The Douglas DC-6 served passengers of United Airlines from 1947 to 1970 and was a mainstay of the operation, as Barry Lloyd explains.
PROPLINER SPECIAL
Weeks of ‘proving’ flights were ordered by the boss of United Airlines when the carrier received its first examples of the new Douglas propliner. The airline’s long-serving President, William A Patterson, decreed that its first three DC-6s should fly without passengers to iron out potential problems and familiarise the crew with the aircraft. It was a highly unusual decision that can only be attributed to Patterson’s innate sense of caution when introducing a new aircraft.