Saturday 29 December 2012

I remember even more.

Another shot from an unknown photographer. Date also unknown.
 Above we have the Douglas DC-3C DQ-FBJ (c/n 32899/16151). It started life as a C-47B-30DK for the USAAF with the serial 44-76567 before becoming NZ3539 with the RNZAF from April 1945. Post military it became ZK-AOF with N.Z.N.A.C from 30-05-1947 and was given the name "Pukeko". It got the "Skyliner" treatment and became Skyliner "Blenheim" on 12-12-1963.
 Above is Skyliner "Blenheim" parked up at Christchurch on 17-02-1969.
It was withdrawn from use (early 1969 ?) and became VQ-FBJ on 10-06-1969 with Air Pacific.
With Fijian independence the registration was changed to DQ-FBJ in 1972.
It returned to NZ and was re-registered as ZK-AOF on 28-04-1972 - So I assume that the colour photo above, taken at Christchurch, would have been at about this time.
It was renamed Skyliner "Waitaki" and operated with NZNAC again until being withdrawn from use in December of 1974.
Below. ZK-AOF "Waitaki" as seen at Christchurch on 01-09-1972
It was sold to P R Wieland Aust Pty Ltd of New South Wales on 01-09-1976 and it departed NZ for the States on 29-10-1976.
Its NZ registration was cancelled on 25-01-1977 and it became N99435, as seen below.
I have five US owners listed to her until about ten years later it was abandoned at Aruba in the West Indies and eventually dumped in the sea.

 Check out the following two links. The first link covers all the NZ civil DC-3s and the second show "AOF" at the end of its days.

http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=popular&thread=17606&page=1

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Douglas-C-47B-Skytrain/0247408/L/

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