Transnorthern has a special place in my heart, they do their business with special dedication for Propliners and I have always been met with warm enthusiasm; this time I was very much in luck as my chance visit at this time on this day coincided with some testrunning of C-117 N30TN's both engines. Great sounds and joy!

I was given the opportunity to have a look inside and so I share some photos of the cabin and the cockpit.


DC-3 start up procedure on a YouTube video, courtesy www.kentwien.com

N50CM (c/n 13445) was registered to Bush Air Cargo on 11Apr05 and seemed ready to go, earn some money.

I thought it was a nice touch to see the Douglas DC-3 and the Boeing 747 together.

Propliner competition? No, not really. Transnorthern seems to operate ia dufferent market (catering to the lodges, flying passengers and supplies) while Everts is very busy with its cargo- and fuelhauling network throughout Alaska.
This website has a lot of details on N30TN.

Time to have a closer look at Everts Air Cargo; again, I enjoyed the hospitality to roam among the aircraft, after I had left a copy of my passport for airport security purposes (plus a few copies of Propliner magazine!).

I found the ramp of Everts Air Cargo teeming with activity!
Here we can see N555SQ (DC-6B, c/n45137) preparing for departure, no.1 is billowing the traditional puff of smoke and soon the crew will be requesting the tower permission to taxi.

This photo made it to Everts' 2007 calender...

N151 has some cargo ready and waiting, awaiting its turn to be loaded.

N151 is a Douglas DC-6B (c/n 45496, line no. 992) and was first owned by Cathay Pacific Airways (delivered on 09Jun58 and registered VR-HFK). Its next identity was LN-SUB for Braathens SAFE, which bought it on 08Nov62.
Belgian Int'l Air Services leased it in May65, for a year.
In 1966 it became LN-MTV for SAGA/Norsk Flytjeneste which purchased 'Tango Victor' in May 1971.
Troll-Air bought it at some date.
In Jan72 Bangladesh Biman leased it very briefly: it was returned in Feb72 to Troll-Air.
June 1972 saw it registered as OO-LVG for Delta Air Transport from Belgium, but for some reason saw the need to reregister it to OO-VGL.
In 1974 big changes were ahead: Conair Aviation bought it and registered it as C-GICD; what's more, they converted it to airtanker ("447").
Over 20 years later, in June 1996, it was issued its present tailnumber: N151 for Everts Air Fuel (from fighting fires to transporting fuel...).
But in June 1996 it was registered to Tatonduk Outfitters Ltd, when Cliff Everts' son Robert decided to start his own business: Air Cargo Express (which was changed to Everts Air Cargo 01Sep02). And Robert continues to do very well with Everts Air Cargo!!
By the end of the 2019 season N151 was approaching the end of its useful life and you can check my Photos by Friends & Guests #58 for details of its preservation in Norway!

Both Everts Air Cargo as well as Northern Air Cargo are experimenting with more modern equipment: N1105G is an Embraer EMB-120FC Brasilia (c/n 120.105), and was manufactured in 1988!

N1105G is registered since 19May04 to Arctic One LLC of Fairbanks,AK; the previous owner/operator can still be identified by the United Airlines colourscheme.

We continue with N9056R, which is a Douglas DC-6A and has construction number 45498 (1005).
Its first identity was CF-CZZ for Canadian Pacific Airlines to which it was delivered on 11Jul58. Wardair Canada (another famous name in Canada's rich aviation culture) leased it in May 1962, returning it in May 1968.
Pacific Western Airlines had its ownership registered on 14Feb69 and NWT Air bought this Six in 1971.
For a while it was stored at Edmonton, temporarily without proper use.
N646DG became its new tailnumber for Jet Way Inc, which bought it in Jan79. It was reregistered as N555JW on 05Mar79.
It returned to Canada as C-GBZC for Conifair Aviation and became Tanker 65 (purchased in May88).
It actually made it to France in Europe to perform its airtanker duties as F-ZBAP for the Securite Civile in 1985. But Conair Aviation bought it back in May88 and it continued as Tanker 52, registered as C-FCZZ.
It moved further up north when it was registered as N9056R for Tatonduk Outfitters Ltd on 18Aug00, languishing at Fairbanks,AK for a while before it was restored for active duty, for Everts Air Cargo, hauling freight as we can see on the next few photos below.

JoeJoe Prince took a lovely shot in the evening of 20Oct20, N9056R seen landing at Bethel,AK

Round engines.., what more can I say!

