Photos © Dirk Septer
Photos © Dirk Septer
| Dirk Septer shares my interest in vintage aircraft and aviation history. His focus includes the large multi propellor aircraft as well as the undefeatable bushplanes. After an incidental contribution, he sent me a series of photos from a visit to the exotic Caribbean , so I got to work to include it on a specific page, a Personal Showcase..! Another (cruise)trip took Dirk to Murmansk and expanded the horizon of this page. |
Dirk travelled to New Zealand and here he presents a report of 3 'Catalina / Canso' airframes seen at the time. Dirk also did his research and provided the information.
en.wikipedia.org:_List_of_surviving_Consolidated_PBY_Catalinas
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Dirk sent me this photo taken at Malaga,Spain Airport on 14Apr18.
 Dirk wrote me the following information: "Sorry for the poor quality, but I shot this picture way in the distance past the two runways at the Malaga, Spain airport: |
| Dirk Septer visited Hungary this year (2017)
A few more delightful images taken at the Aviation Memorial Airpark (@BUD/LHBP)
"Nice collection in this Aero Park; certainly worth a visit to see these interesting aircraft |
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Dirk wrote me on 01Jul16: "A surprise find at Trondheim a few days ago:
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Answer (Webmaster): "Both are Beriev flying boats, '55' obviously a later version, seeing it equipped with radar in the nose."
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 Convair CV440 N155JR (c/n 433) languishes at the international airport of St.Thomas. Jet One Express / Fresh Air bought N155JR from Four Star Cargo on 13Dec05 but it isn't of much use without engines & propellors... |
St.Thomas' Cyril E. King IAP on Wikipedia
 Another shot of 1957-vintage Convair 440 (c/n 433) N155JR shot at St. Thomas on 29Nov2010, this time showing the Air Cargo titles. It was formerly owned by Jet One Express, the registration was cancelled on 16Mar09 from the FAA Register. This aircraft won't fly again but maybe moving soon; the dream of a local entrepreneur is to move it to a waterfront location and turn it into a restaurant, as part of a theme park called 'Crash', portraying a crash scene complete with ambulances and the works.... |
CV440 N912AL (c/n 353) was used at an off-airport location, as part of Restaurant Los Aviones, at Barranquitas on Puerto Rico. They also had DC-3C N781T and C-47B N780T there. Unfortunately hurricane Irma in Sep.2017 caused so much damage that the restaurant closed. |
 Convair CV440 N912AL (c/n 353) Dodita Air Cargo. San Juan int'l airport 02Feb08. |
 Convair T-29B N99380 Air Tahoma Beef Island Airport on Tortola (British West Indies) |
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revoked Air Tahomas AOC effective January 14, 2009. A recent audit resulted in 30 findings related to "systemic problems" involving record-keeping, maintenance and operations. |
 Douglas C-47A N132FS c/n 14333/25778 was spotted by Dirk at St.Thomas, stored (01Feb08). |
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Four Star Air Cargo on Airliners.net N138FS had an incident on 20Mar08: it had to return to San Juan (SJU) after take off, due to engine problem,s and on top of that it blew a tire and abandoned the runway... In March 2015 it was reported present at St Lucie County Airport,FL. N138FS arrived there from Puerto Rico summer of 2014, is owned by Tradewinds Aviation, whose Vice President Eric Zipkin has an interest in DC-3 N74589 (also at St Lucie County Airport). See Photos by Friends & Guests #54 for a photo update of N138FS operating with/for Alen Enterprises Inc. @Opa Locka (Jan.2018). |
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N131FS had an incident on 23Jul08, when upon landing at St.Thomas (Virgin Islands) and exiting the runway to taxi to the ramp, flight 131 reported the left engine on fire; the aircraft suffered unspecified damage. Since the demise of Four Star in 2009 their DC-3s had been stored and anno 2016 most have been scrapped. Only 2 survived, N131FS was one of these. N138FS was the other (went to Florida Air Cargo). |
 N87T is a former Tolair Services DC-3C, c/n 6148. Been registered to MDB Corp since 10Sep99. It is seen parked here with Four Star Cargo at San Juan IAP on 02Feb08.  "..outside an antique shop in Wickford, RI. Wickford is near the old Quonset Point NAS." "ex / N87T (Tol Air) - and it's for sale. Call Mark Bruce 508.244.1025" (24May22) |
Dirk wrote: "... also photographed some Twin Beeches. 'Four Star' has apparentlty four of them, but they are
currently grounded. I had a hard time getting pics of them without getting into trouble..."
