VH-AGU Douglas DC-3

VH-AGU. Douglas C-47B-35-DK. c/n 15920-32668.

Was also registered as: 44-76336; A65-72.

Construction was completed at the Douglas Oaklahoma City plant - February 1945

It was built as a Douglas C-47B-35-DK

It was allocated the U. S. serial number '44-76336'

Delivered to the United States Army Air Force - February 12, 1945

Transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force under the lend / lease agreement - February 27, 1945

Entered onto the Australian Military Aircraft Register as 'A65-72'

It was operated using the radio call-sign 'VHCIO'

Issued to No 37 Squadron coded 'OM-O' - March 03, 1945

Issued to No 86 Transport Wing - February 26, 1947

Issued to A. R. D. U. at Point Cook - February 12, 1948

Issued to No. 1 Squadron and based in Malaya - October 24, 1953

It was used for psychological warfare by having loudspeakers attached and broadcasting messages to enemy troops

It returned to Australia - June 23, 1954

Withdrawn from use and struck-off charge - August 13, 1958

Sold to Adastra Airways - February 12, 1959

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AGU - December 24, 1959

Registered to Adastra Airways Pty Ltd, Sydney

Registered to Westralian Aerial Surveys - December 23, 1961

Registered to Sepal Pty Ltd - October 26, 1964

Registered to Adastra Aerial Surverys Pty Ltd - October 24, 1969

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - February 09, 1972

Returned to the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AGU - May 08, 1972

Sold and registered to East-West Airlines Pty Ltd, Tamworth - November 12, 1974

Converted for Interscan Instrument Landing System for performance testing

The aircraft was fitted with radar and used as a navigation aid test platform

Transferred to South Coast Aviation

Withdrawn from use and placed in open storage at Melbourne (Essendon) - August 1979

Sold and registered to the Great Pacific Aeroplane Company - August 10, 1979

Sold to Aerodyne Pty Ltd - August 13, 1979

Registered to Garmet Enterprises Pty Ltd t/a Air Charter Centre - March 05, 1981

Registered to Yarakan Enterprises Ltd - January 04, 1983

Registered to Golden West Airways Pty Ltd - June 04, 1983

Registered to Peachbrand Pty Ltd t/a Dakota Airways - June 17, 1988

The aircraft was badly damaged when a Cessna 182 ran into it at Brisbane (Archerfield) - July 28, 1988

Repaired and returned to service

Sold to Jeffrey Trappett, Victoria - April 03, 1993

Ferried Kingaroy - Wagga Wagga - Latrobe Valley Regional Airport, Traralgon - February 10, 1997

The aircraft had flown 13,500 hours to date

It was observed parked at RAAF Point Cook - February 2000

It was observed parked / stored at Morwell, Victoria - September 2001

Registered to Jeffrey Trappett, Morwell, Victoria - August 18, 2005

Current status - ?

VH-AGU. Westralian Aerial Surveys - in the all-metal livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, date unknown.

(E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 0250-745.)

VH-AGU. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the all-metal livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-458.)

VH-AGU. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the all-metal livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 19, 1967.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-655.)

VH-AGU. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the all-metal livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 06, 1968.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-712.)

VH-AGU. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the all-metal livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, August 12, 1973.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-681.)

VH-AGU. East-West - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, December 07, 1974.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0250-574.)

VH-AGU. East-West - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, December 29, 1974.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-684.)

VH-AGU. East-West - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 17, 1975.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-015.)

VH-AGU. East-West - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, August 1975.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-241.)

VH-AGU. East-West - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 09, 1976.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-685.)

VH-AGU. East-West - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1976.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-012.)

VH-AGU. Great Pacific Aeroplane Company - in the basic 'East-West' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-015.)

VH-AGU. Great Pacific Aeroplane Company - in the basic 'East-West' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, November 1979.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-545.)

VH-AGU. Great Pacific Aeroplane Company - in the basic 'East-West' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 14, 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-713.)

VH-AGU. Great Pacific Aeroplane Company - in the basic 'East-West' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 17, 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-016.)

VH-AGU. Great Pacific Aeroplane Company - in the basic 'East-West' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-013.)

VH-AGU. Great Pacific Aeroplane Company - in the basic 'East-West' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-014.)

VH-AGU. Air Charter Centre - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, August 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-682.)

VH-AGU. Air Charter Centre - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1982.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-009.)

VH-AGU. Air Charter Centre - in the standard livery at Sydney Bankstown Airport, April 1982.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-010.)

VH-AGU. Golden West Airways - in a modified Air Charter Centre livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, October 1984.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-017.)

VH-AGU. Golden West Airways - in a modified Air Charter Centre livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, September 1986.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-714.)

VH-AGU. Dakota Airways - in the 'Golden West Airways' livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, June 25, 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-019.)

VH-AGU. Dakota Airways - in the 'Golden West Airways' livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, July 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-020.)

VH-AGU. Dakota Airways - in the 'Golden West Airways' livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, July 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-021.)

VH-AGU. Dakota Airways - 'Spirit of Free Enterprise' in the 'Golden West Airways' livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, August 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-683.)

VH-AGU. Dakota Airways - 'Spirit of Free Enterprise' in the 'Golden West Airways' livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, August 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-011.)

VH-AGU. Dakota Airways - in the basic livery at Brisbane Airport, April 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-641.)

VH-AGU. Dakota Airways - in the basic livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, May 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-640.)

VH-AGU. Jeff Trappett - 'Spooky' in the 'USAF Vietnam' camouflage livery as 'AF43-368' at Melbourne Avalon Airport, February 27, 2013.

(G. Canciani Copyright Image 0251-656.)

VH-AGU. Jeff Trappett - 'Spooky' in the 'USAF Vietnam' camouflage livery as 'AF43-368' at Melbourne Avalon Airport, February 27, 2013.

(G. Canciani Copyright Image 0251-657.)

VH-AGU. Jeff Trappett - 'Spooky' in the 'USAF Vietnam' camouflage livery as 'AF43-368' at Melbourne Avalon Airport, February 27, 2013.

(G. Canciani Copyright Image 0251-658.)