Propliner Magazine

07/10/2026

This late production Douglas DC-6B enjoyed a particularly long career with carriers in Europe and North America. Delivered new to Union Aeromaritime de Transport as F-BIAM on March 15 1958, she was sold to Air Afrique as TU-TCF in November 1963, before returning to the French register with Trans-Union as F-BOEX four years later. Acquired by Belgian International Air Services as OO-HEX in November 1970, she joined the Antwerp-based Delta Air Transport fleet as OO-FVG in December 1971. Re-registered OO-VGF on July 17 1973, she is pictured weeks later by Tony Merton Jones on the apron at Guernsey Airport having conveyed a party of Belgian policemen to the island in company with a second Delta DC-6. Her European service came to an end in January 1975 when she was purchased by Conair Aviation and converted to tanker status at Abbotsford, British Columbia, as C-GHLZ. Bought by Fairbanks-based Everts Air Fuel/Tatonduk Outfitters in September 1997, she was overhauled and placed into service as N444CE named "Spirit of America". Enforced retirement eventually came late in April 2026 when she was grounded at Fairbanks following discovery of a cracked wing spar.

04/10/2026

Many great bargains on these bookshelves!

01/10/2026

Surely the smartest preserved Britannia - and well worth supporting!

01/10/2026

This Convair 580 looked particularly smart in the Canadian Regional livery when photographed by the late Anthony J Hickey at Calgary in October 1993. A perfect angle on the aircraft caught in glorious sunshine makes for a stunning shot of an airliner that was already 37 years old. C-GKFW (c/n 347) was built as a Convair 440 for National Airlines as N2042 and delivered to the airline on June 22 1956. Sold to North Central Airlines in January 1963 she was converted to 580 standard in 1968 and later flew with Republic Airlines. She was acquired by Kelowna Flightcraft in March 1982 and registered C-GKFW, following which she joined Time Air in 1986 before becoming part of the newly formed Canadian Regional Airlines on March 31 1993. Her service in this livery was short, though, and after purchase by Time Aviation Services as N580TA in January 1994 was placed in store at Mojave, California. She later returned to Canada for operation by Canair Cargo and Nolinor as C-GRLQ. Our thanks go to Tony Hickey who contributed so many cracking colour slides to "Propliner" and which now lie in the publication's treasure chest.

24/09/2026

One of the smartest liveries ever sported by a Vickers Viking, Continental's series 635 Viking 1B G-AMNR (c/n 291) is pictured in the summer of 1960. This aircraft only served with the airline for seven months, and was delivered from Bournemouth (Hurn) to Blackbushe on December 23 1959, flying her first service via Stansted to Munich later in the day. She spent most of the following summer flying tourists from Blackbushe (until its closure on May 31 1960) and Southend to Mediterranean holiday resorts and mainland European destinations including Basle, Ostend and Rotterdam. G-AMNR last flew out of Southend on July 18 1960 when Captain Van der Tooren flew her to Nutts Corner Airport, Belfast. Two days later she was flown to Cambridge for maintenance, but never flew again. G-AMNR was originally delivered to South African Airways as ZS-BNF on September 2 1947. Returning to the UK for service with British European Airways as G-AMNR at Northolt in December 1951 as "Lord Charles Beresford", she later served with Eagle, Independent Air Travel and Blueair before joining Continental under the ownership of T.D. 'Mike' Keegan. This stunning image comes from the collection of the late Jacques Guillem, who generously shared so many pictures from his treasure trove with many other like-minded enthusiasts. Thank you Jacques.

23/09/2026

18/09/2026

Founded by Richard Branson in 1992 Vintage Airways operated two Douglas DC-3s on sight-seeing and nostalgia flights around Florida. N12RB (c/n 20401) was named "Amelia" in memory of famous American aviatrix Amelia Earhart, while N22RB (c/n 4926) was named "Eve" after Branson's mother who served as a 'Star Girl' with British South American Airways in the late-forties. Both aircraft initially operated flights between Orlando and Key West, where renowned aviation photographer the late Eddy J Gual caught her on June 15 1993. Flights were also made from other Florida airports including Kissimmee and Fort Lauderdale, with cabin staff attired in forties-style uniforms and the cabins appropriately decorated. N12RB has had many owners and registrations over the years, including a short period post-war when she was registered G-ALFO with the Zinc Corporation. Post-USAAF service, most of her owners were corporate, and today she still flies regularly, now wearing camouflage and D-Day stripes as N33VW "The Wabbit Expwess" and most recently took part in EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh in July 2026.

15/09/2026

10/09/2026

Colourful addition to the European charter airline business for the summer of 1967, Falconair purchased three former Philippine Air Lines Viscount 784D aircraft comprising SE-CNK, SE-CNL and SE-CNM. The latter is pictured taxying at an unknown airport circa 1968. SE-CNM (c/n 324) was delivered to Falconair's base at Malmo/Bulltofta on April 19 1967 still wearing her Philippine registration of PI-C771. She entered service in mid-May operating charter flights to destinations throughout Europe and to favourite holiday resort airports in Spain and Italy. During the 1967 summer season the Viscounts were also seen at Amsterdam, Geneva, Paris (Le Bourget), Helsinki, Dusseldorf and Basle, while in the UK SE-CNM operated a Copenhagen-Liverpool-Malmo charter on July 9, and then made the airline's first visit to Gatwick on a charter originating at Malmo on July 17. On July 27 SE-CNK and SE-CNM both flew into Gloucester (Staverton), for attention to their propellers by Dowty Rotol engineers - SE-CNM staged via Birmingham as she arrived ahead of Staverton's opening time. Although sold on to Skyline - successor to Falconair - in August 1971, the aircraft failed to enter service and was broken up at Malmo two months later. Another splendid shot from the collection of the late Tony Eastwood, whose family have kindly allowed "Propliner" to share his collection with a wider audience and to whom we offer our sincere thanks.

07/09/2026

Something a little offbeat for a Monday morning. The "Propliner" archive is full of colour slides contributed during the last 40 plus years, and among them is this shot taken by the late Bill Ward at Delhi circa 1997. Bill was a regular contributor to "Propliner" and stationed in India for a short period. He managed to capture some of the 'propliner' activity at Delhi during relaxed moments, but was always wary of a hand on his shoulder. Former Ukraine Air Force Antonov An-12BP UR-11348 (c/n 7345208) was flown by Busol Airline between 1994 and 1999, following which it joined Volare as UR-SMA.