N9056R on Airliners.net

N555SQ taxies back to the Everts Cargo ramp, at the end of the afternoon, after another mission completed.

Very few places in the world where the Curtiss C-46 Commando can still be seen flying! In fact at the moment, Alaska is the only place…

I love the way Everts applies nose art to these planes!

Equal friendly hospitality I found with Northern Air Cargo and when I got to the their ramp I found N6174C and N2907F present.

Later that afternoon I found it in maintenance.

Northern Air Cargo retired its last 2 DC-6 cargo aircraft on 26Sep08 with a ceremony at Ted Stevens Int'l AP (ANC). N6174C operated the final revenue flight, flying mail to Emmonak and returning with a load of fresh fishto ANC. The crew consisted of Capt Becky Wilbur, F/O Jim Foss and F/E Ron Valentine.
The DC-6 has been the backbone of the NAC fleet for 39 years and has played a significant role in the development of rural Alaska. NAC added its first DC-6 in 1969 and ended up acquiring 15 Sixes over a period of 25 years. One DC-6 will be donated to the Alaska Heritage Museum.

N779TA was parked in the maintenance area of NAC but looked operational.

This is DC-6A/C c/n 45529/1035

Delivered as PP-LFC to Loide Aereo Nacional del on 10Dec59, it was also operated by Panair do Brasil (named "Garcia de Avila" (leased from 1959, returned to Loide Aereo Nacional (renaming it "Rio Grande do Sul" in March 1961).
The company merged to/with VASP in Jan62.
History notes it stored at Saso Paulo-Congonhas, Brasil in 1975.
Atlas Aircraft Corp bought it on 27Jan78 and registered its present tailnumber N779TA. It was transferred to Trans Air Link Corp during Feb81 and Northern Air Cargo bought it in August 1989.

On the left is N779TA (nose) and frontview of N4213X...

N99330 is former military C-118A with cn 43576 / 275.
It rolled of the production line as C-118A serial 51-3829 for the USAF on 11Oct52.
At the end of that military career it was stored in Arizona's desert at Davis Monthan AFB on Jan75.
A civil career was in the making when Aero Industrial Inc bought it on 12May76. Tailnumber N99330 was assigned for Custom Air Ltd upon its purchase in May78, soon moving on to Hamilton Aviation (Jul78).
This Six crossed the border into Canada when tailnumber C-GPEG was assigned for Arnie Carnegie Holding that same July 1978.
G-O Enterprise LTD bought it the next year, Sep79, but a few years later I have it parked and stored at Yellowknife,NWT (in 1981).
Northern Air Cargo picked it up and registered it as N99330 during May 1987.

N99330 on Airliners.net

C-118A N4213X (c/n 44605/518), history: started as 53-3234 in USAF's service, upon delivery on 01Nov54.
After a long and fruitful career it was stored at D.Monthan AFB,AZ in June 1975.
It looked like it had a false start with its civil career, for one Gary Larkins who bought it on 05Jun80... but kept it stored at Tucson,AZ.
Along came Robert G.Sholton, who bought it 21jan81, had it registered it as N4213X and transferred to NAC's ownership on 15May81. And here it is stored again!

Northern Air Cargo announced in 2008 that by 30Sep08 the last of their remaining operational Sixes (C-118A N2907F & DC-6A N6174C) were to be retired from active duty; N2907F is almost out of 'airframe hours' before its next major check so it will
probably be scrapped, while N6174C has some 3.500 hrs before its major check so it a good candidate for continued service with another owner.

Sad to say this year N4213X was 'terminated'...
Scott wrote me in Sep06:
"N4213X has been scrapped about a month ago, not sure of the exact date. Say nice things to your next can of Budweiser, it might be an old '6'! "

Northern Air Cargo has acquired 3 ex/Delta Airlines 737-200's, which will be converted to freighters. A new era lies ahead, but I do hope (in spite of discouraging signals) the Sixes will find use by NAC in this new era.

NAC on Airliners.net

The stairway to the offices has a tribute to its heritage, but recent events seem to indicate a change of course: propliners to jets?

Early Feb.2006 NAC was taken over by Saltchuk Resources (a holding company, owner of various other companies). NAC will continue under its own brand, under 'new' management.
NAC is celebrating its 50th birthday this year and all those years the company was run by the family Sholton (founded by Robert "Bobby" Sholton and Maurice "Morrie" Carlson in 1956; Bobby ran the company since his death in 1982, after which his wife and daughter took over).

Fairchild C-119 "Packet" (a.k.a. Flying Boxcar) N9027K (c/n 176) has been stored here for a long time.

