USA 1990s - DOUGLAS DC-4s and CARVAIRs

A selection of my photographs of DC-4s, C-54s and ATEL Carvairs seen on USA visits during the 1990s.
(Additional C-54s can be found under Fire Bombers)

Pacific Air Express DC-4 N301JT all the way from Hawaii was at Chandler-Gila River, Arizona in November 1991

N44904 heads a row of Biegert Aviation sprayer C-54s at Chandler-Gila River AZ in November 1991

Freshly repainted Biegert Aviation C-54 N44909 at Chander-Gila River AZ in November 1991 was used for freight work.


Lynch Air Cargo C-54 N9013V at home base Billings Montana in October 1991.


N9013V was named "City of Billings" on the nose, with Lynch Air Cargo President Denny Lynch's name under the cockpit.
Four years later this aircraft was sold to Australia and made the long Pacific Ocean delivery flight to become VH-PAF.

Here's the same C-54 in Australia as VH-PAF with Pacific Air Freighters at Cairns, Queensland in December 1998.

DC-4s and military surplus C-54s made effective fire bombing air tankers. N82FA was "Tanker 153" with Arizona-based
ARDCO when seen on station at the Ramona fire attack base in southern California in Noivember 1992.

Aero Union Corp of Chico, California operated a fleet of C-54 tankers for over 20 years.  N62297 "Tanker 14" was at home
base Chico in November 1990 while new types SP-2 Neptunes and P-3A Orions were being introduced.

Aero Union C-54 N76AU tanker #26 at Chico in November 1990 had its belly tank removed and was for sale.

C-54 N76AU at Chico by October 1992 had been repainted in WWII markings with port side nose art "Santa Monica Maid".
It was flown by Aero Union to special events before being sold.

Chico November 1990: a retired Aero Union C-54 heads a row of former US Navy Neptunes and Orions stored while waiting
their turn for $3M rebuilds by Aero Union as air tankers with the latest technology.

The Aero Union junk yard beside the company hangars at Chico held a variety of retired aircraft in November 1990.
US Navy surplus Douglas C-54P Bu50851 is flanked by former US Army Vertol H-21s and Lockheed Ventura N183PL.

Hawaii Pacific Air purchased two Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvairs from New Zealand in 1990 for inter-island freight work.
Both were parked at Honolulu in September 1991 during lengthy US certification delays. N5459X above.

Alongside N5459X was N5459M which had not yet been painted with its US registration.  The former NZ registration
ZK-NWB was still under the port wing. The pair flew for a few years in Hawaii before being sold to South Africa.

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