AUSTRALIAN AIRLINERS 1960s - 1

Douglas DC-3s were still in widespread use during the 1960s. Here's VH-ANP of Ansett-ANA's Victorian Air Coach Service
operating on scheduled passenger flight at Horsham, Victoria in March 1965.

DC-3 VH-ANR was based at Sydney for most of the 1960s by Ansett subsidiary Airlines of NSW. It was visiting Perth in
April 1968 on an around-Australia tourist flight. Note the Viewmaster lengthened windows. Built in 1937 for KLM, this DC-3
led an adventurous life and has been saved by the Queensland Air Museum: http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/dc-3/chron.htm

Another original DC-3, VH-ABR was assembled by Australian National Airways at Essendon in October 1938, named Kanana.
ANA became Ansett-ANA in 1957, and VH-ABR was transferred to Airlines of South Australia in 1961.

Ansett-ANA DC-3 Cargoliner VH-ANV at Adelaide in June 1962 in the late afternoon, soon to depart on the weekday early
evening scheduled cargo service to Melbourne. Compare the nacelle shape of Ansett's DC-3s with Wright Cyclones, compared
with the TAA DC-3s below, which retained P&W R-1830 Wasps.

Trans Australia Airlines' VH-TAI was parked at Brisbane-Eagle Farm Airport in September 1968, close to reirement.

TAA's large DC-3 fleet based in Papua New Guinea were flown under the name TAA Sunbird Services, painted in a colourful
scheme with the Bird of Paradise on the tail. They were occasionally substituted on mainland services, here VH-SBE arrives
at Adelaide from Leigh Creek SA on the weekly Channel Country multi-stop outback run from Charleville Qld.

In the West, MacRobertson Miller Airlines (MMA) retired their eight DC-3s from West Australian passenger and freight service
during 1968. All of MMA's DC-3s had bare metallic finish, in an attempt to reduce oppressive heat in the cabin in the north of
WA and NT and also reportedly a management order to save on the weight of the paint. Although MMA had been taken over by
Ansett-ANA, it operated almost independently until 1969 when Ansett implemented an all Fokker F.27 and F.28 fleet.
Here's DC-3 VH-MMT RMA Turner at Perth Airport in July 1968.

East West Airlines based at Tamworth NSW flew services throughout NSW and to southern Queensland from 1946 with Ansons,
Hudsons, DC-3s and F.27s. DC-3 VH-EWB was at Parkes NSW in July 1967.

Ansett-MAL in Papua New Guinea operated two Bristol Freighter 31s acquired from Pakistan Air Force. VH-BFA had just been
repainted from Ansett-ANA to Ansett-MAL markings at Essendon Airport, Melbourne in May 1964.

VH-BFB was caught at Essendon in January 1964, down from New Guinea for a major overhaul.

Ansett-ANA and TAA each purchased 4 retired Pakistan Air Force Bristol Freighters in 1961 and ferried them to Australia.
Two each were converted for civil use, the other two stripped for spare parts. This is Pakistani S4412 which was delivered to
Ansett-ANA as AP-AMM in July 1961, and stripped for parts. Photo on a dull day at Essendon in May 1963.

One of TAA's spare Bristols in their hangar at Sydney Airport in May 1963. Pakistani S4434 was flown to Sydney as AP-AML
and stripped for parts for their operational pair VH-TBA & TBB, which were based in Papua New Guinea.

VH-TBB was retired by TAA at Lae, New Guinea in January 1967 and sold to Air Express, Brisbane Qld. Here it is in
September 1968 at Brisbane-Archerfield Airport, when it was operating a nightly freight run Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne.

Trans Australia Airlines Douglas DC-4 Cargomaster VH-TAC at Adelaide in May 1962.

Ansett-ANA also operated Douglas DC-4 Cargomasters. VH-ANF was photographed at Adelaide in April 1963.

