VH-BRF Short S-25 Sandringham

VH-BRF. Short S-25 Sunderland Mk V. c/n SH.113.

Was also registered as: ML814; NZ4108; N158J; G-BJHS.

Built by Short Bros and Harland at Belfast, Northern Ireland as a Sunderland Mk III - 1944

Built to U. K. Ministry of Transport Contract No. 2227 for 25 Sunderland Mk III aircraft

It was allocated the Royal Air Force serial 'ML814'

Received by No. 57 Maintenance Unit, Wig Bay, Stranraer, Scotland - March 25, 1944

Issued to No 201 Squadron R. A. F. at Castle Archdale, Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh, Ireland - April 24, 1944

It ran aground whilst under tow at Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, South Wales - October 11, 1944

Repaired on site and returned to service

Issued to No 422 Squadron R. C. A. F. at Pembroke Dock - December 01, 1944

Flown to Belfast for conversion to a Sunderland Mk V - February 20, 1945

Issued to No 330 Squadron Norwegian Air Force at Sullom Voe, Scotland - April 18, 1945

Withdrawn from use and stored at Wig Bay, Scotland - November 21, 1945

Transferred to No. 272 Maintenance Unit, St Angelo, Lough Erne, Ireland - February 06, 1946

Delivered to No. 57 Maintenance Unit, Wig Bay, Stranaer, Scotland - November 08, 1946

Transferred to the Flying Boat Storage Unit - April 15, 1952

Transferred to Short Bros & Harland, Belfast for refurbishment - May 16, 1952

Following refurbishment it was test flown at Belfast - May 01 and 04, 1953

Allocated the Royal New Zealand Air Force serial number 'NZ4108'

Ferried Belfast - Wig Bay as R. N. Z. A. F. NZ4108 - May 21, 1953

Sold to the Royal New Zealand Air Force and ferried to Calshot - May 26, 1953

Departed Calshot on the delivery flight to New Zealand with Sunderland NZ4105 - May 28, 1953

On arrived at Laucala Bay, Suva, Fiji it was taken on-charge by the R. N. Z. A. F.

It arrived at Mechanics Bay, Aucklandon completion of the delivery flight - June 13, 1953

Test flown at Mechanics Bay prior to being issued to No. 5 Squadron - August 10, 1953

Operated by No. 5 Squadron until at least late 1955

Transferred to No. 6 Squadron - January 05, 1956

Shared between No. 6 Squadron and the Maritime Operational Conversion Unit - January 05 - August 20, 1956

Withdrawn from use and placed in long term storage at Hobsonville, Auckland - August 20, 1956

Struck-off-charge having flown 1,076 hours - December 12, 1963

Withdrawn from storage and prepared for sale to Ansett Flying Boat Services

Sold to Ansett Flying Boat Services Pty Ltd to replace their Sandringham VH-BRE - December 12, 1963

The aircraft was overhauled and stripped to bare metal at the TEAL base, Mechanics Bay, Auckland

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-BRF - December 13, 1963

Registered to Ansett Flying Boat Services Pty Ltd, Sydney

It arrived at Rose Bay, Sydney on completion of the ferry flight from New Zealand - December 18, 1963

Flight crew: Captains S. Middlemiss, L. Maundrell

The original No. 6 Squadron code outlines were still discernable on the rear fuselage

Converted to near Sandringham standard by Ansett at Sydney (Rose Bay) with seating for 42 passengers

The aircraft officially remained a Sunderland Mk V

The conversion was complete and it was rolled out of hangar - September 26, 1964

The aircraft was named 'Islander' by Mr C. A. Kelly - September 27, 1964

Flew first test flight - September 28, 1964

Operated its first Ansett Flying Boat Services revenue service Sydney - Lord Howe Island - Sydney - October 09, 1964

It was damaged whilst at Lord Howe Island after breaking its mooring and being blown ashore - May 31, 1965

Temporary repairs were made at Lord Howe before the aircraft was ferried to Sydney for permanent repairs

Returned to service - June 11, 1965

Chartered by Queensland Airlines Pty Ltd - September 12 to October 08, 1965

It was used on the Brisbane (Redland Bay) - Gladstone service whilst the Gladstone Airport runway was upgraded

This service was operated daily expect Sunday

Suffered an inflight wing damage when stringers broke in the starboard wing - January 21, 1966

It was escorted back to Sydney by Ansett-ANA Electra that was undertaking pilot training at the time off Sydney

Encountered C.A.T. whilst on flight Sydney - Lord Howe Island injuring 2 crew - October 07, 1968

Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd - February 24, 1970

Registered to Ansett Flying Boat Services - July 30, 1973

Operated its intended final revenue service to Lord Howe Island - May 1974

It entered the hangar at Rose Bay for refurbishment and painting into the Antilles Air Boats livery ready for sale

Returned to Ansett service following the grounding of VH-BRC on Lord Howe - June 13, 1974

It was operated in a basic white livery and devoid of all titles during this period

Operated its final Ansett revenue service Sydney - Lord-Howe Island - Sydney - August 15, 1974

