John wrote: "I just remembered last year September, when I went to the airshow at Mather Airport here in Sacramento, I took a photo of Douglas C-53 USAAC s/n 42-47371, N8336C.
I had last seen that aircraft (also at Mather) in October 2016, but noticed that the color scheme had changed!"

Notice the panoramic windows & undercarriage doors (speedpack?); in the 1990s, owned by one Don Jones I believe, it was equipped also with socalled Hi-Per engines but don't know if these are the same, but cannot find confirmation of this.
At one time (while reg'd N943DJ) it was owned by Basler Turbo Conversions but this one escaped the conversion,
thank goodness!
It visited the air event at Oshkosh several times, named 'Billion Dollar One', probably a cynical remark for the cost of upkeep.. In 2003 at OSH reportedly renamed to 'the Spirit of Enterprise'.
Reg'd 03Jun09 to JM Air LLC of Phoenix,AZ.
While present at OSH in 2009 at Oshkosh as the 'Enterprise', the next year it participated as 'Spirit of Benovia'.
And I learned that while normally based at Marana Regional Airport (Arizona), in the summers it can be found at Santa Rosa (California) for that is where the owner's winery ('Benovia Winery') is located.
Rereg'd 03Jun2009 to N8336C, again for JM Air of Phoenix,AZ. The name of the owner, Joe Anderson, does not clarify the intitials 'JM'..

I must say I like that 'Civil Air Transport' livery with its Tiger badges! It honours its career in China with CL Chennault & W Wilauer (N8336C, ex/ XT-T21) and onwards to Civil Air Transport (CAT; N1794B).
Truly a vintage prop to be proud of!

You may find Dirk Septer's write up '757 flights across the Hump' of interest.
My Deep South report has a photo & details of a Hi-Per DC-3: N62CC
SEE MY 'D-DAY 75' DAKS AT DUXFORD (2019) REPORT FOR A 'DAKS GALORE'!

EXTERNAL: en.wikipedia.org:_Civil_Air_Transport
And on N8336C: www.aerialvisuals.ca

I tried to find some information about the 'Hiper' conversion...
It seems that the Hi-Per conversion included other engines, the P&W 2000s: not sure how to interpret the above photo
FAA's website N-inquiry has it as 'DC-3A' and Engine Model: R-1830 SERIES (so no 'DC-4 engines')

While on the subject of DC-3s, Fred Brnes shared this 1973 photo with me.
Fred wrote: "With reference to the 'Hiper DC-3' subject Air France did operate some 'Maximised' converted aircraft in the 1960s which included undercarriage fairings. Not sure if the Air France conversion included uprated engines or any other aerodynamic changes. Remember seeing F-BEFH c/n 4635 and F-BCYD c/n 19075 on the Air France Engineering ramp at Orly on 15th September 1967 both in Air France 'Postale de la Nuit'-titles."

C-47A F-BCYV (c/n 10141) of Vargas Aviation taken at Exeter on 1st June 1973. Photo by Fred Barnes.
It has the 'maximizer kit'-type wheeldoors, not sure if it is a full Hiper conversion with upgraded engines.

A little bit of history on this C-47A: From USAAF (42-24279) it went to Air France (F-BCYF; opf CEP/Centre d'Exploitation Postale from 28/10/48) and afterwards was operated by Fretair, Vargas Aviation and Uni-Air then
'became' J5-GAL for LIA of Guinea Bissau. And seems to be still around, status: 'stored at Bissallanca / Oswaldo
Viera' (Guinea Bissau). [Info courtesy ATDB.aero per 7-2019; nil info on a Hiper conversion].
Air-Britain's 'DC-3, The First Seventy Years' has no information of a Hiper conversion for c/n 10141 either.

Jason Moellinger shared this photo on Facebook, on the subject of DC-3 wrecks at Rolla Airport (Missouri).
This one got away, but Jason did not know iits tailnumber; I got that from Basler Turbo Conversions thru Facebook

DC-3 N1350A at Rolla Airport being prepared for transport to Oshkosh for Basler

Jason Moellinger wrote me: "I can tell you that this one was sitting by our hangar, not over on the old closed runway and it still had the engines on it and everything. And I know it came with a ton of parts too. We had enough spare parts from when we (Baron Aviation Services ¬assumption by Webmaster) hauled freight with them to fly it daily for the next 100 years..!

