D for Dominance

Australia’s first DC-3 was VH-UZJ Kyilla delivered to Airlines of Australia (then part of Australian National Airways) at Essendon on September 9 1937, followed on October 25 by VHUZK Kurana to Australian National Airways (ANA). Two additional DC-3s joined ANA until the outbreak of war with the quartet temporarily pressed into RAAF service as A30-1 to A30-4 with No 8 Squadron at Canberra and used for maritime surveillance. During the war a large number of C-47s joined the RAAF and their later disposal was a valuable source for the airlines.

The leading Australian airline immediately after 1945 was ANA. To expand capacity, it ordered DC-4s and, later, DC-6 models with the DC-3 still dominating in numbers.

The airlines obtained their DC-3s, modified from C-47s, from various sources. In 1944, the Australian Government had purchased 12 aircraft that had served with the USAAF Fifth Air Force. They became VH-AEO to -AEV, VH-AEX to -AEZ and VH-AFA.

Initially, the government leased these aircraft to established airlines and, later, most went to the fledgling Trans- Australia Airlines (TAA) to form the backbone of its initial fleet.

An avenue after the war came via surplus RAAF C-47s, with notable deliveries to both ANA and TAA (12 each), Qantas 10, Guinea Airways two, MacRobertson Miller two, and one each to Adastra, East-West Airlines and Queensland Airlines.

TAA’s first aircraft, VH-AES Hawdon was, originally, USAAF 41-18660 Shanghai Lil and, after use by several operators, was registered to TAA on July 9 1946 before inaugurating their first service on September 9 1946. This aircraft later became VH-SBA operating TAA Sunbird services in PNG as Moresby, and later Wewak, before returning to TAA.

By the mid-1950s, the DC-3 continued to play an important role in the main airlines’ operations. ANA’s fleet of 34 aircraft comprised four DC-6/6Bs, eight DC-4s, three Bristol Freighters and 19 DC-3s. The TAA fleet numbered 44, with 11 Viscounts, two Convair 240s, four DC-4s, four DHA-3 Drovers, one Hiller UH-12C, and 22 DC-3s (18 for passenger use and four freighters). The other major operators were Ansett (five) and Qantas (eight) operating in New Guinea.

Although both airlines had larger airliners in use, it still fell to the DC-3 to fly on the main east coast trunk routes when required. And if you wondered what it cost for a ticket, the fare from Brisbane to Sydney in 1950 was £6/17/6 and Sydney to Canberra £2/10/-.

Apart from the major domestic airlines, DC-3s were engaged in intrastate airline use, for example with Butler (seven) and East-West (two) in NSW, MacRobertson Miller Aviation (five) in WA and Queensland Airlines (three). There was also one corporate example, VH-CBA owned by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia registered for private use only.

As well as the airlines, DC-3s served in other roles with VH-BUR and VH-MIN allocated to the Bureau of Mineral Resources for aerial survey work and VH-RRA with the CSIRO Radio Physics Division for cloud seeding research into rainmaking.

Gradually the DC-3s were phased out by the major airlines as more suitable aircraft became available to operate on thinner routes where smaller loads were a financial challenge for the DC-3. TAA, for example, used DHA Drovers and Beech Queen Airs on regional services, more suited to the amount of passenger traffic.

However, for state-based operators servicing thinly populated regional routes, the DC-3 soldiered on into the 1960s. In NSW, Airlines of NSW (ANSW) and East-West Airlines (EWA) remained dependent on the DC-3 for many of their services.

Butler Air Transport for a time operated de Havilland Herons and Airspeed Ambassadors in support of its DC-3s prior to its absorption into Ansett, continuing as ANSW.

Although ANSW and EWA had Fokker F27 Friendships in their fleets, their DC-3s were retained because of airfield limitations and economics due to low passenger patronage.

The DC-3s serving country NSW were eventually retired following upgrading of airports and the arrival of the Fokker F27 turboprop and pure jet F28 Fellowship which offered a far superior standard of service. A similar transition was mirrored in other states.

As the airlines disposed of their DC-3s they were adopted by dozens of smaller operators throughout Australia well into the 21st Century.

The longevity of the DC-3 in Australia is probably without parallel.

One final opportunity to fly in a DC-3 occurred when ANSW withdrew VH-ANR from service. The airline decided the best way to defuel the aircraft was to fly it. Enthusiasts flocked to Albion Park on July 23 1972 for free joy flights courtesy of ANSW management.

More than 80 years after the DC-3’s arrival in Ausralia, several are either preserved or still registered here, offering enthusiasts an opportunity to witness one of the most important transport aircraft of all time. ‘It still fell to the DC-3 to fly on the main east coast trunk routesAfter ANA it was used by several operators before ending up with Airlines of NSW. Now preserved at the Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra, it was the first Australian DC-3 to incorporate the enlarged Viewmaster windows. eric allen.

