Delivered to the US Navy as R6D-1 Bu131611 in 1953. Redesignated as a C-118B in 1962. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB in 1977. Sold and moved to the Allied Aircraft Sales yard in 1988. Registered as N821CS in 1989 then HK-3644X in 1991 and N680AF in 2004. Stored at Bucaramanga, Colombia by 2007. Moved to near Curití, Santander, Colombia by 2015 and preserved as the Aero Hotel.

Photographer Paolo Rollino

The aircraft arrived at Davis-Monthan for storage in June 1977 its last active duty station having been NAS Keflavik, hence the truncated marking AVIK on the fin. It was civilianised as N821CS in 1989 and in 1991 went to Columbia as HK-3644X, serving with Aeronorte and Lineas Aereas Suramericanas. It returned to the US register as N680AG in 2004 but lapsed into dereliction at Lebrija -Palonegro Airport, Colombia, until resurrected as the Aero Hotel at an off-airfield site at Curití, Santander, Colombia. (See photos on this web site).

Former Aeronorte DC-6 HK-3644X was stored at Bucaramanga, Santander. Originally delivered to the US Navy as Bu131611. Now preserved along the main road between Bogota and Bucaramanga about 6km north of San Gil.

Preserved DC-6 along the main road between Bogota and Bucaramanga, about 6km north of San Gil in the department of Santander. This was formally the Aero Hotel, but this place has gone out of business. But after that the airplane has been completely repainted. The Aero Hotel had a yellow DC-6, now the wings are original again and the fuselage is white and blue. There was nobody around to explain what the plans are with this beauty. The DC-6 was rescued from the dump at the airport in Bucaramanga when the new hangars were build as part of the airport expention plan.

Delivered to the US Navy as R6D-1 Bu131611 in 1953. Redesignated as a C-118B in 1962. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB in 1977. Sold and moved to the Allied Aircraft Sales yard in 1988. Registered as N821CS in 1989 then HK-3644X in 1991 and N680AF in 2004. Stored at Bucaramanga, Colombia by 2007. Moved to near Curití, Santander, Colombia by 2015 and preserved as the Aero Hotel.

AeroNorte changed to Lineas Aereas Suramericanas in 1986 but the name was revived in 1991, when this C-118 was acquired. Originally Bu No. 131611 delivered to the USN in 1953 and to MASDC at Davis Monthan in 6.77. Stored at Bucaramanga in Colombia from 12.99, became N680AF in 2004 but still there