AUSTRALIAN DOUGLAS DC-3s - 1960s


c/n 25367. Qantas operated many DC-3s over the years, mostly on their New Guinea Internal services, which were taken over
by TAA in 1960.  From then on, Qantas had just two DC-3s VH-EDC & VH-EDD. used mostly for pilot training and occasional
engine transport. Here's VH-EDD at Dubbo NSW in September 1968 during a crew training sortie.



c/n 9811.  Brain & Brown Airfreighters Pty Ltd, Melbourne operated Avro Ansons until acquiring the first of three DC-3s for nightly
cargo runs to Tasmania and Bass Strait islands.  VH-BAM seen loading at Essendon Airport in November 1967 was purchased
the previous year from East West Airlines, with whom it was VH-EWD.



c/n 9583. MMA's VH-MMA RMA Ashburton at Perth in June 1968, departing on a passenger service to Albany. Formerly a
C-47A with USAAF 5th Air Force and Dutch Navy, this aircraft is still operational, based in Darwin with Hardy Aviation.



c/n 13459. VH-MIN at Essendon in January 1964 flew mineral survey for the Bureau of Mineral Resources.  This Government
body showed rare flair by registering its two DC-3s VH-BUR & VH-MIN and their Auster VH-RES. This DC-3 was orange,
white and grey and usually had a magnetometer boom extending from under the tail.



c/n 19934. Here's the Bureau of Mineral Resources DC-3 VH-BUR after it was handed over to the NSW Department of Lands
Aerial Survey Unit and operated for them on contract by Airlines of NSW.  The Navigator's position behind the cockpit had an
extra window and astrodome on the roof.  Photographed at Milldura Vic in July 1965.



c/n 6051. VH-DAS was operated by TAA on long-term contract to the South Australian Department of Lands for aerial mapping.
Seen at Adelaide in September 1962 before being repainted in TAA's 1960s white and blue scheme.



c/n 32668. Adastra Aerial Surveys DC-3 VH-AGU at their Sydney Airport hangar in January 1964.  The Adastra titles had been
replaced by Westralian Aerial Surveys, an associate company which operated AGU and a Hudson on a survey contract in WA.



c/n 6353. VH-MJR was a magnetometer survey machine owned by Aero Service Corp of Philadelphia. As N9032H they had
operated it all over the world since 1946, being based in Turkey, Libya and Egypt before ferrying to Sydney in August 1961.
The former US Navy R4D-4 was registered VH-MJR to Sydney associate company Aero Service Ltd.   Seen at Adelaide in
November 1964 while it operated a low level mineral survey over St Vincents Gulf SA.



c/n 13506. VH-CAN was the last of four DC-3s owned by the Department of Civil Aviation.  Here it is parked outside the DCA
Flying Unit hangar at Essendon Airport in November 1967.



c/n 6007. East West Airlines DC-3 VH-EWE at Sydney Airport in May 1963. It ended its days at a McDonalds hamburger
restaurant at West Lakes, Adelaide, painted in its earlier TAA markings as VH-AER.



c/n 9286. When East West Airlines retired several DC-3s in 1967, their ownership was transferred to associate company Pacific
and Western Aviation at Tamworth to arrange their disposal.  VH-PWN was previously VH-EWF. It was photographed at
Tamworth in September 1968 prior to its sale to Queensland Pacific Trading Ltd.



c/n 11967. TAA Sunbird Service DC-3 VH-SBM Ivan Champion was brought down from Papua New Guinea for experimental
relay of television signals between Australian cities. It was based at Adelaide in January 1963, each evening flying a holding
pattern halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne, to reflect TV programs.  Paint has been removed at the top of the fin for the
antennae required. I remember the excitement for the Adelaide populace to be watching Graham Kennedy's In Melbourne Tonight
live as it happened for a week or so.  Then things returned to normal, Adelaide TV screening the previous night's show.



c/n 6010. VH-ANS with Airlines of SA at Adelaide in November 1962. Built as a C-47, it served with USAAF 5th Air Force
in Australia, loaned to RAAF as radio callsign "VHCHB", to ANA for military courier services to the islands as "VHCDH",
postwar civilianised by ANA as VH-ANS, to Guinea Airways, Adelaide as VH-GAJ, before returning to VH-ANS.



c/n 4120. VH-ANH was a USAAF Douglas C-50, impressed off the production line from American Airlines. It became ANA's
VH-ANH Tullana in 1946, to Ansett-ANA in 1957 as a passenger Skyliner. Seen visiting Adelaide in September 1963.



c/n 4094. VH-ANO was a USAAF Douglas C-49B impressed from Eastern Airlines. It is seen in February 1969, retired in the
Essendon graveyard parking area, surrounded by a dozen other Ansett DC-3s. VH-ANO escaped the mass scrapping by its sale
to an Indonesian airline, which was not completed, and later it was delivered to Cambodia to United Khmer Airlines as XU-FAI.

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