04/30/2006. Remarks by John Voss: "This Douglas Model DC-4 was delivered to the USAAF on April 4, 1945 as a C-54E-5-DO Skymaster, s/n 44-9084. Declared surplus, it was transferred to the Reconstruction Finance Corp in 1945 and sold to AOA (American Overseas Airlines) of New York, New York, registered NC90906 and named Flagship 'City of Copenhagen' and later 'City of Chicago'. AOA was purchased by Pan American World Airways on September 25, 1950, was painted in Pan American livery and renamed 'Clipper Dusseldorf', later 'Clipper Munich', 'Clipper Golden Gate', 'Clipper Mermaid' and once again 'Clipper Dusseldorf'.

In 1951, it was leased to APA (Aerobics Panama Airways) of Panama until October while registered HP-297 when it returned to Pan American as N90906. It was withdrawn from service and placed in storage in Miami, Florida until sold to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands to provide transportation services within Micronesia. In actuality the aircraft probably belonged to the US Department of the Interior. It was withdrawn from service and stored in 1966, was deregistered from FAA records on August 23, 1968 and subsequently scrapped.

While with the US Department of the Interior the aircraft was based at Agana, Guam and was operated and maintained under contract by Pan American Note usage of period Pan American colors for the painting of the aircraft. There were three Grumman SA-16 Albatross in the fleet which were also maintained and operated by Pan American The transportation system was set up to fly once a week between Guam and the outlying islands to carry USDI personnel and their family members.

Civilians such as myself could fly on 'space available' only, and generally flew the SA-16s which were configured for 16 passengers so the probability of being bumped and stuck somewhere was high. In such an eventuality one would have to wait until the next week and hope there was a slot for you then, or the next week or the next week or... But when the DC-4 was flying there was a very good chance of getting aboard as it was rarely at capacity.

I took this photo just prior to boarding for a flight to Truk, East Caroline Islands. I flew on the DC-4 three times."