USA 1980s  - DOUGLAS DC-3s:  Part 1

A selection of my photographs of the many DC-3s seen on North American airields, still flying or retired.

N168LG at Fort Lauderdale, Florida in October 1981 was used by Florida Airmotive for passenger group charters

N305SF resting during the day at Billings, Montana August 1989 was a typical DC-3 night freighter
 

N103CA Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, November 1981

N91314 at Fairbanks, Alask, September 1981 was a bush freighter with Pacific Alaska Airlines

N59314 at Fairbanks September 1981 was a freighter with Frontier Flying Services based at Fairbanks

N8042X was an anonymous freighter at Fairbanks, Alaska September 1981

N9382 at Anchorage, Alaska September 1981 was a US Navy R4D-5 assigned to the Arctic Research Lab at Barrow, Alaska

N74589 at Anchorage, Alaska September 1981 was one of a fleet of DC-3s operated by Aero-Dyne, Seattle


N44585 at Seattle-Renton September 1981

N2025A at Renton WA September 1981 with a new "green" B737 on Boeing's test flight ramp to the right

Several Aero-Dyne DC-3s at Renton in September 1981 were fitted for chemical spraying

N2668N at Pontiac, Michigan August 1989 with freight operator Century Airlines

Centry Airlines N15MA at Pontiac MI August 1989


N68363 at Pontiac MI August 1989 in a new Century Airlines paint scheme

Basler Flight Service at Oshkosh Wisconsin, well-known for their successful turbine-powered DC-3 modifications, operated
night freight contracts as Basler Airlines, using DC-3s, DC-4s, Beech 18s and Convairs.  N6898D Oshkosh July 1989.

This Basler Airlines freighter N46938 at Oshkosh July 1989 had just returned from its night schedule


N44V restored in period Piedmont Airlines markings was on display at the EAA Airventure at Oshkosh July 1989

Former FAA airways navaid calibration DC-3 N34 was part of the FAA exhibit at Oshkosh 1989

Airspeed Hawaii's N104RP at Honolulu August 1981 carried guests to vacation resorts on outer islands.
It has the AiResearch DC-3 Maximiser modifications to the undercarriage doors and engine cowlings.

Airspeed Hawaii's other Maximiser DC-3 N162E having maintenance at Honolulu in Auust 1981

This DC-3 N400RS had been used for mosquito spraying before it was retired at a small ag airstrip at Metter, Georgia where it
was in poor condition by October 1981.  MOSQUITO CONTROL was painted under the wings.

Another DC-3 parked in the open on flat tyres: N19924 at Tallahassie, Florida in October 1981

N14931 at Opa Locka, Florida October 1981 was a prewar DC-3 built in 1939 for TWA with no military service

N1945 at Torrance, California in November 1981 was another prewar DC-3 delivered to TWA in 1941

N57123 parked at Mesa-Falcon Field, Arizona in August 1989 was a late 1980s disposal by the US Army. It had previously
served USAF and US Navy under type designations C-47B, TC-47B, R4D-7, R4D-6E, and finally TC-47K


N64784 at Oklahoma City in November 1981 was being used for passenger charter work

N94470 at Oklahoma City November 1981 was a USAF VC-47D issued to Oklahoma State University

Ryan Field, a wartime satellite airfield for Tucson, Arizona had a line of USAF surplus C-47s which had been towed by road
during the 1970s from Davis Monthan AFB to be stripped for parts by Neal Veal's Mayo Clinic for Douglas Airplanes Inc.

Ryan Field, Arizona November 1981

Evergreen Airlines' private desert airfield at Marana, Arizona had rows of retired jet airliners in storage in November 1981.
But older types were also to be found, including these three US Department of Agriculture C-47s.

Marana AZ November 1981

Marana AZ November 1981. Note the navigator position window modification.


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