From Basler: "Hi Ruud, the N number for this aircraft is N1352A N1350A. We are actually just prepping it for conversion now." -April 2019.

Google Maps shows (april 2019) only 3 DC-3 wrecks remaining, all of them the wings attached. See also my Photos by Friends & Guests #18, when there were still for of them (besides N1350A) on the airfield.

A Cessna Crane (a.k.a. Bobcat) was added to the collection of the Nanton air museum in Alberta.

CF-LED has reached its new home in Nanton and is hoisted off its transport that brought it here from High River.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cessna-crane-nanton-museum-transport

'The Cessna AT-17 Bobcat was a twin-engined advanced trainer aircraft designed and made in the United States, and used during World War II to bridge the gap between single-engined trainers and twin-engined combat aircraft. The AT-17 was powered by two Jacobs R-755-9 radial engines.
The commercial version was the Model T-50, from which the AT-17 was developed.
In 1942, the U.S. Army Air Force (the successor to the Air Corps from June 1941) adopted the Bobcat as a light personnel transport and those delivered after 01Jan1943 were designated UC-78s.
By the end of World War II, Cessna had produced more than 4.600 Bobcats for the U.S. military, 67 of which were transferred to the United States Navy as JRC-1s.
In addition, 822 Bobcats had been produced for the Royal Canadian Air Force as Crane I's, many of which were used in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.' [Wikipedia]

In 2007 I visited myself this fine air museum, the Nanton Lancaster Society Air Museum in Alberta province. It was renamed Bomber Command Museum of Canada in May 2010. See my 2007 report!.

History on c/n 16357/33105:
44-76773 TC-47B - BuNo.99826 US Navy R4D-7 Clinton 21Apr45 - ATU VB-4-4 Jan46 - Whiting Jan47 - A&T Quonset Point 24Oct47 - Faetu Pac Ream Mar48 - Faetu Pac Ream San Diego May50 - ATU-10 VP Corpus Christi 13Dec50 - ATU-700 ATU-700 Corpus Christi 25Jan53 - Litchfield Park 27Jul53 - NaTechTrau Lakehurst 11May55 - Litchfield Park 03Nov59 - NaTechTrau Lakehurst 06Apr60 - TC-47K 18Sep62 - Litchfield Park 26Jul65 - ONR Austin 09Dec65 - Struck of Charge (SOC) 21Jul71 - N87611 University of Texas at Austin, reg'd 08Oct71 -
HK-2494X/E SAEPLtda 1980 to 1995 - Stored at Bogota Sep97 - Sadelca del'd 09Sep99, in service Oct. 2001.
From 'DC-3 - The First 70 Years' (Air-Britain, 2006).

Notes from my database. I have it in service with HK-2494 SAEP-Servicios Aereos Petroleros during 1995, as a freighter, before it was stored at Bogotá. Seen there at Feb.97, arrived at Villavicencio 09sep99 for SADELCA.
Seen in July 2006 active with Transportes Aereos del Ariari titles, but 2 months later seen in full SADELCA livery & titles (photos in Propliner magazine #108).
Picture in Aviation Letter Jul08 @VVC 21May08, with Aerolineas Llaneras Colombia-titles. That same year seen again with SADELCA titles, so HK-2494 was probably leased out by SADELCA for a period.
Photos in 2013 and 2015 showed HK-2494 with SADELCA-titles, but noted at Villavicencio on 08Oct15 in full livery of LASER Aéro; which was remarkable because Laser had not operted its own aircaft that past year and they seem to have started again with this DC-3. It was reg'd to Laser Aéro on 26May15.
Notes from Propliner magazine, Scramble magazine and Aviation Letter over the years.

New home for c/n 11906 ex/CF-TES, destined to become a gate guard at Greenwood,NS but instead going to Poland.

The Western Canada Aviation Museum had it stored for a long time on a farm near Selkirk.
In 2002, when its military history was discovered, it was transferred to 17 Wing at Winnipeg.
"... work by 17 Wing's "Ghost Squadron" who brought it back to life. They're a team of volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and dedicated countless hours to its restoration."

