Monday, July 18, 2011

Tok to Fairbanks Alaska


Update 7-19-11 I found this about the above airplane. (Web Page)  Go about half way down or just search for the tail numbers to see the write up. Here's a link to the photo's of the plane being moved through Fairbanks back in 2003. (Pictures)

Which brings us to Friday's portion of the journey, we came into Fairbanks from Tok. (Map)  We decided to spend 3 nights here which was a much needed break from the continuous travel we have experienced since leaving California.  Saturday we went out and visited the Alaska pipeline.  They have a great viewpoint that is right beside the highway leading north of town.  We have lots of pictures which I will try to get posted later today.  We also stopped by the Northstar golf course. (website)  My hip is still messed up so I didn't get a chance to play but the course sure looks interesting.  The scorecard has a checklist so you can keep track of what animals you see during your round.  The most unusual thing we saw was the above pictured airplane.  It was just sitting beside the road while we were driving around looking for the golf course.  The numbers on the tail are N12347 so if anybody knows anything about the history of this plane please post it in the comments.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey Kittens. I googled the numbers and here is what I found.

This Douglas DC-6A, N34955 (c/n 44071, line nbr 401), was delivered to the famous Flying Tiger Line on 01Sep53 and served for 3 years until Northwest Orient Airlines started using it (thru a lease agreement) from 1956 until 1961. Zantop Air Transport bought it on 16Sep61 and Saturn Airways became the new owner on 17Jun66.
Associates Capital Corporation purchased it on 30Jun70 and next was Florida Aircraft Leasing on 14Aug70. In November that year it was reregistered as TI-1079C for TAISA.
Onyx Aviation bought it on 04Jul75 and Sis-Q Flying Service made an airtanker out of it after buying it in Aug75; tanker number "51" was assigned to it and it was reregistered as N777SQ on 19Aug75. PJ&CB leased it from 13Dec77, which lasted until 11Apr78. Misty Air became the new owner on 08Nov79.
Its present tailnumber,N12347, was assigned for Misty Air on 05Apr80, Intak leased it in Sep80 and MaTomCo bought it in Aug81. Next was Aerolaska with a purchase in Aug.1983 and sold it again to Northern Pacific Transport in Sep86; but the First National Bank of Anchorage repossessed it in Aug92.
Everts Air Fuel bought it in Oct92 and stored it at Fairbanks.