Propliners by Peter Skerry

Peter Skerry's Propliners

Photos © Peter Skerry

Peter Skerry visited one of my favourite (propliner) places in May 2008: Alaska.
He photographed a selection of propliners and sent some taken on other locations as well.

He wrote: "I have just returned from a flying visit to Anchorage and Fairbanks. Regrettably it was at the weekend and many places were closed plus the fact that unfortunately the campaign against terror has reached Alaska well and truly with airfield security and fence after fence after fence.
Whereas some aircraft were clearly marked, others were not so easy to identify but with the help of your website and others I have tried to identify each aircraft at least by the N registration.
Certainly I would appreciate your confirming those correct or more importantly correcting those that are wrong..."

What better stepping stone for travel to Alaska than Seattle; and visit the Boeing Museum of Flight ..
DC-2 N1934D

The ramp of Transnorthern at Anchorage, here C-117D N28TN c/n 43354.

N851M is probably meant for Transnorthen but in July 2008 the registry for Airpower Inc (of Lakeport,CA since 11Sep96) had not been changed.

N851M (c/n 43302) had been in use since 1978 as mosquito sprayer in S.Florida, but was ferried to California in 1995 and was reconfigured back to passenger configuration.
It was reported on 07Jun02 at Lakeport / Lampson airport (CA), stored. During Sep06 it was for sale ("13900 TT, 0 SMOH / 0 SMOH, Douglas R4D-8Z Super DC-3 - over $100,000 spent on this airplane in the last 45days -Aug06") asking usd 379.500 and reported to be at Albuquerque,NM.
It was ferried to Anchorage on 03Jul07.

Brian Coterill (Safety and Compliance Officer, Lee County Mosquito Control District) wrote me this in August 2009:
"N851M (pictured in Alaska) was our Super Goon (and our Number One 'hangar queen'). She never sprayed an acre for mosquitoes, but was always kept in its original passenger configuration. We used it to fly our top brass to meetings and the like, though with less and less frequency until we finally sold her.
Our six C-47s were used as spray platforms and still are to this day."

Paul J. Hooper sent some photos of LeHigh Acres' sprayers in Nov.2006: Photos by Friends & Guest page 4

Curtiss C-46R Commando N7848B (c/n 273) of Everts Air Cargo in splendid Alaska scenery.

Some propliners of Everts Air Cargo at Anchorage
(click on the picture for a larger image)

Click on the picture for a larger image

Only 2 Douglas DC-6s remain active with Northern Air Cargo, comprising N43872 (c/n 44665) and N2907F (c/n 44636). The remainder are stored and for sale.
These aircraft continue to operate from Anchorage alongside 3 Boeing 737 freighters, and it is understood that the DC-6s will remain in service until Sep08.

Aerial view on the ramp of Brooks Fuel at Fairbanks

N555SQ DC-6B

Neil Aird visited Fairbanks IAP and this yard in 1995; he got a close up of C-46D'serial 44-78495 (above,right)

Peter couldn't figure out which one this is... Suggestions?

Ralph Pettersen of Lockheed Constellation repute, came to the rescue: "I was in Alaska in mid-June where I visited Anchorage, Fairbanks and Kenai. The unidentified aircraft in the photo is N99212 and it is stored in the Brooks Fuel compound at Fairbanks Airport.
There are two natural aluminum DC-4's/C-54's facing the road. The one to the left is N90201 and the one to the right is N99212. The engine at the extreme left side of the photo is the #1 engine of N90201."

A few more Sixes of Northern Air Cargo, a dying breed (certainly with NAC!)

N96358 is C-54E of Brooks Fuel.

It used to be operated by Aero Flite of Kingman,AZ as airtanker 160. On 25Jan07 it was registered to Roger Brooks and flown north.

For the record, here are some more sightings..

N974R L-1649A Constellation, at Polk City,FL 2008.

Paul Filmer went to Alaska too around this time: www.skippyscage.com
Another person, same party, same time: www.show-of-force.com/alaskablog

I went to Alaska in 1985, 2003 and 2006. Here is a page of what I found stored at Fairbanks (Brooks) and stored at Fairbanks (Everts & NAC).

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