In April 1980, several aviation friends and I visited some parts of the USA, on a month long aviation tour. We had bought a National Airlines pass and went from Amsterdam, via London-Heathrow, on National Airlines DC-10-30, N83NA, to Miami. After spending two weeks in the Miami area, we vistited San Juan, P.R., Saint-Thomas in the Virgen Islands, the Los Angeles area and Houston International airport.
Below, I focus on our visit to Fort Lauderdale Airport, FL.
Below, I focus on our visit to Fort Lauderdale Airport, FL.
A DC-10-40 of Northwest Orient nears the end of its journey on a spring day in 1980.
Fort Lauderdale Airport, April 13, 1980.
Fort Lauderdale Airport, April 13, 1980.
United Airlines Boeing 727-200, N7645U, taxiing out at Ft. Lauderdale, bound for Boston-Logan Airport, MA, in April 1980.
N7645U, started flying for United Airlines in May 1969. She is listed scrapped at Roswell in Custom Air Transport colors during 2013.
Boeing 727-200, N504DA, seen here heading purposefully towards the runway 10 Left threshold.
N504DA, started flying for Delta Airlines in June 1977. She is listed stored at Jakara Soekarna Hatta Airport in Merpati Nusantara colors since June 2004.
Boeing 727-200, N4737, is taxiing out for take-off at Ft. Lauderdale on April 29, 1980.
N4737, started flying for National in January 1968. On July 9, 1982, the airplane lifted off about 7,000 feet down runway 10 of New Orleans Airport and climbed in a wings-level attitude, reached an altitude of about 100 feet to 150 feet above the ground (AGL), and then began to descend towards trees. The airplane crashed into a residential area and was destroyed during the impact, explosion, and subsequent ground fire. Eight persons on the ground were killed.
Trans World L-1011 taxiing out for departures.
N41016, started flying for Trans World in February 1974. She is listed broken-up at Tucson during April 2003.
United has just arrived from LGA.
N7413U, a Boeing 727-100, started flying for United Airlines in November 1966. She is listed dismantled at Roswell, New Mexico, in UPS colors in December 2007.
Here, Boeing 727-200, N471BN, comes over the runway approach lighting at Ft. Lauderdale Airport in April 1980.
N471BN, started flying for Braniff in May 1979. She is listed stored at Liberal Mid-America Airport, KS. in FedEx colors in January 2014.
Quebecair 737-200 at Ft. Lauderdale before departing for YQB in April 1980.
C-GQBT, started flying for Nordair in January 1979. The aircraft went on to serve with many airlines on short leases, until stored at Mojave in Aloha colors since September 2004.
Nordair Boeing 737-242C, C-GNDC, is seen here departing whilst the sun hid behind a high cloud.
C-GNDC, started flying for Nordair in June 1979. She is listed stored as a airport trainer at Ottowa Airport, where I spotted her on June 3, 2016, 36 years after I took this pic!
Lockheed L-188 Turbo-prop at FLL, laying over between flights on April 13, 1980.
N8355C, built in 1962 started flying for American Flyers Airlines. She is listed stored at Opa Locka in JBQ Aviation colors since November 1996.
Many of the economically hard-pressed airlines of Central and South America, Africa and parts of the Middle East, were attracted by the cheap purchasing and leasing costs of aircraft such as the Boeing 707.
G-APFD, started flying for British Overseas Airways Corp. (BOAC) in March 1960. She is listed broken-up at Fort Lauderdale during August 1986.
Mackey Airlines, Inc., primarily served Florida and The Bahamas. At one point, the airline also operated Douglas DC-8 jetliners in scheduled passenger service between Florida, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
N804E, started flying for Delta Airlines in October 1959. She is listed chopped-up at Marana during 1994.
Mackey International Airlines ceased operations in 1981.
N821E, started flying for Delta Airlines in August 1966. She is listed scrapped at Marana, still in her Mackey colors, during 1988.
Mackey's sole Convair 580 receives mechanical attention in the open.
N900WC, started flying, as a Convair 340, for Braniff in October 1953. She is listed parted-out at Kelowana during 1999.
Even with all four engines removed, N43548 still manages to look classy.
