Peter shared these images taken on this occasion (that would be 24Oct2015), when Air Chatham opened
the (special) summer schedule AKL-WHK-AKL, which are scheduled to continue until 20March2016.

Douglas C-47B ZK-AWP has c/n 33135 and held the previous identities: 44-76803, NZ3543, 5W-FAI, ZK-AWP, A3-AWP.

Peter Layne hails from Tauranga, New Zealand and is a specialist in research & writing about early New Zealand airlines; he has the following website www.nzairlineresearch.co.nz
Mr Layne is co-author of:
-SPANZ South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand & their DC-3 Viewmasters
-Taking Off - Pioneering Small Airlines of New Zealand 1945-1970
-The Illustrated History of NZNAC 1947-1978

Air Chathams' website is: www.airchathams.co.nz

Peter Layne expanded on the varied career of ZK-AWP:
"ZK-AWonderfulPlane: that aircraft has a diverse history stretching back to May 1945, when she arrived in New Zealand to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Initially used as a transport, soon to serve to bring returning WW2 servicemen home from Asia and the Pacific.
Many years as an airliner with NAC, replacing 5W-FAC (ex NAC’s ZK-APA) after its 1970 accident.
Returned to NZ to replace (ex NAC’s) ZK-AOI, which had crashed as a topdressing aircraft.
Twelve years herself as a topdresser, until a loading gantry crashed through the roof. Repaired with parts from ZK-CQA and eventually retired to storage.
Won a coin toss (!) with ex NAC’s ZK-AWO, as to which would be scrapped and which would be kept to become a freighter in 1986.
Worked as a freighter till 1993.
Restored to DC-3 Skyliner status (big windows), in which role she flies till this day having survived a take off incident in snow.
Her crew, astounded Christchurch Air Traffic Control suspecting she was just on a local scenic flight, called for clearance direct to Melbourne Australia... where she landed over ten hours later having crossed the Tasman Sea with a long range fuel tank!
She’s flown all round Australia on package tours. Similarly, she flew from New Zealand to Tonga in 7 hours 30 minutes where she served the Tongan airports .
She survived riots and was locked away out of harm’s way for three years.
She flew home to New Zealand in 2013, just in time for Christmas.
A true survivor and long may she stay that way!"

A few notes from my records (gathered from magazines, reference books and online sources):
C/n 9813, ex/ 42-23951, VH-AFA, VR-NCO, 5N-AAO, EI-ANK, G-ATBE.
CF-CQT North Coast Air Svcs.
C-FCQT Ilford Riverton Airways.
CF-CQT Air Manitoba.
C-FCQT Western Canada Aviation Museum @Winnipeg, gift of Air Manitoba.
Buffalo Arws, purchased 25jan94, ex Air Manitoba (with 50.000 hrs on clocks).
Points North Air Svcs C-FCQT, La Ronge (Sask) '97.
Points Air North Services C-FCQT. Up for withdrawal (spares supply to C-FNTF, cn12344).
Replaced by Cessna Caravan ('98 Full Article Propliner magazine no.75).
Image on Airliners.net dated 09Sep2003, @ Points North Landing (YNL / CYNL)
Jan06: der @Winnipeg-YWG.

Dirk Septer added this to the history of 'CQT in Nov.2015:
"Jack Anderson of North Coast Air Services (Prince Rupert, BC, Canada) purchased 'CQT for the bargain basement price of 7.500 British Pounds from Handley-Page, with the help of his friend Bill Bright.
Around 1971, Handley-Page went broke when they lost government backing. Their complete Jetstream 31 assembly line was sold to Scottish Aviation.
One of the more interesting jobs Anderson used this DC-3 for were the cloud seeding flights for the Vancouver International Airport."

UPDATE MARCH 2019:
the history, status and plan for C-FCQT is told on a Plane Savers episode (E63), dated 05Mar19.

David published this image in Oct.2015 with the following comment:
'June 2013, Lake City, SC. sad sight.'

I tried to find the identity of this Beech 18 (C-45?), but could not find any thing on -what I think the tailnumber could be- N5606NA.
In the comments someone suggested it was a bogus registration, the aircraft may have been used for illegal activities, such as drugs trafficking; and left behind.
David also wrote that on a revisit in August 2015 the aircraft seemed no longer present. It still showed at Google Maps though, Google Earth too (parked near two buildings).
Details welcomed ! EMAIL

Do you like mysteries? Here are some more planes found out or in need for identification: Search For...

Here's a photo dating back to Dec.2012; it seems to have lost parts rapidly. The text does not help in establishing its identity, the author/photographer also noted that N5606NA is/was a fake identity.
I could find no images online of Beech 18 N5606. Anyone?

