This aircraft was originally built as a Douglas C-54E-10-DC

It was delivered to the United States Army Air Force as '44-9088' - April 07, 1945

Sold to Douglas for conversion to DC-4 standard - November 14, 1945

Sold to Pan American World Airways Inc - December 23, 1945

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as NC88881 - ?

The aircraft was originally named 'Clipper Kit Carson'

It was later named 'Clipper Golden West' and then 'Clipper Red Rover'

Sold to Japan Air Lines - February 15, 1958

Entered onto the Japanese Aircraft Register as JA-6015 - ?

The aircraft was named 'Amagi'

Ansett-ANA advised the Department of Civil Aviation of its intent to purchase 'JA-6015' - March 10, 1965

The registration marks 'VH-INM' reserved - March 10, 1965

Sold to Ansett-A.N.A. for use as a freighter - March 18, 1965

The acceptance test flight was carried out at Tokyo (Captain A. Lovell) - March 18, 1965

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-INM - March 19, 1965

Registered to Australian National Airways Pty Ltd, Melbourne

Departed Tokyo on the ferry flight to Australia in basic JAL livery - March 23, 1965

It arrived at Melbourne (Essendon) on completion of the ferry flight - March 25, 1965

Flight crew: Captains S. Telford, A. Groser, B. Chapan; Engineer C. Burns; Navigator W. C. Kennedy

Commenced freighter services with Ansett-ANA - May 1965

Leased to M.M.A. as a freighter for short periods - 1965

Withdrawn from service and stored in the Melbourne (Essendon) Airport graveyard - 1967

Maintenance work commenced to prepare the aircraft for the ferry flight to the United Kingdom - January 1968

This aircraft was earmarked for conversion by Aviation Traders to an ATL-98A Carvair freighter

Departed Melbourne (Essendon) on the ferry flight to the United Kingdom - February 22, 1968

It arrived at Southend on completion of the ferry flight (57 hours flying time) - February 29, 1968

Ferry route: Melbourne - Alice Springs - Darwin - Denpasar - Singapore - Bangkok - Calcutta - Karachi -

Bahrain - Damascus - Athens - Marseilles - Southend

Flight crew: Captains J. Coakley, N. Currey, W. Oldcastle; Engineer P. Kettner

Conversion work commenced at Southend on what would be the final Carvair conversion - March 1968

Nose section was removed from the aircraft - March 13, 1968

The new nose and cockpit section used was one of the remaining unused units stored at Stansted

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - April 16, 1968

Re-flown as a ATL-98A Carvair - July 12, 1968

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-INM - July 16, 1968

Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd, Melbourne

Departed Stansted on the ferry flight to Australia - July 19, 1968

It arrived at Melbourne (Essendon) on completion of the ferry flight - July 26, 1968

Ferry route: Stansted - Athens - Damascus - Bahrain - Karachi - Calcutta - Bangkok - Singapore -

Denpasar - Darwin - Melbourne

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Essendon) - Devonport - August 01, 1968

Ansett-ANA was renamed Ansett Airlines of Australia - December 01, 1968

Repainted into the Ansett Airlines of Australia Air Cago 'delta' livery - January 1971

Operated its final freighter service - February 01, 1973

Withdrawn from use and placed in storage at Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport awaiting sale

Sold to Australian Aircrat Sales Pty Ltd (AAS) - January 01, 1974

Test flown at Melbourne (Tullamarine) in preparation for lease / sale to Seulawah Air Services - January 15, 1974

This lease / sale did not eventuate

The 'AAS' logo applied behind the cockpit window - January 1974

It remained stored at Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport

New lease / sale agreement negotiated with Seulawah Mandala Air Services, Jakarta - May 1975

Test flown at Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport - June 22, 1975

'Seulawah Air' titles applied to the aircraft whilst retaining the 'AAS' logo - July 04, 1975

Departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) on the ferry flight to Indonesia (Captain J. Presgrave) - July 17, 1975

Ferry route: Melbourne - Alice Springs - Darwin - Denpasar - Jakarta

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - August 28, 1975

The lease to Seulawah collapsed and ownership reverted to Australian Aircraft Sales Pty Ltd - December 1975

Aircraft was clandestinely ferried Jakarta - Singapore by A.A.S. crew - January 1976

This flight was unauthorised as the aircraft was unregistered and there was little chance of the Australian registration

and certification being restored whilst the aircraft was located outside Australia

This action was taken as A.A.S. were worried that the aircraft would be impounded by the Indonesian Government

Stored at Singapore (Seletar) - January 16, 1976

Offered for immediate sale by Dwen Airmotive, Auckland, New Zealand - October 1976

It was observed stored at Singapore (Seletar) in good condition - December 1976

Discussions were held with Air Express, Brisbane, Queensland on a possible sale - 1977

Advertised for immediate sale by Australian Aircraft Sales Pty Ltd - August 1977

It was quoted that the aircraft had flown 53,931 hours

The New Zealand company Car Haulaways Ltd initiate a 'sale enquiry' via Dennis Thompson Ltd - January 1978

A direct sale counld not be effected as the aircraft was not registered in any country

If registered in New Zealand it would be 'first-of-type' on the New Zealand Aircraft Register and would

require a new Type Certification

A.A.S. instructs Singapore General Aviation Services Pte Ltd (SINGAS) to register the aircraft - January 1978