See my Alaska 2003 page for another photo and details of its history. A fine photo on JoeJoe's Gallery here.

UPDATE Jan.2024: "Alaska Aviation museum acquired N9027K whilst parked/stored @ANC in 2018, in May 2023 xfrd to Tatonduk Outfitters (part of Everts AC), during 2023 moved from Kulis AFB (PANC) to ANC cargo ramp. Awaiting developments!

UPDATE: This 20Sep2024 photo is going to hurt your eyes, shows how N9027K seems advanced in the process of scrapping! www.airhistory.net/photo/729452/N9027K

Douglas C-47A N67588 (c/n 20536), for which all hope seems to have been lost ever to move again under its own power...

The (chequered) history of this plane can be found on Alaska 2003.

ATDB.aero database has it as 'destroyed' (date ???).

N19906 is Douglas C-47 with the appropriate c/n: 4747 ! Once it served the USAAF as 41-38644, operating with the 11th AF in Alaska in 1943. It continued in Alaska when bought by Reeve Aleutian in Jan46 (NC19906) and Reeve's DC-3 spent more than 20 years flying in the Aleutian Chain. One can still recognise the colourscheme.
In Sep78 it was registered to R.G. Sholton (of trading as Northern Air Cargo); it was reregistered a few times: to R G Sholton, trustees (Jun79) and R D Gerhardt of Seattle, WA (05Feb80). It was leased for a while to Small Aero Transit (Jul80) and by Salair. It was present at Abbotsford's (British Columbia) Fly in 1986.
It was registered at some point to Majestic Airlines of Salt Lake City and seen stored, with its wings removed in Sep96. It was seen again in Dayton, OH on 24Nov2001, stored again, but at some point moved back up again to home...
It seems to be part of Desert Air's inventory (2 DC-3's), but is for sale.
Here is how I saw it in 2003.

In 2016 it even looked much worse, engines gone but also some serious damage to the tailsection; see Ian Ellington's photo: elbows-aviation-shots.co.uk/ACH(16-32)N19906.JPG

N19906 has a rich history and sad to see it in such a state! Lest we forget: In February 1946, Bob Reeve received a call informing him that some ex USAAF C-47s and DC-3s were for sale. Reeve bought his first DC-3, N19906, for $20,000 with $3,000 down and the balance payable over 3 years. The cost of conversion to civilian standard was quoted at $50,000 but Reeve did the work himself at a cost of $5,000.
A strike by sailors on steamships operating between Seattle and Anchorage started on April 6 1946. Reeve, along with Merritt Boyle and Bill Borland began flying between Seattle and Anchorage, with stops at Juneau, Yakutat or Annette Island. Each trip carried a full load of 21 passengers and took and average of 9½ hours. In 53 days, 26 round trips were made.

I missed N44587 during this day at Anchorage, no doubt away on business...
But by sheer coincidence Martin Prince Jr sent me some photos, including these of N44587 !

Martin wrote in Sep 2006:
"I live in Bethel, Alaska (about 400 miles west of Anchorage). Here are some pictures I took last week of some planes landing and taking off here. I was looking at your website and saw some planes in there that I had photographed and thought you might like! Here is a Desert Air DC-3.
Martin also included a fine shot of a DHC-2 Beaver, operated by Ptarmigan Air, which I included on my Photo by Friends & Other (page 3).

N44587 is a Douglas C-47A (c/n 12857), a very fine looking vintage transport and the "money-maker" for this company.
Dennis Gladwin is the owner of Desert Air Alaska and he started hauling cargo to Alaska's remote sites in the Spring of 2001.

More can be read on my Alaska 2003 page.

Many thanks Martin!

In May 2007 I contacted Desert Air, with disappointing results.. My first call came at an incovenient time (I picked up a clear signal he did not want to talk to me) and when I tried 2 weeks later I was told "...not interested to talk about my business with you" and he hung up on me!
Who is this: a struggling small-time operator, frustrated with fighting the odds against economic tide or just an obnoxious asshole..?

I am grateful for the hospitality I once again enjoyed and esspecially would like to thank Andrea, Pete and Marty. Hope to see you all again on a next visitMany, many thanks for your time and enthusiasm !!!

Sources for the information above :
Piston Engine Airliner Production List by TAHS (2002)
Douglas DC-3 and its Predecessors by Air-Britain (1984)

Helpful external links:
Transnorthern
Everts Air Cargo
Northern Air Cargo

To: Alaska 2006