Beautiful VH-ABR seen departing Avalon is a fine tribute to Ansett and ANA Airlines.

still going strong

Built for American with Wright GR-1820-202A engines but went to USAF as C-49J 43-1975. Falsely painted as 41-6315 (from its c/n) on this side, and as 41-6531 on the other side. Not a bad way to start my trip to the States.

standing ready

Snapped in 1942 - Ship 41, the DC-3 preserved in the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta. She was Delta's second DC-3 to enter service, and flew to Meacham Field from Atlanta on her first revenue trip one year earlier on 19 January 1941. Photo by: Arthur Rothstein / Library of Congress

This is currently the only operational DC-3 in Villavicencio, seen here on a brief stop in Barranco Minas, Guiana. Aprox 1.45 hours East of Villavicencio. Todays flight was Puerto Inirida - Barranco Minas - Villavicencio. The flight was carrying both cargo and passengers.

About to touch down on runway 15 at Anchorage, AK. I first photographed this DC-3 over a half century ago, and we're both still flying!

Photographed part-way through a repaint into WW2 USAAF markings.

Ex USAF 43-49090 - photographer unknown

ex USAAF 43-49817, RAF KN212, G-AMZF, JY625 and CF-RTY - became C-GCUW in 1984, but not used - photographer not known Somewhere in the Caribbean, I would guess

Former USAAF serial 43-15810 which was delivered on 12 May 1944 and near direct transferred to India on 5 June 1944. The Dakota flew in support of the India China ATC and from 10 April 1946 for the Indian Government. It became VT-CME on 16 July 1947 and was owned by Maharajah Hirai Dr Sir Kameschwara Singh Darbhanga from 20 August 1948 until at least 1957. The Dakota returned to the Indian Air Force in June 1963. From 2000 is was preserved Belgaum but later transferred to Yelahanka AFS. It serves now as a proud gate guard.

Joined First Nations Transportation (FNT) Inc - " Serving the North" - supplying remote communities from 2006, but the firm lost its operator's licence over the course of 2009. Bought by Buffalo Airways in 2010. Sold to Basler Turbo Conversions Llc in 2016. Became Basler BT-67 N144WC.

3768m Volcano Fuego looming behind

There are several aircraft along the runway at Pucallpa. The DC-3 is OB-1345, identified by the Peruvian flag in the tail and the cheatline has been compared to older images of OB-1345. Behind the DC-3 we can see a dumped fuselage. It looks like a Peruvian Army An32 in the colors they had about 20 years ago. While all those An32s have been noted in the newer c/s, exept for EP-837 that crashed in Puerto Esperanza Airport (SPEP), Peru on 4 April 2004.

There are three larger propliners along the runway at Pucallpa, this should be PT-JAS (fake registration) or previously HK-2665, impounted over 25 years ago for illegal transports. Still a large problem in this part of Peru. Picture taken from a passenger flight departing Pucallpa for Iquitos.

There are three large propliners along the runway at Pucallpa. Two DC-3s and a DC4, of the two DC-3 this one was identified as OB-1345 based on older photos with this cheatline and the remains of a small Peruvian flag on the tail viseble in this image.

This DC-3, origianlly 44-76869 with the US Army Air Force, was in Salair's fleet 1989 -1996. It's pictured in the second color scheme it wore with the cargo airline.

Ex USAAF 42-93089. To Honduran Air Force in October 1962. Withdrawn from use in the late 1990s and stored at Toncontin for many years, still present in 2019.

Still wearing the name 'Chief Tariri' which it gained during its time in Ecuador as HC-AOP between 1968 and 1984. Sold to JAARS and spent time in Africa as N13JA and 5Y-BLL before returning to the US and joining Missionary Flights as N301MF in December 1998. Re-registered N200MF in May 2000 and sold to Dodson Aviation in February 2003. Registered as N200MX to Cheyenne Airways in June 2004 and with the Bolack Electromechanical Museum in Farmington, New Mexico by 2009. Cancelled from the register in 2018.

Ex USAAF 44-76488, delivered on 19 Mar'45, 2 days later to RAF Montreal as KN397 on where it ended up with 12MU at Oakington on 8 Sep'47. It became G-AMSV in May'52, then N347DK in Feb'08. Sold to Rajeev Chandrasekhar in 2011 and donated by him to the Indian AF Vintage Flight at AFS Hindon on 13 Feb'18. It received serial VP905, the same as the first C-47 in Indian service that transported the troops in 1947. It departed the UK on delivery to India on 17 Apr'18, arriving there on 26 Apr'18. It is named Parashurama, the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism