VH-SMI Douglas DC-3

Construction completed at Oklahoma City plant - May 29, 1944

Built as a Douglas C-47A-25-DK

Allocated U.S. serial number 42-93536

Transferred to the R.A.F. under lend / lease agreement - becoming KG647 - June 4, 1944

Designated a Dakota III by the Royal Air Force

Arrived in England at conclusion of delivery flight - June 4, 1944

Allocated to No 575 Squadron & No 1680 Flight during the war

Leased to British Overseas Airways Corporation (B.O.A.C.) - April 3, 1946

Entered onto the U.K. Aircraft Register as G-AIAZ - June 1946

Returned to R.A.F. and placed in storage at No 22 Maintenance Unit, Silloth - July 31, 1946

Sold to Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney - September 1946

Cancelled from the U.K. Aircraft Register - October 18, 1946

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-SMI - December 9, 1946

Registered to John Fairfax & Son Pty Ltd, Sydney

Arrived in Sydney on delivery flight in wartime camouflage livery - February 14, 1947

Entered service with John Fairfax & Son on newspaper delivery flights - March 31, 1947

Withdrawn from use and placed in storage at Camden, N.S.W. - May 27, 1952

Sold to Bureau of Mineral Resources - Geology & Geophysics Division - November 10, 1953

Conveted for mineral survey work

Reregistered as VH-MIN - December 1, 1954

Registered to Bureau of Mineral Resources

Aircraft was operated and serviced for the Bureau by Trans Australia Airlines from June 1955

Withdrawn from service and ferried to Tamworth for storage - May 18, 1972

Aircraft was advertised for sale by tender - conditions applying to its sale required it to be scrapped

in Australia or exported

Initially sold to Mr K. Singh, Tamworth - July 6, 1972

This sale did not meet the required tender conditions, nor did the next highest bidder

Aircraft was finally sold to Mr K. Singh for $8,555

Resold & registered to Helicopter Utilities, Bankstown, N.S.W. - July 20, 1972

Sold & registered to Airfast Helicopter Utilities Pty Ltd - October 17, 1972

Sold & registered to Connair Pty Ltd - August 1, 1974

Registered to Northern Airlines (Operations) Pty Ltd - June 18, 1980

Withdrawn from use and stored at Alice Springs - June 1980

Sold & registered to Setair Pty Ltd, Melbourne - February 5, 1981

Sold & registered to Rebel Air Pty Ltd, Sydney - August 11, 1983

Registered to Wan-See Company Pty Ltd - February 1, 1984

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - February 3, 1984

Aircraft underwent a major airframe inspection - February 1984

Returned to the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-MIN - February 24, 1984

Sold to Komeela Aviation - December 1988

Registered to Colbinra Transport Pty Ltd - t/a Komeela - December 8, 1988

Sold to South Pacific Airmotive - May 1994

Registerd to South Pacific Airmotive Pty Ltd - June 10, 1994

Sold & registered to Dakota National Air (Australia) Pty Ltd - May 1, 1988

Current

VH-SMI. The Sydney Morning Herald - in the full livery at Brisbane Airport, March 1948.

(Image 0250-338. E. D. Daw Collection)

VH-MIN. Bureau of Mineral Resources - in the full livery at Essendon Airport, February 1968.

(Image 0251-266. E. D. Daw Photograph)

VH-MIN. Bureau of Mineral Resources - in the full livery at Canberra Airport, April 1972.

(Image 0251-238. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-MIN. Bureau of Mineral Resources - in the full livery at Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(Image 0250-636. B. Colledge Photograph)

VH-MIN. Bureau of Mineral Resources - in the full livery at Mt Isa Airport, date unknown.

(Image 0251-270. B. Dannecker Collection)

VH-MIN. Airfast - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, September 1972.

(Image 0251-134. G. Bennett Photograph)

VH-MIN. Airfast - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, September 1972.

(Image 0250-291. B. Dannecker Photograph)

VH-MIN. Airfast - in the full livery at Cairns Airport, June 1973.

(Image 0251-234. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-MIN. Airfast - in the full livery at Brisbane Airport, July 1973.

(Image 0250-063. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-MIN. Connair - in the original livery at Alice Springs Airport, February 1978.

(Image 0251-135. G. Bennett Collection)

VH-MIN. Connair - in the full livery at Alice Springs Airport, August 1980.

(Image 0251-235. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-MIN. Connair - in the full livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, January 1981.

(Image 0250-584. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-MIN. Connair - in the full livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, January 1981.

(Image 0251-236. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-MIN. Connair - in the full livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, January 1981.

(Image 0251-137. G. Bennett Photograph)

VH-MIN. Setair - in the full livery at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, May 1981.

(Image 0251-245. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-MIN. Setair - in the full livery with 'I Love Melbourne' titles at Sydney Airport, January 1982.

(Image 0250-486. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-MIN. Rebel Air - in Setair livery with 'I Love Melbourne' titles at Sydney Airport, July 1983.

(Image 0251-244. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-MIN. Rebel Air - in the basic Setair livery at Sydney Airport, August 1983.

(Image 0251-239. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-MIN. Rebel Air - in Setair livery & 'Operation Outback' titles at Sydney Airport, September 1983.

(Image 0251-243. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-MIN. Rebel Air - in Setair livery with '2UE Sydney' titles at Sydney Airport, January 1984.

(Image 0251-242. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-MIN. Rebel Air - in the new livery at Sydney Airport, September 1985.

(Image 0251-240. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-MIN. Rebel Air - in the new livery at Sydney Airport, September 1985.

(Image 0250-372. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-MIN. Rebel Air - in the new livery with 'Ansett' titles at Sydney Airport, December 1985.

(Image 0250-585. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-MIN. South Pacific - in the Rebel Air livery at Cairns Airport, May 1996.

(Image 0250-068. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-MIN. South Pacific - in the Rebel Air livery at Brisbane Airport, June 1996.

(Image 0250-524. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-MIN. Dakota Downunder - in the Rebel Air livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(Image 0250-522. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-MIN. Dakota National Air - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, November 1999.

(Image 0251-237. R. N. Smith Photograph)