Marion is not that far from Lake City; so any seizure because of illegal activity must be of relative recent date (assuming it was grounded at Lake City). Why can't I find nothing about the legal action online?

Tom wrote: "I was recently in Mississippi and was given access to Hawkins Field, Jackson to photograph the derelict Daks there.
Jim Hankins Air Service started out in 1958, but the fleet has been grounded for many years.
Present in October were engineless Douglas C-53 N1030D, in pretty derelict condition, while DC-3s N3BA and N8061A were complete with engines and full titles displayed.
I would like to you know when the company ceased flying..?
Apparently Hankins had/has a Lockheed 18, but saw no sign of it. Three non-airworthy Beech 18s accompany the Dakotas."

My reply was: "ATDB.aero (a.k.a. Aerotransport.org) has Jim Hankins Air Service still current.
On FAA’s N-inquiry I found Beech N22R still current (certificate due to expire 31Oct2015 though..).
Maybe Mr Hankins doesn’t stop but gently fades into the sunset of history.."

I decided it probably was best just to dial that phone number displayed on the DC-3.
I had found a page on Facebook, but the last update dated from nov.2013. But the phne nbr was the same.
A woman answered the phone on what seems like a skype line, you know bits and parts missing, fading in strength.
But I gathered that a while ago Granma Hawkins (wife of Jim) died and the company caused a lot of dispute between siblings. Someone of the family took over but things did not go well for the company. It did not help that a contract with UPS expired without renewal.
The person I spoke to said Mike Hankins was taking over and hopefully a restart could soon be made. What this will mean for the DC-3s and Beech 18s presently stored, I could not establish on the deteriorating phone connection; probably too early to tell.

www.oldrhinebeck.org

All of Terry's photos from Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome can be viewed in a 1 page view of large thumbnails at
www.airport-data.com/photographers/Terry+Fletcher:958/Old-Rhinebeck-NY-NY94:49361:1.html

This Buffalo Airways vintage transport, a WW2 Curtiss C-46 Commando (of which Buffalo has two, this concerns C-GTXW) with 4 crew members crash-landed while making for an emergency landing in Deline, N.W.T., on Sep. 25th.
Initial reports showed that nobody was injured in the incident.
It seems there was an engine problem and the C-46 while fully loaded has great difficulty staying in the air on one operating engine. So it diverted to the airport at Deline, but ran out of altitude shortl;y before reaching it.

I visited Yellowknife (and Buffalo Aws) in 2007, SEE MY REPORT

UPDATE Dec.2015:
"Transport Canada has grounded the operations of Buffalo Airways, the popular northern airline chronicled over six seasons on TV's Ice Pilots NWT, due to safety compliance issues."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/buffalo-airways-suspended-1.3346524

From www.hayriverhub.com/2016/01/buffalo-airways-cleared-to-resume-flights/ (part):
The Hay River-based company was notified around 4 p.m., Jan. 12 by the regulator that the suspension issued Nov. 30 had been lifted, said Bruce Jonasson.
"It means that we're going back to work," he said shortly after receiving the update from Transport Canada
A spokesperson with the federal department did not immediately return a request for comment.
During the six-week suspension, the company was prohibited from flying. To maintain service, it hired chartered flights for cargo and passenger service.
However, on Dec. 24, the company ended chartered passenger flights to Hay River.
The company's cargo flights will be the first to resume service within days, Jonasson said.
"The passenger service to Hay River is on hold for the moment," he said.
That's because the company won't immediately be able to jump back into regular operations.

The company also hired Sol Taboada with DTI Training as a consultant to help address issues raised by Transport Canada.
In a news release last year, the department said it acted because of the company's "poor safety record."
Jonasson said the company worked hard to address the corrective actions required by Transport Canada.
During the suspension, Jonasson said the company was still paying its employees.
"It's been awful over the Christmas season," he said about the impact on staff.
He estimated the financial impact was in the range of $1.5 million.
Transport Canada has previously said it would only allow the company to fly once it had demonstrated it could safely operate. ./end quote

"(Greybull, Wyo.) — Morris Avery, one of Wyoming’s first helicopter pilots and a pioneer in aerial spraying, firefighting, search and rescue and mountain flying, is the 2015 inductee into the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame."

"In 1949 they formed Christler and Avery Aviation in Greybull, purchasing a surplus Douglas B-18 bomber and converting it into an agricultural sprayer. It also was retrofitted to haul ore from a uranium mine in the Big Horn Mountains."

