Page 22 - Photos by Friends and Guests

Vintage Transports, photos by Friends & Guests

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On a regular basis people sent me photos, to share their enthusiasm for vintage airliners or to illustrate a question. These photos have been lingering in a scrapbook or a discarded box somewhere and/or probably wouldn't find their way to Online-use or publication.
To prevent them from getting lost, with permission of the sender, I would like to share them on this page.
Photos already online (personal websites, airliners.net, jetphotos.net, etc) are not meant to be included here.

J.B.Bousquet sent me these images and wrote: "These pictures have been taken in 1996 in Churchill, Manitoba. You seem to know the plane..."

And indeed, you will find more about this Curtiss C-46 Commando on my pages Abandoned Plane Wrecks of the North and Photos by Friends & Guests, page 9

Péter Moys sent me these images in Dec.2009 and wrote:
"I was looking for an old picture in my archive, of the Super Constellation.
I remember it was taken in 1962 or 1963, when this Air France charter flight arrived at Budapest-Ferihegy Airport, bringing the French national football team to Hungary.
The regular flights of Air France were performed by Caravelle jetliners from 1963 onwards."

"The location is Budapest/Ferihegy International Airport (LHBP), where I used to be an ATCO (from 1961 until 1978). The date is uncertain, but most probably in 1962 or 1963, when I purchesed my Russian FED-2 camera .
The French National Football team had chartered this airplane. Maybe some football fan may remember the exact date.. I did not see the match, as I was primarily interested in the airplane, obviously!"

Ivo Niënhaus took this photo 24jan2010 and sent it to me as a pictorial update.
N777EA at Phoenix-Goodyear

Douglas DC-7C 'Seven Seas' N777EA has been stationary at Phoenix-Goodyear airport for years now. I suspect it is being towed to different parking spots, though.
This is former Royal Dutch Airlines-KLM PH-DSR.
Peter ten Duis sent me photos in 2006 and I have included its history with it on: Guestphotos page 2
In 2008 I came across it myself: my visit to Phoenix-Goodyear.

Rich Hulina sent me this fine wintry shot of the ever surviving Noorduyn Norseman!

Rich wrote me: "CF-FOX of West Caribou Air is ready to go, with wheel & skis!"
He took this photo on 13Jan2010 at Sioux Lookout. He'd also sent me photos of CF-FOX in an earlier stage of rebuild, still on wheels: Photos by Friends & Guests page 17.

This Noorduyn Norseman Mk.VI was registered CF-FOX for West Caribou Air Service, Thunder Bay on 05Aug09 (it had been in restoration & stored for quite a while at Ignace,ONT.)

Their actual seaplane base at Savant Lake, see my visit to Caribou Air Service there in 2007.

Rich Hulina Aviation Photography

Greg Lynn sent me this photo of CF-ODQ in Ontario Dept Lands & Forest Markings.
DHC-3 Otter CF-ODQ

Its history has been described on my 2007 Red Lake webpage, when I found it still around in active service.

Neville Webb sent me some images from his collection, in Dec.2009 (Follow this link for more of his photos).
Canso airtanker NFL 5

Canso waterbomber in 1973, of the Newfoundland Forestry Service.
Taken at St John's Airport (Industrial Side).

By the website Warbirdregistry.org I was able to identify Tanker #5 as C-FNJC (c/n CV-430). This website offered the following history:
Delivered to USAAF as 44-33929.
Eastern Provincial Airways, Gander, Newfoundland, 1965. Registered as CF-NJC.
Province of Newfoundland & Labrador, St. Johns, 1970-1992 (Reg'd as C-FNJC in 1985).
Flew as Tanker #5. /End Quote,
Air Britain Photographic Images Collection has a photo of C-FNJC as tanker#701.
My files show this Canso OA-10A (ex/BuN 67893) as '..anno May08 stored in a hangar at Goose Bay, awaiting preservation'. Updates welcomed! Email

Frits Klinkhamer sent me these photos from his collection in Nov.2009

Frits added here: CF-DXO (c/n 12343) Kenting Atlas Aviation Ltd, note the skis, they did some charter work in the Arctic.

www.aerotransport.org, the online database, showed the following operators of CF-DXO: Hollinger Ungava Transport, Keir Air, Air Commonwealth Alberta, Kenting Atlas Aviation, Superior Airways, Lambair and Nunasi-Northland Airlines. It has been scrapped.

