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VH-ABM. de Havilland DH-104 Dove. c/n 04097. Was also registered as: YI-ABK; TJ-ACA; D-100; G-ATGI. |
This aircraft was ordered by Iraqi Airways Built by de Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd, Hatfield, England First flown - ? Powered by de Havilland Gipsy Queen 240 hp engine Entered onto the Iraqi Aircraft Register as YI-ABK - November 1947 Registered to Iraqi Airways Limited The aircraft was named 'Al Faihaa' Accepted by Iraqi Airways at Hatfield - November 25, 1947 Sold to Jordan National Airlines - 1952 Entered onto the Jordanian Aircraft Register as TJ-ACA - ? Registered to Jordan National Airlines It was later transferred to the Jordanian Air Force as 'D-100' - ? Sold to Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd, Luton t/a McAlpine Aviation - July 1965 Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-ATGI (CofR R.8640/1) - July 12, 1965 Registered to Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Limited, Aviation Division It was observed at London (Luton) with the hand painted registration 'G-ATGI' - September 05, 1965 The aircraft was placed in open storage pending a decision on its future Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - November 01, 1965 Work commenced to convert this aircraft to a Riley Dove retaining the original tailplane - 1969 When the conversion was completed it was redesignated a 'DH.104 Riley Dove 1' Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-ATGI (CofR 8640/R2) - October 09, 1969 Registered to Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd, Aviation Division Rregistered to McAlpine Aviation Ltd, Luton Airport (CofR 8640/R3) - May 20, 1970 It was withdrawn from service - 1973 Sold to Central Australian Airways Pty Ltd, Adelaide - 1974 Departed London (Luton) on the ferry flight to Australia - April 11, 1974 It arrived at Adelaide (Parafield) on completion of the ferry flight - April 26, 1974 Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - May 21, 1974 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABM - July 26, 1974 Registered to Central Australian Airways Pty Ltd, Adelaide Sold to William Charlick Ltd and leased back to Central Australian Airways - July 09, 1976 Central Australian Airways ceased operations - November 30, 1976 Leased to North Coast Airlines as the registered operator - December 18, 1976 It was repainted into the North Coast Airlines livery at Adelaide (Parafield) North Coast Airlines cancelled the lease of this aircraft due to a dispute with the Department of Civil Aviation regarding the number of passengers that the aircraft could carry The aircraft remained 'parked' at Adelaide (Parafield) in the North Coast livery for the next three years Sold to Pay's Air Service Pty Ltd, Scone - 1980 It was observed at Adelaide (Parafield) being worked on by engineers from Pay's Air Service - March 12, 1980 Registered to Pay's Air Service Pty Ltd, Scone - March 28, 1980 Ferried Adelaide (Parafield) - Scone - April 1980 It was withdrawn from service and cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - September 23, 1980 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABM - January 28, 1981 Registered to Pay's Air Service Pty Ltd, Scone It was observed at Sydney (Bankstown) in a 'yellow-white' livery without titles - March 21, 1981 The aircraft sustained damage when the nose-wheel collapsed at Newcastle - March 07, 1982 The aircraft was being operated by AeroPelican It was repaired and returned to service Sold to Sixth Canus Pty Ltd t/a Moloney Aviation, Melbourne - March 07, 1986 It was observed at Melbourne (Essendon) being repainted into the 'Penguin Express' livery - April 02, 1986 Entered service with Moloney Aviation carrying tourists to the nightly Phillip Island penguin parade - May 05, 1986 The aircraft was named 'Lady Di' It was observed at the Melbourne (Avalon) Air Show - October 24, 1992 It was observed at the Mangalore Air Show - April 03, 1994 It was withdrawn from use and parked at Melbourne (Morrabbin) - 2007 It was donated to the Kamarooka Aviation Museum, Praire (Bendingo) but was not delivered Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - June 21, 2006 It was donated to the Australian National Aviation Museum, Morrabbin - 2006 As the Museum already had the Dove 'VH-CLD' this aircraft was traded to Richard Winterburn It was dismantled and trucked to the Arnold Aviation Museum, Arnold, Victoria - October 2006 The 'complete fuselage and tail' were advertised for sale on ebay - August 2008 No sale eventuated and Richard Winterburn moved his collection of aircraft to Heathcote, Victoria - October 2011 The collection was now known as the 'Heathcote Aircraft Museum' The Museum's entrance sign was repainted 'The Derelict Aircraft Museum' The remains of this aircraft were sold to Daniel Sherburn on behalf of the DH104 Preservation Group - June 2014 Currently on dsiplay in poor condition at the Ballarat Aviation Museum, Ballarat Airport |
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VH-ABM. Central Australian Airways - in the standard livery at Wudinna Airport, September 1975. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1920-001.) |
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VH-ABM. North Coast Airlines - in the standard livery at Adelaide Parafield Airport, March 1977. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1920-002.) |
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VH-ABM. Penguin Express - 'Lady Di' in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, September 1988. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1920-032.) |
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VH-ABM. Ballarat Aviation Museum - in the basic 'Penguine Express' livery at Ballarat Airport, July 09, 2023. (H. Shilling Copyright Image 1921-083.) |