#giftforpilots

Basler BT-67 Desert Air

Registration: N115U Type: BT-67 Engines: 2 × PW PT6A-67R Serial Number: 33567 First flight: 1945

Desert Air Alaska, a small airline based at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, specializes in cargo and charter flights, delivering goods to the most remote northern regions. Their mission is simple: to support life in isolated communities where planes are often the only link to the outside world. They’re one of Alaska’s 135 small cargo airlines.

What makes Desert Air unique is its fleet. No shiny new jets here – just time-tested machines built for the harsh conditions of the “snowy state.” I wrote about this airline a couple of years ago, highlighting their DC-3, a plane over 80 years old that’s still flying commercial routes. Since then, their fleet has grown. True to form, Desert Air’s new additions are almost DC-3s – but not quite.

If the DC-3 is a classic, the Basler BT-67 is its modern remix. Built from the DC-3 airframe, the BT-67 is fully overhauled at Basler Turbo Conversions in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It’s powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engines, giving it impressive thrust and the ability to fly faster and farther than the original. The fuselage is lengthened, the wingspan extended, the airframe reinforced, and the avionics upgraded to modern standards. It’s still a DC-3 at heart but with a 21st-century edge. Desert Air uses the BT-67 for demanding tasks – hauling heavy cargo, operating in extreme weather, and even special missions like scientific research or polar deliveries.

Our poster features a true sky veteran. Its story began in June 1945, when it first took flight as a Douglas DC-3. Nearly half a century later, in 1991, it was reborn as a Basler BT-67 after a major overhaul, with a second “debut” flight in July that year. During its “second youth,” it served with the U.S. Forest Service. Last year, despite its advanced age, it proved its worth flying in Alaska’s challenging climate.

Antonov An-12 Juba Air Cargo

Registration: ST-JUA Type: An-12B Engines: 4 × AI-20A Serial Number: 11-10 First flight: May 1963

Juba Air Cargo, a former cargo airline based in Khartoum (Sudan), was established in 1996. It operated domestic cargo transportation within Sudan from its main hub at Khartoum International Airport and an additional base in Sharjah (UAE). In 2000, the airline became part of the JAMA Group alliance, alongside other regional carriers such as Attico, Airwest, and Marsland. Juba Air Cargo served destinations including Khartoum, Juba, Waw, and Malakal, with a particular focus on transporting goods along these routes.

The airline operated a small fleet of Soviet-era cargo aircraft, the An-12 and Il-76, which were widely used across the African continent due to their reliability and ability to operate in challenging conditions. However, its operational history was overshadowed by several significant incidents. Following air crashes in 2007 and 2008, Juba Air Cargo halted all flights, effectively ceasing to exist in June 2008.

The airline’s brief history reflects the challenges faced by cargo operators in the region, including aging aircraft, difficult operating conditions, and limited resources. While Juba Air Cargo once played an important role in Sudan’s cargo transportation network, its end is largely defined by these tragic accidents and its ultimate dissolution.

Airbus A320neo avianca

Registration: HK-5360 Type: A320-251N Engines: 2 × CFMI LEAP-1A26 Serial Number: 10342 First flight: Nov 20, 2020

Avianca, founded as SCADTA on December 5, 1919, is the second oldest airline in the world after KLM. It is Colombia's largest airline and the country's main carrier. It has been a member of the Star Alliance since 2012.

Having celebrated its centenary, Avianca almost immediately faced great difficulties. In 2020, when the world changed under the pressure of pandemic restrictions, Avianca almost immediately lost most of its passenger traffic. In March of the same year, flights were suspended. The airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Many analysts predicted the collapse of Avianca, but contrary to forecasts, it resisted and emerged from bankruptcy proceedings in December 2021.

To survive in difficult conditions, Avianca has reconfigured its business by switching to a low-cost business model and optimizing its fleet. Finally in October 2023, the company rebranded and changed its name from Avianca to avianca. This small, at first glance, renaming, nevertheless succinctly reflects the changes that the airline has experienced over those three years, and now it is fully consistent with the slogan "Now the sky belongs to all of us". At the same time, avianca presented its updated livery in which the new Airbus A320neo aircraft were painted. The plane on our poster is one of them.

Airbus A380 Asiana Airlines

Registration: HL7634 Type: A380-841 Engines: 4 × RR Trent 972-84 Serial Number: 179 First flight: Dec 17, 2014

Asiana Airlines is a South Korean airline headquartered in Seoul, founded in 1988. It began operations in 1991 and soon became the largest airline in South Korea. Asiana operates more than 90 international and 14 domestic passenger routes, as well as 27 cargo routes to major cities in Asia, Europe and North America. The company is a member of the Star Alliance.

