AP-AAF - All Pakistan Aircraft Registration Marks

Registration:

AP-AAF

Certificate of Registration Number:

Registration Date:

October 1947

Operator/Owner:

Orient Airways

Aircraft Type:

Douglas C-47-DL Skytrain

Construction Number:

4562

Line Number:

Year Built:

1942

SelCal Code:

First Flight:

Test Flight Registration:

Delivery Date:

Aircraft Name:

Previous Registration:

VT-CPF

Previous Operator:

Fate:

Damaged beyond repair, October 13, 1954

Next Registration:

Next Operator:

Additional Remarks:

Construction number 4562, United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), serial number 41-18470, delivery July 27, 1942. Damaged in an accident on November 18, 1943, while parked at Grenada AAF, Mississippi, United States of America (USA). To Eighth Air Force, January 15, 1944. To USA, Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), November 16, 1945. Registered in USA as NC74595. Registered in India VT-CIG on February 13, 1947, for Orient Airways. Registered in India as VT-CPF, 1947. Registration VT-CPF not taken up by Orient Airways. Initially VT-CP* registration series starting from registration VT-CPA from India's civil aircraft register was reserved for aircraft to be registered in then newly independent Pakistan. However registrations in Indian series VT-CP* were not taken up by aircraft to be registered in Pakistan and eventually registration of those aircraft began in Pakistan with Pakistan's own aircraft registration nationality mark. Registered in Pakistan as AP-AAF for Orient Airways on October 1, 1947. 'Orient Skyliner' fuselage titles. Made forced landing on Indus River bed on October 13, 1954. Was operating flight from Skardu to Rawalpindi. All 3 crew members and 8 passengers survived the accident. The aircraft had taken off from Skardu Airport at 8:30 AM and three minutes later made forced landing in river bed after experiencing engine number one failure. Cockpit crew included Capt. Saddik Malik and Co-Pilot Mian A. Aziz. Aircraft declared written-off and purchased by Shangrila Resort Hotel for one hundred and fifty Pakistan rupees from Orient Airways. It took three months to move the aircraft on rollers from crash site to Shangrila Resort Hotel with the help of men, bullocks and horses. Registration AP-AAF removed from Pakistan Aircraft Register on February 1, 1956. AP-AAF preserved and used as cafe at Shangrila Resort Hotel, Skardu, Pakistan.

Photo:

Douglas C-47-DL Skytrain (Copyright � Qasim Jadoon)

Douglas C-47-DL Skytrain (registration AP-AAF)