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VH-MML. Douglas C-47B-30-DK. c/n 16197 / 32945.
also registered as: VH-BPN.
Construction completed at the Oklahoma City plant - March 26, 1945 Built as a Douglas C-47B-30-DK Allocated U.S. serial number 44-76613 Delivered to United States Army Air Force - March 26, 1945 Transferred to the R.A.F. under lend / lease agreement at Montreal - becoming KN470 - March 28, 1945 Delivered to Cairo - April 9, 1945 Transferred to Bilaspur, India & Hmawbi, Burma Transferred to Air Command South-East Asia (ACSEA) - May 31, 1945 Allocated to No 28 Squadron Communications Unit, Ratalana, Ceylon Allocated to No 96 Squadron R.A.F. - August 25, 1945 Returned to U.S.A.A.F. as 44-76613 - May 13, 1947 Issued to Pakistan Air Force - becoming H-717 - November 25, 1947 Sold to Field Aircraft Services Ltd for civilian conversion and resale - January 11, 1954 Entered onto the U.K. Aircraft Register as G-ANMA - January 11, 1954 Registered to Field Aircraft Services Ltd Departed Karachi on delivery flight to Australia - February 14, 1954 Delivery route was Karachi-Ahmadabad-Calcutta-Rangoon-Singapore-Surabaya-Sumba Island-Broome Ferry crew were Capt A. Whitlam; F/O K. Baker; Engineer F. Colquhoun Arrived Perth - February 18, 1954 Cancelled from the U.K. Aircraft Register - February 18, 1954 Aircraft had flown a total of 1,926 hours Sold to MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co Ltd for 15,000 pounds sterling - February 20, 1954 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-MML - April 20, 1954 Registered to MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co Ltd Was originally configured with 34 bench-type seats & no windows but converted to a freighter - May 1954 Operated by MMA on the Air Beef scheme flying Glenroy-Wyndham three times daily Had the distinction of being the lightest DC-3 in the world - 6,862 kg empty weight Chartered to W.A. Lands & Survey Department for six weeks - September 1957 Utilised to aerial photograph the Pilbara Region of W.A. Chartered by Kevron Photographics Pty Ltd for two months - September 22, 1961 Utilised for high altitude aerial photography for Federal Government Converted to 32 passenger configuration - December 1962 Utilised on high density routes - Perth-Rottnest Island and similar Registered to MacRoberston Miller Airlines Ltd - December 22, 1966 Withdrawn from service - December 1968 Aircraft had now flown 25,953 hours Repainted in the colors of Ansett Airlines of PNG with 'Bird-of-Paradise' tail logo Departed Perth on delivery flight to Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea - January 10, 1969 Delivery route was via Forrest-Whyalla-Broken Hill-Rockhampton-Cairns-Lae Flight was under the command of Capt E. Miller Registered to Ansett (P&NG) Ltd - January 10, 1969 Sold to Air Niugini for $15,000 - November 1, 1973 Registered to Papua New Guinea National Airline (t/a Air Niugini) - January 28, 1974 Entered onto the Papua New Guinea Aircraft Register as P2-MML - May 1, 1974 Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - May 6, 1974 Reregistered as P2-ANV - October 21, 1975 Operated its final Air Niugini service Mt Hagen-Port Moresby - July 28, 1977 Sold to Bush Pilots Airways - August 1, 1977 Ferried Port Moresby-Cairns - August 2, 1977 Aircraft had flown 33,010 hours Cancelled from the Papua New Guinea Aircraft Register - October 10, 1977 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-BPN - October 20, 1977 Registered to Bush Pilots Airways Ltd Registered to Air Queensland Ltd - January 8, 1982 Withdrawn from service by Air Queensland at Cairns - November 5, 1987 Ferried Cairns-Brisbane in full Air Queensland livery for storage - December 16, 1987 Sold to Air Rambler (Aust) Pty Ltd (t/a DC-3 Australia) - April 7, 1988 Ferried Brisbane-Cairns - May 6, 1988 Withdrawn from use and sold via auction at Cairns - June 10, 1992 Sold to R.P. 'Dick' Lang of Highbury, South Australia - July 2, 1992 Ferried Cairns-Adelaide - August 27, 1992 Sold to Desert Air Safaris - November 1992 Sold to R. Starr, North Gosford, N.S.W. - July 1995 Ferried Adelaide (West Beach) - Bankstown - August 23, 1995 Sold to Dakota National Air - August 24, 1995 Registered to Dakota National Air (Aust) Pty Ltd - September 13, 1995 Aircraft had flown 45,950 hours as of February 10, 1998 Sold to Discovery Air Tours - 2003 |