About this photo Frits wrote:
"A DC-3 from Aero Africane, I think the picture was made at Schiphol, see PH-… markings under the left wing.
So it must be F-BCYP, c/n 9158, (ex PH-TCG, KLM) or F-BCYG, cn 19328 (ex PH-TCA, KLM).
Aero Africaine was the operating name of the Societe Africaine des Transports Tropicaux (SATT)."

John Olafson sent me in Nov.09 a pictorial update of Consolidated Catalina C-FNJB; he wrote-
I thought you might be interested in this one. Such a shame that this aircraft is not being better protected than it has been over the years. I visited it this past September in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island. Both blisters have been destroyed by mindless idiotic vandals.

Click on the thumbnail for a larger image

John added:
"I spotted this derelict Canso at Nanaimo last month. It is in terrible shape and I wonder if it will ever fly again. It seems that it was being prepared for an owner who would be using it in the sightseeing business as it has been fitted with panorama windows and the side blisters have been replaced with large one piece tinted units which have since fallen victim to vandals. There is a thick layer of corrosion/mildew/mould and bird crap all over the aircraft and its hard to imagine what may be growing inside the fuselage. Apparently there was a companion PBY to this one at Nanaimo at the same time this arrived and ~~it was sent to a new owner in South America.~~ (David Legg added about this aircraft: "..the other Canso mentioned here was C-FNJF, but it most certainly did not go to South America as stated. It was in fact rescued by Catalina Aircraft Ltd/Plane Sailing Air Displays Ltd and flown out of Nanaimo to the UK before it could go the same way as its unfortunate companion. It has been lovingly restored in the UK and is flown in the colours of a 1945 UK-based USAAF OA-10A Catalina. It is almost certainly the most active Catalina in the world today, as G-PBYA").
C-FNJB wasn't so lucky and it has been sitting in Nanaimo for years now."

John included the following information:
The following information came from John Caswell, my friend from Campbell River.
" I just drove by 'NJB in the pouring rain on the way back from Victoria yesterday, I did not realize it had degraded to what your pics show, too bad to see the old bird in that shape although still rebuildable. NJB and sister ship NJF arrived in Nanaimo back in the late 1990s to be rebuilt from Water Bombers to passenger flying boats for an African venture flying high end tourists up and down the Nile River as had been done with Canso CF-JCV (Now flying in New Zealand) several years earlier.
A friend of mine Bob Dyck ferried them to Cassidy Airport and told me they were in excellent condition. Rebuilding them to passenger configuration was commenced with the addition of solid blisters, bubble windows, rear airstair door and overall upgrading but something happened to the Nile venture and the aircraft were put up for sale and sat for a long time. Finally NJF was purchased by the Catalina Aircraft Society of Duxford, UK and after considerable preparation. which included major engine and prop overhauls. it departed for England were it now wears the registration G-PBYA and is painted white with a US insignia; it currently tours airshows in Europe.
As for 'NJB it is still advertised for sale, I suppose any reasonable offer would be considered..."

From Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers - RCAF 9801 to 9844:
RCAF 9815-
Designed by Consolidated-Vultee, license-built by Canadian Vickers of Montreal,Canada and thus named a 'Canso A/2F' instead of 'Catalina', c/n CV 249
First date: 2 June 1943 - Taken on strength by No. 3 Training Command.
To No. 9 Repair Depot on 24 September 1943 for reconditioning.
To No. 21 Repair Depot at Moncton, NB on 27 January 1944 for storage.
To Clark Ruse Aircraft at Moncton on 16 March 1944, returned to Eastern Air Command on 31 July 1944.
Converted to transport configuration at No. 6 RD, Trenton by 7 March 1945.
Used by No. 13 (P) Squadron, RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario, from 14 February 1945.
Further freighter modifications from 7 February 1947 at Fairchild Aircraft Ltd, Longueuil, PQ.
Total airframe time on 25 August 1947 was 923:10.
To No. 10 RD for repairs on that date, returned to No. 9 (T) Group on 11 September 1947.
Airframe time in September 1947 was 1006:10, in December 1947 was 1144:25, in November 1948 was 1173:30.
To de Havilland Canada at Downsview, Ontario for fuel tank repairs on 17 March 1949, back to Air Transport Command on 2 May 1949.
With No. 413 (P) Squadron in the field that summer.
To No. 10 RD on 17 June 1949 for repairs, returned to North West Air Command on 30 November 1949.
To RCAF Station Sea Island, BC the next day, probably for use with base flight or local search and rescue flight.
Still there July 1951.
Several modifications carried out in November 1955, including installation of ignition analyzer, a Homelite APU, and automatic electrical bilge pumps.
Issued to No. 408 (P) Squadron, RCAF Station Rockcliffe on 25 November 1955.
To storage in June 1957, delivered to RCAF Station Lincoln Park, Alberta on 17 July 1955.
25 May 1961 - Struck off, to Crown Assets Disposal Corporation for sale.
Sold to Frontier Air Transport of Calgary, Alberta.
To civil register as CF-NJB.
Registered as C-FNJB to North Canada Air Limited of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in 1976.
To Government of Saskatchewan on 23 June 1980, their registration cancelled on 13 May 1997.
To Hicks & Lawrence of St. Thomas, Ontario on 4 September 1997.
Last reported based in Nanaimo, BC, when it was permanently withdrawn from service in 2004.

For sale: 1943 Canso PBY-5A Flying Boat, C-FNJB, msn CV-249

Price:$ .....

Airframe: TTSN: 9,963 Engines: P&W R1830 L/H SMOH: 288 Hrs. R/H SMOH: 592 Hrs.	Propellers: 3 BLADE L/H SPOH: 798 Hrs R/H SPOH: 1014 Hrs
Avionics & Electrics:	Equipment & Features:
King KMA 24 Audio Panel Dual King KX175B VHF Dual King Navs ILS/VOR King KR87 ADF King KT76A Transponder / Encoder Provision for GPS RMI Compass System ELT Radio Master Push to Talk and Intercom	LSTC Aft Hydraulic Airstair Door Modification Dual Aft Hydraulic Observation Blisters,(Both Broken) Prop Accumulators Forward Bubble Observation Windows Modification Dual Aft Emergency Exits Dual Controls
Interior:	Exterior:
12 Passenger Conversion Airline Seating No Carpet, Sideliner or Headliner Installed Condition Rated 3/10	Overall Yellow with Red Trim Faded Rated 5/10 Elevators Damaged
Remarks: "AS IS WHERE IS" Gross Weight: 30,500 Lbs Empty Weight: 20,000 Useful Load: fuel capacity 1600 Gallons Sitting for 4 years Requires Repairs and Annual Insp	Times and Equipment Subject to Verification Subject to Prior Sale or Lease Copied from www.ventureaviation.com for historic purposes. Contact seller for up to date information.

During my Oct.2009 trip through part of US Northweast and Canada, I came across various Canso's and Catalina's; at Gananoque,Ont., Montreal-St.Hubert,Que., Sanford,ME, Farmingdale,NY and Floyd Bennett Field,NY. Have a look!

And in Sep.2010 I visited Nanaimo myself and found C-FNJB still stored there; here is MY REPORT.

In June 2012 I visited the Evergreen Air & Space Museum (McMinnville,OR) and found FNJB at its new home!

Alain Rioux sent me this photo with a cry for help to have it identified...
HS748 at Bar River,Ontario

Alain wrote in Jan.2010:
"Maybe you or your contacts could be able to find the identity of this derelict propliner. I took this photo of a HS748 at the Bar River airport CPF2 in Ontario, June 2008. The aircraft had no more markings. None of my research on the web was successful." EMAIL

Richard Church offered the following:
"The only 748 I know of which ended its days at Bar River was c/n 1613 C-FKTL of V. Kelner Airways. That the airframe has survived so long is a bit of a surprise...
The rear of this aircraft was damaged by a fire at Big Trout Lake, Ontario during defuelling on 14Aug91, when the aircraft was being used as a tanker. It was flown to Bar River on 16Aug91 for repair but was later declared a write-off, although it had been ferried there.
Presumably it would have been stripped of paint to assess the damage.
It would be good to know if Alain Rioux saw this aircraft from the other side as well..? C-FKTL had been modified in Canada with the double main deck rear freight door to port. This has external restraint arms that are clearly visible unlike the BAe LFD version.
It would also be good to know when Alain photographed this airframe. "

Alain replied: "the picture was taken in June 2008. This airframe did not look like an aircraft that has been sitting outside for nearly 20 years..., but I could be wrong.
Will take a look at my other photos, but because of the position of the sun I may have only taken shot of the right hand side of the aircraft! Too bad, if I would have known!"

