A89-307 in its original glossy sea blue finish and without the underwing jet pods installed later in 1959. It and its companion A89-312 diverted to Brisbane because -307 experienced a prop overspeed. Photo by Barry Flood.

Operated by Black Hills Aviation.

Ex Netherlands Navy. in use with the KLM Technical School as instructional airframe. Photo by R. Jonker

With former registration N4846N crossed out and current reg N125HP handsprayed on. This aircraft was to have gone to the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB in Aug 2006, but it was still at Greybull by 2009. In Mar 2011 it was sold to Sheppard Trucking Inc., which does not bode well for this Neptune because the company is in the business of scrapping and smelting aircraft.

All markings painted out on this former US Navy Neptune, ex BuNo 148341, coded PL-7. Ex registration N2216K can still be seen, crossed out. MASDC inventory number 1P388 is still visible on the nose.

Ex US Navy 148359 with markings painted out, but still has unit code PG-12 on the tip tank and MASDC inventory number 1P418 on the nosewheel doors. The registration looks more like N22180 than its official N2218Q.

One of many stored Neptunes at Greybull, this one with a strangely painted registration. It looks much more like N22165 than the correct N2216S.

On a fine morning on the Dutch coast I managed to catch most of the Dutch Navy's types doing circuits. I made it back to my place near Heathrow in 3 hours from the Valkenburg approach on public transport though I had to run for the BEA Trident!

VP-24 NAS Norfolk VA

Two Neptunes stored in Neptune Aviation Services' boneyard at their Missoula home base. The one in front is N949RR, which still has a "Patron 69" badge below the cockpit. The one hiding behind the bushes is N63819 (ex BuNo 147965).

Three of four Neptunes stored in Neptune Aviation Services' boneyard at their Missoula home base. The closest one is N63819 (ex BuNo 147965), which has all its US Navy markings painted out. Behind it on the left is N714AU (ex BuNo 148339), still coded LZ-14, and on the right is N949RR (ex BuNo 147949), coded PJ-3. The wingtip on the far right belongs to Fokker F-27 N222DG. The tailfin of the fourth Neptune N362RR (ex BuNo 148362) can also be seen.

Tail sections of two Neptunes stored in Neptune Aviation Services' boneyard at their Missoula home base. The one behind is N63819 (ex BuNo 147965).

One of four Neptunes stored in Neptune Aviation Services' boneyard, 700m east of their Missoula hangar. Like most Neptunes there this one still carries its US Navy markings, with some bits painted out. Below the cockpit it has faint silvery "University of Nevada - Reno" and "Fire Science Academy" titles and logo. This aircraft was the only one in the boneyard that could reasonably be photographed. The Neptune behind is N714AU (ex BuNo 148339), which still carries code LZ-14.

It may be hard to believe, but this Neptune is not a spares ship. It is undergoing restoration to flight, after many years of storage and neglect. It made its first post-restoration flight on 6 Dec 2007 and became Tanker 42 (N442NA) a week later. Unfortunately its career would not be long - a bit more than a year later, on 25 Apr 2009, it crashed into high ground in the Oquirrh Mountains near Stockton Pass, UT, during a positioning flight from Missoula, MT to Alamogordo, NM. In this photo it still carries its former US Navy markings, with faded MASDC inventory number PA011 still on the nose.

This once proud Neptune, one of many in the NAS fleet at the time, unfortunately crashed shortly after take-off from Reno-Stead, NV on 1 Sep 2008.