Douglas DC-6B, N4354B, started flying for American Airlines in October 1951. Her last operator was Mackey International. She is listed chopped-up at FLL in last months of 1980.
She provided yeoman service for Mackey Airlines.
N443JM, started flying for Eastern Airlines in April 1957. The Convair completely chopped-up in December 1980.
DC-6A, N844TA, still manages to look majestic despite being parked amid the aeronautical trash at Ft. Lauderdale in April 1980.
N844TA, started flying for Sabena in July 1954. Between '77 and '79 she was working for Sfair, as F-BYCJ, from their Nice, France base. She is listed crashed into the sea near South-Bimini Island, Bahamas on November 28, 198. She appeared to be on a clandestine flight, struck the water and broken-up on impact.
Former Pacific Air Transport Lockheed L-049 Constellation, N90816, receiving some TLC at FLL. The aircraft was actually owned by Aero Sacasa in April 1980.
In its heyday, the Constellation was a peerless performer.
N90816, started flying for Transcontinental & Western Air (TWA) in September 1946. She was operated by Pacific Air Transport from 1966 to 1971 and stored at FLL, between 1979 and 1990, in ex Pacific Air Transport colour. She is listed broken-up at FLL during June 1990.
Let’s start No. 4. Crack the throttle, squeeze the starter switches, wait for one-two-three-four-five-six blades, switch ignition to ‘both’ and depress the primer switch-there, she’s caught. That big round R-2800 really is a wonderful engine.
N90816, R-3350 ping into life and start to hit that perfect beat.
A typically smokey-start-up for a Constellation’s Wright 3350.
No. 4 three bladed Hamilton props were roaring away.
Convair 340, N1179, at Fort Lauderdale in April 1980. International Field Studies was an educational organisation which used a number of propliners at that time to carry students to remote locations.
N1179, started flying for United Airlines July 1953. She is listed scrapped at an unknown location in the mid 90's.
This bare metal freighter was named 'Trusted Friend'.
N375ED, was originally delivered to United Air Lines as N37501 in November 1946. Among a long list of other operators was Mackey International as N375ED. From October 1983 she went on to fly with several more operators finishing with the Peruvian Air Force. She was reported as retired in late 1997 after 51 years in service. She is presently preserved at a gate guard of the Jorge Chavez AFB Lima, Peru.
A very scruffy and weathered DC-6F.
N10405, started flying for Ameriacan Airlines in June 1947. She is listed leaving Ft. Lauderdale, most probably on a smuggling mission, in 1980 and was ever seen again.
This American Flyers Curtiss Freighter was clocking-up hours on ad-hoc charters.
N611Z, started flying for the USAAF in June 1945. She is preserved at NAS Pensacola, FL, since November 1988.
Bare metal freighters were a common sight at Ft. Lauderdale in the early 80's.
N69346, started flying for USAAF in July 1945. She is listed 'disappeared' from her base in Villavicencio, Colombia by early 2000's. The last operator was Transamazonica Colombia.
Large numbers of surplus military Convair T-29's had found a ready market as a freighter in both the America's.
N9618A, started flying for USAF in November 1952 as VT-29B 'Flying Classroom' ( T-29B converted for staff transport with seating for 29 or 32 passengers). She is listed owned by Robert J. Wayne in April 1980. What exactly happend with this Convair is unknown.
Bare metal freighter, N1807M, at a broiling hot Ft. Lauderdale tarmac, being loaded for her cargo flight to Cockburn Town, Turks & South Caicos.
N1807M, started flying for USAAF in August 1945. During our visit she was owned and operated by Inter Air Inc. She is listed scrapped at Managua in Aeronica colors in the early 90's.
This DC-3 had hopes of resurrection.
N48159, started flying for USAAF in 1944. She is listed working for Consolidated Air Freight from Florida after I photographed her.
This Convair 240 was a longtime resident at Ft. Lauderdale Airport.
N7761, started flying for Garuda Indonesia Airlines in September 1950. She is listed seen in derelicht condition at Daytona Beach Airport in 2007.
Fortune smiled on this propliner, it was brought out of storage and exported to Venezuela.
