03/31/2011. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "During WW II, all DC-4s for Allied air forces were ordered by the USAAF. This aircraft was one of 20 ordered for the USN by the USAAF as a C-54E-15-DO, s/n 44-9144 and was delivered to the USN on May 30, 1945 as an R5D-4R, BuNo. 90414.

The R5D-4Rs was a personnel transport modification. Under the new designation system introduced in 1962, this aircraft was redesignated C-54R and was later transferred to the USMC. Withdrawn from use, it was placed in storage at the MASDC in June 1973.

Declared surplus, it was sold to the US company AAAP Co. of Tucson, Arizona in 1975 and initially registered N48163 and reregistered N904DS in 1977. In February 1978, it was sold to the Canadian freight airline Millardair of Toronto, Ontario, registered C-GQIB and named 'The Sky Trader'.

The Berlin Airlift Foundation of Farmingdale, New Jersey purchased this Skymaster on December 22, 1992 and began the restoration to her current state as a C-54E, including the creation of a Flying Museum filled with artifacts, displays, and information explaining the Berlin Airlift of 1948. In July 1997, it was leased to Northwest Airlines of Minneapolis, Minnesota to apply the paint scheme to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift."