VH-AZY. de Havilland DH-104 Dove 1. c/n 04091.
It was also registered as:
VH-AWD; VH-MMO; VH-FDV; VH-TDV; VH-RUW and VH-RUN.
This was the 2nd of two aircraft ordered new by Airlines (WA) Ltd The order was placed by Charles W. Snook, founder and Managing Director of Airlines (WA) Built by de Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd, Hatfield, England - 1947 First flown - ? Powered by de Havilland Gipsy Queen 300 hp engine Accepted by Airlines (WA) at Hatfield - December 02, 1947 The aircraft was crated and shipped to Australia on board the 'SS Tropic' The aircraft was assembled at Perth Airport - February 1948 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AZY - February 04, 1948 Registered to Airlines (WA) Ltd, Perth First flown by Captain B. R. E. Walker (Chief Test Pilot, de Havilland Aircraft) - February 16, 1948 The aircraft was named 'RMA Busselton' - February 16, 1948 Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) issued - February 17, 1948 The Department of Civil Aviation ordered the grounding of all Australian de Havilland Doves - October 16, 1951 This was due to the crash of Dove VH-AQO near Kalgoorlie the previous day This aircraft had suffered a structural failure of its main spar 'VH-AZY' had operated the Perth - Kalgoorlie service before the grounding took effect On inspection at Kalgoorlie by the airline's Chief Engineer Mr A. Arnfield an one-inch crack was located in the wing spar of 'VH-AZY' in the same position as the crack that had caused the spar failure of 'VH-AQO' DCA Head Office refused the aircraft to be ferried back to Perth without passengers The aircraft was dismantled at Kalgoorlie and trucked back to Perth - November 07, 1951 Repairs to the main spar were made using a modification kit supplied by de Havilland Test flown at Perth (Captain N. Hill - chief pilot) - December 31, 1951 Returned to service - January 1952 Airlines (WA) requested permission to reregistered their DH-104 Doves in the 'VH-AW' block - 1953 Reregistered as VH-AWD - July 16, 1953 Registered to Airlines (WA) Ltd, Perth Airlines (WA) merged with MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co to form MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd - 1958 Reregister as VH-MMO - August 04, 1958 Registered to MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd, Perth The aircraft was renamed 'RMA Ord' During overhaul at Perth the aircraft was upgraded to a DH-104 Dove series 5B - 1958 New Gipsy Queen 70 Mk 2 engines of 380 hp were fitted Registered to Commercial Aviation Pty Ltd, Perth - September 30, 1958 This 'book-keeping' exercise involved the transfer of the MMA DC-3s, Dove and Anson fleet to Commercial Aviation Pty Ltd which was a company established by MMAs founder Captain Horrie Miller It was withdrawn from service at Perth - 1959 Sold to the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia - January 31, 1959 Reregistered as VH-FDV - January 31, 1959 Registered to Royal Flying Doctor Service (Victorian Division), Melbourne The aircraft was to be based at Derby, Western Australia The aircraft was dedicated by the Bishop of the North West, Dr Frewen at Derby Airport - May 22, 1959 The aircraft was named 'H. V. McKay' It was traded into Hawker de Havilland (Australia) Pty Ltd, Sydney on a new Beech Queenair 65 - February 1966 Registered to Hawker de Havilland (Australia) Pty Ltd - April 16, 1966 It was observed at Perth (Jandakot) parked beside the Beech Queenair 65 'VH-FDV' - April 23, 1966 Reregistered as VH-TDV - April 27, 1966 Registered to Hawker de Havilland (Australia) Pty Ltd It was ferried Perth (Jandakot) - Sydney (Bankstown) - 1966 It was sold to Richards Rent-a-Plane t/a Unionair - August 1966 Reregistered as VH-RUW - August 28, 1966 Registered to Richards Rent-a-Plane t/a Unionair, Toowomba, Queensland The aircraft was named 'City of Toowomba' The aircraft was traded in to Beechcraft Australia, Brisbane (Archerfield) - August 1967 Reregistered as VH-RUN - August 05, 1967 Registered to Beechcraft Australia, Brisbane (Archerfield) Leased to Megapode Airways to be operated by Solomon Island Airways, Honiara - 1968 The aircraft experienced ongoing issues with its nosewheel whist being operated by Solomon Island Airways Megapode Airways organised for the nose gear assembly of the recently retired Dove 'VP-PAA' to be fitted the 'VH-RUN' in an effort to solve the problem Sold to Solomon Island Airways - September 1969 Cncelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - September 09, 1969 Entered onto the Solomon Islands Aircraft Register as VP-PAL - September 09, 1969 Registered to Solomon Islands Airways, Honiara t/a 'Solair' Solair was a subsidiry of Macair Charters, Lae, Papua New Guinea The aircraft was sold to Hawker de Havilland (Australia) - May 08, 1971 Ferried Honiara - Sydney (Bankstown) - May 1971 Cancelled from the Solomon Islands Aircraft Register - August 16, 1971 The aircraft was dismantled for inspection by Hawker de Havilland engineers prior to its sale to Ray Causer The intended sale to Ray Causer t/a GAAF Air Charter did not eventuate It was parked outside the hangars at Sydney (Bankstown) minus engines It was sold for scrap and trucked from the airport to a local scrap metal yard - 1974 It was acquired from the scrapyard by Mr George Grieg, Wee Waa, N.S.W. - ? Mr Grieg was an aerial agricultural pilot and wanted to save the aircraft from being scrapped He had no intention of restoring the aircraft It was acquired by Mr John Vieny, Werribee, Victoria to be used as a playhouse for his children - 1985 The fuselage was trucked to his property at Werribee The fuselage, minus wings, tail and engines was observed at Mr Vieny's property - July 2017 It is reported to be in a 'weathered' condition but retains the faded green 'Solair' cheatline and titles Current status - ? |