On standby at Paso Robles Fire Attack Base. Carries the firebombing number "16". Constructed as a P2V-7 and taken on charge new by the US Navy in 1959 as 140963. Joined the Aero Union Corporation at Chico, California as N716AU in 1986 for conversion to firebombing tanker configuration. Transferred to Bravo Airlines Inc of Opa Locka, Florida in 2007.

Photographer: Humbert CHARVE

Built in 2005. With police lights from a nearby displayed cruiser reflected on her tail.

Seen in US Bicentenary colours. To the USAAF as a C-54D serial 42-72442 on 31 Oct 1945. To the RAF as KL977 on 20 Feb 1945. To the US Navy as serial 91994 in 1946 as a R5D-3. Later redesignated to a C-54Q. WFU at MASDC - Davis Monthan in Jul 1970. To Aero Union as N62296 on 13 Dec 1974 for use as a water bomber. Registered to N76AU on 20 Jan 1976. Noted in Oct 1991 at CIC painted as USAF '272442' for the air show season. To N3054V on 30 Jan 2002 with Aero Flite. To Brooks Fuel Inc on 28 Jun 2007. To Alaska Air Fuel on 29 Oct 2013. Still current in 2023.

Built in 1991. Ex N8049R, LV-WLV, N881JT, N718MB, N341RL and PR-PEG.

Reregistered N90A. Photo from: Digital Archives of Hawaii

Delivered to the USAAF as C-54D 42-72568 then transferred to the US Navy as R5D-3 56506 in 1945. Redesignated as a C-54Q in 1962. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB with park code 3C081 in 1970. Sold as N87591 in 1974. To Conifair as C-GBPA in 1981 and used as a sprayer, spray bars can be seen above the wing. To Buffalo Airways in 2003. Reregistered as N55CW in 2011. To Western Sky Aviation Warbird Museum, St. George, UT in 2022.

Delivered to the USAAF as C-54D 42-72568 then transferred to the US Navy as R5D-3 56506 in 1945. Redesignated as a C-54Q in 1962. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB with park code 3C081 in 1970. Sold as N87591 in 1974. To Conifair as C-GBPA in 1981 and used as a sprayer, spray bars can be seen above the wing. To Buffalo Airways in 2003. Reregistered as N55CW in 2011. To Western Sky Aviation Warbird Museum, St. George, UT in 2022.

Delivered to the USAAF as C-54D 42-72442 then transferred to the RAF as KL977 in 1945. To the US Navy as R5D-3 91994 in 1946. Redesignated as a C-54Q in 1962. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB with park code 3C065 in 1970. To Aero Union as N62296 in 1974. Converted to a firebomber and reregistered as N76AU in 1976. Deconverted from a firebomber in 1990 and painted in USAAF colours by 1992. To Aero Flite as N3054V in 2001 then to Brooks Fuel in 2007 and Alaska Air Fuel in 2013. Sadly, this aircraft, with its two crew, was lost in a crash immediately after take-off from Fairbanks, Alaska on 23 April 2024. By then, it was the last DC-4 flying commercially in the USA.

Formed at Hamble by John Siddeley in 1931, Air Service Training (AST) was the main civil operator of the Avro Cadet. G-ADCX was the last Type 631 plane, delivered in February 1935. Also seen are Type 631s G-ABWS / 1, G-ABXU / 2 and G-ADAV / 15; and Type 643 Cadet IIs G-ADTG / 18, G-ADTH / 19 and G-AEIR.

Previously N303K Ford Motor (as a Cv-580) and N5129 with General Motors (still as a Convair 440) and several other corporate owners before that. Written off in a single engine landing accident at McAllen-Miller TX on 4 Dec 2004 following a (not too successful) test flight. There were no casualties.

This was an unexpected surprise and I was lucky to be allowed on the ramp to take it.

Tanker 16 in a group during fire action at Kamloops. This Avenger started its life with the US Navy in 1945 and later went to the Royal Canadian Navy. From there it spent many years in the fire fighting and ag spraying industry first with Skyway, then Conair from 1969 - 1977 and finally Forest Protection. The Avenger eventually went to the Tri-State Warbird Museum in 2004.

Delivered new to National Airlines 26th Feb 1965 and merged into PanAm July 1980. Sold to USAF as 83-4616 31st Oct 1985

Destroyed by fire during overhaul at Archerfield on June 28, 1939. By then it had become VH-UFR. Photo from: State Library of Queensland