UPDATE june 2017: C-FKTL (c/n 1613) Wasaya A/W, stored @Bar River,ONT (nr Sault Ste Marie), last noted 22May16 (www.flickr.com) moved by road from Big Trout Lake to Bar River Airport.
In fact two HS.748's are stored there (Google Maps may 2017):

HS.748s stored at Bar River, near Sault Ste Marie

The other one (white, near the runway) must be HS.748 C-FGET (c/n 1724) .

Fred Barnes sent me this photo of First Air HS.748 C-GBFA in Jan.2010. He wrote: "Just been looking at your website and the ex First Air 748 C-GBFA in the scrap yard... (HERE..)
Also saw my good friend Richard Church's comments re First Air 748s.
Here is a photo of C-GBFA taken in Vancouver on 11 June 85 when it was leased to Thunderbird Air."

HS.748-FAA SRS 2B C-GBFA (c/n 1781/262) flew in a pax/cargo combi configuration, with 44 seats. it was ferried Yellowknife-Carp 05Nov02 for storage. Reported at 02Sep03 Ottawa-Carp,Ont.
Registration was cancelled on 18Nov04. Reported again at Carp (YRP / CYRP) on 27Aug05, with many parts missing.
It is likely to be the HS.748 I photographed at Ed's Autoparts & Salvage in Arnprior on 08Oct2009, it had no registration but deduction is explained in the photo's caption.

And here is an image I found in my slide collection, of C-GBFA. The date shows 27Apr94. I bought the slide from Erik Johannesson in 2004, who wrote in Jan.2010 he'd made the photo himself, at Vancouver.
HS.748 C-GBFA First Air

Fred Barnes sent me a fine photo of DHC-2 N67686 of Alaska Air Guides, in support of the below images sent by Ben Cogger whose father owned Alaska Air Guides.

Fred wrote about this photo: "I enjoyed a flight in Beaver N67686 on 07June1988 , when my friends and I did a scenice flight from Lake Hood."

Fred added: "There were two N67686 aircraft.
I think the one in my photo is c/n 1230 (also on Neil Aird's website...scroll through to details). It had an accident on 22nd June 1986 at Bulchitna Lake, Alaska, accident ref : ANC86LA086.
The other one is c/n 1382."

To this Ben Cogger replied: "N67686 was damaged at Bulchitna when a float rope 'allegedly' became entangled in the elevator, causing the pilot in command to lose control while step taxiing, and a water loop was the result... I lent a hand in the replacement of the wing while at Lake Bulchitna. We flew this aircraft for several more years from Lake Hood."
"N101SY (or Noisy as we called her) was a Beaver we had in the stable for U.S. Forest Service contract work in Southeast,AK. ended up with Bob Wyzenbeek for a spell prior to burning; sad to see her burned like that."
That would make N67686 on these pages c/n 1230.

Now it becomes even more interesting because there were THREE N67686 registered Beavers!!!

Aad van de Voet (OldWings.nl) has the full details:

"There have indeed been three Beavers registered as N67686.
N67686 (1) was c/n 613, reg'd as N67686 Feb76 to Hillcrest Aircraft Co. (Lewiston, ID). Still current as N67686 in Aug84, by which time it had been reg'd to Kenmore Air Harbor Inc.
Then registered as N302BL in Oct86 to Ronald R. McMillan (Anchorage, AK). Today it's still current as N302BL.

N67686 (2) was c/n 1230, regd as N67686 Aug86 to Alaska Air Guides Inc (Anchorage, AK). On 22May89 this was regd to Clyde E. Carlson (Seattle, WA), still as N67686. On 26Apr00, Clyde Carlson had its registration changed to N1544. Today it's still current as N1544.

