Photographer Nick Mills

Delivered new to TTA on 22 November 1967. TTA ordered 7 DC-9s, two DC-9-14 passenger versions, and 5 DC-9-15MC (mixed cargo) versions. N1305T was a mixed cargo version, and the cargo door outline can be seen starting just behind the TTA on the fuselage.

K25 slide scan. Built 1967 as N1305T for TTA, renamed Texas International 1968. Air National 1982, Orion for Purolator Courier 1984, reregistered N563PC 1985. Ryan for Emery 1987, Kitty Hawk 1995. C&M Airways 2001, Century Airlines 2002, Aeronaves TSM XA-TIG 2017, still active 2021.

Ex N1305T, re-registered Aug 1984 and transferred to Emery Worldwide Sep 1987

Air National started as a contract cargo carrier with SNIAS Corvettes. Adding DC-9 freighters as the industry was de-regulated, this aircraft was bought from Texas International Airlines in July 1982. Pictured operating for Purolator Courier, the airline when bankrupt in 1984 after expanding into passenger flights. This DC-9 went to Orion Air in February 1984 and has continued flying cargo with several airlines. It is current with Aeronaves TSM as XA-TIG at the time of uploading.

While taxiing to the active runway, I had a good view of the maintenance center at Alajuela. Some interesting aircraft parked there. This one is ex. N130ST (Trans Texas Airlines, Texas Int'l Airlines, Air National). As N563PC, she served with Purolator, Emery Worldwide, Kitty Hawk, C&M Airways and Frontera Flight Holdings. Since October 2017 part of the Aeronaves fleet as XA-TIG.