Vintage Transports, photos by Friends & Guests (54)

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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 like to share them on this page.
Photos already online (personal websites, airliners.net, jetphotos.net, etc) are not meant to be included here.

With the ever growing popularity of Social Media (Flickr, Facebook, Instagram) the barrier has become much lower for people to share their photographs or scans of slides; imperfection to post aviation images is no longer an issue.
I noticed a decline in requests for publication on my website (a decline I welcome, as I struggle with the workflow) on my 'Guest Pages', so now some of these images shared below will be copied from Facebook & Flickr by me. For preservation of their historic value as I see it; always with proper credit to the photographer, of course!

Btw, while I am on social media, picking up on aviation news, I use it mainly for other interests while my website remains my main focus to share my interest in vintage aviation.

 

John Vogel sent me this photo and more to support my photo recently taken at McClellan's
Aerospace Museum of California.
DC-3 19924 in 1986 at McClellan,CA
John wrote : "N19924 probably very soon after its arrival at McClellan in 1986
(photographer unknown; photo in the Museum files)".

More on N19924 preserved at the Aerospace Museum of California, see My 2018 REPORT

Tim Chaloner sent me a few photos of his trip down into Florida, to the Jacksonville area.
C-47 100597, Camp Blanding
Tim wrote: "C-47 '100597/Z7' on display at Camp Blanding, Starke, FL.
Although painted as serial 100597, book sources say it is BuNo.12436 with c/n 9619."
Air-Britain's "DC-3 70 Years" book shows 'R4D-5 operated with VMR-253, VMR-353, VMR-152, VMR-352,
MAG-33 in Japan, other foreign deployments and returning to El Toro for H&MS-15 in 1957. To Turkey and Australia,
next support flight for the Silver Eagles Helicopter Team and the Golden Knights. It was retired in 1982. First on
display at Fort Rucker,AL and then to Camp Blanding (noted in april 1991) and since 2000 in its present presentation.'

"Nearby is Keystone Heights Air Park, where I found 4 L-188 Electra’s parked. They were N282F (c/n 1084), N286F, N340HA and N346HA. As one can see, they now all carry MHD Rockland titles. Also present was
DC-4 N55CW, complete except for the lack of propellers. It was parked too far away for a photo."
EXIF data show date 22Apr2018.

L.188 N346HA at Keystone Heights Air Park
L.188 N346HA (c/n 1043) at Keystone Heights Air Park
Long time resident at Willow Run (YIP), Detroit for Kitty Hawk Int'l and Zantop; after years of storage ferried to here.

L.188 N286F at Keystone Heights Air Park
L.188 N286F (c/n 1146) at Keystone Heights Air Park
The same story here, former registration N5013K for Zantop Int'l.
These Lockheed L.188 Electra's were once part of the extensive fleet of Zantop, but Detroit's car industry could
not keep them in the air; perhaps they will be converted to airtankers for aerial firefighting..

L.188 N340HA at Keystone Heights Air Park
L.188 N340HA (c/n 1109) at Keystone Heights Air Park,FL
Also a former resident of Willow Run (YIP); former identities: N172PS + TI-LRN + N172PS + N340HA + VH-CHD


Gerben Groothuis shared a number of images taken during 2017 with which he is struggling on the identities...
See my page for more of these cases: Searching For...
Beech 18
Unidentified Beech 18 at Nashua-Boire Airport,NH. (07Jun2017)
It was identified as N125X, for full history use the link.

Unidentified cockpits at American Airpower Museum
Unidentified Beechcraft 18/C-45’s in the American Airpower Museum (Farmingdale,NY)

Unidentified cockpits at Aero Traders (Chino,CA 2017) Aero Trader's boneyard at Chino,CA (2017)
Obviously no propliners, but one of these Maroccan T-28 Trojans can be read/identified: N128RM (ex CN-AEK/52)

See my page for more of these cases: Searching For...