A publication on Facebook's page Canadian Air & Space Conservancy - CASM, text included: "RCAF and Polish community bid farewell to the 'Spirit of Ostra Brama'.
17 Wing Winnipeg hosted a departure ceremony today for the 'Spirit of Ostra Brama', a Polish DC-3 aircraft used during the Second World War to transport the General Inspector of the Polish Armed Forces, General Kazimierz Sosnkowski.
The Deputy Ambassador of Poland to Canada and other dignitaries joined the enthusiastic local Polish community in bidding farewell to the aircraft before it makes its momentous journey back to Poland.
Canada is honoured to return this historically-important aircraft to our NATO Ally and friend, Poland."

This is C-47 c/n 11906, as one can see aft on the fuselage: CF-TES | FL547.
As FL547 this Dakota III served with the RAF with No.511 Sqdn (23Jan44), 105 OTU (20Aug45), 1381 TCU (14Nov45, 22MU (30Apr46). It returned to Canadair after WW2 and was registered CF-TES for Trans Canada A/L 17Jan47.
Note- below mentioned 216 Sqdn not mentioned in Air-Britain's (above) 'DC-3 - The First Seventy Years'. Wikipedia has no mention of a specific Polish use for this squadron.

worldnewsweekly.ca/dc-3-plane-restored-for-special-mission/

Joe Baugher has on his website (link)
"92139 (MSN 11906) to USAAF Sep 10, 1943. to RAF as Dakota III in UK FL547 Jan 23, 1944.
511 Sqdn RAF. 216 Sqdn.
Used as the personal transport for the Chief of the Polish Armed Forces Mar-Apr44, flown by a Polish crew; named ‘Spirit of Ostra Brama’ [Gate of Dawn].
105 Operational Training Unit Aug 20, 1945. 1381 Transport Conversion Unit Nov 14, 1945. 22 Maintenance Unit Apr 30,1946. Transferred to Canadair Jul 17, 1946 for conversion to civilian airline standard.
To CF-TES Trans Canada Airlines Jan 17, 1947, Fleet No "91" Jan 17, 1947, later "391". Transair Ltd Apr 13, 1963. Lambair Ltd, the Pas (Jun 1967). WFU 1970.
To Western Canada Aviation Museum, Winnipeg. Stored dismantled by 17 Wing, Canadian Armed Forces, Winnipeg, Manitoba. The wings were removed and partially scrapped 2006. Plans are to move the aircraft to Poland for restoration and display." (09Mar2019)

UPDATE: The fuselage and wings were flown by AN-124 UR-82073 10Mar19 to Wroclaw in Poland. It will become part of museum heritage display here. FL547 was flown in WW2 by an all-Polish crew under pilot Józefa Tyszko in RAF's 216 Transport Group. The C-47 carried regular RAF markings plus the Polish Air Force insignia of red and white squares behind the cockpit. And named 'Spirit of Ostra Brama'. ¬Scramble magazine #479 (april 2019)

MACEDONIAN AVIATION (1972 - 1074)

A question on my Questions & Answers page, many years ago, led to the full details of the founder of the company (Feb.2019). DC-3 G-AMPO referred to here is depicted on my DC-3 Page 3.

On 02Feb2019 Roger Byron-Collins wrote me with the following:

"I was intrigued, indeed fascinated, to read all he information on your site regarding the airline I formed at the age of 25, namely Macedonian Aviation at Southend Airport where I based my airline in 1972, until I sold out my shares to Mr Ralph Goldstraw in the summer of 1974. You asked for comments or input so I trust this missive and photos help.

I have further information that you may or indeed may not find helpful about the background and the establishment of Macedonian Aviation.
Firstly you may be interested to know why it was named Macedonian and the answer is a simple one.
It was established as a subsidiary of a residential property company that I formed in 1969 called Macedonian Securities based in Capital House Craven Road Paddington. Another company I had previously formed was called Phoenician Securities and was fund by the Bank of the Lebanon and the Middle East hence the name 'Phoenician'(Lebanon). I sold my shareholding in 1972 in Phoenician and required another company identity and thought of another ancient tribe north of Lebanon namely Macedonian (Alexander the Great) - as simple as that!

For background: I was born into aviation life as my father was RAF aircrew with 40 years service and I lived in RAF married quarters through my childhood years.
My career was focused on this military aviation background as I specialised in acquiring ex military housing leading to my direct involvement in aviation.
After leaving Bomber/Strike command my father flew Devons(Doves) and Pembrokes and one of his last postings was RAF Notholt when he regularly flew Harold Wilson whilst he was Prime Minister. As a result I was most interested in former RAF Devons/Doves and DC3 Dakatos and here is some information about my history in this sector.

