VH-TAA Convair 340-67

Construction completed as a Convair VC-131D by the Convair Division of the General Dynamics Corporation - 1954

The VC-131D was the military version of the Convair 340 with seating for 44 passengers

These engines had anti-detonation injection for take-off and 1,800 hp for maximum continuous operation

Fitted with Hamilton Standard 23260 propellors at 13 feet 5 inch diameter

First flown with the test registration N8434H - November 18, 1954

Registered to General Dynamics Corporation, San Diego, California

Delivered to the United States Air Force as Convair VC-131D 54-2820 - February 17, 1955

Painted as '42820'

Allocated to 4600th ABG (Air Base Group) at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs - February 18, 1955

Allocated to 4600th ABW (Air Base Wing) at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs - April 08, 1958

Allocated to 4614 CLMS (Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron) at Peterson A.F.B. - February 01, 1960

Allocated to 4600 CLMS (Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron) at Peterson A.F.B. - November 30, 1963

Allocated to 4600th ABW (Air Base Wing) at Peterson A.F.B., Colorado Springs - August 01, 1972

Allocated to 46th ADW (Aerospace Defense Wing) H.Q., A.D.C. (Air Defence Command) - April 01, 1975

Aircraft was known as 'Smokey 04'

Allocated to 141st FIS (Fighter Interceptor Squadron), Washington National Air Guard at Fairchild Air Force Base,

Spokane, Washington - May 24, 1975

Allocated to 116th ARS (Air Refueling Squadron), 141st ARW (Air Refueling Wing) at Fairchild Air Force Base,

Spokane, Washington - February 18, 1976

Allocated to M.A.S.D.C. (Military Aircraft Storage & Disposition Center) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,

Tucson, Arizona - February 16, 1988

Allocated the storage code 'AACS0090'

Sold to Robert Smirnow, East Northport, New York - July 24, 1992

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N43895 - July 28, 1992

Reregistered to Robert Smirnow, East Northport, New York

Sold to Lineas Aereos Canedo, Cochabamba, Bolivia - July 31, 1992

Entered onto the Bolivian Aircraft Register as CP-2237 - July 31, 1992

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - July 31, 1992

It was observed in service with Lineas Aereas Canedo - November 1992

LAC operated numerous services for Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LAB)

It was observed at Cochabamba with LAC (Lineas Aereas Canedo) titles and tail logo - April 1994

It was observed at La Paz, Bolivia operating with LAC - September 26, 1994

Leased to Caribbean Flights, Caracas, Venezuela - May 1996

Entered onto the Venezuelan Aircraft Register as YV-914C - July 01, 1996

Registered to Jorge T. Lavadenz t/a Caribbean Flights

Cancelled from the Venezuelan Aircraft Register - July 1997

Returned to LAC (Lineas Aereas Canedo) - ?

Entered onto the Bolovian Aircraft Register as CP-2237 - ?

It was observed as 'CP-2237' at Chochabamba flying with LAC - November 04, 1999

Withdarwn from use - ?

Sold to Rovos Rail Tours operating as Rovos Air, Wonderboom, Pretoria, South Africa - ?

Aircraft was handed over to Rovos Air in Bolivia to Captain Johan Olivier, the company's chief pilot

Type rating carried out in Bolivia by LAC instructors before long-range ferry tanks were fitted

The 11 hour trans-Atlantic crossing was made between Natal, Brazil and Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire

Ferry flight continued south along the west coast of Africa to Ondangwa, Namiba thence to RSA

It was observed at Lanseria as 'CP-2237' in the standard LAC livery - September 2001

Aircraft was extensively refurbished at Pietersburg before entering service

Despite being nearly 50 years old it was in great condition with relatively few flying hours

The avionics were completely replaced with new radios and radar installed

Fitted with TCAS (Traffic Alert & Collision Avoidance System); GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System);

GPS (Global Positioning System) and a moving map display

The cabin was refurbished with green leather seats, polished wood panelling, new carpets and hot galleys

Cancelled from the Bolivian Aircraft Register - ?

Entered onto the South African Aircraft Register as ZS-ARV - December 05, 2001

Registered to Rovos Air, Pretoria, South Africa

It was observed at Pietersburg in an all-metal finish without registration markings - December 07, 2001

Operated first service - September 06, 2002

It carried a party of tourists to Kiani, Botswana near the Chobe National Park

Aircraft was offered for sale for $USD 450,000 - October 2008

Rovos Air ceased operations - 2009

It was observed stored in excellent condition at Lanseria - December 2009

It was observed stored in excellent condition at Wonderboom - January 2011

Ferried Pretoria - Gert de Klerk (Freeway Strip) and stored - February 2011

Ferried Gert de Klerk - Wonderboom - June 19, 2012

Although withdrawn from use the aircraft received all major checks and repairs as per manufacturer's manual

Test flown prior to a new Certificate of Airworthiness issued - February 2013

Offered for sale for $USD 250,000 - June 2013

It was observed stored at Wonderboom in an excellent condition - February 01, 2014

Sold to M. Courtney, Sydney - April 01, 2015

Inspected at Wonderboom by H.A.R.S. with a view of preserving it in Australia - June 2015

It was observed stored at Wonderboom - September 25, 2015

Acquired by the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) for preservation in Australia - ?

Painted into the original TAA Trans-Australia Airlines livery at Wonderboom - ?

Test flown at Wonderboom in the revised original T.A.A. livery - May 11, 2016

Donated to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, Albion Park Regional Airport - June 30, 2016

Test flown at Wonderboom - August 07, 2016

Accepted by HARS at Wonderboom for HARS - August 2016

Departed Wonderboom on the ferry flight to Australia as ZS-ARV - August 10, 2016

It arrived at Albion Park Regional Airport on completion of the ferry flight - August 21, 2016

Ferry route: Wonderboom - Kruger - Beira - Seychelles - Mattala - Johore - Bahru - Denpasar - Darwin -

Mt Isa - Dubbo - Parkes (overfly) - Albion Park

Flight crew: R. Kelly, D. Haywood, G. Sheppard

Application to cancel registration from the South African Aircraft Register - September 16, 2016

Application to reserve the Australian registration 'VH-TAA' submitted - September 16, 2016

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TAA - November 14, 2016

Registered to Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, Albion Park Regional Airport, Wollongong

Current with the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society