Rolf Larsson sent me this photo from his collection, by Arne Fager, with a bearing on N215CM which
I've seen recently at Flabob airport in California.
See MY CALIFORNIA 2018 REPORT for more details and image while in use with the Israel's AF...
NC63186 by Arne Fager, copyright Rolf Larsson
Douglas C-47B NC63186 (c/n 26792)

May 24th sees another update to the Bill Hill vintage airliner gallery! Bill Hill's Vintage Aviation Images
Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer, N6816D (c/n 59905; Tanker 42) of WenAirCo of Wenatchee,WA.
Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "Manufactured for the USN under BuNo. 59905, it served with the Naval Air
Reserve at Miami,FL. It came on the civil register as N6816D, was converted to a tanker and flew with Wenairco Inc, Wenatchee, Washington, from 1963 to 1972. On July 27, 1972, it caught fire on the runway at Wenatchee-Pangborn Field and burned out, the crew escaped injury." 1000aircraftphotos.com

Tailnumber N6816D was also used by Central Air Services, for a Douglas C-54R (c/n 27368),
which was parted out at Tucson-Avra Valley,AZ and which can be found on my USA 2008 Avra Valley,
Log Reports of Greybull,WY and Photos by Friends & Guests #21.

This VC-47 was destroyed by fire 23Apr2018 while it was being dismantled and an acetylene torch ignited it.
No mention of damage to any other planes, but in two seperate occasions fire occurred on airplanes being dismantled.
VC-47 on fire during scrapping 2018 at Rantoul
Douglas VC-47D Skytrain (DC-3) 43-49336 (c/n 26597/15152) on fire
The scrapper had no prior experience on scrapping airplanes; he normally would demolish structures such as bridges.

Monday, april 23rd 2018
"Fire engulfed a C-47 plane on the grounds of the former Chanute Air Museum that was being dismantled by a salvage crew.
There’s a lot of magnesium in those planes,” Shreves said. “It’s mostly aluminum, copper and steel,"" but the presence of magnesium means a fire can’t be put out using just water.
There had to be some fuel residue that was left inside (the plane),” Vericker said. “The acetylene torch ignited it. Everything on the inside is so old and rotten ... that it just don’t take much for it to ignite.”
The salvage operator said he lost $2,000 as a result of the fire, Waters said."
www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-04-23/fire-destroys-plane-former-rantoul-museum.html


Village leaders ordered a cease and desist on the company dismantling planes at the former Chanute Air Force Base after a third fire within a month.
They say the man in charge wasn't taking them apart safely.
In April, when he started the deconstruction Morrison said, "It's the first time I've ever bought aircrafts. I usually demolish bridges and other stuff like that."
www.illinoishomepage.net/news/local-news/cease-and-desist-on-plane-dismantling/1186250957

This VC-47 in better days: heroicrelics.org/chanute/c-47

The aircraft are being scrapped and not sold to the public for fear of getting obsolete parts back in circulation.
In a Facebook post dated 20May19 the C-133 was the 'last one standing', rest remained debris spread around on the ramp.

Ron Mak shared some photos of Boeing B-17s in civilian use in France, during 1970s
B-17 line up at Creil, copyright Ron Mak
See the update on Ron Mak's Propliners #3

While I was researching the airframes seen at the Aviation Warehouse I came across this boneyard at Ocotillo Wells,
a little east on I-78 from that place. I had no prior knowledge of this one and hope to visit it some day.
Aviation boneyard at Ocotillo Well,CA



Aviation boneyard at Ocotillo Well,CA
I think this boneyard is connected with Aero Traders and planes, I found, have made their way to the Aviation
Warehouse (see MY CALIFORNIA 2018 REPORT) but there still seems to be a few remaining hulks there.
Worth to explore!

