Construction completed at the Douglas Long Beach plant - 1943

Built as a Douglas C-47A-35-DL

Delivered to the USAAF - 1943

Allocated U.S. serial number 42-23951

Operated in Australia by 40 Troop Carrier Squadron, Fifth Air Force - August 20, 1943

Aircraft was named 'Lynda Jean'

Purchased by the Commonwealth of Australia / D.C.A. - August 1944

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AFA - August 28, 1944

Registered to Commonwealth of Australia

Leased to Qantas Empire Airways

Commenced operations with Qantas - September 1944

Had distinction of operating Qantas's first service between Australia & New Guinea - April 2, 1945

Route was Sydney-Brisbane-Rockhampton-Townsville-Cairns-Port Moresby-Lae

Sold & registered to Australian National Airlines Commission - September 11, 1946

Aircraft was named 'Hume' and later 'Collins'

Operated its first revenue service with T.A.A. - September 14, 1946

Operated its final revenue service with T.A.A. - August 21, 1957

Sold to Australian Aircraft Sales - October 31, 1957

Sold to West African Airways Corporation - becoming VR-NCO

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 29, 1957

Ownership transferred to Nigerian Airways - October 1, 1958

Reregistered as 5N-AAO - 1961

Sold to Aer Turas Teoranta, Ireland - February 27, 1964

Entered onto the Irish Aircraft Register as EI-ANK - March 9, 1964

Sold to K.W. England, Jersey, UK - becoming G-ATBE - February 23, 1965

Sold to Handley Page Ltd - June 13, 1967

Cancelled from the U.K. Aircraft Register - April 1, 1970

Sold to North Coast Air Services, Prince Rupert, Canada - becoming CF-CQT - May 8, 1970

Sold to Ilford Riverton Airways Ltd, Winnipeg, Canada - 1975

Sustained major damage when it crashed at Gimli, Manitoba - March 24, 1975

Left in a derelict state at Winnipeg Airport until repaired and returned to service - March 1979

Sold to Air Manitoba Ltd, Winnipeg, Canada - July 9, 1991

Sold to J. McBryan, Yellowknife, Canada - January 25, 1994

Sold to Points North Air Services Inc t/a Points North Air - July 21, 1994

Operated as a freighter

Withdrawn from use and cancelled from the Canadian Aircraft Register - March 21, 1996

Airframe still in existance as of 1998

VH-AFA. Trans Australia Airlines - in the original metal colors at Melbourne's Essendon Airport.

(Image 0250-775. B. Colledge Photograph)

VH-AFA. Trans Australia Airlines - in the new white roof colors at Melbourne's Essendon Airport.

(Image 0250-614. E. Coates Photograph)

CF-CQT. Ilford Riverton Airways - in basic Northcoast color scheme, July 1982.

(Image 0251-022. R. N. Smith Collection)

C-FCQT. Ilford Riverton Airways - in their new color scheme, February 1983.

(Image 0251-023. R. N. Smith Collection)

C-FCQT. Northland Air - in Ilford Riverton Airways color scheme, June 1986.

(Image 0251-026. P. J. Gates Collection)

C-FCQT. Northland Air - in Ilford Riverton Airways color scheme, September 1988.

(Image 0251-027. P. J. Gates Collection)