It is not every day we get a chance to have a look at some serious aviation history.  This 1943 C-47A N5831B (c/n 19345) dropped by CYFB in Iqaluit in May 2005 on its way from Arizona to to its new home in England.  At the time, it appeared to be just another of the many ferry flights that travel through YFB every year.  But, thanks to Ruud Leeuw, there are web pages outlining N5831B's World War II history, its post-war past, and its restoration.  Quite a story.

It got the name "Drag 'Em Oot" from its early role towing gliders. It also flew in the lead squadron on D-Day, and served in the far east.  Check out the link above for more history, and some great photos of the restored plane.

Following WWII, it served for some years with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Through the late 1960s, 1970s and 80s, it worked for a range of Canadian operators.  First registered in 1967 as CF-KAZ, later as C-FKAZ in 1976, it was operated over two decades by:  Keir Air Transport in Edmonton,  Trans Provincial Airlines, Laurentian Air Services, Pacific Coastal Airlines, Airwest Airlines, Superior Airways, Ontario Central Airlines, and Bearskin Lake Air Services.

In 1985, it moved south, working in Texas and Arkansas before being sold to an owner in England in 2004.  From there it has been extensively restored.  Check out Ruud Leeuw's website for more.