I also found this external weblink, w/ pics from 2008 -
woodser.smugmug.com/Wreckchasing/Aero-Trader-Storage-Yard-May

A comment on Facebook: "I wanted to visit the place in June 2002 and stumbled upon the keeper in the nearby
Blu Inn while having lunch. While hesitant at first he gave us a short tour. Was, unfortunately, not allowed to take pictures. We noted 10 former Indonesian Sabres, 1x A-20, 1x B-17, 5x B-25, 3x B-29s, 1x C-56 and 2x C-60."

This was shared in Aug.2018 on Facebook's ‎'General Aviation Junkyard' by Marty Burbank:
Boneyard of Aero Traders @2018
Marty wrote (21Aug18: "I was goofing off a little today punching wholes in the sky and burning jet fuel east of San Diego and I saw this from the air, check it out. I wish I got better pictures but there were two, what I think are B29s
in pieces as well as several other aircraft and parts. It is in the middle of the desert miles from any paved road."

As a comment about the B-29's Matt Heringer wrote: "45-21787 and 44-70049 from what I can gather.
Owned by Kermit Weeks. One was damaged in Florida in hurricane Andrew. I think they're both his."

And Russell James Legg commented: "Two Beech 18s & two Lockheed Harpoons... Many Catalina fuses?"
An attempt to visit in Dec.2019 brought the following feedback: "Figured out where it was, but main road in had a
locked gate and backroad recommended by a local via split mountain road to a dirt track was too rough for my
Sprinter. Worked out in the end, from Google Earth and your references the only items in the yard of interest
were the Kermit weeks' B29's - which are well known about."

Btw, when you decide to travel here, look at what Sean Keating found in nearby Bombay Beach, east of the Salton Sea.

Piero Gasolino emailed me today, 14May18, he'd just been visiting Gila River Mem'l Airport at Chandler,AZ
DC-7 at Gila-Chandler Airport, Arizona

See my extensive 2017 REPORT

Roy Blewett helped me to identify an unmarked Beech 18 on a trailer which I photographed last april at Vintage Aircraft (Stockton,CA) > CALIFORNIA 2018
Beech G18S N732EB
Roy wrote: "I visited northern California myself last August, just before the Connie arrived from Helena.
I can help with a couple of the Beech 18s at Stockton. I suspect the high cabin Beech on the trailer is
G18S N732EB, which arrived by road on 17Feb18." Googling I found these photo by Corey Mosley!
Corey's post on Facebook's 'Beech 18/ C45/ AT11/ SNB Group' included the text: "N732EB G18S BA-506
moving to Stockton,CA Today. I hope the guys at Vintage Aircraft take good care of her."
More details on my CALIFORNIA 2018

HU-16 Albatross N113FB was flown out of Marana,AZ (03May2018), saved from the scrapman!
HU-16 N113FB left Marana,AZ

N113FB is the first of seven Grumman HU-16 planes to be ferried out of storage at Marana. N113FB (HU-16E c/n 332)
of Barron Aviation LLC flew to Hannibal,MO where the engines will be taken off and returned to Marana to ferry the next one out.
Barron Aviation LLC is reg'd in Perry,MO. Dillon Barron and Betsy Shaw posted this happy event on Facebook.
I came across these seaplanes only last year, neatly in a row all seven, @Pinal Air Park (Marana,AZ - former Evergreen Air Park). See my USA2017.

I think the remaining ones are: G-111 c/n 218 N122FB (ex/ USAF 51-7168); G-111 c/n 432 N125FB (ex/ US Navy 141282); G-111 c/n 452 N118FB (ex/ RCAF 9304); G-111 c/n 456 N119FB (ex/ RCAF 9308); G-111 c/n 460 N116FB (ex/ US Navy 148325); G-111 c/n 463 N112FB (ex/ US Navy 148328).
¬http://hu-16.com/unitedcapital.htm

A few months (ca.late 2017) ago Dakota Sharpe informed me that DC-6 N666SQ had moved into town (Fairbanks,AK).
But I had to wait until now, april 2018, to have N666SQ sufficiently free from snow for a suitable photo!
DC-6 N666SQ at Fairbanks, by Dakota Sharpe

