348

C-GKMN now stored at Courtenay, British Columbia.

Photos: Dirk Septer © 08 May 2025 - Aird Archives

C-GKMN lady in waiting.

Photo: Etyan Aidelbaum © 22 July 2017 - Aird Archives

C-GKMN at Vancouver.

Photo: Kenneth I. Swartz © 14 March 1978 - Aird Archives

348

51-16548 • N4795C • N9755Z

C-GKMN

• 51-16548 USAF #1157. L-20A No:158. Command AF-1. Delivered 08-Sep-1952. Built as L-20A and re-designated U-6A in 1962.

• N4795C Civil Air Patrol, Merrill Field, Anchorage, AK 28-Apr-1960.

• N9755Z Channel Flying Inc., Juneau, AK. Canx 05-May-1978.

Note: Stored at Juneau and taken to Vancouver, BC, by road for rebuild 11-Mar-1977. No report of accident on NTSB database.

• C-GKMN Sharp Wings Ltd., Williams Lake, BC. Regd 02-Jun-1978. Canx 24-Aug-1989, Restored 28-Mar-2001 and Deleted 26-Jun-2001.

• Noted stored at Vancouver South. May-2025, now stored at Courtenay, British Columbia.

• Uncertain future •

USAF History

51-16548 was made available on 19-Aug-1952, accepted on 22-Aug-1952 by the 6600^th Air Depot AMO (Air Material Overseas Unit), at Downsview, Ontario after which it was delivered to the Alaskan Air Command at Ladd AFB, Fairbanks on and was attached to the 5064^th Cold Weather Material Testing Squadron. It shivered until 09-Jun-1953 and then moved to Elmendorf AFB at Anchorage to join the 5^th Liaison Squadron from 09-Jun-1953. It succumbed to an accident on an unnamed lake at 70˚ 13’N 150˚47’W on 19-Jul-1953. It suffered category 2 damage (minor/medium) when it had a ground/water collision on takeoff. On 30-Apr-1954 it returned to Ladd AFB with its previous unit, the 6064^th CMT.

This attachment lasted until 20-Sep-1954 but it stayed at Ladd and moved across to the 5001^st Operations Squadron and then the 5001^st Maintenance Squadron from 01-Jan-1955. It returned to Elmendorf with the 5039^th Aircraft Repair Squadron.

The aircraft now went back to Ladd AFB and from 22-Dec-1955 alternated three times between the 5001^st Maintenance Sqd and Operations Squadron until 04-Mar-1958 with the last attachment to the Maintenance Squadron being re designated 5060^th Maintenance Sqd. It returned to Elmendorf and to the 5040^th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Group until 24-Apr-1958 after which it was back to Ladd for the last time. It re joined the 5060^th Operations Squadron until 21-May-1958 and then the 5060^th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Group where it finished its USAF service as it joined the Civil Air Patrol from 28-Apr-1960.