Grumman Mallard N2974 / J-36
Republic pilot - J.R, Jaycox
photo credit Neal Douglass - September 10, 1949 / Texas City, TX from the Austin History Center -Austin Public Library
This Mallard didn't fly at Antilles Air Boats but did spend 3 months at Virgin Islands Seaplane Shuttle and like many of the Grumman amphibians, there are many connections from those early aviators and their insight into what could be.
The turbine Mallard was born with N2974 because of the insight of those pioneers that flew it.
The 36th Mallard came out of the Bethpage factory on April 17, 1948 and started its service with Republic Oil Refinery Company. Republic started in 1929 and was based in Pittsburg, PA with its refinery in Texas City, Texas, 20 miles from Houston. This aircraft came one year after the Texas City refinery disaster (April 16, 1947) were it continued to assist with transport from Pittsburg and Texas.
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Republic Oil Refinery was dissolved on April 1, 1957 and N2974 was sold to Fred Frakes in 1962.
The Pittsburg Press - October 15, 1948
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Geoff Goodall's G-73 Grumman Mallard Index - J-36
Red Dodge Aviation - Anchorage, AK
The Pink Lady
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arrived in Alaska around 1944 and took on just about every flying job that came along. He flew for the Salmon Industry of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, Fisheries Research Institute (University of Washington) and federal government sea otter research. He flew for the U.S. Geological Survey mapping of southwestern Alaska and the
In 1964, Fred Frakes joined up with Red Dodge with 2 G-73 Mallards N2974/ N1208, which Fred owned and operated with Red Dodge Aviation and Safeway Airways. In 1964 both aircraft were sold to Ray Peterson of Northern Consolidated Airlines.
J. Fred Frakes
Geoff Goodall - U.S. Fire Bomber Operators
Surface Water Branch to measure seasonal stream water. Fred had a U.S. Air Force contract to establish and maintain Ground Observers Stations during the Korean War. And of course the many flight to remote locations.
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Photo credit Moray Pickering
IN THE RED was somewhat common with air service companies from the early days to today. If you want to make a small fortune in aviation start with a large one. Red Dodge made an impact on Alaska air service in spite of various financial difficulties over the years.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 11/20/70
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Red Dodge's B-52 Mitchell survived for many years beyond the Alaskan skies.
A little side story...
I remember seeing it in Honolulu in August of 2020 when it was part of the 75th celebration of the end of WWII. It crashed in Stockton, CA a month later.
Ray Peterson
Ray was born in Nebraska, early years in Wyoming, and during his teens lived in Chicago. It was in Chicago were he learned to fly at an early age but in the late '20's flying jobs we not available. Even though he took on good jobs, he knew that Chicago was not for him. In 1933, Ray went to Seattle and then on to Alaska where he lined up a flying job within a week in Anchorage.
It wasn't long before Ray Peterson had his own company
Bethal Air and then Ray Peterson Flying Service, which merged with Northern Consolidated Airlines and another merger with Wien Air Alaska.
1912 - 2008
N1208
N1208
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N1208
It was 1964, when Ray purchased N2974 from J. Fred Frakes for NCA. Ray continued Fred's interest in the possibility of a turbine replacing the P&W 1340 engine.
slides from Tom Anusewicz Collection
N1208 flew at Fred Frakes Safeway Airways before he sold it to Northern Consolidated Airlines / Wien Alaska Airlines and years before it arrived at Antilles Air Boats It then went to Frakes Aviation in Cleburne, Texas for PT-6 turbine conversion and started service at Chalk's in 1981.
photo credit Lars Wahlstrom
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J. Fred Frakes
In March 1967, Fred purchased the Angwin Airport in Angwin, California but the land remained with Pacific Union College with a lease back to Frakes Aviation Co. Frakes Aviation was now in position to move forward with the development of a flight school, aircraft maintenance training, aircraft services and to include an aircraft modification center. After being part of Ray Peterson's PT-6 / Mallard test, Fred was now ready to make a turbine Mallard a reality. Pratt & Whitney's new PT-6-27 was now available and they assisted to make this happen. Fred bought back N2974 from Wien Alaska Air and flew it back to Angwin in April 1968.
N2974
photo from Matt Rodina's "Grumman Mallard" with credit Larry Milberry
In 1965, Ray and his partner Bob Lampson decided to run a low-budget test program. They flew to Victoria, B.C. replaced the starboard R-1340 with a leased PT-6 and prepared for 50 hours of experimental flying. This was the beginning of the turbine conversion. In 1967, Fred Frakes purchased N2974 from Wien Alaska Airlines and relocated it to Frakes Aviation - Agwin, California.