N67686 (3) was c/n 1382, regd as N67686 25May00, again to Clyde E. Carlson. This was then cancelled 07May01 on export to Canada (as C-GNWS).

Does anyone know when and where C-GNWS burned?

So, in short:
- From Feb76 until Jul86, N67686 was c/n 613.
- From Aug86 until Apr00, N67686 was c/n 1230.
- From May00 until May01, N67686 was c/n 1382.

Ruud, the 1988 photo on your site is therefore c/n 1230.

All data extracted from official FAA records."

See history and photos on Neil Aird's DHC-2.com, for a sad & dramatic shot of a Beaver burning...

Ben Cogger sent me more photos of Alaska Air Guides seaplanes, of the DHC-2 Beaver in particular:
Celebrating the deHavilland Beaver

WOW!

DHC-2 N68085 Alaska Air Guides
at Lake Hood, June 1979

DHC-2 N68085 Alaska Air Guides
at Prince William Sound

Don Cogger and the fantastic Alaska background; 1977

My JP Airline Fleets edition 1986 seems to be the first one listing this company :
Founded 1954, President Donald Cogger

N4672U Cessna U206G Stationair 6 (msn U206-05046)
N4975U Cesna U206G Stationair 6 (msn U206-05048)
N101SY de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (msn 1382)
N67685 de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (msn 1250)
N67689 de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (msn 1208)

N7067 and Don Cogger
Don Cogger with the Wildlife Troopers at Anaktuvak Pass, Alaska.

Ben provided the following historical details:
"Ward Gay (Sea Airmotive founder) used to own the spot on the point at Lake Hood, in the 1950’s. He sold it to Bill Cunningham, who started Alaska Air Guides at that time.
My father bought the service from Bill in 1975 and operated from Lake Hood until he sold out in 1995, to Jim Bern and his wife Lisa, who operated it as Jim Air."

N68085
deHavilland DHC-2 Beaver N68085 of Alaska Air Guides at the dock in 1978.

More photos provided by Ben Cogger at my page Photos by Friends & Guests (21) and PAGE 24

Sean Keating wrote me, on 03jan10, on the subject of C-GYBA:
"I got a call from Glen Etchells, one of our local YVR experts; he photographed 'YBA on 15th March 1980 in exactly the same place and paint condition as your photo.. He commented that the paint stripping was halted for a period of about two to three months, but in May 1980 he saw it fully polished with new titles. The paint stripping was done by our friend Tyler who earned his living on many ramps in YVR cleaning and supporting commuter aircraft and bizjets.
Given the level of inactivity of 'YBA, and the amount of snow on the mountains, it would be assumed that your photo was taken in that same time period, if not on the same day!
I have added two of my photos, both scans of prints :
1. Vancouver in the winter, January 1982, 'YBA spent a lot of time here at the old Innotech ramp.
2. Abbotsford Air Show, Aug 1980. I think 'YBA was taking up the skydivers to open the show. "

Sean wrote me in response to a visit to Mason Airfield,NH in Oct.09 where I photographed N33623, which used to be C-GYBA. Also, for more propliner photos by Sean Keating, see HERE...

Dirk Septer sent me this photo, taken 23Sep09 at Courtney,B.C. and wrote:

"Another Seabee C-GIDE Pacific Eagle for you with a great paint scheme. They use this craft for whale watching; they land nearby and stick a hydrophone in the water and record whale sounds, tape it and is for the customer to keep."
RC-3 SeaBee C-GIDE (c/n 355) was registered to Pacific Eagle Aviation (Port McNeil, british Columbia) on 12Feb07.

The unique Seabee amphibian was a product of legend aircraft designer Percival H. Spencer selling his Air Car design to Republic Aviation Corporation, to be their contribution for the expected post WW2 booming personal airplane market. Today, more than 60 years after production ended, the Seabee is still the most popular amphibian on the used-market...

I have more info on the Republic SeaBee in the caption of photos I recently took at Cape Cod Airport,MA

If you go to my Main Index Page, scroll down to the Google box and insert 'SeaBee' there, you will find other SeaBees featured om my website.

