Northern Air Cargo retired its last 2 DC-6 cargo aircraft on 26Sep08 with a ceremony at Ted Stevens Int'l AP (ANC). N6174C operated the final revenue flight, flying mail to Emmonak and returning with a load of fresh fishto ANC. The crew consisted of Capt Becky Wilbur, F/O Jim Foss and F/E Ron Valentine.
The DC-6 has been the backbone of the NAC fleet for 39 years and has played a significant role in the development of rural Alaska. NAC added its first DC-6 in 1969 and ended up acquiring 15 Sixes over a period of 25 years. One DC-6 will be donated to the Alaska Heritage Museum.

Lee Holden sent me these images of deHavilland Doves at Malaga,Spain-

Lee wrote: "These two De Havilland Dove photos were taken at Malaga Airport in September 1994. We flew on N915PJ of Private Jet, leased to Oasis, and it was only leased four 5 months in 1994.
I dont know any of the reg's or construction numbers for these aircraft.
The nicely preserved Dove is just outside the new Malaga Airport Arrivals exit."

Roger Soupart identified this Dove as the one that was later repainted in the livery of Martinair, the Amsterdam,Netherlands-based airline which ceased its short haul segment on 01Nov08.
Malaga-AGP played a dominant role in the history of holiday flights, ever since Martinair was founded in 1958. But the tailnumber on this Dove, PH-VLA, was never carried.
Another deHavilland Dove in Martinair livery is preserved at the Aviodrome in the Netherlands.

A Feb2013 update was sent to me by Frans Truyens and can be seen on Photos by Friends & Guests (36)

Rolf Larsson is requesting help to identify this Lockheed Constellation...

Rolf wrote: "Could you and/or all fellow aviation enthusiasts help me to identify this L.1049 ?
Unfortunately I lost a lot of information, including the registration of this L.1049, in a data-crash. As you can see the registration is overpainted, however the picture was taken at Fort Lauderdale on 15 October 1975 and I am sure many of you out there recognize this old goodie.."

Ellis M. Chernoff identified it as N6206C (cn 4006), named 'Nani', a former Eastern Air Lines shuttle aircraft. Ellis photographed it himself in July 1977 and has his image on Airliners.net

Catair on Airliners.net

Convair CV440 'Metropolitan' OH-LRB of Finnair is seen here at Helsinki.

OH-LRB (cn 73) is preserved at the Finnish Aviation Museum!

Dirk Septer travelled the Canadian North and sent me these images..

This Douglas DC-3 C-GEAJ (14675/26120) was reconfigured by Basler to BT-67 turboprop and Dirk photographed it at Pond Inlet in the High Arctic (on the Baffin Sea), during July 2008.

Pond Inlet (Inuktitut: Mittimatalik, in English the place where Mitima is buried) is a small, predominantly Inuit community in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada and is located at the top of Baffin Island. As of the 2006 census the population was 1,315, an increase of 7.8% from the 2001 census making it the largest of the four hamlets above the 72nd parallel. Pond Inlet was named in 1818 by explorer John Ross for John Pond an English astronomer.
Its economy is largely service based with government as the largest employer. Small businesses that serve the community, tourism, and art work though are also found.
As a tourist destination, Pond Inlet is considered one of Canada's "jewels of the North". It is one of the most picturesque communities with mountainous ranges viewable from all directions. Icebergs are most often accessible from the community within walking distance or a short snowmobile ride in winter.
[Wikipedia]

Unfortunately, this aircraft C-GEAJ came to its end in another arctic region: Antarctica!
From 'RIA Novosti 05Jan09'- Artur Chilingarov, the Russian president's special representative for international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic, said that the plane could not be repaired and that the plans for the international expedition could change.
"Pilots transporting spare parts for the cross-country vehicles of a British expedition lost their bearings and crashed into the ice," Chilingarov said. "The crew of three and a Russian polar explorer are alive. They have been evacuated on a second plane."
He said the loss of the Basler BT-67 plane at the height of the Antarctic summer was a "heavy loss".

Date of the accident was 05Jan09, see the website of Aviation Safety Network

Jerry Vernon provided the following details of history on this aircraft:
C-GEAJ was built as a C-47B-5-DK, c/n 14675/26120, USAAF s/n 43-48859.
It flew with the French Air Force as F-RBNX and later with the South Vietnamese Air Force.
Basler BT-67 conversion No. 35A as N40386, with firebomber kit.
To USAF 6th SOS as a C-47T in 2007(!!)
Registered on 13Aug07 as C-GEAJ to Triumph Airways, Oshawa, Ontario.

I can add that Triumph Airways was renamed Antarctic Logistics Centre International (ALCI) Aviation in 2008. It owns four BT-67s: C-GAWI (Alfred Wegener Institute), C-FTGI, C-GEAI, and C-GEAJ.

Martin 404 N40417 at an unknown date, at Miami Int'l.
N40417 (cn 14123) Ex Piedmont aircraft, sold to Atlantic Southeast, wfu in 1973, broken up March 1978.

A few words from Wikipedia on the Martin 4-0-4:
"First deliveries in 1951 were made to Eastern Air Lines (who had ordered 60) and Trans World Airlines (who had ordered 40). The only other new aircraft of the production line were delivered to the United States Coast Guard who had ordered two as executive transports with the designation RM-1G later changed to RM-1 and then in 1962 to VC-3A. In 1969 they were transferred to the United States Navy and they had both been withdrawn from use by 1970. A total of 103 aircraft were built at the Glenn L. Martin factory in Baltimore.
The last airworthy 4-0-4 was ferried to the Planes of Fame Museum in February 2008, where it is on display together with a Martin 2-0-2."

I visited the Planes of Fame Museum at Valle,Arizona; see MY REPORT.