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Fred and his son Joe Frakes, chief engineer and Robert Lamson, consulting engineer from Seattle worked on the first turbine conversion for over a year with the test flight coming on September 5,1969. Frakes Aviation's operations at the Angwin Airport in California became increasingly difficult financially and in 1973, after completing 4 Grumman Mallard G-73T turbine conversions, moved to Cleburne, Texas.
Frakes Aviation continued with turbine conversions and modifications for years with new members of the Frakes family taking on the leadership.
Read more about Frakes Aviation below.​​​
Frakes in the NEWS
In 1971, the New York City Department of Marine and Aviation began a study into use of amphibious aircraft for commuter transport in the densely travelled Northeast Corridor. The study was called "Hydroport" and Fred Frakes newly converted turbine Mallard (N2974) was chosen to perform in the study with Fred doing the flying. He flew nearly 50 hours with 40 water landings. The new G-73T Mallard got plenty of attention. Even though it didn't see much of the Northeast, Frakes Aviation started multiple conversions for those operators that new that this was the aircraft they needed.
J. Fred Frakes had a long and productive life with not only flying interesting aircraft in interesting conditions, he took a great airplane and made it better.
David Joe Frakes and Joe Frakes have continued to operate Frakes Aviation .
photo credit Charlie Freehling
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Cleburne, Texas
photo credit Charlie Freehling
photo from Cardiff Family
another Frakes PT-6 conversion - Nord 268
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Spirit of Miami
Miami, Florida - July 1980
N2974 arrived at Chalk's International Airline on November 27, 1979. The aircraft was leased from Frakes Aviation with PT-6-34
(changed from PT-6-27 in Oct. '75).
Chalk's purchased N2974 in Oct. '81.
In 1985, the aircraft was leased to Virgin Islands Seaplane Shuttle for 3 months, while waiting delivery of additional turbine Mallards from Frakes. The aircraft was returned to Chalk's in September '85. It continued to fly in various Chalk's paint schemes until the early '90's.
J-36 would be the first of a handful of G-73T aircraft flying between Miami and the Bahamas.
(J-27, J-30, J-42, J-44)
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photo credit Carl Ford
Miami, Florida - August 1989
Miami, Florida - November 1982
photo credit Geoff Goodall
photo credit Roger Syratt
photo credit Peter Davis
Miami, Florida - March 1982
Nassau, Bahama - March 1980
Charlie Freehling, Fred Frakes, & Mickey Braunstien
Miami, Florida - January 1992
N2974 / J-36 had a long and interesting flying life, but it should have continued beyond 1990's.
Flying at Chalk's in the 80's gave way to a number of ownership changes. The aircraft sat idle as various operators vied for it to fly once again in their colors.
The contenders had their own financial difficulties and the first turbine Mallard sat while parts were removed,
until it never regained airworthiness.
photo credit Geoff Goodall
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - May 1994
N2874 make a cameo appearance... wait for it.
photo credit Eero Saarela
Caribbean Airline Services / Virgin Islands Seaplane Shuttle never took possession of N2974 / J-36 The comments below will give an indication of the difficult times.
Caribbean Airline Services, Inc. - Carolina, Puerto Rico
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Anthony C. Tirri, President. Leased the Mallards to Sea Air Shuttle Corp, headed by Armaldo Delio and dba Virgin Island Seaplane Shuttle . At the end of 1990, Caribbean Airline Services (CAS) joined Sal Labate's Labate Aviation, Inc. in co-ownership of the seven Mallards (J-9, J-11, J-28, J-32, J-51, J-53, & J-55) abandoned by Virgin Island Seaplane Shuttle to the Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company. The aircraft were in varied condition, from airworthy to un-repairable . CAS then put forward a proposal to the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) in competition with two other bidders, to lease seaplane ramps at St. Thomas and St. Croix, and thereby continue the interisland air service. After much backroom political maneuvering . VIPA awarded the right to negotiate for the lease to Caribbean Air Boats who had no aircraft and no experience of seaplane operations. Not surprisingly, Caribbean Air Boats were not able to provide a service and after several years the lease was put out to tender again. This time the lease on the seaplane ramps was awarded to Caribbean Airline Services, Inc., but again, after two years the lease was nullified for lack of performance. A few more years passed and finally the lease was awarded to Seaborne Seaplanes who had operated between St. Thomas and St. Croix with DHC-6 Twin Otters on straight floats, After some ten years (circa 2001),the seaplane ramps were rebuilt and put into use together with floating docks to support the DHC-6 operations.
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the above comments from "The Grumman Amphibians"
Fred Hotson & Matt Rodina's "Grumman Mallard - The Enduring Classic" gets into some detail of N2974 J-36 and the Fred Frakes turbine conversion., Chalk's International Airlines and Antilles Air Boats.
A great book for any Mallard enthusiast!
