Propliners Off-airport N.America

Aviation enthusiasts find their bounty at airports; even aviation museums and salvaging companies are often at airports or close by. However, some aircraft survive on remote locations away from airports, as part of a restaurant, hotel or even a chicken coop; these survivors are easily overlooked.
I hope to remedy some of that with this page and would welcome tips & photos and if possible the story of how and why the aircraft was enrolled in its new career.
Note: the webmaster accepts no resposibility for accuracy or actuality of any of the information published here.

North America

This Douglas DC-6B on top of a shop (Pike's Aviator Greenhouse and Sweets on Airport Road) in Fairbanks,AK (photo is from 2004) is former N999SQ (c/n 43274) which used to have employment with Everts Air Fuel. But it also flew with Swissair (as HB-IBA) in the 1950s.
I photographed it stored at Fairbanks in 1995 and 2003.
If you click on the photo the link will take you to the excellent wandering about in Fairbanks website of Mr Cysewski; a larger image of this photo is situated about half way of that webpage.
Here is a photo, by Terence Goodrich, of HB-IBA in employ by Swissair (photo probably taken in 1956).
Here it is on Airliners.net, dated April 2004.

This is Douglas C-47B 45-1037 (cn17040/34306) near Haines Junction in the Ruby Mountains, which I photographed on 06Aug03.
Click on the photo for a link to my report.

Photo from: www.roadsideamerica.com/tnews/NewsItemDisplay.php?Tip_AttrId=14623
Air Rajneesh bed and breakfast

SHEFFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A man’s dream to convert an airplane into a bed and breakfast has encountered a little turbulence.
Ed Guidicelli, a 40-year-old antiques enthusiast with a knack for restoration, hopes to transform the 42-passenger Convair into a studio-style, luxury bed and breakfast.
Right now though, the 1948 aircraft looks like it crashed in his back yard, a wooded 4-acre lot in northeast Ohio.
Guidicelli believes the project could help put his economically depressed Lorain County town on the map.
But Guidicelli acknowledges the naysayers — and the possibility that his dream will get shot down.
Township trustee Timothy Mihalcik said he has received many complaints from residents, pressuring township officials to put an end to Guidicelli’s backyard collection, which includes a vintage C&O caboose parked on rails near the plane.
Trustees adopted a zoning ordinance last year outlawing residents from keeping planes, trains and other eyesores on their property. Guidicelli’s plane and caboose will be protected by a grandfather clause.
Township zoning inspector Harold Wilson said for Guidicelli to open a bed and breakfast he must have the property rezoned from residential to commercial — unlikely given the lack of a central sanitation system in the area.
Guidicelli though is unperturbed. He already has begun to refurbish the interior with hardwood floors and new walls.
He said he has given tours of the plane and caboose to more than a hundred visitors, most who have offered encouragement and support.
"It’s a piece of history," Guidicelli said. "And most people are thrilled that I'm saving it. A part of me knew it would be an uphill battle. But if I don’t do it now, I never will."

Ed Guidicelli keeps this 1948, 42-passenger Convair in his yard in Sheffield, west of Cleveland. Neighbors have complained about the plane, which Guidicelli wants to convert into a bed-and-breakfast.
Photo: JOSHUA GUNTER,
THE (CLEVELAND) PLAIN DEALER
Source: here

The plane’s history is rather infamous.
It was once emblazoned with the words "Air Rajneesh" and is believed to have been among several in a fleet owned by former cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who left India in the early 1980s and established a commune of his followers in Antelope, Oregon.
During the several years when the commune thrived, Rajneesh created his own airline to shuttle disciples to and from the remote, arid town.
But after a series of controversies and criminal investigations, the commune dissolved and Rajneesh was deported. The guru died in 1990.
How one of his airplanes ended up in Ohio is unclear.
But when Guidicelli spotted it, disassembled and scattered on some property along the side of a highway in Oak Harbor, west of Sandusky, he knew he had to own it. Ever since he was a child, Guidicelli wanted an airplane.
He made several offers, but the owner seemed intent on selling it to a nearby water park. Guidicelli didn’t think he could outbid a water park, but he persisted. When the owner fell on hard times before the water park was ready to buy, Guidicelli made his move.
Before long, the “Air Rajneesh” — in six pieces loaded onto two semis — landed in Sheffield.
The above text is from http://www.cantonrep.com/printable.php?ID=348098, dated 13Apr07.

