Delivered to Arkia on Dec 20th, 1969, this machine saw previous service as G-APTB with BUA from January 1960 and Hunting Clan from June 1959. Purchased by BAF for spares in 1989, she was later broken up. Sister-ship 4X-AVE is in the immediate background with a selection of IDFAF transporters further back.

Arkia's DC-3/C-47's helped keeping Israel's southernmost city - Eilat - connected to the rest of the country in the late 1950's / early 1960's. However, the airframe shown here never carried the registration 4X-AES, which did exist though but had c/n 11923 (USAAF FY 42-92154 > RAF FL562 > HB-ATO > NC74136 > OO-AFB > to Israel DF) and then to Arkia between April 2, 1957 and June 26, 1966. The history of the airframe shown here is best described at http://www.dc-3.co.za/dc-3-individual-aircraft-history/cn-6223.html . "4X-AES" has since been moved a few miles north to the new Eilat Airport LLER.