these historic details go to Derek King, Ian J McGarrigle and Marco Kosterman!

Doug Davidge reported in Aug.2021 on FB: "I see there is a new fixture over on the east side of the runway. One of Air North's retired Hawkers, all in White and no props. My guess is it is now dedicated for fire and emergency training."
Kyle Cameron responded: "Yes, that's the story. Better that seeing it cut up for scrap but pretty sad just the same. I've got lots of hours working on and riding in that old girl. C-FYDU, imported from Mount Cook Airlines in NZ as ZK-MCP. When it was new, it was owned by the Sultan of Brunei!"

But you cannot keep a good plane down! Captain Dan Tonner updated me in Aug.2005:
"As of September 2004 it has been back in active service on A DHL cargo route between CYVR and KBFI (which I notice you also visited) and occasional freight hauls back up to CYXY. Thus bringing Air Norths total active HS748 fleet upto three."
Excellent news Dan, thanks!

Some historic details on CF-CPY (c/n 4665):
It was delivered to the USAAF as 41-18540 on 28Aug42. It served with the 10th Air Force in India during 1943 and was part of the India China Wing of Air Transport Command. After the war it found its way to Canadian Pacific Airlines as CF-CPY (1945).
It changed hands on 28Apr60, to Conelly-Dawson. Six years later it started operating with Great Northern (04Mar66) and in 1970 it was registered for GNA Ltd.
The next year International Jet Air Ltd took control, which lasted until Dec75. CF-CPY was repainted in CPA colours at Whitehorse (Yukon), during 1979, for preservation. It could have done worse, maybe every airport should follow this example...?

There has been some controversy regarding the identity of this airframe. Air-Britain's 1984 monograph on "the Douglas DC-3 and it Predecessors" stated that 41-18541 was quoted as the serial of CF-CPY, not 41-18540. Update 1 of this book provided a statement that a photo of CF-CPY in camouflage showed 41-18541 on the aircraft's fin, thus concluding c/n 4666 would fit this airframe. However, c/n 4665 seems widely accepted and c/n 4666 is still around as HB-ISB (Update 2 -of 1993- stated that construction plate of HS-ISB with 4666 must be incorrect and should read 4667).
This external link provides more background info on CF-CPY, "The World's Largest Weather Vane"

In Shirlee Matheson’s book ‘Flying the Frontiers Vol.III’ (subtitled 'Aviation Adventures Around the World’ - published Detselig Enterprises, 1999) I came across some remarkable history of DC-3 CF-CPY.

The book details careers in aviation and this particular chapter was dedicated to Dawn Dawson. At some point in her life she owned, with her husband Ron Connolly and her father Crae Dawson, the company Connelly-Dawson Airways.
To bid for a contract on the DEW Line a large aircraft was required. In 1960 Gordon Bartsch, ex CPA flying DC-6, bought himself in, to fly newly acquired DC-3 CF-CPY. Having been bought from CPA. Dawn was also checked out on 'CPY.
The following winter brought much flying in the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and up to the Arctic Islands. Some flights stood out, such as to Old Crow; there were only sandbars to land on. The bumpy landing brought them right at the edge of the village, where people stood watching this unique event, unaware of their close call to meet their maker!

Dawn and Gordon divorced their partners,left Connelly-Dawson Airways and got married (in 1962). Later all parties reconciled and got involved in new business enterprise.

Gordon flew other DC-3’s, such as CF-JWP for Chuck McAvoy (who had salvaged this Pacific Western Airlines DC-3, then registered as CF-PWF, from Great Slave Lake) . And CF-CAR, for Peter Bawdon’s oil company, which he crashlanded near a DEW Line airfield after running out of fuel.

Dawn and Gordon started Range Airways, based in Calgary. Connelly-Dawson Airways ran into financial problems, the principals got together, companies were merged under a new name: Great Northern Airways (GNA). Bases were in Whitehorse, Dawson City, Inuvik, Mayo, Ross River and Calgary. Soon the fleet included 5 DC-3s, Fairchild F.27s and a DC-4.

But GNA was taken over, stripped for their valuable licenses and Dawn & Gordon were hung out to dry.

Remarkably, the very last day Great Northern Airways was allowed to operate, CF-CPY aborted a take off at Whitehorse due to engine trouble. Ownership of CF-CPY was transferred to Northward Aviation Ltd but they never bothered to have it repaired. ‘CPY was left to rot, but Joe Muff, partner in Alcan Air and prior GNA employeee was allowed to buy it at som epoint for 1 dollar.
While ‘CPY was being restored, Dawn and Gordon (who by this time were running 2 successful restaurants in Hawai) returned to Whitehorse for a visit and were allowed to take out the throttle quadrant and the big trim tab – which Dawn turned into a lamp; they also were allowed to take the c/n plate.
On a later visit, Dawn and Gordon saw CF-CPY fully installed on the pedestal, turning in the wind. They sold their restaurants and participated in various air races, even circumventing the globe.
Matheson's book is recommended reading.