Ansett-ANA purchased four DC-4s from Japan Airlines in 1963, mostly for the growing domestic Australian airfreight market.
First to arrive from Japan was VH-INJ which retained its passenger configuration for Ansett-ANA subsidiary Airlines of NSW
based at Sydney. Photographed at Adelaide in June 1964 on loan to Airlines of SA, replacing a Convair 440 on major overhaul.

Essendon February 1965, now in Ansett-ANA colours. The curtained windows show it was still carrying passengers.

VH-INJ then became the first of three Ansett-ANA DC-4s sent to England for conversion to Aviation Traders ATL.98 Carvair
specialised freighters. It re-entered Ansett-ANA service in October 1965. Photographed departing Adelaide in July 1966.

Ansett-ANA Douglas DC-6B Skychief VH-INT at Adelaide in February 1963, on a scheduled passenger service.

VH-INU was one of two Ansett-ANA DC-6Bs exchanged with opposition airline TAA for three of their Viscount 700s, under
the three year Cross-Charter Agreement in 1960. This was forced upon both airlines by the Australian Government as part of the
notorious political Two Airline Policy, which endeavoured to keep the two airlines equal. VH-INU at Adelaide in May 1963.

VH-INU reverted to Ansett-ANA until retired in 1967. Here it is in November 1967 parked in the Essendon Airport aircraft
storage area pending sale, with Ansett-ANA titles painted over. It went to Far East Air Transport, Taiwan as B-2005.

Vickers Viscounts in the 700 and 800 series were the mainstay for both airlines in the 1960s. However two tragic accidents with
loss of all on board caused their early retirement: Ansett-ANA lost V832 VH-RMI near Winton Qld due to a wing fire in 1966
and MMA lost V720C VH-RMQ on New Years Eve 1968 in WA due wing structural failure. Here the RR Darts of TAA
V756 VH-TVJ are given a ground run at Adelaide in June 1963.

TAA Viscount 816 Super Viscount VH-TVP at Adelaide under threatening skies in June 1963. It was one of the last to retain the
1960 dayglo orange tail, which was soon changed to white with blue trim.

TAA Viscount 720C at Adelaide in June 1963 in service with Ansett-ANA under the three year Cross Charter Agreement.

Ansett-ANA Viscount 747 VH-RMP at Adelaide in June 1963. This was originally Butler Air Transport's VH-BUT, imported
in 1956 for domestic services from Sydney along with Viscount 747 VH-BAT. Ansett-ANA took over Butler Air Transport.

Ill-fated Ansett-ANA Viscount V836 Deluxe VH-RMI at Adelaide in January 1964. It was to be destroyed near Winton Qld on
22 September 1966 when the port wing broke away during an emergency descent and diversion to Longreach Qld. A fire in the
cabin pressurisation blower behind No.2 engine had burnt through the wingspar. All 24 on board died.

MacRobertson Miller Airlines' Viscount V747 VH-RMO RMA Oakover at Perth Airport in July 1968, in the same pale green
MMA Jetstream Service scheme used by the MMA F.27s. This Viscounbt was originally Butler Air Transport's VH-BAT.

King of the fleets for both airlines prior to the jet era were Lockheed L188A Electras. VH-TLC Charles Sturt at Essendon in
May 1962 with dayglo orange tail TAA Electra Mk.II, to counter the bad publicity from early Electra crashes with US airlines.

Late afternoon at Essendon May 1962. VH-TLB John Gilbert with the repainted white tail. Taken with standard lens from the
open air observation deck, which most airports had in those halcyon days.

The Australian domestic airline jet era began in October 1964 with the first Boeing 727s. Ansett-ANA's VH-RME is seen at
Adelaide on 17 October 1964, on the occasion of the first 727 visit, along with TAA's VH-TJA. Behind this apparently tranquil
apron scene was the biggest crowd of public visitors ever recorded at Adelaide Airport, with roads blocked by traffic all day.

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