N666SQ is a Douglas DC-6, c/n 43004 (line number 40, probably one of the oldest still around).
Apparently there was no way for Everts to make money flying the 'Baby DC-6'. It couldn't haul the loads that the larger DC-6A/DC-6B/C-118 are capable of hauling and the cabin was too short for many of the loads. So it remained in the Everts's boneyard for many years.
For its entire history see my Alaska 1995 (page 2), as well as my Fairbanks 2003 page.
There was an attempt to get the CAF and other organizations to take her because she would have been the oldest operating DC-6 in the world.
In the end, Rob Everts donated the aircraft to the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club for their clubhouse in North Pole, AK. But when I visited their clubhouse (my 2012 report) I found only the tailfin there, the rest had moved because people living in the area objected to amount of traffic and visitors it brought on! But at that time, 6 years ago, I could not locate its new 'home'!

Thanks to Dakota Sharpe that has been rectified, though he or she refused to anwer my questions about its location...

Ralph M. Pettersen's www.proplinerinfoexchange.com showed a very welcome update in May 2019: "DC-6 N666SQ was donated to the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club in 2009. It was disassembled and moved to a location on Bennett Road near Fairbanks in July 2009.
After a few years at this location, it was moved to a new location in North Pole, AK where it sits today.
The lot was obviously cleared to accommodate the aircraft but it appears, for all intents and purposes, abandoned with the wings and other pieces haphazardly lying on the soggy ground.
Everts tried really hard to find a museum home for this now rare 'baby' DC-6 but none were interested. It appeared that a happy ending had been achieved when the motorcycle club wanted to use it for its clubhouse but this has proved to not to be the case with the aircraft rotting in place 10 years later.
It can be located by plugging 2436 Sunflower Loop, North Pole, AK into your GPS."

I checked Google Maps and Google Earth but found no high resolution photo, but it has the location:
Location DC-6 N666SQ in North Pole, Alaska
There must be an owner for that property, someone who cared for this 'Baby' DC-6...

Google Streetview does not yet have the fuselage in place at this location but it must be visible from the road
Location DC-6 N666SQ in North Pole, Alaska
This update stems from 30May2019 (same in Jan.2021); hope to go there myself some day!

This update stems from Jan.2021-
DC-6 N666SQ derelict off-airport North Pole,AK
So the Sat. imagery shows N666SQ on 2436 Sunflower Loop in North Pole, but streetview is not yet up to date.
Airhistory.net (HERE & HERE) has a photo by Ralph M. Pettersen, dated 12May2019. There's a wooden
cabin now next to it. The 'Baby DC-6' still has the 'Macavia'-titles.

N666SQ in North Pole,AK
See also my Off-airport gallery.

Update! In May 2022 I received this update (on request, as yet, name withheld).
"I am reaching out to inform you that the afore mentioned plane (N666SQ) has a new owner and will be getting a new lease on life...
I have purchased the property and the plane and will working this summer on converting the plane into my Permanent place of residence.
I have found in the last few days that there seems to be a lot of interest in this plane and just wanted to let the community know its in good hands! Once its finished I would love for the community to still come and take pic and stuff.

I would love to chat with you sometime about the history of the plane, so I can have more background knowledge on it and its history. If you decide this is worth publishing as an update, please do not use my name yet, that is my only request.
Thanks and I'm looking forward to being part of this passionate community."

Roger Davis‎ shared this on Facebook's 'Warbird Information Exchange (WIX)' page.
C-119 and Pontiac in 1958 conflict

Here are the ASN details; C-123B 54-0614
'Emergency landing on Southern State Parkway at night after it ran out of fuel. Collided with three cars, killing one driver. Six others injured.'
David Cohen:"The plane went through an underpass...Underpass was 53 feet wide. C-123 has a 110 foot span. Hence
why the wings came off."

