US DOUGLAS DC-6s and C-118s - 1970s

During the 1970s, retired airline DC-6s had been boosted by military disposals C-118s, to become efficient
heavy freight aircraft with US cargo operators, large and small. Here's a selection of my photos in the late 1970s.

Miami International Airport, Florida was one of the best places to see DC-6 freighters in action.
Former Alitalia DC-6B N130AC with Overseas Aviation Corporation, at home base Miami in October 1979
DC-6BF N120AC at Miami the same day was also with Overseas Aviation Corp, whose registrations had their initials as the "last three"

Petroleum Air Transport at New Orleans had ten DC-6s supporting the oil drilling industry. DC-6B N1304S at Miami October 1979

N51CP at Miami in October 1979 was a former USAF C-118A, now operated by Seagreen Air Transport

N43865 at Miami in October 1977 was a windowless freighter with Atlas Aircraft Corp, Miami.
Despite the smart paint scheme, this was a disposals USAF C-118A, one of many recent surplus military C-118s to be seen

N90747 at Miami in October 1979 was an original "straight" DC-6, with slightly shorter fuselage length

This October 1977 view in Miami Airport's notorious Corrosion Corner shows a variety of DC-6s

Aerolineas El Salvador SA (AESA) DC-6B YS-05C pulls in at the itinerant Customs terminal at Miami in October 1977
 

FAG926 at Miami in October 1977 was operating a regular military courier service from Guatemala

DC-6B N55CA at Miami October 1979 was owned by long-established Miami leasing company F.A.Connor Inc.

DC-6BF N8CA was another F.A. Conner lease, still in the paint scheme of previous owner Zantop.
Seen landing at Miami in October 1977 in the characteristic DC-6 nose-down attitude


In the early evening several days later, N8CA pulls in at the Miami Airport freight ramps

Internacional de Aviacion (Inair Panama) DC-6 HP-503 landing at Miami in October 1977 on a regular run from Panama


A long way from home at Miami October 1977 was Pan African Airways DC-6 5N-APK based at Lagos, Nigeria

Opa Locka Airport on the outskirts of Miami also had many heavy propliners. 
Nicaraguan DC-6 tramp freighter AN-BFN, formerly with LANICA was parked there in October 1977


Also at Opa Locka in October 1977 was a typical recent USAF disposal C-118A N3050F, with military marks painted over

Just north of Miami on the Florida coast was Fort Lauderdale, another propliner haven.
N2949F was one of a number of recently-auctioned USAF C-118s seen there in October 1979

This disposals USAF C-118A at Tucson, Arizona in October 1977 had been flown across from nearby Davis-Monthan AFB,
  military markings daubed over and registration N2878F spray painted by hand.  It was waiting overhaul for civil CofA

N90737 was in a line of retired former American Airlines DC-6s stored at Tucson, Arizona in October 1977

Also on Hamilton Aircraft's storage ramp at Tucson in October 1977 was this DC-6B N90770. It was scrapped the following year

US Department of Agriculture based five C-118s and a large fleet of ex-military Beech 18s at Douglas, Arizona for an extensive
screw-worm eradication program across southern US states and Mexico air-spreading millions of sterile flies.
USDA C-118A N203GB, still in USAF paintwork, was at Ryan Field, Arizona for maintenance in October 1977

Immaculate Pacific Alaska Cargo DC-6BF N151 in polished metal finish, at Anchorage, Alaska in September 1979.
This former FAA nav-aid checking aircraft now had the name Silver Streak on its nose

Northern Air Cargo DC-6A N6813C at Anchorage in September 1979

DC-6A N6539C with Pacific American Airlines at Honolulu in September 1977.
Short-lived Pacific American had taken over Mercer Airways at Burbank, California the previous year and moved
operations to Honolulu, hoping to pick up US Navy Pacific Fleet contracts to carry cargo and personnel

By September 1979, the Hawaiian inter-island heavy prop freight operation had been taken over by DHL Island Airways.
Their DC-6s and DC-3s are on the freight ramp previously used by Pacific American. DC-6A N613SE in the foreground

DHL Island Airways freighter C-118A N3443F at Honolulu in September 1979 had been transferred from associate company
Petroleum Air Transport - PATAir, in New Orleans.


Honolulu September 1979. Pacific American Airlines' ex Mercer Airlines DC-6 N902MA was retired with its
nose-wheel removed by creditors to prevent its departure.  N777AF was a Beech E18S with Horizon Cargo Transport
For more DC-6 photographs, see DETROIT-WILLOW RUN and END OF THE ROAD in this series

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