The book "North American Survivors" by Roy Blewitt identifies this plane as Convair 240 N314H (c/n 31). Former identities, before becoming N314H: NC94218, N1L and N7779.
It was part of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh' fleet of Convairs and DC-3's, which flew in support of his infamous commune at Big Muddy Ranch, Antelope,OR. It ended up as an instructional airframe at Lewis University, was broken up in Dec.1998 and found its way to an RV Camp near Camp Perry in Ohio, alongside Route 2, close to where it become I-2.

Aad van der Voet (of OldWings.nl) added (13Nov07):
As the news item already tells us, the owner (Edwin A. Guidicelli) faced rather fierce opposition from his neighbors and the town council, abandoned his bed & breakfast plans, and offered the Convair for sale in May 2007, only 5 months after it had been delivered to his home.
On top of that, Mr. Guidicelli died 6 days ago, so I think the future of this aircraft now looks very grim...

James Rachetto wrote in Nov.2007: I went inside N314H, the Oregon guru's plane, when it stopped over at Roseburg, Oregon in the 1980's.
I am not sure, but I think it had already been sold to another owner at that time.
The control wheels had a small picture of the Bagwan at the center, the cabin was outfitted like a living from and a large picture of Bagwan Shree Rajneesh hung in the back. At that time the plane was airworthy since it stopped at Roseburg for only a few days.

Paul Filmer made an amazing discovery in Denver,CO when he found Douglas DC-7 N6321C (c/n44285) which has been at this location but went unreported for over 30 years!.
Click on the thumbnail for a link to Paul's website (www.skippyscage.com) for a full report on the history of this aircraft and the remarkable move to this location in 1971. Photo © by Paul Filmer and more on his webreport.

Martin 404, tailnumer N255S (c/n 14246), was photographed by Linda Robinson near Paris,Texas in May 2005.
Click on the photo or this link www.southernairways.org/one_martins_fate.htm for more details of that visit by Jim and Linda.
A few details from that website, written by Jim, I reproduce herewith-
"That airplane was N255S, a Martin 404, flown for many years by Southern Airways.And I used to fly THAT airplane!
The owner was Isaac Newton (Ike / Junior) Burchinal, a well-known movie pilot. Some of his credits include; “Flight of the Phoenix,” “Twelve O’clock High,” “Catch 22,” “The Great Waldo Pepper,” and “McArthur.” You might remember a scene in the movie “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad World” in which a Beech 18 flew through a billboard. That was Ike! He also was the pilot for Robert Conrad in the TV series, “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.”
N255S is a tired old bird and hasn’t been flown in years. She now serves as home to hundreds of smaller birds. But she still has that proud look. With her tail held high and her black nose pointed forward she appears to have the spirit to fly once more but she would need a lot of help. Ike says that for $60,000 she can be yours. Anybody out there interested? "

Here are 3 photos on Airliners.net

Click on the photo for larger sizes of this photo by Mike Rosebery at Flickr.com

Aad van de Voet contributed the following (Oct.2006):
"The Mount Pleasant location (on the Flickr.com website) is a mistake. The photo clearly shows the aircraft at its old location, in the Flying Tigers Air Museum, where it has been since 1991.
The museum is located at the Flying Tigers airfield (coded 39TA, name unrelated to the former airline), just west of Paris,TX along the I-82.
Both the airfield and the museum are owned by Mr. Burchinal, to whom the Martin is also still registered. The museum has no connection to the one with the same name at Kissimmee, FL.
The Martin can be seen in Google Earth at coordinates 33 38 59N 95 39 24W . Or at this Google Maps link "
"Unfortunately the museum is now only a glimpse of its former self. In fact I even doubt if the museum still exists, because Mr. Burchinal's other aircraft haven't been seen there for many years. It would appear only the Martin 404 now remains, and I think its future is very uncertain..."

