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Photo courtesy of Robert W. Arnold
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Ilford Riverton Airways bought the aircraft in 1977. This airline was renamed Northland Air Manitoba circa 1983 (see header photo in Air Manitoba livery). The aircraft remained in service until February 1993 when its Canadian registration was cancelled and it was exported back to the United States.
It was to be re-registered as N293WM and re-painted in military livery. Its not very clear how it was used during this period but it does seem to have participated in air shows and spent a few years at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York. The last information concerning its eventual fate is that it was bought by a new owner and exported to Colombia and registered as HK-4971. I contacted the photographer of the photo below, taken at Villavicencio, April 4, 2015, to request permission to use the photo.
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Photographer Ferdinand Peters graciously volunteered the info below on the current condition of the aircraft.
During my last visit to Villavicencio, last year, the airplane was in the hangar of Aliansa. They are in the process of trying to reactivate this airplane. Aliansa right now has no operational DC-3s left, but is in the process of restoring this one, and their Turbo Dak HK-5012, in San Felipe.
The DC-3 community in the Colombian lowlands is much looking forward to this addition, as it is the airframe with the lowest hours. Aliansa is now operating their passenger service with a Cessna 208.
The DC-3s in Colombia are operated in a Combi configuration, with the Cargo strapped down in the center of the cabin, and 19 fold-down seats along the walls for passengers.
With the limit of 19 passengers, they fall under the more relaxed general aviation rules. The airlines don't sell tickets, but 'traders' in Villavicencio, San Jose de Guaviare and the local communities charter the whole plane and resell by the seat or kilogram of Cargo.
It is an amazing place, I have been there 3 times, and once flew with Allas all the way to the Venezuelan border on a supply flight.
Ferdinand Peters, The Netherlands
See also: Aerial Visuals Airplane Dossier for chronological history and several more photos of the aircraft.
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