VH-INT Douglas DC-6B

VH-INT. Douglas DC-6B. c/n 45077-728.

Was also registered as: F-BOEV; OO-VFG; N9383A; EC-DCK; 9Q-CCM.

This aircraft was ordered new by Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - ?

It was configured to seat 58 First Class passengers but was later changed to seat 60 passengers

It had a six-seat 'Starlight Lounge' fitted at the rear of the aircraft but these seats were not sold on flights to Perth

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-INT - October 18, 1956

Registered to Australian National Airways Pty Ltd, Melbourne

Departed Los Angeles on the delivery flight to Australia - October 18, 1956

It arrived at Melbourne (Essendon) on completion of the delivery flight - October 22, 1956

Delivery route: Los Angeles - Honolulu - Nadi - Melbourne

Flight crew: Captains J. Gethings, J. Pressgrave; F/O W. Hickcox; Navigator W. C. Kennedy; Engineet D. Walton

The aircraft was to be named 'Tatana'

The aircraft's name was changed to 'Olympiana' for the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne

The Olympic Games '5-ring' logo was painted on the forward fuselage

Operated first revenue service - November 12, 1956

Transferred to Ansett-ANA ownership following the acquisition of A.N.A. - October 04, 1957

Flew proving flights to / from Lae, New Guinea - June 14, 1960

Flight crew: Captains N. Murdoch, P. T. L. Taylor, A. Fartch, D. Way; Navigator W. C. Kennedy;

F/E C. Ford; Passengers R. M. Ansett, F. Pascoe and J. Stone (DCA Director of Flying Operations)

The proving flights involved engine shut-downs and aborted take-offs to ensure the runway had

sufficient length for the safe operations of this type of aircraft

Operated inaugural 'Golden Orchid' service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Brisbane - Port Moresby - Lae - July 11, 1960

Flight crew: Captains N. Murdoch (northbound); P. T. L. Taylor (southbound)

Operated final revenue service - August 14, 1966

Withdrawn from use and placed in open storage at Melbourne (Essendon)

Sold to Trans-Union, France - November 02, 1966

Departed Melbourne (Essendon) on the ferry flight to France - November 04, 1966

Ferry route: Melbourne - Perth - Cocos Islands - Colombo - Karachi - Cairo - Marseilles

Flight crew: Captains J. Withecombe, E. Mackay; F/O N. J. Baker; F/E G. Lynch

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 10, 1966

Entered onto the French Aircraft Register as F-BOEV - November 10, 1966

Sold to Europe Aero Service - September 01, 1971

Sold to Transport Aeriens Reunis (T.A.R.) / Air Dauphine - June 1973

Sold to Delta Air Transport (D.A.T.), Belgium to cover the loss of their aircraft OO-VGB - April 03, 1975

It arrived at Antwerp as 'F-BOEV' in T.A.R. livery - April 17, 1975

Entered onto the Belgian Aircraft Register as OO-VFG - April 1975

Sold to R. Korastinsky (aircraft broker) - March 1978

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N9383A - March 1978

Sold to Aerotransporte de Espana, Spain - April 1978

Ferried Antwerp - Alicante as N9383A - April 9, 1978

Entered onto the Spanish Aircraft Register as EC-DCK - ?

Leased to Nigeria Trade Wings - May 1978

Reportedly wet-leased to LS Cargo, Reykjavik, Iceland as EC-DCK - June - August 1979

Withdrawn from service and stored at Alverca, Portugal - September 1979

Sold to Lukums Air Services, Zaire - September 1980

Entered onto the Zaire Aircraft Register as 9Q-CCM - ?

Transferred to Kinair Cargo, Zaire - September 1983

Withdrawn from service for period of time and stored at N'djilli Airport, Kinshasa - October 1986

Returned to service but withdrawn again and stored at Kinshasa - late 1991

Sold to Transair Cargo, Kinshasa - Septembrr 1995

Transair Cargo was renamed TAC Air Services - June 1998

Withdrawn from use - ?

Aircraft broken up - August 2000

VH-INT. Ansett-ANA - in the basic A.N.A. livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-281.)

VH-INT. Ansett-ANA - 'Olympiana' in the basic A.N.A. livery at Cairns Airport, date unknown.

(M. Austin Collection Copyright Image 1125-313.)

VH-INT. Ansett-ANA - 'Olympiana' in the basic A.N.A. livery at Cairns Airport, date unknown.

(M. Austin Collection Copyright Image 1125-314.)

VH-INT. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Lae Airport, March 1964.

(G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 1125-367.)

VH-INT. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, date unknown.

(G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 1125-366.)

VH-INT. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, date unknown.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1125-433.)

VH-INT. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 1125-065.)

VH-INT. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Hobart Western Junction Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-112.)

VH-INT. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1965.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1125-117.)

VH-INT. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 1125-365.)

F-BOEV. Trans Union - in the standard livery at Munich Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-123.)

F-BOEV. Trans Union - in the standard livery at Paris Le Bourget Airport, July 10, 1970.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-198.)

F-BOEV. Trans Union - in the standard livery at Paris Le Bourget Airport, July 1970.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-258.)

F-BOEV. Trans Union - in the standard livery at Paris Le Bourget Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-332.)

F-BOEV. Trans Union - in the standard livery at Berlin Templehof Airport, August 05, 1970.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-623.)

F-BOEV. Trans Union - in the standard livery at Paris Le Bourget Airport, November 13, 1970.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-624.)

F-BOEV. Trans Union - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, April 1971.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-625.)

F-BOEV. Europe Aero Service - in the basic Trans Union livery at Paris Le Bourget Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-178.)

F-BOEV. TAR Transport Aeriens Reunis - in the basic Trans Union livery at an unknown airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-619.)

F-BOEV. Europe Aero Service - in the basic Trans Union livery at Paris Le Bourget Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-178.)

OO-VFG. Delta Air Transport - in the original livery at Ostend Airport, October 1975.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-264.)

OO-VFG. Delta Air Transport - in the original livery at Ostend Airport, October 1975.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-205.)

OO-VFG. Delta Air Transport - in the revised livery at Ostend Airport, May 1976.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-262.)

OO-VFG. Delta Air Transport - in the revised livery at Antwerp Airport, October 1976.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-263.)

N9383A. Delta Air Transport - in the revised livery at Antwerp Airport, May 1978.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-620.)

EC-DCK. Aerotransporte de Espana Cargo - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, July 1979.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-303.)

EC-DCK. Aerotransporte de Espana Cargo - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, July 1979.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-257.)

9Q-CCM. Aerotransport Cargo - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, September 1980.