 N728T is a Beech E18S, c/n BA-130. It was registered to MDB Corp on 08Feb99. Dirk took a clearer shot of N728T on a previous visit. |
The above photo was taken at San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín IAP (see Wikipedia) on 02Feb08, while below photo of N749T was taken at St. Thomas the day before.
 This Beech E18S (BA-55) was built in 1955 and it seems it has reached the end of the road here. It suffered on landing at Virgin Gorda,VG 13Apr05 a collapsed gear, but at least that seems rectified... The FAA website shows it registered to MDB Corp (listed adress as PO Box 37840, Carolina,PR) as recent as 31Jul2000, but indicates there has been no interest to keep this registration current. Jim Berriman wrote me on 06May09: "Those four Beech 18s that Dirk Septer photographed in the Virgin Islands are now for sale on Ebay in a single lot, auction number 320366318627, expiring tomorrow." UPDATE: N749T was registered 02Feb2010 to Seven Stars Air Cargo Corporation, Catalina,PR.
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A flock of Gooney Birds (and some other propliners) at San Juan in 2007; a few years later none would be left! |
| Dirk Septer sent me this image in Oct.2016; he wrote: "It's not too often (any more) that you can get seven DC-3/C-47 aircraft in one shot. Here is a photograph I took at SJU (Luis Munoz International Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico) on 12Apr13. It shows seven of former Four Star Air Cargo Dakotas waiting disposal after this operator went bankrupt in 2009. I'm wondering where they all ended up?"
I scanned the fleet information of JP Airline Fleets 2006/07 (the last printed edition I have, my collection dates back to the 1980s though I really don't know why I hang on top them..?). While the information offers 6 DC-3's and the photo shows 7, I think it is a good start. I compared the above tailnumbers with data on ATDB.aero online database and (..) is info from my own database. Since N132FS may have been elsewhere we have another candidate for the above grounded Gooney Birds: N783T cn4219: derelict at SJU-The Luis Muñoz Marín IAP. Airliners.net has 2015 image. No.7 is probably N87T cn6148: scrapped @SJU, cockpit section purchased 3-2015 by Mark Bruce and shipped to Berlin,MA. An image of N87T in 2008 is published further up on this page. Michael Prophet published on his website an update which includes images of DC-3 cockpits for Mark Bruce. Btw, who is Mark Bruce and why is he so interested in DC-3s? EMAIL
 Bird's-eye view of SJU's 'corrosion corner' by Carlos Aleman (2013) on Airliners.net And this image also numbers 7 DC-3's, but moved around I think since 2007. |
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Dirk Septer photographed this NAMC YS-11 PJ-WIK (c/n 2025) early 2007. Read the update further down.
Matthew Anderson sent me a 2009 photo, HERE... In Oct.2016 Dirk sent me this comparison- Dirk wrote me in Oct.2016, about this last visit: UPDATE Nov.2019: it was reported late-2019 at the seaport of Philipsburg, destined to become a diving object out in the sea.. |
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Dirk wrote: "Though Jet Engine Industries apparently purchased it on 03Dec91, the C-47 remained at Aruba in its current derelict state till the present day. On 07Mar44, the transport (c/n 19778) was registered as 43-15312 to the 8th Air Force, and was transferred to the 9th AF on 26Apr44. At the end of World War II, the Pan American Import-Export Co. acquired the aircraft and registered it as NC54099. Changing ownership a few times, it later ended up as PP-SQO with VASP, on 17Aug51. After becoming PT-KUD in 1976, the aircraft was registered on 07Mar83 to Air America Inc. of MacLean, VA. On 19Jun83, the aircraft was registered as N301AK again with Air America, but apparently never taken up. The aircraft seems to have ended its career after having been abandoned here on Aruba, possibly after being caught running drugs or other contraband."