Beached at Rose Bay for final time to complete pre-delivery preparations - August 21, 1974

It had flown 6,142 hours - including 750 trips to Lord Howe Island

Sold to Antilles Air Boats, Virgin Islands - September 10, 1974

The aircraft was named 'Excalibur VIII'

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - September 24, 1974

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N158J - September 24, 1974

Departed Sydney (17:15 local) on the ferry flight to St Croix (Captains L. Maundrell, C. Blair) - September 25, 1974

Cabin service was provided by Captain Blair's wife, actress Maureen O'Hara

Due to U. S. certification problems this aircraft only operated 1 service with Antilles - January 15, 1975

The British Virgin Islands reserved registration 'VP-LVF' was not taken up - 1978

Placed in storage at Isla Grande, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Sold to Edward J. Hulton (Juliet Flying Boats Inc) - May 1979

Departed Isla Grande on the ferry flight to Calshot, England (Captain R. Gillies) - May 17, 1979

The aircraft was renamed 'Juliet' - November 12, 1980

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - ?

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-BJHS (CofR G-BJHS/1) - September 11, 1981

Registered to Sunderland Limited, Guernsey, Channel Islands

The aircraft was named 'Sir Arthur Gouge'

Ferried to Marseilles for conversion work and storage

Landed on the River Thames, London and moored near Tower Bridge - August 06, 1982

Flown to Calshot to Chatham for storage - October 1982

Flown Calshot - Rochester - Chatham Historic Dockyard - November 20, 1984

Painted to resemble Pan American Clipper 'NC16806' for the film 'Mr & Mrs Edgehill' - August 1985

Launched and towed to a nearby pier for filming of 'Tenko Reunion' - September 27, 1985

For this movie the aircraft was painted to simulate a BOAC Sunderland

An extended overhaul was undertaken but the aircraft sustained damage during a wind storm - October 16, 1987

A replacement wing was obtain from the Imperial War Museum aircraft ML796

Test flown - July 06, 1989

British Certificate of Airworthiness issued - August 02, 1989

Leased to Ryanair, repainted and renamed 'The Spirit of Foynes' - August 03, 1989

The aircraft was renamed 'Islander'

Visited Windermere - July 15, 1990

Sold to Kermit Weeks of Weeks Air Museum, Miami, Florida - May 05, 1993

Departed Southampton on the ferry flight to the United States as 'G-BJHS' - July 20, 1993

Ferry route: Lough Derg - Reykjavik - Goose Bay - Lake Ontario - Oshkosh - Lakes Agnes (Orlando)

Renamed 'Fantasy of Flight' after the theme-park at Polk City, Florida

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - August 12, 1993

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N814ML - September 16, 1993

No longer airworthy but on display at Fantasy of Flight Museum, Miami, Florida

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - in the basic R.N.Z.A.F. livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, December 18, 1963.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-192.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - in the basic R.N.Z.A.F. livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, December 18, 1963.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-377.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - in the basic R.N.Z.A.F. livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, December 18, 1963.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-193.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - in the basic R.N.Z.A.F. livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, December 18, 1963.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-194.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - in the basic R.N.Z.A.F. livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, December 18, 1963.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-378.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - in the basic R.N.Z.A.F. livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, December 18, 1963.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-616.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - in the basic R.N.Z.A.F. guise at Rose Bay, Sydney, December 18, 1963.

Left to Right: Captain Stewart Middlemiss; Captain Lloyd Maundrell.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-540.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - undergoing conversion at Rose Bay, circa 1964.

Converting the flight deck to civilian standards.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-128.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - undergoing conversion at Rose Bay, circa 1964.

Inside the hull before work commences to convert the area into a twin-deck civil airliner.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-541.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - undergoing conversion at Rose Bay, circa 1964.

The nose section after the removal of the forward gun turret.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-129.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - undergoing conversion at Rose Bay, circa 1964.

The new framework for the nose before skinning.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-130.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - undergoing conversion at Rose Bay, circa 1964.

The reconstructed tail section before skinning.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-131.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - undergoing conversion at Rose Bay, circa 1964.

The completed tail section.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-132.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - undergoing conversion at Rose Bay, circa 1964.

Inside the completed tail section.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-133.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - undergoing conversion at Rose Bay, circa 1964.

The 'bar' was installed in the forward section of the upper deck for special charter flights. It could only be fitted to this aircraft.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-542.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - undergoing conversion at Rose Bay, circa 1964.

The lower deck cabin looking forward.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-139.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - 'Islander' in the original livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, September 28, 1964.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-197.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - 'Islander' in the original livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, November 28, 1964.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-134.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - 'Islander' in the original livery at Lord Howe Island, May 31, 1965.

(Sydney Morning Herald - June 04, 1965 - Image 2545-726.)

VH-BRF. Ansett Flying Boat Services - 'Islander' in the original livery at Lord Howe Island, May 31, 1965.

(J. Wilson Collection Copyright Image 2545-300.)