Photo: © Sean Keating, 2002 (published with permission).
Boeing C-97G Stratofreighter (tailnumber N227AR, c/n 16795) sits on an estate which used to be a farm north of Dodgeville,WI; the property was bought by Don Quinn in 1964 and he converted the farmhouse & barn into a restaurant and hotel.
The property was sold to Roger Defring (present owner); Dodgeville's Mun'l Airport was built on land adjacent to what is now the Inn, but the airport closed circa 1987. The Strat landed here (when exactly?) and it was towed to the Inn.
This vintage transport was once used as a film prop for a of series perfume adds; and it has Farah Fawcett's autograph on the lower front fuselage...
(Source: North American Survivors, 2005; by Roy Blewitt).

This Stratofreighter was built as KC-97G-28-BO for the USAF (tailnumber 52-2764) and later converted to C-97G; when converted for civilian market it was registered N227AR.

Sean Keating wrote (Mar.2006): Here are a few photos from my trip in July 2002. This plane is a giant pigeons nest, lots of them especially in the tail… you will note that the plane is nearly complete inside, just as it left the USAF! And it smells just like an old propliner: avgas and mold..!!!

Sean digged a little deeper an dalso provided the following link: Dodgeville Municipal Airport (55C), Dodgeville, WI (scroll down). It has the following info:
The most remarkable aspect of the Dodgeville Airport is its resident Boeing C-97G, which serves as a static display at the Don Q Inn which sits adjacent to the south side of the airport.
Dodgeville's C-97G was built in 1952, and it has logged a total of 10,068 hours of flight. This particular C-97G was used to film two commercials for the Mercury Cougar in 1975 and Farrah Fawcett's autograph appears on the lower fuselage.
It was purchased in 1977 from a bankrupt company in Long Beach,CA. Registered as N227AR, the C-97G was flown into the comparatively tiny 2,800' runway at Dodgeville in 1977. Each main landing gear was three feet outside the edge of the runway, creating a large cloud of dust...
Upon touchdown, the plane was put into reverse thrust and the brakes applied to maximum, stopping the C-97G just in the nick of time.
According to Dick Phillips (retired Northwest Airlines), "The C-97G was flown into the field by Dick Schmidt. He was an Air Force Reserve C-97 pilot and a Captain for Air Wisconsin. I knew him quite well when I worked for Air Wisconsin back in the 1960s & 1970s."
Ron Plante recalled, "I first saw the plane back in 1986-87. I'm certain the airport was open at that time."
Dodgeville was still listed as an active airport in the 1987 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy). The Dodgeville Airport apparently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1987-98, as it was no longer depicted at all (not even as an abandoned airfield) on the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart.

Sean also provided the following photos from his 1999 visit:

Sean also wrote this at the time (1999): "Dodgeville, Wisconsin is a very scenic land with lush green meadows and a Boeing C-97G parked outside a hotel. The fantasy-suite Don Q Inn is the final resting place for 52-2764 (N227AR) which has an interesting post USAF history.
Withdrawn from use by the California ANG and interned at MASDC by 1971, it was sold along with 3 other C-97’s and four C-133’s to the Long Beach,CA based Foundation for Airborne Relief. It was used for the filming of two Mercury (Ford) Cougar car commercials (see nose art) in 1975, featuring Farrah Faucett (of Charlie's Angels fame) whose painted autograph is still applied to the fuselage. Purchased in 1977 from the by then bankrupt FAR the Strat was flown by pilot Bill Schmidt from Long Beach, arriving at the 2.800ft Dodgeville airstrip on 16th October 1977 with 10,068 hours on the clock.
The strip was next to the Inn and six feet narrower than the wheel track of a C-97, creating a large dust storm on touchdown. This airstrip has since been developed over, giving the aircraft no easy exit but there are no plans to remove this large billboard in the future. Though stored for many years the interior and cockpit remain well preserved creating somewhat of a time capsule." Sean observed that the autograph may be false at it is incorrectly spelled as Faucett.

N227AR at Long Beach,CA 1971
N227AR on Warbirdregistry.org - March 2005

This Boeing Stratofreighter adorns Solo's Restaurant in Colorado Springs (CO), near the Radisson Hotel.

