Construction of this aircraft was completed at the Douglas Oklahoma City plant - May 1945

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

Delivered to the United States Army Air Force - May 18, 1945

It was allocated the U. S. serial number '44-76968'

It arrived at Brisbane (Amberley) on lend / lease to the Royal Australian Air Force - May 29, 1945

Entered onto the Australian Military Aircraft Register as A65-105

It was operated using the radio callsign 'VHRFV'

Allocated to No 37 Squadron for transport services - April 10, 1945

Allocated to No 34 Squadron - July 15, 1948

Allocated to No 38 Squadron - June 05, 1950

Allocated to 90th Transport Wing (Malaya) - January 25, 1951

Allocated to 90 Transport Wing - January 28, 1952

Allocated to 86 Transport Wing - December 05, 1952

Allocated to Aircraft Research & Development Unit (ARDU) - June 08, 1953

Allocated to No 38 Squadron 86 Transport Wing - April 18, 1957

Allocated to ARW - November 05, 1960

Allocated to 86 Transport Wing - May 04, 1962

Allocated to 2 A.T.U. - July 08, 1964

Transferred to Department of Aircraft Production - May 20, 1968

It was deemed to be surplus to requirements and struck off charge - December 17, 1968

The aircraft had flown 8,966 hours

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-UPQ - July 02, 1969

Registered to Department of Supply, Woomera Rocket Range (Short Bros)

It was operated by Short Bros as the Woomera Rocket Range support aircraft

Withdrawn from use and placed in storage at Woomera pending sale - August 1973

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - August 17, 1973

Ferried Woomera - Alice Springs (Capt D. Gillespie; F/O Rosier - August 1974

Sold to Conair Pty Ltd - October 25, 1974

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-UPQ - October 25, 1974

Ownership was transferred to Northern Airlines after East West purchased Conair - June 09, 1980

Registered to Northern Airlines (Operations) Pty Ltd - June 18, 1980

Sold to Setair Pty Ltd - December 31, 1980

Registered to Setair Pty Ltd - December 31, 1980

The aircraft was named 'Sandra'

Ferried Alice Springs - Melbourne (Essendon) on delivery to Setair - December 31, 1980

Operated its final Setair service Canberra - Melbourne (Essendon) - April 28, 1993

Setair ceased trading due to financial problems

Sold to N. McCowan t/a Adventure Air Tours - June 27, 1983

Sold to Twinair - February 06, 1984

It was withdrawn from service and cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - March 16, 1984

Sold to Wan-See Pty Ltd t/a Rebel Air Pty Ltd - April 1984

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-UPQ - April 13, 1984

The aircraft was named 'Golden Gooney'

It was operated by Australian Vintage Travel - 1987

Sold to Colbinra Transport Pty Ltd t/a Koomeela Australia - December 09, 1988

Sold to Dakota National Air Pty Ltd - March 1994

Registered to Dakota National Air (Australia) Pty Ltd - March 10, 1994

It was observed in a derelict condition at Sydney (Bankstown) - June 15, 2003

Registered to Dakota National Air (Australia) Pty Ltd - June 08, 2006

It was bserved in open storage at Sydney (Bankstown) in badly corroded condition - October 2007

Current status - ?

VH-UPQ. Connair - in the standard livery at Ayers Rock, October 1978.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-233.)

VH-UPQ. Connair - in the standard livery at Alice Springs Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-604.)

VH-UPQ. Connair - in the standard livery at Alice Springs Airport, December 1979.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-250.)

VH-UPQ. Northern - in the basic 'Connair' livery at Alice Springs Airport, August 1980.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-787.)

VH-UPQ. Northern - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 02, 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-417.)

VH-UPQ. Northern - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0251-188.)

VH-UPQ. Northern - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1981.

(E. D. Daw Copyright Image 0251-354.)

VH-UPQ. Northern - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1981.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-607.)

VH-UPQ. Setair - in the basic 'Northern' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0250-605.)

VH-UPQ. Setair - in the basic 'Northern' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, February 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 0251-189.)

VH-UPQ. Setair - in the basic 'Northern' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 24, 1981.

(E. D. Daw Copyright Image 0251-355.)

VH-UPQ. Setair - 'Sandra' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 07, 1983.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-483.)

VH-UPQ. Twinair - 'Golden Gooney' in the basic 'Setair' livery at Coolangatta Airport, November 1983.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-786.)

VH-UPQ. Twinair - 'Golden Gooney' in the basic 'Setair' livery at Coolangatta Airport, November 1983.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-249.)

VH-UPQ. Twinair - 'Golden Gooney' in the basic 'Setair' livery at Coolangatta Airport, January 21, 1984.

(N. Louis Collection Copyright Image 0251-807.)

VH-UPQ. Rebel Air - 'Golden Gooney' in the basic 'Setair' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 05, 1984.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-785.)

VH-UPQ. Rebel Air - 'Golden Gooney' in the basic 'Setair' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 20, 1984.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-609.)

VH-UPQ. Rebel Air - in the 'casino' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, October 1985.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-783.)

VH-UPQ. Rebel Air - in the 'casino' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, March 1986.

(N. Louis Copyright Image 0251-784.)

VH-UPQ. Rebel Air - in the 'casino' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, March 1986.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-808.)

VH-UPQ. Rebel Air - 'Spirit of Melbourne' in the basic livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-606.)

VH-UPQ. Rebel Air - 'Spirit of Melbourne' in the basic new livery with additional 'Australian Vintage Travel' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 27, 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-779.)

VH-UPQ. Rebel Air - 'Spirit of Melbourne' in the basic new livery with additional 'Australian Vintage Travel' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, February 1988.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-603.)

VH-UPQ. Rebel Air - 'Spirit of Melbourne' in the new livery with additional 'Australian Vintage Travel' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, August 06, 1988.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-608.)

VH-UPQ. Koomela - Rebel Air - 'Spirit of Melbourne' in the new livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 12, 1989.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-780.)

VH-UPQ. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-443.)

VH-UPQ. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, November 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-649.)

VH-UPQ. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, November 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-782.)

VH-UPQ. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Sydney Bankstown Airport, November 1996.

(G. Wilkes Copyright Image 0250-247.)

VH-UPQ. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, November 1999.

(R. N. Smith Ciollection Copyright Image 0251-781.)