Golden Pacific
Airlines Beech 99 N551GP
(c/n U78)
Golden Pacific ran commuter
services from San Francisco to Merced, Modesto, Visalia, Santa
Rosa, Sacramento and Fresno. Bill Larkins' shot above was
taken at Concord, a stop on the
Sacramento route. The
airline was founded on 3 March 1969 and operated mainly Beech 99s
and Piper Navajos.
The plan was to upgrade to the Convair 440 but by early 1973 the
company
was in financial
difficulties and folded before that ambitious scheme could take
place. N551GP
was originally built as
N7807N for Allegheny Commuter. When Golden Paicifc failed
it went to
Vercoa Air Service as N7809R and
later to Britt Airlines as N319BA.