See also the caption on Photos by Friends & Guest (page 8), with history details from the Air-Britain DC-3 The First Seventy Years book, published by Air-Britain in 2006.
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Photos taken on 17Jan2010 at Fernando Ribas Dominicci (Isla Grande) Airport, San Juan, PR: N930V New Standard D-25 c/n 152 The New Standard D-25 was a 5-seat agricultural and joy-riding aircraft produced in the USA from 1928. Seven New Standards survived in 2007. Airworthy D-25s include two at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum, New York, and two that operate joy rides from the Fantasy of Flight at Polk City, Florida. Additionally N930V operates on the west coast as of early 2008 and N9194 was recently completely restored and deemed airworthy again in May of 2009. A D-29 (NT-1) is displayed at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, Florida. Wikipedia, more... |
 NC3618K Temco GC-1B Designed by R.S. "Pop" Johnson in 1940, the fanciful story of a Culver Cadet obtained as a 'template' aircraft has now entered into popular mythology surrounding the aircraft's origins. The design was secured by John Kennedy, president of the Globe Medicine Company, to be built by his new Globe Aircraft Company. World War II interrupted their plans, however, and the 85 hp GC-1A Swift advertised as the "All Metal Swift" re-designed by K.H."Bud" Knox, received its type certificate on 7 May 1946. Two prototypes were built but essentially, the design remained the same as the type entered production. Globe built about 408 GC-1As. Later that year, the Swift received a more powerful engine of 125 hp, making it the GC-1B. Globe, together with TEMCO, built 833 GC-1Bs in six months. [Wikipdia, more...] |
The following were photographed 18Jan2010 at Cyril E. King Airport, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI: Convair CV440 N155JR (c/n 433) has seen its registration cancelled in March2009 and may have been bought by Jet One Express / Fresh Air for use of its parts... Previous operators/owners, as N155JR, include Rhoades Aviation, Four Star Aviation and Sion Air Express. See also top of page for two more photos. |
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In March 2015 I heard (some of?) these DC-3's were being scrapped, but no details.. EMAIL
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John Staber confirmed the type: "Yes, it is a Lake Buccaneer. Directly in front of it is another fuselage of a Lake with tail fins attached. Under the left wing is a wing float and probably the right wing of this Buccaneer, seen from the bottom. Up in the attic I detect two rudders, one wing fillet, one vertical fin and behind the pylon at least three flaps..."
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More photos from San Juan, PR: 24Jan2010:
Seven (former) Four Star DC-3s lined up -
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 This was taken at San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) on 05Dec10: a 1953-vintage Beech TC-45J, N38L (s/n 51132) of Monarch Air Group LLC. Fort Lauderdale, FL (KFXE) based Monarch Air operates passenger and cargo charters to Caribbean destinations as far south as Trinidad. Their small but versatile fleet includes Merlin II and Chieftain Navajo-passenger and Beech 18, Metro II and DC-3-cargo aircraft. |
Here are a couple of shots of Seaborne Twin Otters:
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 N251SA, built in 1977, s/n 524, taking off from St Thomas on 29Nov2010. |
Both N251SA and N288SA are now with bigger windows, operated on wheels, since Seaborne closed their San Juan floatplane base and moved to the Isla Grande airport. N288SA, built in 1973, s/n 389, seen at San Juan's Isla Grande airport on 28Nov2010. |
 deHavilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter C-GKBR (c/n 617) is being leased from Kenn Borek by Seaborne Airlines. C- GKBR is seen here sporting 'First Bank' ads on its floats; nice action, on the step, at Charlotte Amalie, US VI. Photo: 16Apr2012. |
A few photos taken at the Havana' 'Museum of the Revolution' (photos & details provided by Dirk):
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Dirk Septer's vintage propliners in Canada
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Dodita Air Cargo's Convair CV440 N912AL (353) taken at San Juan-SJU, on 02Feb08. 