See also www.douglasdc3.com/dc3vane/dc3vane.htm

Donna Clayson from Whitehorse, Yukon provided these photos: 'Yarn Bomb CF-CPY August 11, 2012' DC-3 CF-CPY should be warm enough to sustain the harsh Yukon winter! But what if it rains, will the wool shrink? Anyway, a unique initiative I think.

The history leading to the crash of this aircraft is fully described on my page:
DC-3 mystery in the Yukon

When I travelled the area I made it a point to visit the wreck. Unfortunately, I found the helicopter of Trans North Air unavailable. So we walked over to Sifton Air and found them willing to put a Cessna 205 to our disposal. Though this charter was cheaper, it proved to be more difficult to take photos of the wreckage, as it is located under the rim of a mountain. The fly-by cannot be made in a straight line, so Kate (our pilot) flew in the direction of the DC-3 and had to make a hard break to the right to avoid crashing against the mountain.... It left me with only a split second to make a picture.

An unexpected bonus: Boeing C-97G N1365N (16729) of Hawkins & Powers at Palmer,AK on 07Aug03.
I had come across this former USAF transport (52-2698) in 1995, upon a visit to Ft.Wainwright. This year the US Army had puckered up, suffering from a fear for terrorists bordering on paranoia (felt everywhere in the USA) and they had boosted their security, preventing a visit to the air tanker base on this military installation. A far cry from the situation in 1995, when there was no guard at the gate and one could drive up to the fire fighters.
Tanker 97 had replaced the Conair DC-6 here, moving down from Ft.Wainwright to Palmer. Earlier this year the aircraft returned from a firefighting mission with an engine failure, resulting in an engine change.
No one was around on this tranquil evening at Palmer,AK.

I came across N1365N once more, in 2014, stored at Greybull,WY.

This aircraft served the US Air Force from 03Nov55 until Sep74, when it was stored at Davis Monthan AFB, AZ. Time Aviation Services bought it on 12May76 and when Int'l Shoe Machine Corporation bought it Feb78, it was registered as N43872, the tailnumber it is still wearing.
Desert Petroleum Company bought it in Feb86, but N43872 was impounded at Chandler,AZ later that year.
It was registered to US Customs Services in Jun87, but at some point it was found stored at Lawton, KS. Northern Air Cargo bought it in Nov89.

Ralph Pettersen wrote the following update in Aug.2009: "Other than DC-6A N6174C, none of the DC-6/C-118 aircraft recently sold to Everts by NAC will fly again. They are all time-expired Part 121 aircraft and the deal stipulated that they would not be flown as Part 125 aircraft.
C-118A N43872 is parked on the south ramp of Anchorage Int'l where the C-133 was parked last summer. It was donated by NAC to the Lake Hood museum and has been dressed up for museum display, but the museum doesn't have the space to put it on display..."

Pieter Taris wrote me in Sep.2010, reporting N43872 was seen at the Lake Hood air museum, parked outside between the main hall and the annex, against the fence seperating the museum with the road/taxi track, next to the Boeing 737-200.

N1377K is another Douglas C-118A, with c/n 44596. It was photographed that same day when it was towed from the maintenance hangar to the ramp, ready for commercial duties. One notices the difference in titles, compared to the titles on the C-118s shown above.
This airframe was delivered to the USAF as 53-3225 on 02Sep54, its military career cut short in Mar76 when it was parked in the Arizona desert. It was bought by NAC on 01Apr82 and registered as N1377K.

When NAC ceased operating DC-6s, most were bought by Everts Air; read about their situation on my FAIRBANKS 2012 REPORT

Historic brief on this airframe: delivered as LN-LML to Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) on 04Jul52, it was leased to Thai Int'as HS-TGB from Apr60 until Jun63. Upon its return it was reregistered as SE-XBO for SAS. Icelandair bought it on 04Jan64, named it "Solfaxi" and changed the tailnumber to TF-FIP.
Next it changed to OO-RVG for Delta Air Transport in Belgium (18Mar72). A return to North America was made upon Zantop Int'l Airlines' purchase in Oct73; it was converted to a freighter, designated DC-6BF and registered as N3549H. Conifair Aviation became the next owner (C-GBYH) in Mar90, which ended in storage at Quebec City during 1996. NAC bought it on 04Jun02, changed the tailnumber to N6204U and after a brief restoration, ferried it to Anchorage where still a lot will need to be done on it before it really joins NAC's prime selection of Sixes.
Fellow propliner fan Nicolai Musante visited NAC during Spring 2004 and reported the following: :NAC bought N6204U with two other DC-6s from Conifair. They obtained each Six for only 5.000 US$ each. So far, the company spent more than 1 million (usd) on restoring sistership N6174C in Texas and at the NAC facility at ANC. This has left N6174C with some 8.000 airframe hours before next major overhaul. This should ensure at least 10 more years of operation. It is most likely that N6204U will undergo the same kind of restoration needed and eventualy become a fuel tanker. Excellent news I'd say !

