53-3265 was sold in the civil market in 1975 becoming N2907F.The addition of 0- to the painted serial flagged the aircraft as more than 10 years old to avoid confusion with serial 63-3265 (a Bullpup missile!). The frantic development of new military aircraft is now a thing of the past and the practice of adding 0- to USAF serials has ended too.

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

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.

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

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

Sold as N380AT in 1976

Ex Conair C-GKFF. Only flew with this Guatemalan carrier for less than a year, so I was very pleased to get it in front of my camera. It was delivered to Aerovias in October 1987, and withdrawn from service in July 1988. It later flew as YV-501C, 9Q-CJP and EL-WIL, before ending up in storage at Johannesburg-Rand, South Africa in 1997. It was broken up there in early 2004.

Shortly after leaving the ground, a magnificent sight and sound.

Ex 53-3258. Believed crashed in the Bahamas 1980 or 1981.