Color Pics of Ol' Bolivian Propliners

Holedigger · **Posted:** Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:43 pm

Found a cool site with a bunch of old color pics of Bolivian propliners such as DC-3, C-46s, DC-4s, ******A B_17*******Color pics take a look!!! she was recovered and is at March AFB, DC-6, Convair 340, Martin 404, C-54, you never know what is lurking in those off the beaten path airline destinations!

Nice stuff!

http://www.michaelprophet.com/Bolivian_Photoalbum1.html

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

Man they used up a lot of old airliners down there! Sounds like they lost a lot of flight crew as well.

M.P. · **Posted:** Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:08 pm

Part 2:
http://www.michaelprophet.com/Bolivian_Photoalbum2.html

I remember much of these planes. I visited La Paz El Alto Airport in 1988 and if you like, I will post some pictures within the next days.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:33 pm

Cool old propliners and from not ALL that long ago. Probably would not pass US Regs any more and they literally flew them into the ground! :shock:

More pics would be great. It really was the tail end of an era.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

Yeah, back in the 1980s they had nightly Convair cargo flights out of Chino. I'm glad I got to see the tail end of that era in the US. Definately some grizzled veterans grinding through all manner of inclement weather in a tired old rust bucket for moderate pay.

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

Cool PICS..,

Many thanks!!!!!!

Ethan · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:54 pm

just thinking out loud....
does anyone think that any of those C-46s would be in good enough shape to purchase and ferry back to the united states ?

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:37 am

I'm curious as well about how many of these South American/African countries that probably still have C-123s, C-47s, C-46s, PBY's, etc.

An epic journey like that (Ferry mission) would be no small task of effort or money I'm sure, but in the end something very cool to have accomplished. And you'd have a cool story to tell.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:53 am

Here is a link to a vid clip of one flying at least as of 2007. Start up through take-off

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf1mBIyIP5U

M.P. · **Posted:** Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:54 am

During October 1988 I travelled through South America and made also a stop at La Paz in Bolivia to have a look at the high altitude airport “El Alto”. See Map here:
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=-16.5074052&l ... =5&m=a&v=2

Once one of Bolivia’s biggest cargo operator using different types of prop driven planes, Frigorificos Reyes ceased operation earlier in 1988. They flew different B-17’s and CP-753 was the only one left there during my visit. This is B-17E, 41-9210, flew between 1952 to 55 as N5842N for Leeward Aeronautical Service, then a while in Canada as CF-ICB for Kenting Aviation, 1964 registered as N9720F for Four Star Aviation but went the same year to Bolivia as CP-753. In 1990 this B-17 was put back into flying condition, registered as N8WJ to World Jet and ferried by Don Whittington to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Now this plane is owned as N12355 by Paul Allen and his Flying Heritage Collection.

Here the former Registration N5842N is still visible on the fin.

Note the Frigorificos Reyes title and the cargo door installed to the left fuselage.

The nose cone was also used as cargo door.

Sure much work to made this ready for ferry to Florida.

More pictures will follow soon.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:45 pm

Very cool pics! I imagine a LOT of work had to be done on that ship to get her back home, and I imagine most everything had to be flown in, looks pretty remote.

go4b17 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:01 am

Great shots of CP 753 - she was ferried gear down to Ft Lauderdale
what a flight that must have been and what a tribute to the mechanics who got her in "just flying" condition,very little info available about where the restoration of this ship is up to in the hands of Paul Allens Flying Heritage collection

i will try add a painting i did of her sister ship CP 891

i agree Michael Prophets webpage is very cool

Ron Leigh

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go4b17 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:02 am

the new Lineas Aereas Canedo page on Michael Prophets Website
this has to be one of the most interesting aviation websites on the net
great photography too !

http://www.michaelprophet.com/LAC.html

M.P. · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 2:25 pm

Next to the B-17 was the Douglas DC-6B, MSN 44433 standing. This Airliner was first registered since October 1954 as JA6206 to Japan Airlines, then in 1966 sold as OB-R-827 to Faucett until 1981 when she go to Fri Reyes. Later, after my visit, this DC-6B was made airworthy again and flew some years well into the nineties as CP-1651. Today she is still stored at El Alto but again without engines.

This is Douglas C-54B, 43-1718. Later modified to DC-4 Airliner and flown by Pan Am, Panagra, National, Northwest und as last operator by Faucett as OB-R-463 before going to Bolivia. It is believed that Fri Reyes used this airframe only as source for spares. Was still seen in 2007 with its old Faucett colours stored at El Alto.

M.P. · **Posted:** Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:43 pm

Now lets go more to the east end of El Alto to have a look at another prop corner.

Here the "office" of Transportes Aéreos Eldorado Ltda., operated by a former German F-4F Phantom pilot.

They flew CP-1617, a Curtiss C-46A Commando, C/N 253, build in 1945 and later modified to Super C. Before going to Bolivia, this C-46 was flown as HH-AHB by Air Haiti.

The modification to Super C included a change of the original 2.000 HP Pratt & Whitney R-2800-51 Double Wasp against the 2.400 HP R-2800C as well as small upgrades to the hydraulic system and landing gear. These more powerful engines are very helpful when flying out of this high altitude airfield and crossing the Andes.

During my visit, they where performing an AD note at the landing gear and some other essential maintenance work.

Finally the life of CP-1617 come to an end on May 14th in 1991 during a flight from Estancia la Esperanza to La Paz when one engine quit and they had to do a belly landing at Beni.

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