| This aircraft was built as C-47A 42-92274 and delivered to USAAF on 11/6/43, but diverted Lend-Lease to RAAF as Dakota Mk.III A65-29 on 1/7/44. Assigned to No. 35 Sqdn at Pearce, Western Australia, later to No. 34 Sqdn at Darwin. After WWII it was sold on 8/23/46 to Trans Australian Airlines as VH-TAE. Leased to New Zealand National Airlines from 3/3/60 to 12/22/60. To Air Niugini on 11/1/73, re-registered as P2-SBL on 6/1/74. Re-registered 11/18/75 as P2-ANR. Back to Australia on 10/18/76 as VH-SBL. Changed hands several times. During Nov. 1985 was purchased by Travair and completely refurbished after 48,000 hours. In early 1987 it became available for charter flights. |