At the time of this photo, Northern Air Cargo's once very impressive DC-6 fleet was slowly being phased out by NAC's new owners, and was already down to five flyable aircraft. Only four of them saw fairly frequent use, one of which was this N6174C (ex C-GBYN, N1281, N402US, N34959). It was acquired by them in June 2002, and eventually withdrawn from use in Sep 2008. A little over a year later this oldie was bought by Everts Air Cargo, and was still in use with them by 2016.

This aircraft, seen here at the start of its takeoff run on runway 14, joined the Everts fleet in August 2000. It was originally delivered to Canadian Pacific way back in July 1958 as CF-CZZ. It later served as a sprayer with Conifair (C-GBZC) in the mid 1980s and even saw some service as an airtanker with France's Sécurité Civile from 1986 to 1988 as F-ZBAP (Tanker 65). Its last former owner was Conair (C-FCZZ, Tanker 52). By 2017 it still served faithfully with Everts.

Ex-VH-BPH with British Commonwealth Pacific Airways, ZK-BGC joined TEAL in May 1954 (ZK-BFC not taken up). In 1961 it was sold to the Royal New Zealand Air Force as NZ3633. In the background are an RAAF Canberra and DH98 Mosquito VH-WWS. The latter's history is known in detail and it was based at Sydney airport in between December 17, 1956 and February 19, 1957, so it is assumed that is when the photo was taken.. WWS otherwise operated from Camden/YSCN airport. Photo by the late Mary Thomas, of Sydney.

Photo taken by an unknown photographer in the second half of 1954. This aircraft had been VH-BPF with British Commonwealth Pacific Airways, a joint Anglo-Australian-New Zealand airline. BCPA closed down after a major accident and the remaining DC-6s transferred to TEAL, which was another tri-national airline but with a higher New Zealand ownership. VH-BPF became ZK-BGA on May 13, 1954 (ZK-BFA was not taken up, contrary to many sources), and was sold to the New Zealand air force as NZ3631 in 1961, the year TEAL became an entirely New Zealand-owned airline. TEAL would later change its name to Air New Zealand. Negative held by Bill Gray, Perth, Australia.

This pristine aircraft is an ex-military VIP C-118, 53-3286. It crashed into the sea off Kingston Jamaica on 20th July, 1979

At the time of this photo Everts operated the largest fleet of Douglas DC-6s in the world, and ten years later they were the world's last commercial operator of the type. This former Sis-Q aircraft N555SQ (Tanker 45) was was originally delivered to United Airlines in June 1957 as N37585. Everts acquired it in 1994 and operated it for 18 years until withdrawn from use in 2012. It is now stored at Fairbanks, AK and used for spares to keep the rest of their fleet in the air.

Delivered to KLM in 1952 as PH-TFL.

Withdrawn from use in 1967 and stored. Later sold in Taiwan as B-12201

Withdrawn from use in 1976 and scrapped

NAC acquired this Liftmaster in March 1991. At the time of this photo it was more than half a century old, having been delivered to the USAF in April 1955 (as 53-3265). When Northern Air Cargo was taken over by Saltchuk Resources from Seattle, it was decided to phase out these wonderful old propliners. This oldie was sold to Everts Air Cargo in 2009 for spares use, and slowly reduced to scrap at Fairbanks, AK in the years that followed.

Returned in 1966 from a six-year lease to TAA, VH-INH was placed back into Ansett-ANA service for a short time. Sold to Sterling in 1967 as OY-STP.

Destroyed along with several other aircraft in an Israeli commando raid on Beirut airport December 28, 1968

Military Airlift Command. Sold in 1976 and scrapped at Davis-Monthan AFB.

Whilst it is unfortunate that this aircraft will never fly again, it has been preserved as the restaurant at Airbase, a working museum at Coventry. The conversion is stylish and superbly executed and the whole Airbase experience is worth a visit.

A lucky LHR diversion when seen here, this well-known swing-tail DC-6 ended her days when w/o with Northern Air Cargo as N867TA in 1986

A favourite DC-6 shot. B/u in Iceland 1983. See my other photo of TF-IUB on take-off for more info

2008 should have brought a visit by Heathrow by this magnificent machine to close her British Eagle season, marking the last service into LHR by that airline exactly 40 years earlier. However, thanks to a deplorable decision at a late stage by the BAA to refuse permission, it didn't happen. Here's a tiny consolation from her working career, on a mail run from Heathrow due to a BA crew strike

Delivered to the USAF in 3.55 and bought by the Atlas Aircraft Co in 5.76 for conversion to DC-6A; leased by Rich International to Caicos Caribbean in 11.87 and thought to have been exported to El Salvador around 12.92 but fate obscure