Photographer Henry Tenby

Photographer: Unknown photographer.

Acquired by Delta Air Transport May 1972 as OO-EVG. Re-reg'd OO-VGE Sep 1973. To C-GHLY, N501ZS, N651CE.

Douglas DC-6B, C-GHLY was acquired by Conair from Delta Air Transport in Belgium. It's seen here being painted on July 6, 1975 with No. 46 on the tail prior to the installation of an external belly tank. Previous with Northwest Orient Airlines (N581) and Kar-Air in Finland (OH-KDB), it joining DAT in 1992 as OO-EVG and later OO-VGE. Conair's first DC-6Bs were ex-PWA CF-PWA (Tanker 41) and CF-PWF (tanker 42) bought in 1972 & fitted with 2,500 imp gal tanks. No. 41 crashed Aug 2, 1974, but many more DC-6s were purchased for fire contracts in BC, the NWT, Alaska etc. To Alaska in 2014 as N651CE.

from my collection, photo by T.Sogalla

Delivered to Northwest Orient Airlines Mar 1958 as N581. To Kar-Air in Feb 65 as OH-KDB. Joined Delta Air Transport in May 1972 but as OO-EVG. Re-reg OO-VGE Sep 1973. To Conair Aviation circa 1974 as C-GHLY. To Everts Air Cargo Aug 2014 as N501ZS. Later transferred (on paper) to Everts Air Fuel and re-reg N651CE. It however remained stored in Fairbanks AK. with no registration showing.

K25 slide scan. Built 1958 as N581 for Northwest Orient. Kar Air OH-KDB 1965, DAT OO-VGE 1972, Conair C-GHLY 1973 and converted to aerial tanker, retired by 2005. Everts Air Cargo N501ZS 2013, ferried to Fairbanks 2014. Reregistered N651CE (2) had entered service as bulk fuel carrier by 2022.

On standby during the summer wildfire season. Previously operated by Kar-Air in the 1960s as OH-KDB. (See Photo ID: 195754.)

Former Conair firebomber DC-6B C-GHLY #46 in basic Conair colors with EAF (Everts Air Fuel) titles on the tail. This aircraft had been registered N501ZS for the August 2014 ferry flight from Abbotsford, BC to Fairbanks but since has been registered N651CE. There were no registration marks on the aircraft and it hadn't yet entered into service with Everts Air Fuel.

This DC-6 eventually went to Everts as N501ZS

Originally built for Northwest Airlines in 1958, this DC-6B is here in service with a Finnish charter airline and possibly bringing high-school students, as was common back then. Livery was red with black trim lines.

The four Pratt & Whitney R2800 radials make a wonderful noise as Tanker 46 is making a left turn, preparing to drop its load of retardant on the first beginnings of the Parks Highway Fire. This fire eventually became a major wildfire, raging intensely for more than four weeks, during which it consumed 467 km² (115,500 acres) of forest south and east of Nenana. It wasn't until 1 Nov 2006 before it was officially declared "out". It was by far the largest wildfire in Alaska in 2006.

Tanker 46 relaxing in the nice Alaskan morning sun, still completely unaware of how busy the afternoon and evening would become following the outbreak of the Parks Highway Fire just a few hours later.

Delta Air Transport was a significant regional operator in the Low countries in the 70s

Out to pasture at Abbotsford with a line of retired S-2's in the background. Delivered new to Northwest Airlines as N581 in March 1958. Acquired by Everts, re-registered N501ZS and ferried to Fairbanks in 2014 for storage.

Delivered new to Northwest Airlines in March 1958 as N581. Sold to Kar-Air in 1965. Served Delta Air Transport from April 1972 until 1974 when sold to Conair as C-GHLY.