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Climb aboard fire-fighting Tanker 66...

 

We used a ladder hooked to the aircraft to climb into the 1950's DC-7 called Tanker 66.

This particular aircraft has a lot of its original equipment, with a few notable additions such as a Garmin GNS 430 (center panel) and a Ryan TCAD. Note the dual throttle controls, and the HUGE trim wheels.

The cockpit. Somewhat intimidating at first (at least to this Cirrus driver).
The shot below shows the avionics bay right behind the pilot's seat. Floor to ceiling rack, stuff with all kinds of neat vintage and new gear. Great to see a big tube radio sitting next to a state-of-the-art TCAD!

Note in the photo below - at top-left - is the front of an oscilloscope. This scope is used to analyze the ignition system and can diagnose an large number of issues in flight.

Jake is trying to figure out why I have been staring at the avionics bay for 10 minutes ;-)
  A little of the original first class cabin (just to the left of Rick).
Standing at the front of the first class section, looking forward toward the cockpit. Note the aluminum ladder used to get in and out of the plane. 
Rick explaining how it flies. Short answer: like a dream.
  Jake, wishing he could pull a lever or two...

One thing I was surprised by was how limited the external view is. The panel cowl is high, and the windows fairly small. Of course, I'm comparing it to the little planes I fly - no idea how it compares to other aircraft of its size & config.

Above, Rick is discussing the avionics bay and the electrical system. The orange area in the ceiling above his head is one side of the avionics bay. On the front of the orange panel where Rick is holding on are several rows of fuses (there are many more).

Above Rick's head are the distribution panels for the electrical systems (the orange panels in the ceiling hinge down - the last two photos below are showing close-ups of the internals). The aircraft has four generators, one on each engine.

Directly below, is a good shot of the electrical bays in the ceiling. I spoted at least one 50A fuse in there! Vintage stuff, but built to last.
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