Wanna Buy a C-54?

While that seems super cool, you're talking about really, really old airplanes that've been worked really, really hard. I can't imagine how they keep them the least bit airworthy or make money on them. There's a reason why the rest of the airline industry went turbine 40+ years ago.

Market for these I think is mostly someone who wants one just for fun or a collector/museum piece.
 
They have R-2000 engines, which are type correct, but were produced in low quantities relative to other radials. The parts supply situation isn't good...
 
They are closing up shop,selling their inventory. They sold off their,beech Travelairs recently.
 
Possibly they are going with the L-188 Electras. Looks like they are also in the market for turbine DC-3 and C-47.

They lost their passenger carrying certificate about 2 years ago or maybe longer.

From the website: All scheduled passenger service has been temporarily postponed until further notice. Sorry for an inconvenience.

But how cool would it be to pull up to an FBO, open the door, drop out a ladder to climb down, and ask for 800 gallons of 100LL.....
 
kyleb said:
They have R-2000 engines, which are type correct, but were produced in low quantities relative to other radials. The parts supply situation isn't good...
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I suspect that has a lot to do with it. A lot easier to support airplanes with more common/larger production engines.
 
Fearless Tower said:
I suspect that has a lot to do with it. A lot easier to support airplanes with more common/larger production engines.
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A very nice one landed in Douglas, GA 4-5 years ago with an engine problem. Last I checked, it was still there, but no longer "nice"... Tom Reilly told me that the reason they hadn't fixed it was the R-2000 engine and cost/parts availability.
 
kyleb said:
A very nice one landed in Douglas, GA 4-5 years ago with an engine problem. Last I checked, it was still there, but no longer "nice"... Tom Reilly told me that the reason they hadn't fixed it was the R-2000 engine and cost/parts availability.
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As of June 2016
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luvflyin said:
Theres all kinds of this stuff. Just Google airplane diners.
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I once instructed in a C-150G (N3162J) that now adorns the front of a defunct aviation-themed restaurant in Belgium.

Screen Shot 2017-09-22 at 3.09.34 PM.jpeg

I took a student tour of Europe in 1968, in a chartered DC-7 (ex-UAL, N6321C). Its fuselage is now a pre-school in Denver.
 
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doesn't seem like bolting on a different radial of the same power rating would be that much of a challenge. the bureaucracy of course would never let that simple solution fly....
 
hindsight2020 said:
the bureaucracy of course would never let that simple solution fly....
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Wonder what it would take to fly it as an experimental? I believe Boeing's Dreamlifter flies with an experimental tag
 
Anyone else think its funny the ad says to call for price, then goes on to specify "no calls please"?
 
It looks like this is just an overall move away from the piston powered aircraft in their fleet. They have a contract with the NWT government to operate the 8 Air Tractors purchased replace the 6 CL215s. They also converted an Electra to a retardant tanker.
 
weilke said:
It looks like this is just an overall move away from the piston powered aircraft in their fleet. They have a contract with the NWT government to operate the 8 Air Tractors purchased replace the 6 CL215s. They also converted an Electra to a retardant tanker.
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Looks like they are in the market for a turbine DC-3.
 
Zeldman said:
Looks like they are in the market for a turbine DC-3.
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When they had the TV show, the DC3 was used for the scheduled passenger service from Hay River to Yellowknife. Not sure whether they managed to re-establish that, it was tied up in their certificate problems.
 
weilke said:
When they had the TV show, the DC3 was used for the scheduled passenger service from Hay River to Yellowknife. Not sure whether they managed to re-establish that, it was tied up in their certificate problems.
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The website still shows that there is still no scheduled passenger service.
 
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