The only way to achieve New Zealand Certification is to first have the aircraft registered in the United States

The certification was handled by the F.A.A. office in Honolulu

A 'Bill of Sale' from Air Australia (Singapore) Pte Ltd to James A. Cunningham, c/- American Aircraft Sales,

Bethesda, Maryland is issued - March 17, 1978

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N54596 - March 30, 1978

Registered to James A. Cunningham, Bethesda, Maryland

(James A. Cunningham was the A.A.S. Vice President in charge of the A.A.S. Washington, D.C. office)

SINGAS is contrated to overhaul aircraft and repaint it into Nationwide Air livery - April 1978

Leased to Nationwide Air, New Zealand - August 1978

It was intended that Nationwide Air would operate a car ferry service from Wellington to Christchurch and Nelson

Registered to L. Leonard Lundy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - September 29, 1978

This transfer to Lundy, an attorney, was to placate F.A.A. concerns that the current U. S. owner was a dealer

Departed Brisbane on the ferry flight to Wellington via Auckland - November 28, 1978

Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-NWB - December 08, 1978

Registered to Nationwide Air, Wellington

Commenced freighter services with Nationwide Air - December 1978

The aircraft was ferried Christchurch - Nelson on three engines - June 1979

Attempts to acquire a replacement engine failed and the aircraft was withdrawn from use and stored

Nationwide Air ceased trading due to bankruptcy - July 16, 1979

It cited a number of factors including the artificial shortage of avgas caused by government interference

Sold to James Air Limited, Hamilton - October 1979

It was purchased from the Receivers for a low price as a speculative transaction for later resale

Sold to Turner Aviation Ltd, Honolulu - December 21, 1982

James W. Turner became involved in the founding of Pacific Aerolift Cargo

The United States registration 'N407JT' was reserved - December 1982

Pacific Aerospace was contracted to overhaul the aircraft and repaint it in standard Pacific Aerolift livery - 1983

It was ferried Nelson - Hamilton with the undercarriage extended

A detailed inspection uncovered severe corrosion throughout the airframe

With Pacific Aerolift in serious financial difficulty work on this aircraft was suspended - November 1983

The aircraft had been repainted and named 'Ruth 2'

The aircraft remained in open storage at Hamilton (six years) pending its sale

James Air paid for the overhaul to be completed and the aircraft repainted with a two-tone orange stripe

Sold to Hawaii Pacific Air Inc - February 1990

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N5459M - June 25, 1990

Registered to Air Cargo Hawaii Ltd, t/a Hawaii Pacific Air Inc, Honolulu

Departed Auckland on the ferry flight to Honolulu - September 10, 1990

Cancelled from the New Zealand Aircraft Register - September 17, 1990

Registered to Air Cargo Hawaii, Honolulu - January 23, 1992

Placed in storage at Honolulu when Hawaii Pacific ceased operations - January 1993

Registered to Roberts Hawaii Inc, Honolul - September 13, 1993

Sold to Airline Marketing Consultants Inc - July 29, 1996

It was intended to use the aircraft on relief supply contracts in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Ferried Honolulu - Griffin, Georgia (Captain B. McSwiggan) - October 1996

It arrived at Griffin on completion of the ferry flight - October 31, 1996

Leased to Avia Air Charter c/- WonderAair, Wonderboom, Pretoria, South Africa - November 1996

Ferried Griffin - Wonderboom (South Africa) in standard Hawaii Pacific livery

It arrived at Wonderboom on completion of the ferry flight - November 13, 1996

Aircraft was overhauled and repainted in an all-white livery at Rand - November 1996

WonderAir defaulted on the lease and the subsequent sub-lease to Avia Air Charter also collapsed - September 1997

Returned to Airline Marketing Consultants Inc - September 1997

Ferried Johannesburg (Rand) - Johannesburg (Lanseria) - March 12, 1998

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - December 15, 1999

Ferried Wonderboom - Johannesburg - Kinshasa in an all-white livery - November 05, 2000

Ferried Kinshasa - Pietersburg Gateway for storage - November 05, 2000

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N5459M - March 15, 2001

Registered to Airline Marketing Consultants Inc, Miami, Florida

Advertised for sale by Airline Marketing Consultants - January 2002

Sold to Phoebus Apollo Aviation, Johannesburg, South Africa - March 2002

Restored to airworthy condition at Wonderboom and repainted in new Phoebus livery - April 2002

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - April 30, 2002

Leased to Phoebus Apollo Aviation - May 20, 2002

Entered onto Zambian Aircraft Register as 9J-PAA - May 20, 2002

Registered to Phoebus Apollo Aviation Zambia, Lusaka

Entered service briefly delivering 'Exclusive' cigarettes and general cargo - May 2002

Withdrawn from service and placed in storage at Johannesburg - ?

Restored to taxiing status for Phoebus Apollo Aviation staff party - early 2005

Flown Johannesburg (Jan Smuts) - Johannesburg (Rand) for continued storage - June 25, 2005

It was observed stored at Johannesburg (Rand) without engines - May 2007

It was observed at Johannesburg (Rand) with engines reinstalled - August 2009

It was observed parked at Johannesburg (Rand) with reports that it will be made airworthy - August 2011

Current status - ?