Whilst living with my parents at RAF Northolt I wished to obtain a PPL. When I was just 17 years old I started a course at nearby Denham airfield Uxbridge. I soon realised that it was only for professionals as I nearly had a nasty accident on landing.
However I continued my aviation interest and purchased my first Dove 6, G-APZU c/n 04511, at the ripe old age of 24, from Lulsgate Aviation Services of Bristol airport.
Initially I leased it to McAlpine Aviation at Luton and it was placed on their Air Operator's Certificate for ad hoc charter work. A couple of my earliest contracts were in the late autumn of 1972 when we ferried Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five on their UK tour followed by Donny Osmond and the Osmonds.
Shortly afterwards I was approached by Harry Chang, a pilot of the then recently collapsed 'troop carrier' airline, Lloyds International, who had available two contracts with Conoco and The Ford Motor Company.
The first was to move offshore oil rig workers around North Sea ports and the second to convey spare parts for the recently introduced Ford Capri between Dagenham and Dusseldorf.
With these contracts I secured a bank loan and formed Macedonian Aviation and immediately established our first base at Southend airport, making Harry Chang my Chief Pilot.
In 1972 I went before the Civil Aviation Committee to obtain our own AOC and the CAA chairman at the time was Lord Boyd-Carpenter. When the AOC was granted he passed comment that "Mr Collins at only 26 years of age must be one of the youngest persons in British aviation history to be awarded with an AOC".

Dove G-APZU was relocated to Southend and I then purchased the 'workhorse' of BAE Filton, a Dakota DC-3
G-AMPO cn 33186, in 30 seat configuration which was used to fly the engineers working on Concorde production between Bristol, Filton and Toulouse.
Dove G-APZU went into service for passenger charters from Luton and Southend in the October with several flights to Hamburg, Copenhagen and Oslo. G-AMPO was put through a pre-service check with Dan Air at Lasham and resprayed at Eagle Air Services at Leavesden, as was the Dove.

Ron Mak photographed DC-3 G-AMPO in 1973 at Southend; Ron Mak has an extensive series of photo on my website

Painting by renowned aviation artist John Young; Roger wrote: " G-AMPO depicted while fleeing Beirut, en route to
Nicosia (Cyprus) on 10Sep1972, after the Israels bombed Beirut airport following the massacre of the Israeli athletes
at the Munich Olympics. It rescued me and 30 British people who were attending a wedding in Beirut.
The aircraft was escorted out of Lebanese airspace by two Israeli fighters."

Later in September 1972, after completion of crew training G-AMPO returned to Southend to commence operations. On November 5th it took its first paying passengers to Amsterdam.
The Dove G-APZU finally arrived at Southend on November 24th. Over the winter season the Dove operated a multitude of charter fights to Belgium, France, Germany and Holland. Finally the Dove G-APZU was sold to Shackleton Aviation in February 1973.
By the spring 1973 G-AMPO was busy flying almost daily to Jersey, Ostend, Brussels and Saarbrucken.
On May 3rd 1973 it flew a service to Groningen - Bergen - Birmingham - Brussels - Southend. By the summer that year the Dakota was working flat out on regular flights between Coventry - Jersey, Birmingham - Cologne, Southend - Castle Donnington - Stornoway. It also undertook many flights for Intra Airways. In November and December it was flying to Brussels, Calais, Cologne, Coventry Exeter, Geneva, Glasgow, Lisbon, Malta, Marseilles, Newcastle and Saarbrucken. During these months it was carrying various car components for the Ford Motor Company and transferring gold bullion for the UK Treasury to and from Germany, Belgium and France.
In December 1973 Macedonian commenced oil rig support business for the first time and as a result the Dakota was then relocated to Aberdeen in connection with this contract.
With this massive increase in work load, Macedonian looked for more DC-3s to buy and in March 1974 they purchased from Jersey, British Island Airway's last 3 Dakotas.
The first 2 aircraft, G-AMHJ c/n 13468 and G-AMRA c/n 26735, arrived at Southend March 8th 1974.
They were in a convertible cargo/passenger configuration and were moved to Aberdeen on April 27th 1974 for transportation of crews and equipment to Sumburgh on the Shetland Islands.
Dakota G-AMPO arrived in Aberdeen also in April, but was moved back to Southend that spring for services to Amsterdam, Belfast, Gibraltar, Hamburg, Hurn, Heathrow, Le Havre, Lisbon, Ostend, Rotterdam, Saarbrucken and Teeside.
Then in September the third ex BIA DC-3, G-AMSV c/n 32830, arrived at Southend.
In April 1974 Macedonian Aviation acquired the former Dutch Limburg Airlines route from Rotterdam to Le Havre replacing their Fokker Friendships with Dakotas.