In the first two decades after World War II, Douglas aircraft dominated Australia’s airline fleets with the DC-3 leading in numbers and spread of operations. For established and new airlines, the availability of relatively inexpensive converted military C-47s formed the basis of Australia’s post-war airline expansion.

Australia’s first DC-3 was VH-UZJ Kyilla delivered to Airlines of Australia (then part of Australian National Airways) at Essendon on September 9 1937, followed on October 25 by VHUZK Kurana to Australian National Airways (ANA). Two additional DC-3s joined ANA until the outbreak of war with the quartet temporarily pressed into RAAF service as A30-1 to A30-4 with No 8 Squadron at Canberra and used for maritime surveillance. During the war a large number of C-47s joined the RAAF and their later disposal was a valuable source for the airlines.

The leading Australian airline immediately after 1945 was ANA. To expand capacity, it ordered DC-4s and, later, DC-6 models with the DC-3 still dominating in numbers.

The airlines obtained their DC-3s, modified from C-47s, from various sources. In 1944, the Australian Government had purchased 12 aircraft that had served with the USAAF Fifth Air Force. They became VH-AEO to -AEV, VH-AEX to -AEZ and VH-AFA.

Initially, the government leased these aircraft to established airlines and, later, most went to the fledgling Trans- Australia Airlines (TAA) to form the backbone of its initial fleet.

An avenue after the war came via surplus RAAF C-47s, with notable deliveries to both ANA and TAA (12 each), Qantas 10, Guinea Airways two, MacRobertson Miller two, and one each to Adastra, East-West Airlines and Queensland Airlines.

TAA’s first aircraft, VH-AES Hawdon was, originally, USAAF 41-18660 Shanghai Lil and, after use by several operators, was registered to TAA on July 9 1946 before inaugurating their first service on September 9 1946. This aircraft later became VH-SBA operating TAA Sunbird services in PNG as Moresby, and later Wewak, before returning to TAA.

By the mid-1950s, the DC-3 continued to play an important role in the main airlines’ operations. ANA’s fleet of 34 aircraft comprised four DC-6/6Bs, eight DC-4s, three Bristol Freighters and 19 DC-3s. The TAA fleet numbered 44, with 11 Viscounts, two Convair 240s, four DC-4s, four DHA-3 Drovers, one Hiller UH-12C, and 22 DC-3s (18 for passenger use and four freighters). The other major operators were Ansett (five) and Qantas (eight) operating in New Guinea.

Although both airlines had larger airliners in use, it still fell to the DC-3 to fly on the main east coast trunk routes when required. And if you wondered what it cost for a ticket, the fare from Brisbane to Sydney in 1950 was £6/17/6 and Sydney to Canberra £2/10/-.

Apart from the major domestic airlines, DC-3s were engaged in intrastate airline use, for example with Butler (seven) and East-West (two) in NSW, MacRobertson Miller Aviation (five) in WA and Queensland Airlines (three). There was also one corporate example, VH-CBA owned by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia registered for private use only.

As well as the airlines, DC-3s served in other roles with VH-BUR and VH-MIN allocated to the Bureau of Mineral Resources for aerial survey work and VH-RRA with the CSIRO Radio Physics Division for cloud seeding research into rainmaking.

Gradually the DC-3s were phased out by the major airlines as more suitable aircraft became available to operate on thinner routes where smaller loads were a financial challenge for the DC-3. TAA, for example, used DHA Drovers and Beech Queen Airs on regional services, more suited to the amount of passenger traffic.

However, for state-based operators servicing thinly populated regional routes, the DC-3 soldiered on into the 1960s. In NSW, Airlines of NSW (ANSW) and East-West Airlines (EWA) remained dependent on the DC-3 for many of their services.

Butler Air Transport for a time operated de Havilland Herons and Airspeed Ambassadors in support of its DC-3s prior to its absorption into Ansett, continuing as ANSW.

Although ANSW and EWA had Fokker F27 Friendships in their fleets, their DC-3s were retained because of airfield limitations and economics due to low passenger patronage.

The DC-3s serving country NSW were eventually retired following upgrading of airports and the arrival of the Fokker F27 turboprop and pure jet F28 Fellowship which offered a far superior standard of service. A similar transition was mirrored in other states.

As the airlines disposed of their DC-3s they were adopted by dozens of smaller operators throughout Australia well into the 21st Century.

The longevity of the DC-3 in Australia is probably without parallel.

One final opportunity to fly in a DC-3 occurred when ANSW withdrew VH-ANR from service. The airline decided the best way to defuel the aircraft was to fly it. Enthusiasts flocked to Albion Park on July 23 1972 for free joy flights courtesy of ANSW management.

More than 80 years after the DC-3’s arrival in Ausralia, several are either preserved or still registered here, offering enthusiasts an opportunity to witness one of the most important transport aircraft of all time.

‘It still fell to the DC-3 to fly on the main east coast trunk routes’