"Late in 1958, the company purchased four World War II-era Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateers from the U.S. Coast Guard. A variant of the B-24 Liberator, the large four-engine bombers were retrofitted for aerial firefighting, making Christler and Avery Aviation among the early companies to contract with the U.S. Forest Service to use large aircraft to fight forest fires."
http://dallyup.co/2015/09/15/avery-named-to-wyoming-aviation-hall-of-fame-ceremony-set-in-greybull/

Hans explained he had come across this image on Facebook; he included the following caption that went with it:
"Dc 3 fuerza aérea colombiana accidentado hace unos años en Camanaos Vaupes. Esta unos 100 metros despues de la pista de arena de la comunidad camanaos."
This did not help me in locating it on Google Maps.
No details of who posted this or who made the photograph.
But Hans provided the details ('C-47B 43-48715 FAC1125'), and I have included the following screen dumps from Google Earth for 'N1.722529 W69.844881' (as per 15Sep2015).

Aerotransport.org ('ATDB.Aero'): FAC1125 C‑47B‑DK (c/n 14531/25976) SATENA Colombia. Destroyed 17Feb1977 (Camanaos, Mitu); ex/ USAAF 43-48715.
Aviation Safety Network (ASN) provided the following details of the 1977 mishap (no fatalities!):" The DC-3 started the take-off roll 15m behind the runway 27 threshold markings. Take-off was aborted when the left gear ran into a wheel track, 395m down the runway. The aircraft swerved, struck a tree trunk and came to rest with both engines and the main gear separated."

Carvair N89FA moved from the 'US Deep South' to Texas with a role for the oil business in mind. But it did not bring N89FA many airmiles and hopefully someone finds it a new flying career soon!
My visit to the Deep South (2000) has images plus a history on ATL.98 Carvair N89FA, when I found it at Thomaston,GA (at that time owned by Custom Air Service).
See also the Facebook page of 'Fat Annie'/'Miss 1944'.

See MY TEXAS 2015 REPORT, for my images of N89FA at Gainesville while it was being prepared for a flight out, to a new future!

The answer was soon provided: 'it's N119J, c/n 2359, registered to Casablanca Airlines.'
Checking my own files I came up with the following: Lockheed L.18-08 LODESTAR N119J (c/n 18-2359); stored by Casablanca Airlines of Louisville-Bowman,KS.
And I do hope a museum will pick it up for a proper restoration some time!

A Feb.2016 pictorial update was provided by Kenneth 'Ken' I. Swartz.

There was also this on information provided for this airframe:

DOUGLAS DC-3 S/N 6337
This aircraft was built as a DC-3-455 for Eastern Airlines and registered as NC30035.
No evidence that it actually was delivered, but records show that on 27Jan1943 it was impressed into USAAF service as C-49K 43-2013, and used as a 28-seat trooper.
Inland Airlines operated it (most likely under USAAF contract) during 1943 until 06Mar44 when it was assigned to the Alaska Wing of Air Transport Command for about three weeks before reassignment back in continental USA.
On 12Mar45 it went to Reconstruction Finance Corp. as NC17885.
Sometime later it was re-registered as NC15748.

The aircraft changed hands several times until November 1979 when it suffered double engine failure on take off from Coeur d’Alene Airport, ID. Pilot managed to return to the airport and left the plane.
Over the years it suffered vandalism, until recovered in 1984 by Salair of Washington state, and brought by vehicle to Spokane airport, the intent being to restore it to add to Salair’s cargo fleet.
Determination was made that restoration would not be cost-effective, so it was donated to the Boeing Museum of Flight in May 1987.
The aircraft was painted in Alaska Airlines livery, and marked as one which crashed in Alaska in 1954, NC91008. Aircraft was later used for parts to restore the Museum’s N138D, probably because this hulk wasn't even in a good enough state to restore it for satisfactory museum display or deemed too expensive to do so.
This aircraft reported in July 2010 as being without wings or rudder and no markings, sitting derelict
Credit - Glenn E. Chatfield.

Also provided on eBay was the following information:
Aerometal International LLc. is offering 1942 DOUGLAS DC-3 - Aircraft S/N 6337 for sale.
The aircraft is currently located in the Pacific NW.
This 1942 DC-3 is derelict and is offered for sale as is / were is. She is in poor condition and is sadly almost certainly never going to fly again.
She is essentially complete with engines and outboard wings. Most 'major' components are present - landing gear major components are still installed, propellers are missing, fuel and oil tanks are also missing. Flight deck has been pretty much stripped of all useful parts.
But the cabin is remarkably intact. Both left and right wing tips are also missing. The interior retains an original floor system and many fixtures but all seats are missing.
It is Aerometals intention to preserve her in some form. Approach us with a proposal that will culminate with her (or her major components) preserved in some fashion and we can discuss options for her purchase and transportation.
Contact us in Aurora Oregon for additional details.
(The above is a reproduction off add'l details in part).

In 2003 I came across it at Boeing Field in a much better condition, see HERE my report.

