ZK-BGC      Douglas DC-6           (c/n  43128)

                                       

                                             This was the third and last of the ex-BCPA DC-6s to enter the New Zealand register.  The nice
                                             image of it above was taken by Jim Dyson at Mascot, circa 1954 (via the David Molesworth
                                             collection).  It was formerly BCPA's VH-BPH.    TEAL named it 'Arahia'.   Like the other two,
                                             it went on to serve in the RNZAF (as NZ3633) and then went back to the U.S. (N255N), and
                                             followed a similar history path to ZK-BGB.  However, this machine remained in the US and
                                             wound up at Chandler, Arizona being cannibalized for spares for other fire-fighting DC-6s.
                                             Ken Tilley took a nice shot of it there in April 1997 (below).  What an ignomious end for such a
                                             grand old lady.