53-0283 was built as a KC-97G, later converted to KC-97L.
It was put on display at NAS JRB Forth Worth,TX. It was bought by a private party in Dec. 2001 and trucked to Colorado Springs,CO and used for a restaurant (from Joe Baugher's website.

Read more on my webpage Stratofreighter at Colorado Springs' Restaurant

Nigel Aylmer sent me this photo in Sep.2006 and wrote: "I have attached a picture of (N9561) UC-45J, taken at the Hawaiian Falls Putting Course at Downtown, Daytona Beach, FL.
Photo was taken on the 27Aug06, for your off airport page."
Many thanks!
This is, according to my records, c/n 456.
FAA's online database shows it was once registered to Steve Detch Vintage Aircraft Inc (Woodstock,GA; Certificate issued 25Feb97) and as N9561 deregistered on 19Apr2000: "destroyed"); its serial on this website is quoted as 67305,no doubt from its military days.
I would welcome more details on its history.
The photo shows it wearing titles "Volcano Explorer".

Per Schmidt relayed the following info from Bob Parmerter (writer of the book on the Beech 18):
Beech c/n 456: AT-7 41-1164 USAAC del Barksdale Navig Train School, LA 30Apr41.
To 341 School Sqdn Mather. Accident 30Mar43 10 mi SW of Mather when emergency landing due to inflight fire.
RFC 16Jan46.
To US Navy Alameda 9Feb46 as SNB-2 Navigator, BuNo 67305.
Remanufactured by Beech to SNB-5 same BuNo 67305 (new c/n N720) del 26Apr51.
Redesignated TC-45J 18Sep & then UC-45J 14Oct64. Transfer to Atlanta Area Tech School, GA 8May69.
Registered as C18S N9561 in 1974 marked “AAT Avn”.
To Steve Detch/Vintage Aircraft Inc, Woodstock, GA reg’d 25Feb97 (stored there '97-'98 with engines, tail & outer wings off).
Reg canx 19Apr00.
To Hawaiian Falls Miniature Golf, Daytona Beach, FL (displayed on poles and marked “Volcano Explorer”) by Jun02.
Bob Parmerter

Of the SNB-2 Navigator 240 airframes were built between 1942-1943, while 117 more were acquired by the US Navy during 1945-1946, for a total of 357.

This Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon (tailnumber N72707, c/n 15-1458) can be found preserved at the entrance of the "Mayday mini-golfcourse" on the north side of town in North Myrtle Beach,SC since Dec98.

The garish yellow colour scheme with "Air Tropic, Island Charters"-titles is a pityful makeover by this golfcourse for this once proud transport.

Read more on its history on my page US Eastcoast 2005

An article on www.landings.com made note of a Convair T-29 "Flying Classroom" converted into a hot dog stand at Tulare,California.
Since it featured in a 2006 tv program I may assume it is still current Mar.2006, though the article seems to date from Aug.2003.
"...look for the 79-foot-long fuselage of a Convair T-29A with a white top and polished bare metal bottom. Aero Dogs is located inside a T-29A Flying Classroom, one of 46 manufactured by Convair in 1950-'51 to train USAF navigators.
Schoenau and his partner Don LeBaron acquired the T-29, minus wings, engines and gear, from Mark Thomson's aircraft scrapyard in El Mirage,CA. in September 2001. They trailered it across the Tehachapi Mountains and up Highway 99 to Tulare, then spent nearly two years converting it into a restaurant. It is located in downtown Tulare.

Tulare hot dog stand

Thanks to Andy Martin for this contribution.
Graham Robson offered: "this must be the former T-29A 50-0193/N1184G that languished at VNY for years. The fuselage remained complete at Adelanto all those years but was not there in April last year - that I could see anyway."