Well, upon my June 2012 visit I carried information N6204U had been stored at Palmer, but it was nowhere to be seen. Scrapped?

The history of this airframe (c/n 2245) is as follows:
delivered as DC-3-277C to American Airlines NC15591 on 18Jul40. Notice the righthand passengerdoor; only a few years later, with an eye on airport operating procedures, a standard exit on the lefthand side was introduced. TWA bought it 28May42. This lasted for over 10 years when NC15591 was sold to Union Steel & Wrecking Co (Jan53). Ozark Airlines took ownership the next year and reregistered it as N138D in 1957.
Fairchild-Hiller was registered as owner on 15Dec66, which passed it on to Avion Inc. of Houston,TX that same month. N138D found a new home in Las Vegas while being operated by Nevada Airlines (04Apr73). The 1980s saw Pacific National Airways becoming the new owner (1980), but this lasted only until 08Dec80 when Royal West Airways (Las Vegas,NV) bought it.
Things began getting awry for N138D when the Crocker National Bank of San Francisco, CA repossessed it on 02Jul82. It sat stored for a number of years at the airport of Las Vegas, until Boeing's Museum of Flight in Seattle,WA. put it on display. N138D was registered to them in Jul87, more formerly on 14Apr92 to the Museum of Flight Foundation.
Which year, between 1995 and 2003, it was repainted in the Alaska Airlines c/s I do not know.

Its history reads as follows: c/n 6337 is a Douglas DC-3-455 and delivered as NC30035 to Eastern Airlines and was committed to the war effort with USAAF serial 43-2013 and redesignated a C-49K on 27Jan43.

It flew apparently for Inland Airlines during a period 1943/44 and was transferred to the Alaska Wing of Air Transport Command on 06Mar44.
On 12Mar45 it became the concern of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. The RFC was a US federal agency created by Congress on February 2, 1932; during the Great Depression it made loans to help stimulate commerce, industry, and agriculture.
The RFC was backed by President Herbert Hoover, to make loans to banks, insurance companies, industrial corporations and railroads. During World War II the RFC played an important role in financing war industries. The agency was abolished by Congress in 1956 after lending over $13 billion.

Tailnumber NC17885 was assigned to this airliner by the Disposition Center (DPC) and United Airlines leased it from May46 to 15Aug49. As NC15748 it was used by Delta for an undefined period, after which it was assigned to H.H.Hill and North Central became the new owner on 03Jun57.

Sky Club of America Inc. of Kansas City, MO had it registered to its name on 14Sep68. Next we see a Mr D E Fillman of Charleston,WV becoming the new owner during 1973. This lasted only 2 years, when S Lawson of Anchorage, AK bought it in 1975. Another privat owner was A Harleman of Corona,CA, (Oct77) and again another was P S Rudie of Salem,OR (registered 06Nov79).
Old age must have sat in as N15748 had a double engine failure and force landed at Coeur d'Alene Airport,ID on 06Nov79. The DC-3 was abandoned and vandalized subsequently. Salair recovered N15748 in Spring 1984 and took it by road to Spokane, WA (reg'd 08Jul85).

C/n 6337 was donated to the Museum of Flight in May87 for restoration in Alaska Airlines c/s and painted as "NC91008".
Now (2003) we see it been used as sparepart supply to N138D and we will have to see what happens to the remains.
The real N91008 crashed in Alaska in 1954; why the museum is persistemt to have a NC91008 on display I do not know.

Photos shown on Warbird Information Exchange (WIX) forum in July 2010 showed it sitting on its fuselage, without wings and rudder, and without markings in a state of growing dilapidation...

UPDATE by Ian Wison from his logs:
"...read the story on your site ref N138D, c/n 6337. Before I worked for Martinair Engineering I was plying my engineering skills at Boeing Customer Services for B777, 747, 767s about 1 km from the Museum. Great days went to heaven for a few years in the Pacific Northwest!
Looking at my data I have on the 30th Jan. 1998: 'NC91008, ex N138D, inside just been painted on Alaska colours, several aircraft outside to facilitate the move.' NC91008 was outside minus it’s wings etc.
Clearly the repaint was January 1998."

UPDATE: lying derelict in the grass, offered on eBay in august 2015, with a starting bid for... usd 8.000

See image at Photos by Friends & Guests (43) and how it (now referred to by its latest official registration, N15748) ended up with Aerometal International LLC in july 2016 on: Photos by Friends & Guests (46)