Xavier Cotton sent me these images, taken at the end of October 2009, showing Beech E18S F-BUOP (c/n BA-184 ), still preserved and on display at Cannes-Mandelieu Airport,France.
More photos, how it changed its colours over the years, can be seen on my Off-airport (Europe) section.

Xavier wrote me:

"I am not sure about the old registration F-BUOP...; it seems to be the registration of a Dornier DO 27 :
www.immat.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/immat/servlet/aeronef_liste.html
One of its old registrations seems to be ~~5U-MAP for the Nigerian~~ Air Force"
Xavier Cotton
http://passiondesavions.blogspot.com (French language)

John Bennett responded on the Beech 18 Yahoo forum :
"From what I can establish, BA-184 started out with the Government of Niger as F-OAXQ, registered as such on 05th September 1956, and officially cancelled as 'sold abroad' on 15Nov1966. (Was there ever an American 'test flying'’ registration when Beech originally manufactured it ?)
It was then utilized by the Niger Air Force (not Nigerian) as 5U-MAW (not 5U-MAP, as this was a N.2501D Noratlas c/n 140, formally West German Air Force 53+21) until 1973.
The allocation of F-BUOP is suspect, although the timing (1973) is correct for this registration range; so this may have been a 'reserved' and actually 'not taken up' registration. This is not uncommon for the French to reissue a previously reserved and not taken up registration to another aircraft. F-BUOP was registered to Dornier Do.27 c/n 186 in December 1974, cancelled July 1983 to TF-FHG..."

Robert K. "Bob" Parmerter, author of the authoritive 'Beech 18; a Civil & Military History', added:
" I can only add that no US registration test flight registration has been found. On delivery by Fleetaways, it wore F-OAXQ, as it was seen as such at Prestwick 09Aug56.
As for the F-BUOP registration, it was painted on the aircraft (you are correct, it seems to have only been 'reserved' with no owner listed), as seen in the scan below, of it without engines at Cannes on 08Jun73, in this photo from the Steve Kraus Collection."

F-BUOP

Rolf Larsson sent me a photo to show how it was repainted yet again during the summer of 2010:
Photos by Friends & Guests (26)

Ron Mak sent me two more photos from his fascinating collection:
Possibly the only visit ever of a Martin 202 to Amsterdam IAP ('Schiphol')
N93060 c/n 9149 - Schiphol 24-AUG-1970.
Martin 202 N93060 by Ron Mak

N93060 Martin 202 Northwest Orient Airlines delivery 30-JUN-1948

Transocean Airlines leased 21-SEP-1951

Japan Air Lines sub lsd 03-MAR-1952

Transocean Airlines returned OCT-1952

Southwest Airways bought 15-OCT-1952

renamed Pacific Air Lines 06-MAR-1958

Trans World Airlines bt 24-JUN-1960

Stored San Francisco

Martin Air Leasing Inc bt 21-DEC-1961

International Aerodyne Inc bt JAN-1970

Major Air Transport Inc bt APR-1970

Greek Gvmt seized SEP-1970

Stored Athens, Greece, 1970 and broken up

[Source: Piston Engine Airliner Production List (TAHS)]

DC-3 F-BVJH of Hémet Explortation, on 29-MAY-1982 visiting Schiphol
More photos of Hémet Exploration, plus info, further below this page...

More Propliner photos by Ron Mak on this website HERE... and HERE...

Lindsay Egan wrote me on 21Dec09:
"I have just seen the DC-4 VH-PAF take off from Archerfield (Brisbane), headed for Wollongong, New South Wales, where it will be maintained for airshows by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS)."

"I know the right wing tip was acquired earlier this year from PIMA in Arizona and that up to $3 million was spent on the aircraft by one character at the launch..."

VH-PAF had large, green letter 'HARS' on the fuselage and was accompanied by HARS' DC-3 VH-EAF.

