Aircraft – Cessna 170

With Lockheed Electra 10A frames being used intensively on scheduled service and charters, Wisconsin Central needed an economical pair of wings for use in pilot qualification and route familiarization. The solution was a new 1951 four-seat Cessna 170 – its high wing and big windows were ideal for surveying the northern landscape, and its slow takeoff and approach speeds approximated that of the mainline Electras.

As Douglas DC-3s were introduced, the need for the little silver Cessna went away and the aircraft was sold.

If you use these photos, please credit the Northwest Airlines History Center – please also contact us to let us know how you’re using them and if we can be of further help!

Wisconsin Central’s new Cessna 170 at Madison, Wisconsin, with then-Executive Vice President Hal Carr at left and Vice-President Operations & Maintenance, Del Hendrickson at right. This sturdy little aircraft remained in operation through a series of private owners (we found a newspaper ad for its sale in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1975!) to 2007, when it was written off after a rejected takeoff and loss of control in Spanaway, Washington. Photo from the Hal Carr Collection at the NWAHC.

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