Leaving the warmth and comfort of my rental truck was entirely worth it.

As I traversed the plummeting temperatures and watched the sun slowly disappear behind the Kenai Mountain range, I decided to stay just a few more minutes, hoping to catch some departing traffic in the golden hour light.

The low, steady rumble in the distance hinted that the next airplane departing would not be a majestic Boeing 747 or MD-11, but something much more interesting.

Everts Air Cargo is an Alaska-based airline that still operates a handful of aircraft from the 1940s and 1950s for domestic routes, including this beautiful, seventy-year-old Douglas DC-6A.

The distant rumble increases in pitch as the pilot advances the power levers, making the four Pratt & Whitney 18-cylinder Double Wasp radial engines come alive. A total of 10,000 horsepower is unleashed with a synchronous roar reminiscent of World War II flying shows or air displays—absolutely fantastic.

The aircraft gains altitude and levels off at roughly 100 feet above the runway, retracting the landing gear and gaining more airspeed before slowly climbing further. The sound alone is astonishing and takes me back to the golden age of flight.

With the last echoes of the DC-6A fading into the distance, I find myself wondering about the legacy of flight—an art form that blends history, innovation, and an undying passion for the skies. Whether it is with a vintage prop-liner or a Boeing 747, the magic of flight is undeniable.