The history of VH-PAF has been detailed on my Oz 2005 page and a visit to HARS' base at Wollongong on Oz 2005, Page 2.
Propliner magazine No.121 has an in-depth article by Paul Howard about VH-PAF, a very detailed history on this aircraft and its subsequent owners. The history included such details as its service with Lynch Air Cargo Inc. (had to sell N9013V when a contract was terminated and charters on ad hoc basis brought losses) plus the link Dr Russel Broadbent - (surgeon, keen aviator & principal of) Air Freighters International Pty Ltd - Pacific Air Freighters. It was unfortunate that VH-PAF had a cargodoor which was just a teeny too small to load a 737-800 engine, otherwise PAF would probably have leased VH-PAF more often for such rewarding charters.
Get a back issue for this and other fine articles: www.propliner.co.uk

And here it is upon arrival, photo by Brenden Scott:
DC-4 VH-PAF HARS

Peter Costigan wrote me in Dec.2009:
"An update to your website above. VH-PAF is now in the ownership of The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society as can be seen in the extract from the CASA register-
Power Driven Aeroplane with tricycle-retractable landing gear 4 Piston engines
Manufacturer: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS CORP. - Model: C54E-DC - Serial number: 27352
Aircraft first registered in Australia: 31 January 1996
Full Registration-
Registration holder as of 23 June 2008
HISTORICAL AIRCRAFT RESTORATION SOCIETY INC
PO Box 1071 - ALBION PARK RAIL, NSW 2527 - AUSTRALIA
Registered operator as of 23 June 2008: HISTORICAL AIRCRAFT RESTORATION SOCIETY INC

It was restored to ferry flight condition over about 18 months by crews froom HARS led by Mike DeLaHunty. The ferry flight was done on 21Dec09 arriving at Illawarra Regional Airport at 1700. This is the home of HARS."
See www.hars.org.au

VH-EAY fully restored (FB post Nov.2020)

Douglas C-54E-15-DO VH-EAY (c/n 27352; ex/ VH-PAF). This aircraft is now with HARS, underwent full restoration to airworthy condition and has been allotted the registration VH-EAY.

Dirk faced the wintry cold of Canada's high North, in Nov.2008, and took these images at Yellowknife,NWT
- home of Buffalo Airways - Bufalo Airways, winter 2008 Yellowknife
Douglas C-54G C-FIQM (c/n 36088/482)

More photos of this visit, as well as other propliner images, on Dirk Septer's page...

Paul Cicci sent me this photo with a question;
"I took this DC-3 at O'Hare Airport in the early 1970's.
And I was wondering if you could help me identify this aircraft. I did not get the N-number registration.
Hopefully you can help in getting someone to identify this beautiful DC-3. Thanks."

Niels Helmø Larsen had it quickly identified to DC-3/R4D-1 N84KB (c/n 9040). Photos on Airliners.net show N84KB had changed to another colourscheme by january 1982.

N84KB was reg'd on 16Sep10 Kevin L Armstrong of Corvallis,OR.
See my Photos by Friends & Guests (42) for an update and its (2016) location.

Timo de Vries sent me this excellent image of Fairchild C-123K 54-0664 'Thunder Pig'
Beaver Falls Airport, PA, -07 August 2009-
C-123 thunder Pig

The website www.airheritage.org has the USAF history details

AIRCRAFT ORIGIN: David Tallichet of MARC had stored at VMI in Tucson, AZ five C-123Ks, which he had acquired from the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Air Heritage approached Mr. Tallichet with the ideal of getting one C-123 back to Beaver,PA for flying purposes, thus relieving him of the cost of storage.

An agreement was drawn up that Air Heritage would become the owner of record and that Mr. Tallichet at sometime in the future would recover the airplane. A group of Air Heritage volunteers traveled to Arizona to begin getting the airplane ready for its ferry flight back to Beaver County Airport, Beaver Falls,PA. This took 6 weeks of hard work and money... That is how it all got started!

General History on the Fairchild C-123:
In 1943, the Chase Aircraft Company was created to design and build a heavy assault cargo glider for the US Army. Several early prototypes eventually led to the production of the XG-20 glider in 1949. The new US Air Force expressed an interest in a powered version of the aircraft, so the company installed two 2,200-hp Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp engines and named it the XC-123 Aviatruc. It was first flown on 14 October 1949.

In 1953, a production order for 300 C-123B Providers was received by the Kaiser-Frazer Company, which had since acquired a majority holding in the Chase Company. When Kaiser-Frazer had production difficulties, Fairchild stepped in and took over the C-123 program. The first production aircraft reached the Air Force in late 1954, and immediately became popular with tactical transport aircrews for its ruggedness and reliability. A small number were delivered to Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, the Philippines, Taiwan and South Vietnam.