Dirk Septer sent me this photo taken at Malaga,Spain Airport on 14Apr18.
CN-MBB at Malaga, by Dirk Septer (2018)

Dirk wrote me the following information: "Sorry for the poor quality, but I shot this picture way in the distance past the two runways at the Malaga, Spain airport:
1963 DH-104 Dove Series 7A, s/n 04535; ex Moroccan Air Force (Jul 1964 till 1978); 1978 registered N9890A and as of Oct 1981 with Visionair International Inc. of Miami, FL; and finally registered as CN-MBB; retrieved fromTorremolines scrapyard and stored at Malaga with sister ship CN-MBA."

JoeJoe Prince noted Everts Air N100CE grounded ('aog') at Bethel,AK in april 2018.
N100CE at Bethel, grounded due technical
On april 24th he wrote the aircaft had been sitting 'technical' at Bethel for a few days, requiring both
inboard engines to be changed. They were flown in on a DC-9 of Everts Air.
On april 24th he took this photo, engineers working to change the 2nd engine.
So C-118A N100CE (c/n 44662/629) should be soon in business again.
Cause of the requirement to change engines 2+3 I don't know, perhaps a severe birdstrike inbound into Bethel AP.

See the gallery of JoeJoe's photos on my website HERE..

A item in my daily newspaper made me google for the transport of this Iyushin ('Ilyuchin') to the Novapark in Graz.
I found a video of hoisting the IL-18 IL-62 in place, added onto Facebook in the morning of 06Apr18.
IL-18 placed at Novapark, Graz (April 2018)
www.novapark.at/en/
IL-18 to Novapark in Graz
Photo by Ulrike Rauch (shared on Facebook)
"Transport 'Rumpf' Ankunft 05Graz2018 @Wohlfühlhotel Novapark Graz"

I found, after more googling at the end of the day, that this is not an IL-18 but
OK-GBH Ilyushin IL-62 (c/n 62404), ex/ CSA Czechoslovak Airlines; previously preserved at Heidenreichstein
www.skybird-ev.de


Andrew Usugan ‎shared this image of deHavilland DHC-2 N77KZ on 'Bush Planes Alaska' (Facebook)
N77KZ by ANdrew Usugan


On 05Apr2018 N77KZ (c/n 950) landed in Tununak,AK.
N77KZ was reg'd 19Mar16 to Michael Air Service, owned by Michael Renfro. That outfit also goes by the name of Alaskan Adventures. That rough strip certainly looks like a true Alaskan Adventure!
Michael Renfro also owns Yute Commuter Service, but that operates as a seperate Air Taxi operator.

This Beaver has had an interesting career! It flew under the following registrations: 55-3485 • S-1 • 55-3485 • N9630A. Reg'd S-1 it was on loan under Military Assistance Programme (MAP) to Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu) / Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). Delivered on board SS American Trapper, 24Nov1956. On 01Sep1974 this DHC-2 was returned under the loan terms. [www.dhc-2.com]

In 2012 I came across it myself, see my 2012 Lake Hood report. On the gallery on my website dedicated to JoeJoe Prince's propliners and bushplanes N77KZ is featured too: HERE...

Grant Newman visited the 'Civil Aviation Museum of China', in Beijing, on 20Sep2017.
He found the below aircraft defied identification... Help would be appreciated! (EMAIL - state url of page)
Grant Newman at Civil Aviation Museum of China in Beijing (9-2017)
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Little hope to identify this one as numerous attempts have been made, afaik.

Grant Newman at Civil Aviation Museum of China in Beijing (9-2017)
Lisunov Li-2

Grant Newman at Civil Aviation Museum of China in Beijing (9-2017)
Lisunov Li-2, 38068 or 38043 ??????

Grant Newman at Civil Aviation Museum of China in Beijing (9-2017)
Again not much to identify this airframe of a Y-5
Jürgen Scherbarth put an identification to this one, see my Searchfor... page

I never visited this museum, only the named Datangshan Air Museum (a.k.a. Beijing's Xiatangshan Air Museum) in 2002.
Grant's photos were taken at the China Civil Aviation Museum, which is at Chaoyang (Beijing city) and not @Xiaotangshan. Two different museums!

