The DC-4 Story Part 2

When Ansett took over ANA in 1957 creating Ansett-ANA, five DC-4s were sold overseas in 1958. However, during the 1960s, with increasing demand for freighters, the DC-4 fleet expanded with the purchase of five aircraft, VH-EBL from Qantas becoming VH-INY, and four from Japan Air Lines with three DC-4-1009s, becoming VH-INJ/INL, and C-54E-5-DO becoming VH-INM. DC-4s also operated intrastate services with Airlines of South Australia and Airlines of NSW using VH-INJ in 1964. The latter airline used DC-4s carrying skiers to Cooma during the snow season. Other intrastate use saw VH-INX leased to MacRobertson Miller in 1965 flying freight twice weekly from Perth to Derby via Roebourne, Port Hedland and Broome. 

To increase freight capacity, DC-4s VH-INJ, VH-INK and VH-INM were converted to ATL.98 Carvairs by Aviation Traders (Engineering) Ltd in the UK led by VH-INJ which departed from Melbourne on 11 May 1965. They, along with Ansett-ANA’s remaining DC-4s, were retained until sold overseas in the 1970s or scrapped. A tragic exception was the loss of ANA’s proud flagship, VH-ANA Amana, which crashed on 26 June 1950 on a property named Betty Brow near York, WA, with the loss of all 29 on board. 

TAA’s DC-4 chapter began on 29 September 1946, when flagship VH-TAA John Eyre departed from Los Angeles to Australia arriving at Laverton on 4 October in 38hr 40min flying time. By the end of 1946 the other new DC-4s, VH-TAB/TAD had been delivered. On 2 December 1946 TAA commenced a night-time service from Melbourne to Perth via Adelaide with VH-TAA under the command of Lester Brain with the return inaugural flight captained by John Chapman. Both these senior men played important roles in TAA’s development. 

On 12 July 1947 DC-4s started a weekly service on the prime Queensland coastal route from Brisbane to Cairns via Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville supplementing DC-3 services. In the 1950s TAA DC-4 launched Tourist Class services with fares set at 85 per cent of first class fares, on 3 October 1955 on the Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane route, on 14 October MelbourneAlice Springs-Darwin and on 14 December 1957 MelbourneAdelaide-Perth. Other DC-4 services were a night-time SydneyDarwin from 16 May 1956 and on 10 June 1956 Brisbane-LongreachCloncurry-Mount Isa.

In June 1964 TAA assistant general manager John Chapman recommended the purchase of an additional DC-4 freighter adding to the one passenger and two freighter DC-4s.

During 1964/65, a single DC4-1009 from Japan Air Lines, VH-TAE, and two former C-54s, VH-TAF/TAG arrived. Cargo was becoming increasingly important, leading to the modification of its freighter DC-4s with larger side cargo doors and a floor roller system accommodating palletised freight. 

Some of TAA’s DC-4s were phased out as early as April 1948 with the transfer of aircraft to BCPA. By 1951 annual utilisation saw 4,200 hours achieved per aircraft, but with the gradual receipt of more modern equipment DC-4 passenger use saw them on the Tourist Class services. Later used purely as freighters, the last TAA DC-4 was sold in 1970. 

The final overseas tasks for both ANA and TAA had been a fortnightly charter flight on behalf of DCA between Cocos Islands and Perth commencing on 11 May 1967 with the first flight conducted by VH-TAB. 

TAA sadly lost one of its fleet on 24 May 1961 when DC-4 Cargomaster VH-TAA, operating the final leg of a cargo flight from Melbourne via Sydney, crashed at Bulwer Island near Eagle Farm. 

Qantas purchased five DC-4s in 1949 followed by another aircraft in 1955. In June 1949 its DC-4s inaugurated a fortnightly service to Hong Kong and flights to Norfolk Island. The Tokyo destination soon followed carrying military personnel and from March 1950 these services carried civilian passengers. The Bird of Paradise route began on the same month from Sydney to Port Moresby and Lae. In August 1950, freight services to Singapore began linking with ongoing BOAC flights to London.

On 2 September 1952 a DC-4 from Singapore to Cocos Island via Jakarta met a Lockheed Constellation which left Sydney one day earlier on the inaugural Wallaby Service to Johannesburg. Other DC-4 routes opened later to Pacific Island destinations. To cope with expansion, Qantas leased two former C-54s from Aerovias Guest during 1955/56, but by the late 1950s had sold most of its DC-4s. 

However, the Qantas DC-4 Norfolk Island route remained, operated by VH-EDA and VHEDB. On 28 February 1977 VHEDA Norfolk Trader flew the final Sydney-Norfolk Island-Auckland link, becoming the last Qantas piston-engined service. Both DC-4s were sold to Air Express, used on services to Tasmania until August 1979 and later sold overseas. 

After a 15-year hiatus the DC-4 returned to Australia when Pacific Air Freighters purchased former C-54E-15-DO, N9013V. Arriving at Archerfield 16 June 1995 it was later registered VHPAF, operating charter flights until withdrawn from use. With registration changed to VH-AEY on 23 February 2010, now owned by HARS, the aircraft is under restoration at Albion Park.