Northern Canada (Propfreak Collection - M. Siegrist, March 1990)
Curtiss C.46F-1-CU c/n 22472 was delivered to the USAF in July 1945 as 44-78650. After spending 3 years in military service she was leased to Pan American as N74171 for 5 years. In 1955 the freighter went to Transocean AL where she stayed till 1961. Ortner Air Service bought her and kept the Curtiss till 1975. Her Canadian career began in the late seventies when she was acquired by Northland Outdoors and she took the marks C-GIBX. Northland Air (Manitoba) took the old prop over around 1985. Nunasi Northland, with bases in Winnipeg, Thompson & Churchill leased the old lady in August 1988. She was sold to Air Manitoba in December 1990 and leased to Kenya's Relief Air Transport from August 1994 to March 1996 registered as 5Y-IBX. In November 1996 she was sold to Commando Air Transport, again as C-GIBX. As of April 2006, the Curtiss was operated by FNT Transport from Gimli Industrial Park, Gimli, Manitoba, to haul freight to northern communities.