The Asiana Airlines fleet has wide–body Airbus A330, A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft, which are used for long-haul flights, as well as narrow-body Airbus A320 and A321 for shorter routes.

A special place in the Asiana fleet is occupied by the largest aircraft, the Airbus A380. Their large capacity helps the airline cope with the huge passenger traffic in some destinations, the densest of which is Los Angeles. These winged giants travel overseas twice a day, providing over 30,000 seats per month.

In total, the airline operates six A380 aircraft, and in addition to Los Angeles, these aircraft operate flights to Narita and Kansai airports in Japan. And although these routes are much shorter, the high density of their passenger traffic makes it possible to fully load such giants as the A380.

All Superjumbos have 12 first class suites, 66 business class seats and 417 standard economy class seats, which ensures a comfortable journey in any direction.

Bombardier CRJ700 SkyWest Airlines operated for American Eagle

Registration: N713SK Type: CRJ-701ER Engines: 2 × GE CF34-8C5B1 Serial Number: 10174 First flight: Oct 1, 2004

SkyWest Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah. Founded on April 26, 1972, by Ralph Atkin, SkyWest began as a small operation to shuttle businessmen between St. George and Salt Lake City. Over the years, it has grown to become the largest regional airline in North America, measured by fleet size, number of passengers carried, and number of destinations served.

SkyWest operates and maintains aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed, and sold by four mainline partner airlines: American Eagle, Alaska Airlines, Delta Connection and United Express. SkyWest operated an average of 1,850 flights per day.

The airline's fleet includes a variety of aircraft, such as the Embraer E175, Bombardier CRJ700, and CRJ900.

Airbus A350-1000 Virgin Atlantic

Registration: G-VJAM Named: Queen Of Hearts Type: A350-1041 Engines: 2 × RR Trent XWB-97 Serial Number: 336 First flight: Jul 23, 2019

Virgin Atlantic, a distinguished British airline headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex, was established in 1984. Originally registered as British Atlantic Airways, it was intended to operate flights between London and the Falkland Islands. However, it soon adopted the name Virgin Atlantic Airways and inaugurated its operations on June 22, 1984, with its maiden voyage from London Gatwick Airport to Newark, USA.

Virgin Atlantic is the brainchild of the remarkable Sir Richard Branson, who, alongside his partner Randolph Fields, brought the airline to life. Interestingly, Branson never initially aspired to create an airline. Virgin Atlantic was born out of an enchanting love story. Sir Richard Branson was in a hurry from Puerto Rico to the British Virgin Islands to meet the woman he loved. Overcome with determination, Branson hired a plane, scribbled "Virgin Air, flight for $39" on a makeshift sign, and managed to gather a group of equally stranded passengers for the long-awaited journey. This impromptu solution sparked the idea that eventually grew into Virgin Atlantic.

Today, Virgin Atlantic operates flights to North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia from its primary hub at London Heathrow Airport and its secondary base in Manchester. In March 2023, Virgin Atlantic became a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance.

The airline's modern fleet is composed exclusively of wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft. In August 2019, Virgin Atlantic welcomed its first Airbus A350-1000 into its fleet, which now comprises 12 such aircraft.

Boeing 737-800 Sun Country Airlines

Registration: N825SY Type: 737-8F2 Engines: 2 × CFMI CFM56-7B26 Serial Number: 34410 First flight: Apr 11, 2006

Sun Country Airlines is a budget-friendly carrier in the United States. Headquartered at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Sun Country connects travelers to around 140 destinations across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. The airline was founded on July 2, 1982, and embarked on its first revenue flight on January 20, 1983, from Sioux Falls to Las Vegas, utilizing a Boeing 727 aircraft. Captain Jim Olsen, the founder and first President/CEO, also served as Chief Pilot, while his wife, Joan Smith-Olsen, took on the roles of Chief Flight Attendant and Head of Inflight Operations. In 2023, Sun Country Airlines was crowned the best low-cost carrier in North America at the World Airline Rankings during the Paris Airshow.

Boeing 787-8 Avianca

Registration: N793AV Type: 787-8 Engines: 2 × RR Trent 1000 Serial Number: 37511 First flight: Nov 23, 2016

Avianca S.A. is Colombia’s largest airline and the second largest in South America. It has served as Colombia’s flag carrier since December 5, 1919, originally registered as SCADTA, making it the world’s second oldest airline still in operation, after KLM. The airline’s headquarters are in Bogotá, with its registered office in Barranquilla and its main hub at El Dorado International Airport. Avianca leads a group of airlines across the Americas, functioning as a single entity through a codesharing system. Together with its subsidiaries, Avianca boasts the most extensive network of destinations in the Americas. It joined the Star Alliance on June 21, 2012, and received its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner on December 17, 2014.