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Old 25th Feb 2023, 15:49
  #30 (permalink)  
CV880
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: North America
Age: 79
Posts: 206
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When TEAL replaced the DC6’s with Lockheed L188C Electra’s the DC6’s were transferred to the RNZAF. In the early 1960’s the RNZAF disposed of 2 however I got to work on the R2800’s in the TEAL engine shop and eventually the remaining aircraft itself as TEAL/Air NZ did all the maintenance checks for the RNZAF. I spent several hours in the F/O’s seat with the clipboard writing down the run-up engineer’s numbers as he called them out. Much more fun than jet aircraft. When the RNZAF finally disposed of it, I finally got to start up the engines several times while it was being prepared for delivery. Good fun, all clean starts, no backfires! A couple of years later when working in Asia I saw a vaguely familiar old DC6 in Royal Air Lao colours outside our hangar one night shift (I think I recognized the dents in the engine cowls etc). On closer inspection all the emergency equipment, engine fire bottles etc. still had the old Air New Zealand tags installed. I don’t recall ever seeing it again.
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