VH-JVF Douglas DC-3

Construction completed at Oklahoma City plant - March 28, 1944

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

Allocated U.S. serial number 42-93010

Transferred to the R.A.A.F. under lend / lease agreement - becoming A65-46 - April 17, 1944

Operated under the radio callsign 'VHCIC'

Allocated to No 38 Squadron - May 1, 1944

Allocated to No 36 Squadron - December 22, 1944

Allocated to No 1 Aircraft Performance Unit - June 18, 1946

Allocated to Central Flying School - August 7, 1947

Withdrawn from use - offered to Commonwealth Disposal Commission for disposal - September 17, 1948

Struck-off charge - October 26, 1948

Sold to Commonwealth of Australia / Department of Civil Aviation for $A 12,800

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-JVF - November 17, 1949

Registered to Department of Civil Aviation

Reregistered as VH-CAR - July 14, 1950

Aircraft was maintained for D.C.A. by Trans Australia Airlines

Utilised by Goodyear for cross-wind landing trials - July 1950 to January 1951

Sold to Qantas - May 1961

Reregistered as VH-EDC - June 7, 1961

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

Leased to Fiji Airways in basic Qantas livery - April 12, 1965 to June 27, 1966

Ownership transferred to Qantas Airways Ltd - June 5, 1970

Sold to Queensland Pacific Trading Co - November 1971

Registered to Queensland Pacific Trading Company Pty Ltd - November 15, 1971

Sold to Bush Pilots Airways - June 17, 1972

Registered to Bush Pilots Airways Ltd - June 26, 1972

Leased to Connair Pty Ltd - November 1972 to March 1973

Registered to Bush Pilots Airways (PNG) Pty Ltd - August 8, 1973

Operated in Papua New Guinea by Bush Pilots

Registered to Bush Pilots Airways Pty Ltd - January 27, 1977

Registered to Air Queensland Ltd - January 8, 1982

Withdrawn from service and stored at Cairns - August 3, 1987

Ferried Cairns-Brisbane for storage - December 12, 1987

Sold to DC-3 Queensland - February 1988

Registered to Air Rambler (Australia) Pty Ltd - April 7, 1988

Ferried Brisbane-Cairns - June 17, 1988

Sold to South Pacific Airmotive - June 10, 1991

Registered to South Pacific Airmotive Pty Ltd, Camden, N.S.W. - July 30, 1992

Aircraft was forced to ditch in Botany Bay, Sydney after taking-off on charter to Norfolk Island - April 24, 1994

All 21 passengers and 3 crew escaped with minor or no injuries

Aircraft was salvaged using inflatable airbags, removed to hangar and treated for salt-water immersion

Accident attributed to malfunction of port engine due to excessive wear and starboard engine not

performing as per specifications again due to wear

Airframe trucked to Camden Airport with view to returning it to airworthy status

Considered to be uneconomical to repair - permantly withdrawn from use

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - July 5, 2006

VH-EDC. Fiji Airways - in full Qantas livery at Brisbane Airport, July 1966.

VH-EDC. Qantas - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, January 1967.

VH-EDC. Qantas - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, April 1967.

VH-EDC. Qantas - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, May 1967.

VH-EDC. Qantas - in the full livery at Sydney's Bankstown Airport, June 1970.

VH-EDC. Qantas - inside the cockpit at Sydney Airport, circa 1964.

VH-EDC. Queensland Pacific Airways - in the full livery at Brisbane Airport, January 1972.

VH-EDC. Queensland Pacific Airways - in the full livery at Oakey Airport, March 1972.

VH-EDC. Bush Pilots Airways - in the original livery at Brisbane Airport, December 1974.

VH-EDC. Bush Pilots Airways - in the original livery at Cairns Airport, November 1976.

VH-EDC. Bush Pilots Airways - in the revised livery at Cairns Airport, October 1977.

VH-EDC. BPA Australia's Northern Airline - with revised titles at Cairns Airport, April 1978.

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

VH-EDC. BPA Queensland's Airline - in the old livery and new titles, November 1981.

VH-EDC. BPA Queensland's Airline - in the old livery and new titles, January 1982.

VH-EDC. Air Queensland - in the revised livery at Cairns Airport, November 1982.

VH-EDC. Air Queensland - in the revised livery at Cairns Airport, September 1983.

VH-EDC. Air Queensland - with revised livery at Cairns Airport, September 1983.

VH-EDC. Air Queensland - with revised livery at Weipa Airport, September 1983.

VH-EDC. Air Queensland - in the revised livery at Cairns Airport, May 1984.

VH-EDC. Air Queensland - in the revised livery at Brisbane Airport, June 1984.

VH-EDC. Air Queensland - with additional '4CA' titles at Cairns Airport, December 1985.

VH-EDC. Air Queensland - in the Australian Airlines livery at Cairns Airport, May 1987.

VH-EDC. Air Queensland - in the Australian Airlines livery at Cairns Airport, July 1987.

VH-EDC. Air Queensland - in the Australian Airlines livery at Brisbane Airport, October 1987.

VH-EDC. DC-3 Queensland - in basic Australian Airlines livery at Brisbane Airport, October 1988.

VH-EDC. DC-3 Queensland - in basic Australian Airlines livery at Brisbane Airport, November 1988.

VH-EDC. DC-3 Queensland - in basic Australian Airlines livery at Bankstown Airport, January 1990.

VH-EDC. South Pacific - in basic Australian Airlines livery at Bankstown Airport, December 1993.

VH-EDC. South Pacific Airmotive - in basic Australian livery at Bankstown Airport, February 1994.