See my Photos from Friends & Guests (46) for a july 2016 update: it has arrived at its new home!

I recently picked up a secondhand copy of a book titled 'Roadside America', by John Margolies. I was really pleased with it, and as a bonus there was this 'propliner' photo of a DC7-turned-restaurant!

By googling I found the following information:
"For many years a landmark on I-75 at Georgia Hwy 49 in Byron was the 'DC-7 Steakhouse'.
DC-7B N51700 (c/n 44700), formerly of Pan-American Grace Airways (PANAGRA), stood here for many years serving out the last of her days as a novelty steakhouse for tourists bound for Florida.
Guests would ascend airstairs and dine in the fuselage.
Prior to being dragged to this site the DC-7 was shorn of its wings outboard the nos.1 & 3 engines. Kitchen facilities were in a small building attached to the rear of the fuselage.
Restaurant closed and the remains of the aircraft were scrapped sometime in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
Source: http://wikimapia.org/10247347/DC-7-Steakhouse-site

Taken from a news item on the internet, on Fox10tv.com. It was involved in filmwork and took on water. First attempts to salvage it failed. The reason behind this poor situation was quoted as "a hasty restoration job" for this film, the location being Orange Beach,AL and the film 'USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage' featuring Nicholas Cage (details per allthingsaero.com). An update showed the failed salvage attempt led to a total loss when it broke apart.

I came across PBY-6A last year at Arlington,WA and see for my report USA Northwest 2014.

What a truly magnificent photo!

Joe Baugher's great website had this: "48-0352 (msn 10334) converted to C-119C 1955/56. To MASDC Dec 3, 1966. To civil registry as N13746."

80352 is currently stored at the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum on Edwards Air Force Base. CA.  The Museum is trying to find history and ownership on this aircraft for possible restoration, but cannot start anything until they find out who owns it.  Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated!

I would welcome more details, about ownership and also (e.g.) about its service record: EMAIL

SEE ALSO MY PAGES ON THE C-119 ONE - TWO - THREE

Andreas Morgner sent me this image in june 2015; he wrote: "I found this pic of the old Carvair wreck by Venetie, AK. Looks like it was taken circa 2003".
Source: http://www.angelfire.com/de/kanualaska/markusheiko.html

More on this Carvair plane wreck see my page ABANDONED PLANE WRECKS OF THE NORTH

John Vogel sent me these remarkable images; he explains:
You mentioned this aircraft, N460WA, in your 'USA Southwest 2008' visit to Ryan Field, west of Tucson, AZ. My pictures of this propliner are as follows:

Above and below images were taken at Fox Field, Lancaster, CA on 30Nov2002; they show N460WA (c/n 27359/305) after its tail section had been removed following major damage to the tail caused by a fork lift.

N460WA received a new tail, and this picture shows it, again at Fox Field on 25Oct2003.

The next photo was taken at Grass Valley, CA on 13Aug 2013 and shows N460WA without the
underbelly retardant tank and ARDCO titles and tanker number removed.

Below image shows the aircraft on 06Aug2014 at Mather Field, Sacramento, CA.

Notes by Webmaster:
N460WA received its tailsection from N44910 - see my visit in 2008 to Chandler-Memorial.
In Oct.2013 N460WA was painted in this USAAF green colourscheme. See Sean Keating's gallery on my website I have photos of N460WA (23Jan2020) undergoing maintenance.

Reinhard Zinabold noticed and photographed this stunning looking 1937 Lockheed L.10A at Hamilton,Ontario (Canada) 24April2015 (see his image on Flickr.com). I copied some of his information:
N241M (OK-CTB) - Lockheed L-10A Electra - reg'd. to Aircraft Guaranty Corp. Trustee (Onalaska,TX -webmaster) - for BATA Shoe Corp.
Now on its way to Prague (Czech Republic), returning to the land of its first owner: the Bata Shoe Company.
It underwent a 5-year, multimillion-dollar restoration in Wichita,KS, after which the Electra still needed repairs on its electrical system repairs and for this it was flown to the Hamilton aviation museum.

On May 25th 'OK-CTB' departed from Iceland and flew via Wick (Scotland) to Duxford (UK) for a nightstop. Below routing was taken from http://international.findmespot.com/

I looked N241M up in my files and found: "Bought by Czech individual in March 2009, for a museum at Prague-Tocna, but during 2010 still in Texas painted in Canadian c/s and serial '7656'.
Restored by Wichita Air Services, located at the Newton City-County Airport in Kansas; had arrived Dec 2010, f/f 12Mar15."

Fortunately OK-CTB stopped at Lelystad May 26th, where I was given opportunity to photograph it at the Aviodrome.
SEE MY REPORT