Then during summer of 1974 I was hearing that the oil companies were going to insist on turboprop operations so he [sic] opened negotiations to acquire 3 Aer Lingus Viscounts and 6 Air Canada Viscounts or 3 Eastern Provincial Heralds.
These negotiations were not successful and having appraised the cost of running a turboprop operation, which I was sure would not be profitable, I sold the entire Macedonian Aviation as a going concern.
On November 6th 1974 all the aircraft returned to Southend and the new owners were unable to raise finance to support turboprop operations by the end of the year, they ceased all flying.
The aircraft went to Humber Airways, followed by Eastern Airways, who operated the Heathrow - Norwich - Humberside scheduled service."

Note: 'in reference to G-AMPZ 'leased from FlyBE', ATDB.aero depicts the current name of what was then
probably known as Intra Airways (1969-1979), which went on to become Jersey European Airways (1979-
2000) and British European (2000-2002) and currently FlyBE (2000-). Period of lease is not defined.

Roger continues:
"I went without another aircraft until 1995, until I acquired my second Devon/Dove VP961, G-HBBC c/n 04211, constructed at Hawarden in 1948 and was the former personal aircraft of HRH Prince Philip in which he learnt to fly twins whilst with the Royal Flight.
HRH piloted this aircraft on 67 flights and I reintroduced it to him at RAF Northolt in 1998 and he commented on such a wonderful restoration and brought him many happy memories.
As a back up for its operations, I purchased an ex/ RNAS Sea Devon XK896, G-RNAS c/n 04473, built 1956 originally at HMS Heron RNAS Yeovilton.
Both Doves were based at Bristol Filton until 2002, when I relocated G-HBBC to Compton Abbas.
G-RNAS was stolen (!) from Filton and ended up in a quarry at Chepstow being used by a diving club... Pic Airliners.net
In 2001 I also acquired four Cessna 150 and 172s, which were leased to Compton Abbas airfield for flying training.

In conclusion, for almost the past 40 years [I] specialised in the purchase of former UK military property, mainly Married Quarters, but also a couple of ex RAF airfields and the former Bomber/Strike Command HQ, Bawtry Hall.
I am an RAF Brat and the CEO of the Welbeck Estate Securities Group, preceded by First State Holdings; the specialty has always been the the preservation and retention of former MOD properties which has been my stated aim since I bought my first military site at RAF Faldingworth near Lincoln in 1979.
If you visit our website: http://www.twsg.co.uk/ there is a wealth of information on aviation as well as military (RAF) bases we have owned over the years."

Med vennlig hilsen / Kind regards
Roger Byron-Collins FIIV

deHavilland DH.104 DOVE 8, G-HBBC c/n 04211: '14 May 2010 To Roger Charles Gawn, Trustee of:, Melton Hall, Melton Park, Melton Constable with c/r G-HBBC (DH104 DOVE 8, 04211).' Apparently still based at Compton Abbas, Dorset.'
For more: www.aerialvisuals.ca
deHavilland Dove 5, G-APZU c/n 04511: little seems to be known of its fate beyond 1973 (Shackleton Aviation), Reg Cancel Date: 1989-04-14 [www.airport-data.com]. Found a 1975 photo on AirTeamImages.com in Severn Airways livery. Described as De Havilland DH.104 Dove 6, G-APZU is found on ABpic.co.uk pic'd 'Date Taken: 23/04/1983' & 'wfu at Exeter 3/4/89 and registration cancelled by CAA 14/4/89.' And former operator stated as RSA Parachute Club.

A few more details on my Photos by Friends & Guests #57 on Macedonian Aviation