old colors (photographer not known)

This DC-3 was built in 1941 and I believe it has been stored at Santa Rosa since January 2008. So I was delighted to see it returning from an air test and it departed the following day on the long ferry flight to its new owners in Farmingdale, Long Island.

The first Stratocruiser for NWA, seen during a photo shoot in July 1949 or possibly on 10 May during a test flight. The photo was made into a popular postcard. Photo from: Northwest Airlines History Center

(photographer not known)

(photographer not known)

leased from Comair (photographer not known)

Evidently Westates Airlines operated as a Trans World Express affiliate for a while. A press relese dated 11 October 1991 says flights would start on 27 October.

A Convair 340 for United Airlines as N73129 Mainliner Toledo in March 1953. To Frontier Airlines in 1962, the aircraft was converted to a CV580 in 1964. Acquired by Gem State Airlines (N117GS) in 1979, merged with local carrier Air Pacific to form Golden Gate Airlines (N73129) in 1980 only to shut down in 1981. Next with ERA Helicopters / Jet Alaska / Era AViation 1981 - 2003. Bought via Kelowna Flightcraft, Conair converted it to an air tanker, finally retiring in 2021. Stored at Red Deer, AB for Buffalo Airways in August 2021, who bought three Conair CV580s for their engines and propellers.

Photographer: Clive Head. K64 slide scan. Built 1957 for BEA, merged into British Airways 1974. Intended lease to Skbus as ZK-SKY 1981 fell trough. BAF 1982, leased succesively to Polar Airways, Aerolink, Euroair and Virgin. Returned to BAF 1985, withdrawn Southend 1987 and scrapped 1991.

Parked outside the Champaign Museum's hangar during MERFI, still in her previous outfit as an air tanker. Though on the FAA registry as N381EC, she doesn't wear it. Ex 44-35948, but was never delivered to the USAAF, instead went directly to the RFC and storage at Kingman AFB, AZ. Had some On Mark modifications fitted during her long and varied career, but these were apparently removed during the tanker conversion.

Ex USAAF 44-28866, sitting outside her home hangar during MERFI.

1943: TOS USAAF as AT-7 42-56774. 1943: TOS USN as SNB-2, BuNo 67124. 1954: Remanufactured as SNB-5P. 1955: NAS/MCAS Kaneohe Bay, HI. Unknown date: NAS Pensacola, FL. 7/62: Redesignated RC-45J. 1971: Golden Triangle Vocational Technical Center, Columbus, MS with c/r N4207. 1/83: James V. Ricks, Greenwood, MS. 12/84: Confederate Air Force, Harlingen, TX. 1993 to 1998: Restored by CAF at Madison, MS. 27 Mar '98: First post-restoration flight.

Built 1958, ex CF-MCL and N400US. February 27th 1964 LN-SUK Braathens SAFE. September 20 1973 OO-VGK DAT- Delta Air Transport. October 1976 C-GIOY Conair Aviation, converted to Firebomber. 2001 wfu and broken up by 2003, after 45 years in the air :) Shot by my friend Jan Olav Martinsen at Fornebu in 1972

Built as CV-340

Damaged beyond repair 4 Sep 1989 at SETA Taura Air Base (SETA) after performing a gear up emergency landing.

At Duxford with Canadian marks taped over. Later to G-BKGM and has worn a number of colour schemes over the years.

Revised livery

US Army L-20 53-2829 was delivered April 24 1954. It was one of a number of ex Army Beavers bought by B - M Aviation and stored at Lachute, QC in 1973. Put on the Canadian Register circa 1979 after rebuild, the aircraft remained in the Province of Quebec until sold in 2019 to Clark's Northern Lights Resort.

On display at Expo 86 in Vancouver