In the early 1960s, Capitol Airways built up a significant fleet of Constellations and Super Constellations that were used extensively in its civilian and military charter business until they were replaced by Douglas DC-8s.

This nice 737 brought a Nixon campaign group in for a rally and later dinner in Orinda.

This Stearman was converted into a rice seeder, seen here with small Willows Flying Service titles and logo on the tail. It is ex USAF 42-17282, and survived with various owners in the USA as N4763V until cancelled from the register in September 2011 on export to Brazil as PR-TCP.

Modified as a crop duster and later as a fire fighting Air Tanker with a T-6 engine. Was officially registered to Dale P. Newton (Talent, OR) from June 1981 until cancelled in November 2012. Preserved at the Pima Air Museum since 1990. According to them the U.S. Forest Service loaned the aircraft to the museum as part of their program to preserve historic fire-fighting aircraft. The museum purchased the aircraft in 2015.

Pan American Airway's Consolidated "Commodore" at their Alameda base in 1937. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge can be seen in the background. Apologies for the rope in front.

CAL NG flight over Stockton, California.

Willows Flying Service rice seeder at Willows in June 1964, with small Willows Flying Service titles on the fin. This aircraft is ex USAF 42-17282, and survived with various owners in the USA as N4763V until cancelled from the register in September 2011 on export to Brazil as PR-TCP.

The Consolidated "Commodore" made its first flight in 1929 and was the state-of-the-art flying boat in the early 1930s. It was increasingly obsolete by 1937. The model 16-1 had a capacity of 22 passengers and 3 crew members.

This is one of my favorite rare Ford photos. It is on Virginia Street in downtown Reno, Nevada, on September 13, 1983. For two years, at the start of the National Championship Air Races, the main street was blocked off by the casinos to exhibit the Ford and other planes. The Ford was dismantled and trucked in to the site and then re-assembled.

Pan American's Consolidated "Commodore" on exhibit as part of the 1940 Golden Gate International Exposition. Carried "Training Plane No.1" on the nose. The exposition opened May 25, 1940, through September 29, 1940.

Nice sunlight on this Fleet flying somewhere in the vicinity of San Jose, California.

Lockheed 10 being lifted over the fence at Oakland Airport so it could be brought to the Western Aerospace Museum (now the Oakland Aviation Museum) where it is now on exhibit.

Supermarine "Walrus" MK-IV of the Argentine Navy on their Cruiser "La Argentina" during a visit to San Francisco in 1940.

This aircraft was being sold as surplus at the Concord WAA Depot.

The only XC-12 ever built. Built by the Capelis Safety Airplane Company, it was registered as NX12762 on 12 Jan 1933, and first flew in the same year. It failed to attract commercial interest, and following a minor accident on 15 Apr 1938 the aircraft was permanently grounded, its registration cancelled in Aug 1938. It was acquired by RKO Studios and its unusual cockpit design was modified to look more like a DC-3. The aircraft was then used as a prop in many movies, most notably in Five Came Back (1939) and The Flying Tigers (1942). It was eventually scrapped circa 1950.

Listed in many online databases as being registered to Friedkin Enterprises at this time, which can be explained by the close association of the Friedkin family with Pacific Southwest Airlines. Kenny Friedkin founded the airline in 1949, together with his wife Jean, who became a director and vice-president of the company. Their son, Tom Friedkin, was a full-time pilot for the airline.

Ex Army Air Corps 38-593, and later preserved at Pima as such.

This is the former NACA 137, which was the in-flight launch aircraft for the Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket. Note the Skyrocket launch record board on the nose. Originally delivered to the USAAF in 1945 as 45-21787, then transferred to the US Navy as 84029 in 1947 before joining NACA circa 1949. Withdrawn from use in August 1959 and stored at Davis-Monthan. Acquired by the American Air Museum Society in early 1969, and restored to flying condition at Tucson. Seen here shortly after its ferry flight from Tucson to Oakland, where restoration would continue. First post-restoration flight took place on 27 April 1978.