1980s DOUGLAS DC-6s - THE LAST VISITS TO AUSTRALIA

A selection of my photographs of some of the last visits of the Douglas DC-6 series

Conair DC-6B C-GKUG turning in for a retardant drop in the Nowa Nowa State Forest in eastern Victoria in January 1984.
CSIRO Project Aquarius attempted to evaluate the air tanker's effectiveness on a controlled fire in an area of the forest.
The CSIRO's academic findings delayed the introduction of heavy air tankers in Australia for another decade

Refer: http://www.goodall.com.au/published-articles/fire-bombers/fire-bombers-01.htm

DC-6B C-GKUG tanker 50 makes a three-stage retardant drop on this pass over the carefully managed forest fire

Following the DC-6B in a CSIRO helicopter

Alongside the DC-6B in the chopper as the Canadian crew line up for another drop run on the fire zone.
This DC-6B began life in 1957 with Western Air Lines, and flew with Conair as Tanker 50 until 2012 when sold in Alaska

The DC-6B rumbles past on an inspection run

Emerging from the smoke in a low pass over the hilltop CSIRO observation camp

C-GKUG flew from RAAF East Sale, where it is seen after being hosed down to remove retardant stains


The pleasing view from the right hand seat


Fellow lifetime propliner tragic Gordon Reid tries out the left-hand seat while the DC-6B was parked at East Sale.
A few days later the Canadians departed for the long flight home to Conair's base at Abbotsford near Vancouver

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The last of the DC-6 line seen at Perth WA was this US Navy C-118B Bu128424 in August 1980,


Built for the US Navy in 1952 as a R6D-1, Bu128424 was scheduled to continue in service for a while yet because it had just
been repainted at NAS Alameda in California in January 1980. The Admiral's 3 star flag is displayed below the cockpit

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A DC-6 in the Essendon arrivals schedule on 23 April 1984 brought propliner officianados to the runway theshold for its arrival

It was a USAF disposals C-118A N43872 operated by the International Shoe Machine Company of Nashua New Hampshire.
It arrived from Sydney on an Australian tour demonstrating the firm's range of shoe manufacturing equipment


Taxying to its Essendon parking bay on just the two inner P&W R-2800 Double Wasps

The cabin was fitted as a showroom of the latest footware manufacturing machinery and accessories

 Hello Melbourne!  Convivial Captain Mac Edwards greets admirers of his C-118, the last of the DC-6 series to visit Melbourne
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Drawing a long bow, but I have included my pictures of former British Commonwealth Pacific Airways DC-6 VH-BPG Adventure,
which was still going strong in 1989 as fire bomber N80MA with Macavia International Corporation based at Santa Rosa, California:


DC-6 N80MA Tanker 20 in the smoke from the wild fire it was fighting, returning to Billings, Montana in August 1989

Coming over the fence at Billings to tank up for another retardant drop on the fire in the mountains to the south of town

Early next morning at Billings, the fire was under control and the tankers were on stand-down.
Macavia had a fleet of C-118 and DC-6 tankers, including DC-6 N90MA ex BCPA VH-BPH Discovery
                                                         


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