Photographed on standby at at the USFS Air Tanker Base.

This Convair remained active until the early 90s. Delivered to KLM February 28, 1949 as PH-TEK, it was re-registered PH-CEK and named "Johannes Vermeer" in 1954. It later flew with LOT Polish Airlines from 1959-1968.

Delivered to the USAAF as C-54D 42-72442 then transferred to the RAF as KL977 in 1945. To the US Navy as R5D-3 91994 in 1946. Redesignated as a C-54Q in 1962. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB with park code 3C065 in 1970. To Aero Union as N62296 in 1974. Converted to a firebomber and reregistered as N76AU in 1976. Deconverted from a firebomber in 1990 and painted in USAAF colours by 1992. To Aero Flite as N3054V in 2001 then to Brooks Fuel in 2007 and Alaska Air Fuel in 2013. Sadly, this aircraft, with its two crew, was lost in a crash immediately after take-off from Fairbanks, Alaska on 23 April 2024. By then, it was the last DC-4 flying commercially in the USA.

Delivered to the USAAF as C-54B 42-72354 then transferred to the US Navy as R5D-2 50855 in 1944. Redesignated as a C-54P in 1962. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB with park code 3C113 in 1975. Sold to Biegert Aviation as N67109 in 1975. To Aero Union in 1978 and converted to a fire bomber. Destroyed by fire after a nosewheel collapse while landing at Chico, CA in 1990.

Preserved at Lancaster-WJ Fox Field from 1969. Moved to Edwards AFB in 2003.

Ex USAF it became an exhibit for the Milestones of Flight Air Museum at Lancaster Fox Field CA. at some time after this photo (possibly 2013). The museum closed in 2015. Aircraft still noted there in early 2018.

Lifting off for another circuit during a crew training detail.

An unexpected surprise! On this day I was driving from LAS to LAX taking a slightly circuitous route in order to call in at Mojave and see all the stored aircraft there. The onward route to LAX took me past Lancaster CA. As I got nearer, to my great surprise, I saw the unmistakable and amazing sight of a Constellation, Furthermore it was flying circuits! It turned out to be N73544 doing some crew training prior to its eventual trip to Switzerland the following month. Little did I know at the time that just over 2 years later I would fly on it through the Alps from and to Geneva.

End of training and on short final for a full stop landing. What a great and totally unexpected day this was.

The S-55QT (Quiet Technology) conversion was started by Orlando Helicopter in the mid 1980s and continued by Vertical Aviation Technology (VAT) in the 1990s, at the request of Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters who needed quieter helicopters for their sight-seeing flights. It features a 5-blade rotor instead of the standard 3-blade one, revised engine intakes and exhausts, and noise-suppressing engine covers. It also has extra large windows to improve the passenger's view. The conversion was certified in December 1999. This example still carries its old Papillon colours.

This S-55QT (Quiet Technology) conversion previously flew sight-seeing flights over the Grand Canyon with Papillon Helicopters, hence the large windows. It also still carries their colours.

Tanker 66 DC-7B departs to the east for another fire suppression mission

The Skycrane helicopter is an impressive and unique beast.

On outdoor display at the Milestones of Flight Air Museum since March 1992.