Graham Robson offered this off airport item (published with permission): "This On-Mark Marksman N26GT is preserved at Southy Mountain High School, in southern part of Phoenix,AZ. Donated by Allied Signals (the former Garrett Air Research) after it was replaced by an ageing Boeing 720, as flying engine test-bed.
This marvellous aircraft, one of the very few remaining Marksman C variants (fully pressurised cabin and modified flight-deck incorporating DC-7 windshield) with the 'high cabin' profile was used extensively by Garrett in the development of their highly successful TPE-331 engine, used on the Jetstream 31 and 41 variants, amongst others.
This is possibly the only surviving example of this Marksman variant intact, others that I know of in derelict state are ZS-CVD (fuselage only) in compound at Waterkloof AB, Pretoria stored with the SAAF museum; and N99426, the one time 'Hustler' which was stored at Tamiami,FL. for many years before being badly damaged in a hurricane, which removed its tail feathers. The hulk was then sold to Australia and shipped to Queensland for potential re-build. It never progressed and was eventually returned to the US, by Matt Jackson and is currently still sitting inside the shipping container outside Matt's hangar at California City, Ca. Matt tells me he plans to hang a pair of R-350 engines on her one day and take it to race at Reno....."

Andreas sent me this photo in Oct.2006, he wrote:
"This old Beech N6065V serves as a gate guard to a brothel in Beatty, NV. At the north end of Beatty there is a road branching off Highway 95, heading west. Next to the road this wreck survives (at least current March 2005).
More pics can be found at:
www.lazygranch.com/a51misc1.htm

Other photos of the hulk (and some scuttlebutt on the crash):
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=63366
www.miniquest.com/trips/titus/images/dscn0460.jpg "

Bob Parmerter had the following info to offer:
"It is C-45G AF-206 ex 51-11649. Besides the obvious interesting aspects to its crash landing there is this story from the Twin Beech Bulletin Sept 1998 as told by Russ Sharpe to me":
"Russ Sharpe, Oakdale,CA is restoring TC-45G, ex N7212C, AF-75 and had trouble locating a low pressure electric fuel booster pump to install in the wing of his 18. He looked, he called, he put the word out, all with no results.
Finally he resorted to locating derelict C-45’s in hopes of finding the elusive part. Friend Bruce Boese knew of a interesting possibility and so they set out in Bruce’s D18S, N649B for Beatty, Nevada where C-45G, N6065V sat on its belly alongside U.S. Route 95 earning its keep by attracting customers to a nearby legalized brothel. On May 28, 1977, it had been dropping jumpers at a meet at the brothel when it was damaged beyond repair in a landing accident.
Twenty-one years ago the aviation insurance company had taken the engines and instruments but Russ was hopeful that a small pump might still be hidden inside of a wing. He secured permission at the establishment to investigate and began to burrow his way into the sand in order to get access to the appropriate inspection panel on the underside of a wing. With Bruce fighting off the sagebrush and passing the tools, Russ was finally able to detach the pumps from inside each wing. The cost? Twenty dollars and a day’s scenic trip into the desert."

Sean Keating sent me these photos in August 2006; he quoted a message by someone who had passed it on-
"I managed to acquire an HS 748, that was retired from duty last year in Saskatoon. I towed it to my acreage and am restoring it the best I can - for a giant playhouse for me and my two young boys!"
Cory Rousell

C-FQVE Hs.748 Srs 2B c/n 1792
Read more about TRANSPORT

Beech Expeditor 3NM (Beech 18), CF-WUH (cn A-872 / CA-222)
Photo by Alain Rioux, click on the thumbnail for a larger image at Airliners.net
Alan wrote: "No, this is not a river or a lake but it is a pond. This Beech is now a large roadside attraction on the Trans Canada Highway in the small town of Ignace. It does not carry a registration."
Photo dates from 12Jul06.
Alan has quite a selection on Airliners.net, check it out.
Aad van der Voet added that this Beech has been here on display since 1994.

