• Aircraft

  • NPS 1949 Historic Photos of Taylorcraft in Utah

The National Park Service has come into possession of several early photographs and a video of historic aircraft landing in Chesler Park around 1949. The aircraft have been identified as Taylorcraft (T-Craft), and two of them have the N-Number: NC5254M & N26584. These N-Numbers do not show on any FAA Registration for the above aircraft. These numbers may have been deregistered, and reregistered to other, modern aircraft.

These aircraft were commonly used in southeastern Utah to ferry prospectors and supplies into backcountry locations where roads & Jeep trails were non-existant.

Chesler Park is now part of Canyonlands National Park, and the National Park Service would like to document all pertinent information that can be learned about these two aircraft, model numbers, year manufactured, owner information, etc. These are some of the first aircraft to ever land in the area, they are a valuable cultural resource, and the park service cultural resource manager would like any and all information about them for their historical record.

If anyone on this forum has information about these aircraft, or where to find such information, please respond to this post or by e-mail to: wildlight@pacbell.net.

Thank you

If nobody responds here with information, you might try contacting the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch.

http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/contact_aircraft_certification/

An aircraft Title Search service in Oklahoma City might be your best bet in tracing aircraft ownership of the old N numbers to 1949. The National Park Service would have to pay for a private search. Most any aircraft insurer could probably suggest a Title Search service to you, as clear title is needed to properly insure an aircraft. AOPA used to maintain an office there for that purpose, but doesn't seem to advertise it in the current AOPA Pilot magazine issue that I could find.

Doug,

Thanks for the tip. I contacted Acme Air Title Service in Oklahoma City, and they did a free quick check for me on both N-Numbers:

N26584 was a 1949 Taylorcraft Model BC65 registered to the Moab Flying Club in February 1949 and was later listed as destroyed. We have some older, local contacts who were in the Moab Flying Club, and we are looking through their history.

NC5254M was a Taylorcraft Model BC12D sold to a private party in 1948 who then sold it in 1951. Now that we have his name, we know who he was and his relationship to the Canyonlands area before it was a park.

Thanks again for the tip that solved this bit of mystery and adding to the historical record.

Glad to be of help, and nice of them to give a freebie title search.