22nd March 1969

N8687Y 43.35n 40w 0706 F090 41.22n 35w 0851 destination Santa Maria

Delivery via the Azores, N8687Y (message received on 5641)

VC 20731 45n 28w 1154 F090 50n 27.25w 1312 55n 26.40w 1435 60n 25.42w next ETA Keflavik NAS 1647

Canadian Air Force CL-28 Argus Mk.2, 20731

This machine served with 405 Squadron of the RCAF and undertook a goodwill tour of Australia and New Zealand in September 1959, hence the kangaroo 'zap' on the nose in this photo. It was re-registered 10731 on 4th May 1970. It was finally scrapped at Summerside CFB, along with 23 other retired CL-28's, during May 1982.


NASA 427 53.15n 20w 1120 F080 52.30n 25w 1220

[Photo: at MASDC in September 1979 after it's term with NASA; © Cliff (jinxx1 on 'Photobucket)]

National Aeronautics and Space Administration C-54G, N427NA

This machine was delivered to the USAAF on 31st July 1945 as 45-0556 and in 1962 joined NASA as NASA 27. Became NASA 427 in 1964 and N427NA in 1969. It arrived at the MASDC, AZ in September 1979 (per photo above) and was assigned inventory number CC267. In December 1979 it was sold to Aero Union Corp' as N4958M but they had difficulty in licensing the aircraft for use as an aerial firefighter since it was US registered in an experimental category. It was subsequently sold to Buffalo Airways Ltd, Yellowknife, NT  in December 2005 as C-FBAM. It was still with them as recently as May 2011, stored with its engines removed.

21st March 1969

Zambian 9JBW 53n 40w 2236 F240 52n 50w 2357 destination Gander

Zambian Air Cargo L-382B Hercules, 9J-RBW
It ended its days operating with Tepper Aviation, Florida, registered as N9205T 'Grey Ghost' (converted to a L-100-20) and crashed landing at Jamba, Huila, Angola on 27th November 1989.

16th March 1969

VV 45924 52.40n 15w 1224 F070 ETA Shannon 1330

[Photo: at Shannon, February 1969; © Malcolm Nason]

U S Navy NC-121K, 145924 "El Coyote" from VXN-8 Squadron, Patuxent River NAS, Maryland.  Report copied on 8913.
This aircraft had arrived at Shannon at the end of February to conduct oceanographic survey work, with two NASA aircraft (a Lockheed NP-3A Orion and a Convair/General Dynamics CV990 Coronado). Most of which was conducted in the area around Ocean Station 'J' (approx' 52n 20w) at some 500'.
It ended it's operational days at the MASDC at Davis Monthan AFB, AZ during 1972.