Douglas DC-6

Northern Air Cargo transformed freight service in Alaska after beginning operations in 1956, when rural communities, mining operations, and business owners needed supplies and equipment moved that small bush planes could not carry. Starting with the C 82 Flying Boxcar, it became the first company to ship large and outsized items around the state. As Alaska grew through the 1950s and 1960s, rising rural freight demand required new air transportation innovations, and Northern Air Cargo met that need with the Douglas DC-6, which came to Alaska in 1969. The aircraft had a cargo capacity of 30,000 pounds, could operate over long distances without refueling, and could use many of the gravel airstrips being built in rural Alaska. By 1980, fourteen DC-6 aircraft were delivering critical cargo to villages across the state, including two unique Swingtails that could handle odd-sized and special items up to 67 feet in length.

Anchorage, Alaska · United States