N40436, a Marin 404, started flying for TWA in August 1952. She is listed stored at Higuerote, Venezuela, in Rent-Avion colors.
A very old Douglas DC-8-33, far from airworthy.
N904CL, originally delivered to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in March 1960 as PH-DCA, the DC-8 passed through a succession of owners, including Belgian International Air Service (BIAS), Delta Air Transport, Pomair, Martinair Holland, Garuda Indonesia, Capitol Air, Overseas National, before ending up with Air Fleets. She is listed broken-up at Ft. Lauderdale during May 1981.
Here, a bare metal Lockheed Constellation and B-25 Mitchell simmer in the moist heat of a Florida afternoon in April 1980.
N6206C, started flying for Eastern Airlines in December 1951. During our visit she was owner by Aero Sacasa, who scrapped her in October 1980.
During April 1980, this C-47 she was present in a latent or barely discernible state.
N8563, started flying for the Canadian Air Force during the war. She ended her flying career with the Fuerza Aerea Colombiana.
Despite the under-inflated tires and the oil patches under the engines and the fact that the aircraft appeared not to have flown for some time, N90830 seemed to be airworthy.
After the war, N90830, started flying for private company in Mexico. She is listed preserved in Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Experience museum Kalamazoo, MI.
Parked alongside a Convair T-29 Trainer in the parking lot of Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood Airport, is this original C-53 airframe.
Mind the viewmaster lengthened passenger windows!
This T-29 still wears faded 'U.S. AIR FORCE' titles from its days in the military.
N99654, started flying for USAF in August 1952. In 1980 she was owned by Paul H. Jones & Company. In February 1982 she was broken-up at Miami International Airport.
Here, a Douglas DC-6 freighter is caught on camara on a sticky day at Ft. Lauderdale in April 1980.
N710AC, started flying for Braniff in October 1947. She was owned by Carolina Aircraft Corporation during our visit. She is listed bruken-up at Ft. Lauderdale in December 1991.
Decidedly static Douglas DC-3 N272L at Fort Lauderdale minus No. 1 engine.
N272L, started flying for USAAF during the war. She is listed de-registrated in 2013.
Getting of age, cargo they go.
N51848, started flying for the USAAF in May 1945. She is listed owned by Grover W. Werthner during our visit in 1980. The C-54E is preserved at Castle AFB museum, California.
In 1975, N51848 (still registrated N67038), was landed at a 1.000 foot airstrip which had been bulldozed out of the forest in Polk County, Georgia, on a drug smuggling run and seized by the authorities. Eight months later she was flown out of the forest.
Lackluster but what a beautiful paint job.
TG-APA, started flying for Braniff in October 1947. Between 1966 and 1978 Aviateca Guatemala was her the proud owner. She is listed seized by the Broward County Sheriff for drugs traffic on April 1, 1979 and chopped-up, at FLL, during May 1981.
C-47A Skytrain, YV-25CP, operated by Technica Rondina Corp. looks to be in superb condition.
YV-25CP, started flying for the RAF as KG441 in February 1944. She is listed crashed in Venezuela on December 17, 1994.
Global Air Inc. Martin 404, N35JS, enjoys the sunshine.
N35JS, started flying for Eastern Airlines in April 1952. She is listed persumably broken-up after 1994.
DC-6B, N8CA, is a particularly handsome example who retained her former Zantop Airlines cheatline.
N8CA, started flying for PAN AM in July 1953. She is listed impounded at Merida, Yucatan, Mexico in 1982 and stored since.
N61721, warms its natural metal finish in the strong Florida sunshine.
N61721, started flying for USAAF in May 1944. She is listed abandoned in South Caicos. Local rumour was that it had landed in an emergency and that it was running drugs from Colombia.
N1300M, marooned in a corner of the airfield at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1980.
N1300M, started flying for Eastern Airlines after the war. She is listed broken-up at FLL during the mid 80's.
International Airmotive Corporation Convair 240 N555LC is seen here on a sweltering Ft. Lauderdale tarmac on April 28, 1980.
N555LC, started flying for American Airlines in December 19488. She is listed scrapped in the early 80's at Ft. Lauderdale.
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