536

C-GQXH at Lac-à-la-Tortue / CSL3, Québec.

Photo: Pierre Langlois © 10 March 2012 - Aird Archives

C-GQXH from C-FQQD

Photo: © Air Melançon

C-GQXH wintering, a few years earlier.

Photo: Neil Aird ©

C-GQXH at work in Québec.

Photo: Sheldon D. Benner © July 1980 - Michael J. Ody Collection

C-GQXH at her home base.

Photo: Sheldon D. Benner © August 1978 - Michael J. Ody Collection

C-GQXH as a very new arrival in Canada.

Photos: Sheldon D. Benner © August 1977 - Aird Archives

536

52-6143 • N1579

C-GQXH

• 52-6143 USAF #1305. L-20 No: 306 Command AF-3. Delivered 14-Sep-1953. Built as L-20A and re- designated U-6A in 1962.

• 52-6143 Stored at MASDC Davis Monthan AFB., AZ., Arrived 18-Mar-1065, Departed 18-Oct-1965.

• 52-6143 Maryland ANG from 18-Oct-1963.

• N1579 North Carolina Department of Conservation & Development, Raleigh, NC. Sale reported 14-Jan-1977.

• Coded "12".

• N1579 Owner unknown, Montgomery, AL. Possibly Civil Air Patrol Inc., Maxwell AFB. Regd 14-Jan-1977. Canx 11-Jul-1977.

• C-GQXH Air Melançon Inc., Ste., Anne du Lac, QC. Regd 17-Jul-1980. Canx 18-May-2017.

• C-GQXH Air Tamarac Inc., Sutton, QC. Regd 19-Jun-2019. Regd12-April-2018.

• Current •

USAF History

52-6143 was made available on 13-Jul-1953 and accepted on 28-Aug-1953 by the 6600^th Air Depot AMO (Air Material Overseas Unit), at Downsview, ON., after which it was delivered to the Air Material Command at Davis AFB., AZ., where it was placed with the 3040^th Air Storage Squadron on 14-Sep-1953. It remained in store until it moved to the San Antonio Air Depot at McLellan AFB., TX., on 06-Aug-1954 and then it was recorded as moving to the San Francisco Point of Embarkation on 23-Sep-1954. It arrived with the 7485^th Air Depot Wing at Erding, Germany on 28-Sep-1954. It remained, again in store, until it flew to Hahn to join the 69^th Pilotless Bomber Squadron in late-1954 or early 1955. The unit was re-designated as the 69^th Tactical Missile Squadron on 01-Jul-1955.

Emblem of the 69^th TM Squadron.

Staying at Hahn the aircraft was now attached to the 50^th Fighter Bomber Wing from 16-Aug-1955 until returning to a missile based unit, the 701stst, Tactical Missile Wing, a successor of the 69^th TM Sqd where it effectively remained until 11-Apr-1958. During this time however like other Beavers in Europe it travelled to the Macchi Aircraft facility at Vergiate, Northern Italy for attention. This was between 13-Oct-1956 and 05-Mar-1957.

We next see that the aircraft is recorded with the 7425^th Support Group at Hahn from 11-Apr-1958 but the records are unreadable until a clear entry shows it with the Strategic Air Command and based in Zaragoza, Spain with the 3794^th Combat Support Group from 30-Jun-1962 until 22-Feb-1963.

It now returned to mainland US with a visit o Hagerstown, MD., and the Fairchild Aircraft Company facility between 22-Feb-1963 and 07-May-1963 and then was re assigned to the Strategic Air Command with the 96^th Strategic Aerospace Wing at Dyess AFB., TX. It later passed to MASDC, Davis Monthan AFB., AZ., arriving on 18^th-Mar-1965 and remaining until 18-Oct-1965 when it passed to Maryland ANG.

Its further history is to be researched.