In the early 1960s, a couple of Fairchild J-44 turbojet engines were fitted in pods under the wing, giving the aircraft a big boost in performance and resulting in the C-123J. Later, the C-123K variant appeared, which featured two 2,800-lb thrust J85 turbojets in similar pods.

Most US Air Force C-123s served in the Vietnam War, where they served as troop and cargo haulers. Some were utilized as defoliant (Agent Orange) sprayers (UC-123Ks) in Operation Ranch Hand, and at least two were modified as armament-carrying AC-123K / NC-123Ks, which operated at night against enemy truck convoys. The C-123 soldiered on into the 1980s, serving with several Air National Guard units, some being fitted with wheel/ski landing gear for use in Arctic conditions.

Today, surplus C-123s are popular with small freight companies throughout the Americas, and a few are even found on the warbird circuit. Several are repeatedly used in television advertising and movies when the need arises for the representation of a large, generic military cargo aircraft. [Source: www.warbirdalley.com ]

Following photos were sent to me by Jacques Hémet in Nov.2009:
DC-3 F-BFGX Hemet

Jacques wrote: "Douglas DC-3 F-BFGX of Hemet Exploration, parked after ferry flight when purchased from the French government; it had been operated by the French FAA for Navaid calibration). The picture is interesting for the 'maximised conversion' : landing gear door and modified exhaust pipes.

DC-3 F-BJHC Hemet Exploration "DC-3 F-BJHC at Lido Aerodrome (near Venice, Italy) during a movie job...
Film shooting was done in 1980 and the story took place in the late 1930s. The DC 3 was a supposed to be a Lufthansa plane."

"Sadly, F-BJHC was shot down in 1981. While doing some research near Beira (Mozambique),chartered by Shell, it deviated from the original route after air traffic control instructions, then the aircraft was considered hostile and it was shot down with an ground-to-air missile. All 6 crewmembers were killed. ."

Jacques Hémet wrote me:
"This above is the official Mozambique version, the truth is a little bit different....
The DC-3 was exactly on the Shell-planned (and authorized!) track, at the desired altitude, with the magnetometer in tow configuration (cable 60 meters long).
The lack of radio communication of the missile battery and a stupid missile operator was the only cause!

At the start Mozambique officials tried to cover up this fact and the plane was declared missing...
After two days, I sent another DC-3 (F-FBGX), which was flying in the north of the country, to carry out our own search. Only at this time Mozambique officials admitted and advised us the plane had actually been shot down, by mistake, due to the radio failure of the missile battery."

c/n 25756/14311 USAAF-Serial: 43-48495

250844: delivered USAAF

121044: Europe ATC

060946: 9th ATC - Div FLC (Foreign Liquidation Commission - US Overseas disposals)

101046: transferred to Belgian Air Force

001046: 169Wing-367Sqn (H-CW)

000047: overhaul Scottish Aviation

000000: 15Wing-20Sqn (OT-CND)

000000: used as Navigation Trainer

000000: converted to PC47B (aerial photography)

290458: tt 2117,20 hrs

000760: participates in actions in Congo

260176: flown to Koksijde for storage (pilot: aDC Devos), last aircraft to be taken out of service (together with K10) (tt 6813:09 hrs)

181177: flown to Wevelgem

000000: Call-sign: OT-CND, H-CW, BAF71 - Other IDs worn in BAF-service: KN-8, KP-8

000077: noted registered SU-AZO Nile Delta Air Service/Nileair, Cairo (not taken up)

150278: departs Wevelgem as F-ODHB Arabian Geophysical & Survey Co, Dhahran

050778: registered F-BJHC SA Hemet Exploration, 21 Avenue Clement Ader, F31770 Colomiers (Toulouse)

010881: Shot down. See above
[Source: Belgian Military Aircraft http://belmilac.wetpaint.com/page/Part+1:+K1+-+K22]

"This picture was taken at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, 1975 I would presume...
Beech D18S F-BEHI was the former executive aircraft of Sud Aviation and it ended up at Djibouti, at a skydiving club."

It was photographed at Djibouti, preserved, in June 2005, 'EHI' visible underneath the left wing.. LINK)

Created: 19-Oct-2009