Construction completed at Long Beach, California - March 1943

Built as a Douglas C-47A-20-DL

Delivered to U.S.A.A.F. as 42-23424 - March 25, 1943

Delivered to the R.A.A.F. - becoming A65-9 - April 30, 1943

Used by 36 Squadron & 34 Squadron with radio callsign 'VHCTI'

Attached to the British Mission in Japan - August 27, 1945 to September 16, 1945

Returned to No 3 A.D. - May 3, 1946

Sold to Qantas for $A 12, 500 - April 6, 1946

Struck off charge - December 10, 1946

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAM - December 12, 1946

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

Converted to civilian standards by Qantas with seating for 21 passengers

Crashed on take-off from Brisbane's Archerfield Airport - September 19, 1948

Accident was caused by crossed aileron controls - the result of inadequate inspection during overhaul

Sold to East West Airlines - July 1953

Registered to East West Airlines Ltd - July 21, 1953

Overhauled by Qantas - it retained the red Qantas c/line & Australian flag on tail

The 'East West Airlines' titles were added later by East West

Ferried to Tamworth (Capts R. Walesby & B. McKenzie) - July 22, 1953

Operated promotional flight Sydney-West Wyalong-Cowra-Sydney - August 1, 1953

Reregistered as VH-EWA - September 1, 1953

Aircraft was named 'Peel City' and later 'Oxley City'

Converted to seat 28 passengers by East West - 1956

Reregistered as VH-EWF - May 1, 1959

Leased to Westralian Air Surveys - December 23, 1961

Leased to Airlines of South Australia - June 2, 1965 to December 1965

Reregistered as VH-PWN - November 27, 1967

Leased to Queensland Pacific Trading Co. Pty Ltd - September 1969

Leased to Adastra Aerial Surveys Pty Ltd - May 8, 1972

Registered to Bush Pilots Airways Ltd - September 22, 1972

Registered to B.P.A. (PNG) - June 19, 1973

Registered to Bush Pilots Airways Ltd - January 27, 1977

Registered to Great Pacific Aeroplane Company, Essendon - August 10, 1979

Registered to Air Queensland Ltd - January 4, 1982

Withdrawn from use and stored at Cairns - September 1987

Ferried to Brisbane for storage at T.A.A. Maintenance facility - December 19, 1987 to February 1988

Sold to DC-3 Queensland / Air Rambler - April 7, 1988

Sold to Dick Lang - Desert Air Safaris - June 10, 1991

Sold to Pioneer Adventures Ltd, New Zealand - May 3, 1993

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - June 16, 1993

Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-AMS - July 15, 1993

Registered to Pionair Ltd

Aircraft was named 'Spirit of Queenstown'

Utilised in Australia for outback tourist charter flights

Cancelled from the N.Z. Aircraft Register - March 3, 2006

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-CWS - March 14, 2006

Registered to Classic Wings (Western Australia)

Used for charter and scenic flights from Perth

Withdrawn from use when operators could not afford to continue operations

Stored at Perth's Jandakot Airport

Departed Jandakot on ferry flight to Maitland Airport - June 1, 2009

Arrived Maitland at conclusion of ferry flight - June 11, 2009

Ferry route: Perth-Kalgoorlie-Forrest-Ceduna-Port Agusta-Broken Hill-Parkes-Maitland

Auctioned by Slattery's Auctions - July 23, 2009

VH-EWA. East West Airlines - in basic Qantas livery, location & date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 0250-153.)

VH-EWA. East West Airlines - in the original livery at Sydney Airport, August 1957.

(B. Colledge Photograph. 0250-704.)

VH-EWA. East West Airlines - in the original livery at Tamworth Airport, date unknown.

(E. D. Daw Collection. 0251-190.)

VH-EWF. EWA - in the revised livery at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

(G. Bennett Collection. 0250-921.)

VH-EWF. East West Airlines - in the new livery at Sydney Airport, February 1964.

(E. D. Daw Collection. 0251-280.)

VH-PWN. East West - with revised titles & new tail logo at Canberra Airport, date unknown.

(E. D. Daw Collection. 0250-314.)

VH-PWN. East West - with revised titles & new tail logo at Tamworth Airport, October 1968.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 0250-252.)

VH-PWN. Queensland Pacific Trading - in basic East West livery at Cairns Airport, January 1972.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 0250-292.)

