This aircraft was delivered new to the United States Army Air Force as a C-54A-15-DC - August 03, 1944

It was allocated the U. S. serial number '42-72260'

Transferred to the United States Navy as an R5D-1 with BuNo 50843 - August 03, 1944

Sold to Veterans Air Express - April 08, 1946

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as NC58003 - ?

Sold to Matson Navigation Co - November 01, 1948

Reregistered as N58003 - ?

Australian National Airways applied for Certificate of Registration (CofR) for this aircraft - November 25, 1948

The registration marks 'VH-ANG' were reserved but were not taken up

Delivered to Air Ceylon whilst enroute to Australia - February 03, 1949

Entered onto the Ceylonese Aircraft Register as VP-CBD - ?

Reregistered as CY-ACA - September 27, 1950

Registered to the Ceylon Department of Civil Aviation

Sold to Australian National Airways Ltd - March 16, 1951

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-INY - March 16, 1951

Registered to Australian National Airways Ltd, Melbourne

The aircraft was named 'Laxapana' (a million lights)

Utilised on Air Ceylon flights until these ceased - July 23, 1953

Operated in either a 50 seat mixed class or 70 seat all-economy class configuration

Utilised by British Royal Family during the Royal Tour of Australia - 1954

On the Royal Tour the normal fittings were replaced by lounges and chairs

It had the distinction of being the first commercial airliner to use the new Adelaide Airport - February 16, 1955

Sold to Twentieth Century Airlines Inc - March 25, 1958

Departed Melbourne (Essendon) on the ferry flight to Burbank, California - March 26, 1958

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - March 29, 1958

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N5520V - April 1958

Leased to Seven Seas Airlines Inc - 1958

Sold to Transavia, Germany - May 24, 1958

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - ?

Entered onto the German Aircraft Register as D-ADAL - ?

Sold to Luft Transport Unternehmed GmbH (L.T.U.) - September 30, 1959

Sold to British United Air Ferries for Carvair conversion - August 07, 1960

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-AREK - ?

This aircraft was the fifth Douglas C-54 / DC-4 to undergo conversion to an ALT-98A Carvair

First flight as an ATL-98A Carvair - November 02, 1962

Sold to Intercontinental US Inc - November 20, 1962

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N9757F - ?

Sold to Interocean Airways - December 17, 1962

Entered onto the Luxembourg Aircraft Register as LX-IOG - ?

Utilised by the United Nations in the Belgian Congo

Returned to Aviation Traders - April 1965

Sold to Cie Air Transport - May 31, 1965

Entered onto the French Aircraft Register as F-BMHV - ?

Transferred to Transports Aeriens Renunis - 1970

Leased to British Air Ferries - April 29, 1972

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-AREK - ?

Sold to British Air Ferries - February 1973

Aircraft was named 'Porky Pete'

Leased to construction company Paulings (Middle East) Ltd - June 20, 1974 to February 08, 1975

Withdrawn from use and stored at Southend

Sold to Uni-Air, Toulouse, France but did not enter service - June 24, 1977

Entered onto the French Aircraft Register as F-BYCL - ?

Placed in storage at Toulouse

Sold to Falcon Airways Inc - August 26, 1979

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N83FA - ?

Sold to Gilford Aviation Inc, Alaska - May 1982

Sold to Robert D. McSwiggan - October 17, 1985

Sold to Academy Airlines Inc in 1986 and then transferred to Custom Air Service Inc

The aircraft crashed after taking-off at Griffin, Georgia - April 09, 1997

It had flown in excess of 55,000 hours

For further information regarding this accident please click 'HERE'

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - October 31, 2000

VH-INY. Air Ceylon - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, date unknown.

(D. Pallawela Collection Copyright Image 1125-734.)

VH-INY. Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - 'Laxapana' in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1125-305.)

VH-INY. Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - 'Laxapana' in the standard livery with the additional 'Royal Crest' at Melbourne Essendon Airport, circa 1954.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1125-304.)

VH-INY. Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - 'Laxapana' in the final livery at Brisbane Eagle Farm Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-023.)

VH-INY. Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - 'Laxapana' in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-160.)

F-BMHV. Cie Air Transport - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-696.)

F-BMHV. BAF - in the basic Cie Air Transport livery at Southend Airport, September 1972.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-318.)

G-AREK. BAF British Air Ferries - 'Porky Pete' in the standard livery at Southend Airport, April 1974.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-479.)

G-AREK. Pauling - in the standard livery at Southend Airport, May 1976.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-432.)

G-AREK. Pauling - in the standard livery at Southend Airport, September 1976.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-320.)

F-BYCL. Uni-Air - in the basic Pauling livery at Southend Airport, July 1977.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-319.)

N83FA. Falcon Air Cargo - in the basic BAF livery at an unknown airport, September 1979.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-277.)

N83FA. Falcon Air Cargo - in the basic BAF livery at Spalding County Airport, June 1981.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-645.)

N83FA. Guilford Aviation - in the basic BAF livery at Anchorage Airport, June 1982.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-697.)

N83FA. Guilford Aviation - in the basic BAF livery at Spalding County Airport, June 1984.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-452.)

N83FA. Custom Air Service - in the partial BAF livery at Spalding County Airport, April 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-278.)

N83FA. Custom Air Service - in the partial BAF livery at Spalding County Airport, April 1992.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-698.)

N83FA. Custom Air Service - in the partial BAF livery at Spalding County Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-699.)