Neil Aird sent me this 'blast from the past' from his collection.
Avistion scene at Schiphol, 1966
Photo by Ken Marshall: Amsterdam IAP 'Schiphol' on 15apr1966; photo via NeilAird (www.dhc-2.com)

Neville Webb sent me these in Jan.2018
AN-12 UR-

Ukrainian Air Alliance at St.John's!  Wednesday 31 January 2018

Neville wrote me:".... last week [26 Jan?] passed by St. John's Airport YYT and noticed two Antonov An-12BK transport aircraft  UR-CAK and UR-CAJ  of Ukraine Air Alliance (UAA) at the Irving Aviation ramp!
Both aircraft with rear gun turret [windows fared over] and gun housing still in place!
UR-CAJ was unloading cargo.  
Both these planes were built in the 1960s and fly world wide.

Three DHC-8 aircraft were also parked on the ramp including Bahamasair (!) DeHavilland Canada DHC-8-314 Dash 8-300 aircraft: C6-BFP (ex/ C-GFHZ, OE-LLW, N394DC, G-JEDA, N994DC) and another one cocooned in blue
wrapping with the tailplane removed.
A bitterly cold day it was, so cold three sets of batteries lost their charge...
Pictures taken by holding camera against the mesh fencing and hoping..."

See Neville's gallery on my website

Gerben Groothuis sent me these images:
Opa Locka visit by Gerben Groothuis, Jan.2018
Antonov AN-12BP UR-UPZ (c/n 402002) of Aeroviz (formed from Aerovis Airlines in 2016)

UNIDENTIFIED:
Opa Locka visit by Gerben Groothuis, Jan.2018
Unmarked. Aeroviz was formed from Aerovis Airlines in 2016 and at time of writing (01Apr2018) seems to hold
four AN-12s to its name: UR-CPZ (An‑12BP 402002), UR-CCP (An‑12AP 2340505), UR-CBF (An‑12A 2340507)
and UR-CFB An‑12BP 6343802. The latter is/was being overhauled in Rovno,Ukraine - could it be this is the one?

Opa Locka visit by Gerben Groothuis, Jan.2018
Miami Air Lease Convair CV-440 'Metropolitan', N41527 (TC-131E 55-4759; c/n 346).

Opa Locka visit by Gerben Groothuis, Jan.2018
DC-3 N138FS c/n 9967; Alen Enterprises Inc, former Four Star Aviation.
See for more photos of N138FS in its past career: Photos by Friends & Guests #47

Arnold Begeman noticed that the aft fuselage of DC-6ST N867TA has made its way down from Fairbanks,AK to
Red Deer in Alberta.
DC-6ST N867TA


N867TA, @Oldprops website "Crashed and destroyed Nuiqsut, Alaska, 9/01. Rear fuselage section at Fairbanks."
So now we see it sighted at Red Deer in March 2018. I wonder: for what purpose?

N867TA in better days w/ NAC: www.jetphotos.com/photo/117545

See my page on the Douglas DC-6 'Swingtail'. I visited this location in 2019, with less snow: WEST CANADA 2019

Mark Griffith published this in March 2018 on Facebook:
C-123 bar in Costa Rica
John Leone remarked: "It's in Manuel Antonio, which is a smallish town south of Jaco.
See also www.tripadvisor.com

This aircraft is detailed on my OFF-AIRPORT LATIN AMERICA gallery

These images by Roger Maxwell open a new page on Photos by Friends & Guests: #54
C-119 N15501


Roger wrote: "Here are a few pics of C-119 N15501 taken this weekend (03+04Mar2018)".

I visited Buckeye,AZ myself last year, SEE MY REPORT

The Failrchild C-119 Flying Boxcar is of special interest to me, see my C-119 Index Page

 

 

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Created: 14-DEC-2017