Intro 332 - Scramble

Although not as abundant as in the old days there are still some propliners left at Opa Locka (FL). N70BF is a C-118A which is
operated by Florida Air Transport and carries out regular cargo flights to and from the Caribbean.
(Opa Locka (FL), November 2006, Michael Prophet)
BAe 748-2 1723 C-FLIY Ex SE-LEG. Sold by West Air Sweden to Air Creebec and reg’d on 19 December
2006.
Canadair CL-44-O 16 RP-C8023 Ex 9G-LCA. Noted on 12 December at Bournemouth Hurn doing engine runs.
Convair C-131H 234 C-GYSK Ex N131SF. Registered on 9 November to the Province of Saskatchewan and
carries tailcode 474 and…
C-131H 238 C-GVSK Ex N43938. Is also registered on 9 November to the Province of Saskatchewan but
carries tailcode 473. Both have been converted to firebombers by Kelowna
Flightcraft.
580 137 VH-PDL Ex N631MW. A correction of Scramble 329 – Page 53, ZK-PNR was not taken up
since the Convair transfered directly to Pionair Australia on 20 October 2006.
580 501 ZK-PAL And this is a correction of Scramble 331 – Page 56, this Convair was not the one
that went to Pionair Australia.
DHC 2 1056 D-FLEN Ex LN-BIE. This Beaver on floats was noted at the former marine base Mürwik near
Flensburg, Germany, as early as July 2005 operating sightseeing flights. Apparently
it likes being in Flensburg because it took a German identity in September
2006.
2 1450 C-FLOR Ex G-DHCB. Update from Scramble 331 – Page 56, sold to Atlantic Aircraft Salvage
and reg’d on 8 November 2006.
Douglas C-47B 26794 LV-BEH Ex CC-PLU. Already noted in March 2006 at Los Cerrillos, Chile
Lockheed 100-30 4582 N2189M Sold by Rapid Air Trans to JJS&D LLC from Wilmington (DE) on 7 December and
on the same date they have reserved another registration for this aircraft; N2731G.
188AF 1039 C-…. Ex OE-ILB. And also the second Amerer Air Electra has been sold to Buffalo
Airways, past through Coventry bound for Canada on 28 October 2006 as OE-ILB
but with a Buffalo callsign.
188C 1103 C-FLJO Ex N429NA. Sold by Neptune Aviation Services to Air Spray and registered on 7
November 2006.
188C 1130 C-FLXT Ex N308D. Also sold by Neptune Aviation Services to Air Spray and registered on
14 December 2006.
NAMC YS-11 2092 RP-…. Ex JA8717. This former Japan Air Commuter YS-11 was removed from the
Japanese register on 24 October as sold to the Philippines.
YS-11 2176 JA8788 Was also removed from the register on 24 October but will remain in Japan and
will be used as a non-flying test-bed for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
for future spacecraft projects.
Credits: Ruud Leeuw & Michael Prophet.
Propliners Extra: Martin Mars Flying Boats
The curtain seems to fall again for both the Martin Mars flying
boats operating out of Sproat Lake (BC). On 10 November
2006 TimberWest, the owner of Flying Tankers, announced
that it is selling both their Martin Mars water bombers C-FLYK
(9264) & C-FLYL (9267), reason why is that it is not their core
business. Five years ago the flying boats where operated by
FIFT (Forest Industries Flying Tankers) a company which was
funded by a consortium of the companies Weyerhaeuser Co
and TimberWest until Weyerhaeuser stept out of the consortium.
For a moment the future didn’t look to good but luckily
TimberWest decided to take over all responsibilities and
Flying Tankers Inc was set up.
Since the aircraft, which are stationed at Sproat Lake near the
city of Port Alberni on Vancouver Island (BC), have also been a
sort off tourist attraction for the region, TimberWest requires
Scramble 332 - Page 42
that as a condition of sale one of the planes will be donated to
Port Alberni after retirement.
Although (private) companies could carry on operating the
aircraft the cost to do so would be very high so the likelihood of
that being the case remains to be seen. So far the Maryland
Aviation Museum located at Middle River (MD) has expressed
its desire to acquire one of the Martin Mars planes. Not in the
least because all seven of them have been built at the location
where the museum is today.
In 1938 the US Navy asked the Glenn L. Martin Company to
built an experimental patrol bomber for them capable of flying
long distances. This was to be known as the Martin Model 170
or XPB2M-1 and bureau number 1520 was put in the water on
5 November 1941. On 6 December 1941 during taxi tests one
of the propeller blades broke lose and started a fire in one of