I was confused by the double construction numbers, Jeff Rankin-Lowe came to the rescue:
"The planned production run was initially assigned A-seires c/n's, then when they were ordered by Canada, they received CA-series c/n's. The two blocks jump around and there's no direct tie-ups between them. None of the many RCAF documents and aircraft record cards that I've seen mention the A-series c/n's, but most Beech and specifically Beech 18 enthusiasts tend to prefer using the A-series, while those who track RCAF aircraft use the CA-series and make reference to the A-series...."
"They were from a batch of 1035 Model D18S aircraft with c/n's A-1 to A-1035. Here's a handy-dandy Buck Rogers decoder ring" :
CA-1 to CA-100 = A-601 to A700
CA-101 = A701
CA-102 to CA-115 = A702 to A-715
CA-116 to CA-135 = A-716 to A-735
CA-136 to CA-155 = A-736 to A-755
CA-156 to CA-166 = A-756 to A-766
CA-167 to CA-175 = A-770 to A-778
CA-176 to CA-178 = A-767 to A-769
CA-179 = A-780
CA-180 = A-782
CA-181 = A-784
CA-182 = A-786
CA-183 = A-788
CA-184 to CA-194 = A-790 to A-800
CA-195 = A-779
CA-196 = A-781
CA-197 = A-783
CA-198 = A-785
CA-199 = A-787
CA-200 = A-789
CA-201 to CA-280 = A-851 to A-930
CA-281 = A-931
"Note that they are grouped into these blocks because of the subtype (e.g. Expeditor 3N, 3TM, 3NM, etc), which especially affects CA-1 to CA-166 (A-601 to A-766) not being shown here as a single block.
I put them in their CA-series order since that was a continuous run from CA-1 to CA-281. There are gaps in the A-series."
Thanks Jeff !

I visited this spot myself, in Oct.2007: see my page on Ignace 2007

Alain Rioux found this off-airport Beech 18 at the Ear Falls District Museum (Ontario,Canada) and displayed it on Airliners.net; click the image for a link to a larger image on Airliners.net. Here is what he wrote:
"CF-EAR is preserved on the grounds of the Ear Falls District Museum. This aircraft is in a very rough shape as can be seen by looking at its right rudder and the ripped off elevator. The a/c sports a Canadian Aws decal but I don't believe the airline ever flew this aircraft type (but used the Lockheed 10A years earlier)."

When I dould not find the construction number, Aad van der Voet came to the rescue:
"CF-EAR is a fake registration, taken from its location in the Ear Falls District...

Alain added: "I do not believe the museum is still in operation."

It is in fact former CF-ZQG, a Beech Expeditor 3TM c/n A-725 (CA-125), which previously served with the Canadian Armed Forces as 1525 and later as 5184. It is at its present location since about the mid 1980's."

Jeff Rankin-Lowe added:
"There's been a lot of published confusion about this aircraft, with some people claiming the one at Ear Falls is really CA-128, initially serialled as 1528 and later as 5185. That is the one preserved at Stephenson Park on CFB Winnipeg outside the Canadian Forces Air Navigation School, along with a CC-129 Dakota, 12949 (ex-KJ965, c/n 26248 [14803]), and a Mitchell 3PT, 5203 (ex/44-86724, c/n 108-47446).

Bob Parmerter added to this:
Interestingly, a US registered 18 has 'borrowed' the CA-128 identity in order to avoid certification problems—Model 3Ts are very difficult to certify in US since they was remanufactured by MacDonald Bros in Canada as a military aircraft.
Page 192 of the Beech 18 Book notes that a 3T model c/n 5988 was "CF-SIJ ex HB139 'The Cargoliner' flew for Millardair from 1969 to 1992, when it was classified a candidate for the U.S. Register, as N40JT c/n 5988. However, in April 1993, the c/n was 'corrected' in FAA files to CA-128, which actually belonged to model 3TM (no certification problems) CF-ZQE, reportedly on display at the Winnipeg Canadian Forces Base, Heritage Park. The new N40JT, now reported as a model 3TM, was seen in 1997 at Key West, FL, still in its Millardair 'The Cargoliner' paint scheme."

In 2007 I came across CF-EAR at Ear Falls myself, CLICK HERE...

Alain Rioux photographed this Noorduyn Norseman CF-DRD at Red Lake on 10Jul06 and published it on Airliners.net
Red Lake, Ontario seems to have an annual gathering of these impressive vintage floatplanes: www.norsemanfestival.on.ca.
Through the website of the Red Lake Museum I stumbled upon their Aviation Photo Archive, something to explore further...

Off-airport Index page

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