VH-MMA. Douglas C-47A-30-DL. c/n 9593.

Was also registered as: 42-23731; A65-13; P2-MMA; P2-ANS; VH-MWQ.

 

 

Construction of this aircraft was completed at the Douglas Long Beach plant, California - May 22, 1943

It was built as a Douglas C-47A-30-DL

Delivered to the United States Army Air Force - May 25, 1943

It was allocated the United States serial number '42-23731'

This aircraft was allocated to the Royal Australian Air Force under the' Lend - Lease' program

Received at 3 Aircraft Depot, Amberley, Queensland - June 21, 1943

Entered onto the Australian Military Aircraft Register as A65-13

It was operated using the radio callsign 'VHCTL'

Issued to No 34 Squadron using code letters 'FD-C' - July 02, 1943

Returned to 3 Aircraft Depot - April 18, 1946

Approved for disposal by the Commonwealth Disposals Commission - December 16, 1946

Sold to M.M.A. at Brisbane as a source of spares - January 08, 1947

It was struck-off charge at Sydney (Richmond) having flown 4,121 hours - January 15, 1947

Ferried Sydney (Richmond) - Perth - April 28, 1947

Flight crew: Captain C. N. Kleinig; Engineer F. Colquhoun

Converted to civilian standards by MMA at Maylands Airport, Perth

Test flown at Perth (Guildford) Airport - October 01, 1947

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-MMA - October 01, 1947

Registered to MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Co. Ltd, Perth

The aircraft was named 'RMA Ashburton'

Operated its first revenue service Perth - Darwin - October 01, 1947

Registered to the Commercial Aviation Company - October 01, 1955

Leased to MacRobertson Miller Airlines as the registered operator

Operated the first MMA service with a Purser/Loader (duty previously undertaken by pilots) - December 30, 1962

Registered to MacRobertson Miller Airlines - December 22, 1966

Operated MMAs final DC-3 RPT service Newman - Perth - January 17, 1969

Flight crew: Captain B. Smith, G. Hewitt; F/O E. Montague; Hostess C. Bott

Withdrawn from use and stored at Perth having flown 54,619 hours

Painted in Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea livery at Perth - January 1969

Departed Perth on the ferry flight to New Guinea - February 05, 1969

Ferry route: Perth - Forrest - Whyalla - Broken Hill - Rockhampton - Cairns - Lae

Registered to Ansett (P & NG) Ltd - February 17, 1969

Sold to Air Niugini for $15,000 - November 01, 1973

Entered onto the Papua New Guinea Aircraft Register as P2-MMA - January 29, 1974

Registered to Papua New Guinea National Airline

Leased to Connair as VH-MMA - January to May 1974

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - May 06, 1974

Reregistered as P2-ANS - November 06, 1975

Sold to Masling Commuter Services having flown 60,710 hours - May 06, 1976

Ferried Port Moresby - Sydney (Bankstown) - May 06, 1976

Cancelled from the Papua New Guinea Aircraft Register - May 06, 1976

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-MWQ - June 16, 1976

Registered to Masling Commuter Air Services Pty Ltd

Withdrawn from use at Sydney - 1979

Sold to Setair Pty Ltd having flown 64,134 hours - August 18, 1979

The aircraft was named 'Gooney Bird'

Sold to Air North Pty Ltd for $17,000 - July 28, 1983

Rebuilt at an estimated cost of $150,000

Reregistered as VH-MMA - November 15, 1983

Registered to Air North Pty Ltd

It was utilised during the pilot's dispute for charters to / from the Argyle Diamond Mine

Repainted into the new Air North livery - February 1990

Participated in the memorial fly-past over Darwin to mark 50th Anniversary of the Darwin bombing - February 19, 1992

Repainted into the all-silver livery of Henry & Walker - 1992

Registered to Vintage Aircraft Company Pty Ltd - August 13, 1993

Operated its final passenger flight - February 28, 1998

Placed in open storage at Darwin Airport

Sold to John Hardy of Hardy Aviation - 1999

Rebuilt by SAE Aircraft Maintenance, Darwin and test flown - July 28, 2001

The aircraft had flown 68,316 hours as of April 05, 2005

Withdrawn from service and stored at Darwin - 2009

The wings were removed from the aircraft and rebuilt - early 2012

Registered to Hardy Aviation (N.T.) Pty Limited, Parap, Northern Territory - July 13, 2012

The wings were reinstalled on the aircraft by Hardy Aviation engineers - July 23, 2013

The restoration was completed - March 2015

Displayed at the Darwin Airport General Aviation area without markings - March 21, 2015

This aircraft is airworthy - 2018

 

 

VH-MMA. MMA Mac.Robertson Miller Airlines - 'RMA Ashburton' in the standard livery at Perth Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-956.)

VH-MMA. Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guiiea - in the 'delta' livery at an unknown airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-358.)

VH-MMA. Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guiiea - in the 'delta' livery at an unknown airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-955.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the basic Air Niugini livery at Cootamundra Airport, July 1976.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-295.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Cootamundra Airport, September 1976.

(E. D. Daw Copyright Image 0251-296.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1977.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-819.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1977.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-820.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1977.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-818.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Canberra Airport, February 1978.

(E. D. Daw Copyright Image 0251-297.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-246.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-760.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-821.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-628.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-589.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-590.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-395.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-408.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, August 1979.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-077.)

VH-MWQ. Masling - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-380.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-526.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-636.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-633.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-630.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-629.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-531.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-631.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-637.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

This was the initial publicity flight for Melbourne's media organisations.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-396.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

This was the initial publicity flight for Melbourne's media organisations.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-570.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

This was the initial publicity flight for Melbourne's media organisations.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-632.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

This was the initial publicity flight for Melbourne's media organisations.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-474.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

This was the initial publicity flight for Melbourne's media organisations.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-571.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

This was the second publicity flight for Melbourne's media organisations.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-397.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

This was the second publicity flight for Melbourne's media organisations.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-619.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

This was the second publicity flight for Melbourne's media organisations.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-398.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-530.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery with additional '3UZ' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1980.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-620.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, February 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-621.)

VH-MWQ. Setair - 'Gooney Bird' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-399.)

VH-MMA. Air North - in the original livery at Darwin Airport, June 1986.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-069.)

VH-MMA. Air North - in the original livery at Darwin Airport, July 1987.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-400.)

VH-MMA. Air North - in the original livery at an unknown airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-032.)

VH-MMA. Air North - in the revised livery at Darwin Airport, June 1990.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-435.)

VH-MMA. Air North - in the revised livery at Darwin Airport, June 1990.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-294.)

VH-MMA. Air North - in the all-matal livery at Darwin Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-070.)

VH-MMA. Henry & Walker Group - in the standard livery at Darwin Airport, June 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-475.)

VH-MMA. Henry & Walker Group - in the standard livery at Darwin Airport, August 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-298.)

VH-MMA. Hardy Aviation - in the revised livery at Darwin Aviation Museum, November 1999.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-700.)

VH-MMA. Hardy Aviation - in the 'all-metal' livery at Darwin Aviation Museum, April 26, 2021.

(B. Potts Copyright Image 0251-830.)