VH-PWN. Queensland Pacific Trading - in basic East West livery, June 1972.

(B. Dannecker Collection. 0250-222.)

VH-PWN. Queensland Pacific - in Bush Pilots livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(P. Gates Collection. 0250-327.)

VH-PWN. Bush Pilots Airways - in the original livery at Cairns Airport, November 1972.

(G. Bennett Collection. 0251-156.)

VH-PWN. Bush Pilots Airways Australia - in the original livery at Cairns Airport, January 1973.

(G. Bennett Collection. 0251-155.)

VH-PWN. Bush Pilots Airways Australia - in the original livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(P. Gates Collection. 0250-086.)

VH-PWN. Bush Pilots Airways - in the revised livery at Cairns Airport, April 1978.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 0250-410.)

VH-PWN. BPA Australia's Northern Airline - with revised titles at Cairns Airport, August 1980.

(B. Dannecker Photograph. 0250-253.)

VH-PWN. BPA Australia's Northern Airline - with revised titles at Cairns Airport, December 1980.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 0250-085.)

VH-PWN. BPA Australia's Northern Airline - in the full livery at Brisbane Airport, December 1980.

(G. Bennett Photograph. 0251-157.)

VH-PWN. BPA Australia's Northern Airline - in the full livery at Brisbane Airport, December 1980.

(G. Bennett Photograph. 0251-158.)

VH-PWN. BPA - in a modified livery at Cairns Airport, November 1981.

(G. Bennett Photograph. 0251-161.)

VH-PWN. BPA - in a modified livery at Cairns Airport, January 1982.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 0251-160.)

VH-PWN. Air Queensland - with revised titles & tail logo at Cairns Airport, September 1983.

(R. N. Smith Photograph. 0250-084.)

VH-PWN. Air Queensland - in the Australian livery at Cairns Airport, October 1987.

(G. Bennett Photograph. 0251-162.)

VH-PWN. Air Queensland - in the Australian livery at Cairns Airport, October 1987.

(G. Bennett Photograph. 0251-163.)

VH-PWN. Air Queensland - in the Australian livery at Brisbane Airport, December 1987.

(P. J. Gates Photograph. 0250-411.)

VH-PWN. DC-3 Queensland - in basic Australian livery at Cairns Airport, September 1988.

(P. J. Gates Photograph. 0250-088.)

VH-PWN. DC-3 Queensland - in basic Australian livery at Cairns Airport, September 1988.

(P. J. Gates Photograph. 0250-087.)

VH-PWN. DC-3 Queensland - in the new livery at Cairns Airport, September 1990.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 0250-592.)

VH-PWN. Dick Lang's Desert Air Safaris - in DC3 Queensland livery, January 1992.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 0250-090.)

ZK-AMS. Dick Lang's Desert Air Safaris - in DC3 Queensland livery, June 1993.

(G. Wilkes Collection. 0250-246.)

ZK-AMS. Pionair - in the full livery at Queenstown Airport, December 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 0250-837.)

ZK-AMS. Pionair - in the full livery at Auckland Airport, October 1998.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 0250-838.)

ZK-AMS. Pionair - in a special Lion Nathan livery at Auckland Airport, March 1999.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 0250-839.)

VH-CWS. Classic Wings - in basic Pionair livery at Perth's Jandakot Airport, September 2006.

(G. Wood Photograph. 0251-045.)

VH-CWS. Classic Wings - in basic Pionair livery at Perth's Jandakot Airport, September 2006.

(G. Wood Photograph. 0251-047.)

VH-CWS. Classic Wings - in basic Pionair livery at Perth's Jandakot Airport, September 2006.

(G. Wood Photograph. 0251-048.)

VH-CWS. Classic Wings - in basic Pionair livery at Perth's Jandakot Airport, September 2006.

(G. Wood Photograph. 0251-049.)

VH-CWS. Classic Wings - in basic Pionair livery approaching Perth Airport, September 2006.

(G. Wood Photograph. 0251-050.)

VH-CWS. Classic Wings - in basic Pionair livery approaching Perth Airport, September 2006.

(G. Wood Photograph. 0251-051.)

VH-CWS. Classic Wings - a look inside the cockpit at Jandakot Airport, September 2006.

(G. Wood Photograph. 0251-052.)

VH-CWS. Classic Wings - a look inside the cabin at Jandakot Airport, September 2006.

(G. Wood Photograph. 0251-053.)