Five miles (8km) further on was the Air
Power Park and Museum at Hampton, its
seven exhibited aircraft all jets from the
1950s and ’60s. The oldest was Republic
F-84F Thunderstreak 51-1786 (in the
colours of the USAF’s Thunderbirds display
team) and the newest, Hawker P.1127
Kestrel (XV-6A) NASA 520. – which hadserved with the RAF West Raynham-based
Tripartite Evaluation Squadron, funded and
manned by the UK, US and West Germany.
Following the 1960s trial, six aircraft were
sent to the US.
That night’s accommodation was at
Norfolk Airport, but before arriving we drove
past the cargo area which revealed 727sN102FE of Federal Express and N415EX of
Emery Worldwide together with NAMC YS-
11A N918AX of Airborne Express.TO THE SUNSHINE STATE
The following morning we handed the car
back to Avis, having travelled 1,089 miles
(1,753km), and checked ourselves in for
Piedmont ight PI1280 to Charlotte, North
Carolina. Boeing 737-400 N412US had us
there in just 44 minutes.
We then had nearly two hours before
737-300 N346US took us to Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, in a little less than 90 minutes, on
ight PI1218, giving us the opportunity for
some airside photography. It was exclusively
Piedmont 727s N748US and N741US and
737s N212US (-200), N342US (-300) and
N409US (-400). Five Piedmont Commuter
System Short 360s were also noted,
including N690PC and N722PC.
Arriving in Florida we picked up another
rental car – driving off in a Buick Regal
having regrettably turned down the offer of
a ve-litre Mustang convertible because
we needed the closed top for the air
conditioning in the heat.
The only call was the propliner ramp and
permission to wander around was granted.
Aircraft pictured included Douglas DC-6s
N906MA, TG-SAS of Lineas Aereas Mayas,
N99TB of South East Air Express and
N43867 of Caicos Caribbean Airways. Also
present were Douglas C-54A N74183 and
C-117 N456WL, Convair 440s N4808C and
N4826C, Curtiss C-46A Commando N74173
and Lockheed SP-2E Neptune N88487.
When hiring the car we had been given a
voucher for a Guest Quarters hotel offering
a discounted rate of $79 for a room per
night instead of $208 so we stayed in Fort
Lauderdale for the rest of the trip.
The next morning we began a circuit of
local air elds. First was Fort Lauderdale
Executive Airport where, among all the new
and shiny bizjets locked in their hangars,
were three standout items – DC-3 N92578,
CV-440 N912AL and Grumman G.44
Widgeon N37DF.
A short drive then took us to Opa Locka
Airport, where ramp access was granted
and an assortment of types photographed.
Highlights included DC-8s N8974U of
Air Transport International, N821F of
Transoceanic Airways (an airline that never
actually took to the air) and Boeing 727
5N-AWX of Kabo Air of Nigeria.
Added to the logbook were three
Grumman HU-16 Albatross airframes:
N8497T, N8523H and N7026H; Fairchild
C-123K N689SM; Douglas DC-7B N1097;
and no fewer than three DC-3s, N87664,
N8099 and N225GB.MIAMI
The last couple of days of the tour were spent
at Miami International Airport. I had rst
been here eight years earlier, and although
there were fewer propliner movements there
did seem to be more classic jets, operatinghttp://www.aviation-news.co.uk 81Douglas DC-8-51F HK-2587X of ARCA Aerovias Colombianas glistens in the sunshine at Miami.
ARCA was a Colombian freight carrier based in the capital, Bogota. It suspended operations at
the start of 1997.Lloyd Aereo Boliviano’s sole cargo aircraft, Boeing 707-323C CP-1365, makes its approach to
Miami. The 707 was the only cargo type operated by the Cochabamba-based carrier.Trans-Air-Link Douglas DC-6A N779TA in the nal seconds before touchdown at Miami. Few of
the Miami-based propliner cargo carriers spent much on the livery of their aircraft.That most elegant of propliners, the Lockheed Constellation, was in its last few years of
commercial freight operations when L-1049F Super Constellation HI-548CT was photographed
landing at Miami. It was owned by Santo Domingo-based Aerochago. The Dominican Republic
was the base of a number of these classic aircraft.78-82_talesDC.mfDC.indd 81 04/01/2016 13:43