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VH-MML. MacRobertson Miller Airlines - in full livery at Perth Airport, April 1968. (Image 0250-961. G. Bennett Collection) |
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VH-MML. Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea - in its full livery at Lae Airport, July 1970. (Image 0250-407. P. J. Gates Collection) |
VH-MML. Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea - in its full livery at Lae Airport, August 1973. (Image 0250-962. G. Bennett Collection) |
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P2-ANV. Air Niugini - in its full livery at Port Moresby Airport, November 1975. (Image 0250-792. P. J. Gates Collection) |
P2-ANV. Air Niugini - in its full livery at Port Moresby Airport, July 1976. (Image 0250-388. R. N. Smith Collection) |
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P2-ANV. Air Niugini - in its basic livery at Port Moresby Airport, July 1977. (Image 0250-793. P. J. Gates Collection) |
VH-BPN. BPA Australia's Northern Airline - in its original livery, December 1977. (Image 0250-030. P. J. Gates Collection) |
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VH-BPN. BPA Australia's Northern Airline - in its original livery at Cairns Airport, October 1978. (Image 0250-223. B. Dannecker Collection) |
VH-BPN. BPA Australia's Northern Airline - in its original livery at Cairns Airport, November 1979. (Image 0251-084. R. N. Smith Collection) |
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VH-BPN. BPA Australia's Northern Airline - in its original livery at Cairns Airport, November 1979. (Image 0250-031. R. N. Smith Collection) |
VH-BPN. BPA Australia's Northern Airline - in its original livery at Cairns Airport, November 1979. (Image 0251-087. G. Bennett Collection) |
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VH-BPN. BPA Queensland's Airline - with new titles at Cairns Airport, November 1981. (Image 0251-086. R. N. Smith Collection) |
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VH-BPN. Air Queensland - in its modified livery at Brisbane Airport, October 1982. (Image 0250-575. P. J. Gates Collection) |
VH-BPN. Air Queensland - in its modified livery at Cairns Airport, September 1983. (Image 0250-541. R. N. Smith Photograph) |
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VH-BPN. Air Queensland - in its modified livery at Melbourne Airport, November 1983. (Image 0251-088. G. Bennett Collection) |
VH-BPN. Air Queensland - in its modified livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown. (Image 0250-576. P. J. Gates Collection) |
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VH-BPN. DC-3 Queensland - in a modified Air Queensland livery at Cairns Airport, November 1988. (Image 0251-083. G. Bennett Collection) |
VH-BPN. DC-3 Queensland - in a modified Air Queensland livery at Cairns Airport, November 1988. (Image 0251-082. G. Bennett Collection) |
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VH-BPN. DC-3 Queensland - in a modified Air Queensland livery at Adelaide Airport, August 1992. (Image 0250-577. P. J. Gates Collection) |
VH-BPN. Dick Lang's Desert Air Safaris - modified Air Queensland livery at Adelaide Airport, September 1992. (Image 0250-578. P. J. Gates Collection) |
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VH-BPN. Dick Lang's Desert Air Safaris - modified Air Queensland livery at Adelaide Airport, December 1992. (Image 0250-038. R. N. Smith Collection) |
VH-BPN. Dakota National Air - in its full livery at Brisbane Airport. (Image 0250-433. P. J. Gates Photograph) |
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