VH-TAE. Douglas C-47A-1-DK. c/n 12056.
Was also registered as: A65-29; VH-SBL; P2-SBL; P2-ANR.
Construction of this aircraft was completed at Oklahoma City plant - November 06, 1943 It was built as a Douglas C-47A-1-DK It was allocated United States serial number '42-92274' Transferred to Royal Australian Air Force under lend / lease agreement - January 7, 1944 Entered onto the Australian Military Aircraft Register as A65-29 It was operated using the radio callsign 'VHCTZ' Allocated to No 34 & 35 Squadrons during the war Withdrawn from use and struck-off charge - August 23, 1946 Sold to Trans-Australia Airlines - ? Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TAE - September 09, 1946 Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne The aircraft was named 'Gregory' Operated its first revenue service with T.A.A. as a freighter - January 13, 1947 Leased to New Zealand National Airlines Corp - March 03 to December 08, 1960 During the lease it was crewed by T.A.A. staff T.A.A. crew: Capts G. R. McDougall, M. C. Ostwald; First Officers A. W. Johnston, R. A. Hume Reregistered as VH-SBL - December 08, 1960 It underwent conversion at Hawker de Havilland, Sydney to passenger/freight configuration - June 1964 Delivered to Lae, New Guinea to commence T.A.A. Sunbird Services - August 11, 1964 The aircraft was renamed 'Mt Hagen' Sold to Air Nuigini - November 01, 1973 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - June 01, 1974 Entered onto the New Guinea Aircraft Register as P2-SBL - June 01, 1974 Reregistered as P2-ANR - November 18, 1975 Sold to Forrestair Pty Ltd, Melbourne Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-SBL - October 28, 1976 Registered to Forrester Stephen Pty Ltd, Melbourne Converted to an all-freighter configuration and used mainly on Bass Strait services Withdrawn from use and placed in open storage at Melbourne (Essendon) - November 1978 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 14, 1978 Sold to General Cargo Airways Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-SBL - February 24, 1981 Registered to Cranways Pty Ltd Sold to Setair Pty Ltd - November 18, 1982 Sold to Gold Wings Air Cargo - July 28, 1983 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - February 24, 1984 Sold to Aero Yandee Pty Ltd - November 1985 The aircraft was refurbished and returned to a passenger configuration Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-SBL - October 09, 1986 Ferried to Western Australia and used for general joy flight and charter services Sold to Air Rambler (Australia) Pty Ltd - t/a DC3 Queensland - March 09, 1988 Sold to P. P. Starr, N.S.W. t/a Dakota National - July 30, 1992 Aircraft had now flown a total of 48,080 hours to date Sold to Dakota National Air (Australia) Pty Ltd - April 06, 1994 It was damaged when the undercarriage collapsed during pilot endorsement at Camden Airport - March 26, 1997 The aircraft was repaired and returned to service with Dakota National Current status - ? |
VH-TAE. Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Gregory' in the 'silver-tail' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown. (E. Coates Copyright Image 0251-111.) |
VH-SBL. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Gregory' in the 'white-tail' livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-854.) |
VH-SBL. TAA Sunbird Services - 'Mt Hagen ' in the standard livery at Lae Airport, July 28, 1966. (G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 0250-981.) |
VH-SBL. TAA Sunbird Services - 'Mt Hagen ' in the standard livery at Port Moresby Airport, April 21, 1967. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-777.) |
VH-SBL. TAA Sunbird Services - 'Mt Hagen' in the standard livery at an unknown airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-335.) |
VH-SBL. TAA Airlines of New Guinea - 'Mt Hagen' in the standard livery at Mt Hagen Airport, August 05, 1973. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-272.) |
P2-SBL. Air Niugini - in the standard livery at Lae Airport, September 30, 1975. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-797.) |
P2-ANR. Air Niugini - in the standard livery at Lae Airport, August 1976. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-387.) |
P2-ANR. Forrestair - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, October 1976. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-057.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery at over Port Phillip Bay, December 05, 1976. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-369.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery at over Port Phillip Bay, December 05, 1976. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-464.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery with additional 'Wards Air Cargo' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, February 1977. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-349.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery with additional 'Wards Air Cargo' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, July 1977. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 0251-166.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery with additional 'Wards Air Cargo' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, July 1977. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 0251-167.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 1977. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-481.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair Cargo - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 12, 1978. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-539.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair Cargo - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 14, 1978. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-489.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, February 1978. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 0251-168.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, May 1978. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 0251-169.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, November 1978. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 0251-171.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, December 1979. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-095.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 12, 1980. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-794.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, April 1980. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 0251-170.) |
VH-SBL. Forrestair - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, December 1980. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 0251-172.) |
VH-SBL. General Cargo Australia - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, March 26, 1981. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-778.) |
VH-SBL. General Cargo Australia - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, April 1981. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-410.) |
VH-SBL. General Cargo Australia - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, May 1981. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-097.) |
VH-SBL. General Cargo Australia - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, August 1981. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-290.) |
VH-SBL. Setair - in the 'all-metal' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, May 1983. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-596.) |
VH-SBL. Gold Wings - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, December 28, 1983. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-597.) |
VH-SBL. Gold Wings - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, December 1983. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-098.) |
VH-SBL. Gold Wings - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, December 1983. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-781.) |
VH-SBL. Gold Wings - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 07, 1984. (E. D. Daw Copyright Image 0251-350.) |
VH-SBL. Gold Wings - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, April 25, 1984. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-351.) |
VH-SBL. Travair Western Australia - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, October 1986. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-853.) |
VH-SBL. Travair Western Australia - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-414.) |
VH-SBL. O.T.M.S. - 'Overland Voyager 1' in the basic 'Travair' livery at an unknown airport, November 22, 1987. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-100.) |
VH-SBL. NorthEast - in the basic 'OTMS' livery at Cairns Airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-099.) |
VH-SBL. DC-3 Queensland - in the standard livery at Cairns Airport, September 1988. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-094.) |
VH-SBL. DC-3 Queensland - in the standard livery at Cairns Airport, September 1988. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-795.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Sydney Bankstown Airport, September 1992. (E. D. Daw Copyright Image 0251-347.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Sydney Bankstown Airport, June 17, 1993. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-438.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Sydney Bankstown Airport, June 29, 1993. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-855.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Sydney Bankstown Airport, December 01, 1993. (E. D. Daw Copyright Image 0251-346.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-092.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-093.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Sydney Bankstown Airport, September 16, 1995. (E. D. Daw Copyright Image 0251-348.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at an unknown location, April 28, 1996. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-468.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Sydney Bankstown Airport, November 12, 1996. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-793.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the standard livery at Sydney Bankstown Airport, November 27, 1999. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0251-796.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the revised livery at Sydney Bankstown Airport, January 2002. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0250-602.) |
VH-SBL. Dakota National Air - in the revised livery with additional 'HSBC Warathas' decals at Sydney Bankstown Airport, January 2004. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-413.) |