Photographer: Rainer Haufschild.

Although at that time it was owned by Atlantic Air Transport it still retained the livery of its former operator Greenlandair, and the "last three" of its Danish registration OY-DRC can still be discerned on the upper rear fuselage.

The Empress has been moved again to near where she taxied onto the premises in 2010. On both sides, the Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers logo has been painted over and small DC-6 Truck Parts titles were added to the rear fuselage, the current name of the company behind this technology museum under development.

This DC-6 was preserved at the SAAF Museum at Swartkop from 1998 until sold to Peter Bauman circa Nov 2005, but it remained stored here at Swartkop. This DC-6 was re-sold to Witold Walus (owner of Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers) in 2008, and in 2010 work was started to restore it to flying condition, for one flight only. It was registered as ZS-MUL on 29 Oct 2010, and on 4 Dec 2010 the Six made its last flight, from Swartkop to a small airstrip at the owner's site near Wallmannsthal, South Africa. It was still preserved there by June 2021.

This DC-6B led an illustrious life starting as CF-CZV with CP Air before moving to Scandinavia first with Transair as SE-BDG before going to Braathens SAFE as LN-SUT. Then she went to Greenlandair as OY-DRC. The last stop in Europe was with Air Atlantique as G-SIXB before heading for Southern Africa, first as 3D-ASA, then 3D-ASB with Air Swaziland, then to Interocean as C9-ASR. Later she became ZS-MUL with Avia, 9Q-CJE with Trans Service Airlift. She returned to South Africa as ZS-XXX where she is now a gate guard for Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers as ZS-MUL.

This DC-6B led an illustrious life starting as CF-CZV with CP Air before moving to Scandinavia first with Transair as SE-BDG before going to Braathens SAFE as LN-SUT. Then she went to Greenlandair as OY-DRC. The last stop in Europe was with Air Atlantique as G-SIXB before heading for Southern Africa, first as 3D-ASA, then 3D-ASB with Air Swaziland, then to Interocean as C9-ASR. Later she became ZS-MUL with Avia, 9Q-CJE with Trans Service Airlift. She returned to South Africa as ZS-XXX where she is now a gate guard for Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers as ZS-MUL.

Operated by Avia Airlines. This DC-6B led an illustrious life starting as CF-CZV with CP Air before moving to Scandinavia first with Transair as SE-BDG before going to Braathens SAFE as LN-SUT. Then she went to Greenlandair as OY-DRC. The last stop in Europe was with Air Atlantique as G-SIXB before heading for Southern Africa, first as 3D-ASA, then 3D-ASB with Air Swaziland, then to Interocean as C9-ASR. Later she became ZS-MUL with Avia, 9Q-CJE with Trans Service Airlift. She returned to South Africa as ZS-XXX where she is now a gate guard for Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers as ZS-MUL.

This DC-6B led an illustrious life starting as CF-CZV with CP Air before moving to Scandinavia first with Transair as SE-BDG before going to Braathens SAFE as LN-SUT. Then she went to Greenlandair as OY-DRC. The last stop in Europe was with Air Atlantique as G-SIXB before heading for Southern Africa, first as 3D-ASA, then 3D-ASB with Air Swaziland, then to Interocean as C9-ASR. Later she became ZS-MUL with Avia, 9Q-CJE with Trans Service Airlift. She returned to South Africa as ZS-XXX where she is now a gate guard for Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers as ZS-MUL.

This DC-6B led an illustrious life starting as CF-CZV with CP Air before moving to Scandinavia first with Transair as SE-BDG before going to Braathens SAFE as LN-SUT. Then she went to Greenlandair as OY-DRC. The last stop in Europe was with Air Atlantique as G-SIXB before heading for Southern Africa, first as 3D-ASA, then 3D-ASB with Air Swaziland, then to Interocean as C9-ASR. Later she became ZS-MUL with Avia, 9Q-CJE with Trans Service Airlift. She returned to South Africa as ZS-XXX where she is now a gate guard for Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers as ZS-MUL.

Operated by Avia Airlines. This DC-6B led an illustrious life starting as CF-CZV with CP Air before moving to Scandinavia first with Transair as SE-BDG before going to Braathens SAFE as LN-SUT. Then she went to Greenlandair as OY-DRC. The last stop in Europe was with Air Atlantique as G-SIXB before heading for Southern Africa, first as 3D-ASA, then 3D-ASB with Air Swaziland, then to Interocean as C9-ASR. Later she became ZS-MUL with Avia, 9Q-CJE with Trans Service Airlift. She returned to South Africa as ZS-XXX where she is now a gate guard for Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers as ZS-MUL.

This DC-6B led an illustrious life starting as CF-CZV with CP Air before moving to Scandinavia first with Transair as SE-BDG before going to Braathens SAFE as LN-SUT. Then she went to Greenlandair as OY-DRC. The last stop in Europe was with Air Atlantique as G-SIXB before heading for Southern Africa, first as 3D-ASA, then 3D-ASB with Air Swaziland, then to Interocean as C9-ASR. Later she became ZS-MUL with Avia, 9Q-CJE with Trans Service Airlift. She returned to South Africa as ZS-XXX where she is now a gate guard for Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers as ZS-MUL.

This DC-6B led an illustrious life starting as CF-CZV with CP Air before moving to Scandinavia first with Transair as SE-BDG before going to Braathens SAFE as LN-SUT. Then she went to Greenlandair as OY-DRC. The last stop in Europe was with Air Atlantique as G-SIXB before heading for Southern Africa, first as 3D-ASA, then 3D-ASB with Air Swaziland, then to Interocean as C9-ASR. Later she became ZS-MUL with Avia, 9Q-CJE with Trans Service Airlift. She returned to South Africa as ZS-XXX where she is now a gate guard for Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers as ZS-MUL.

This DC-6B led an illustrious life starting as CF-CZV with CP Air before moving to Scandinavia first with Transair as SE-BDG before going to Braathens SAFE as LN-SUT. Then she went to Greenlandair as OY-DRC. The last stop in Europe was with Air Atlantique as G-SIXB before heading for Southern Africa, first as 3D-ASA, then 3D-ASB with Air Swaziland, then to Interocean as C9-ASR. Later she became ZS-MUL with Avia, 9Q-CJE with Trans Service Airlift. She returned to South Africa as ZS-XXX where she is now a gate guard for Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers as ZS-MUL.

The aircraft was delivered in 1957 to Canadian Pacific as CF-CZV; it was later operated by Transair Sweden, Braathens, Greenlandair and Air Atlantique. In Dec 1979 it left the Northern hemisphere and came to Africa. It was then operated by Air Swaziland, Interocean Airways,Avia Air and Trans air Cargo. In 1998 the owner of Trans air Cargo donated the aircraft to the SAA Museum Society. It received the registration ZS-XXX only for the ferry flights from Rand to JHB and from JHB to Swartkop AFB. In 2008 the aircraft was purchased by private collectors who restored it as ZS-MUL.

Ex ZS-MUL, registered 26th July 1994. Became ZS-XXX Nov 1998 for display as FASK (Swartkop)

This DC-6 arrived here on 4 December 2010, landing spectacularly on a small dirt strip nextdoor. Great clips of its arrival can be found on YouTube. It is ex ZS-XXX, reregd to ZS-MUL on 29 October 2010, shortly before this delivery flight. It's now in use as an eye-catcher, and photos can be taken from outside the fence, for those arriving after closing time, like us. It has the logo of its owner Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers on the fin. The aircraft's name dates back to the late 1950s, when this aircraft served with Canadian Pacific Airlines as CF-CZV, and was named "Empress of Suva".