VH-AGE
| 05DEC41 | Received 2 AD ex USA. |
| 14DEC41 | Being fitted with dual controls but no armament for use by 1 OTU at Bairnsdale. |
| 02MAR42 | Bounced on landing at Sale and undercarriage damaged. |
| 03JUL42 | Allotted 1 AD for fitment of Boulton Paul Turret. |
| 06AUG42 | Issued 1 OTU ex 1 AD. |
| 10DEC42 | One wing tip damaged in taxying accident. |
| 26DEC42 | Attacked by five Zeros on take-off from Dobodura, New Guinea. Landed and was again attacked on the ground. |
| 03JAN43 | Issued 15 RSU for repairs. |
| 18AUG43 | Issued 3 AD ex 15 ARD for completion of repairs. |
| 30JUL44 | Issued 1 CU ex 3 AD. |
| 10APR45 | Received 2 AD ex 1 CU. |
| 15JUL45 | Received 1 OTU ex 2 AD. |
| 29NOV45 | Allotted 2 AD Storage ex 1 OTU. |
| 03DEC45 | Allottment to storage suspended. Aircraft to conduct bush fire patrols by 1 OTU until 31MAR46 then proceed to storage. |
| 05MAR46 | Received 2 AD Storage ex 1 OTU |
| 01APR47 | Sold to V.J. Madsen, Sydney for £1,500 |
| 02JUN47 | Application for CofA by Vernard James Madsen, Leichhardt, NSW. Application specifies 2 pilots plus 15 passengers. (Note 4) |
| 05JUN47 | Issued to purchaser. |
| 11AUG47 | V.J. Madsen requests DCA to reserve VH-JCM for Hudson A16-110. (Note 4) |
| 13AUG47 | Registration VH-JCM approved. (Note 4) |
| 23OCT47 | Registration application from Vernard James Madsen trading as Curtis-Madsen Aircrafts Pty Ltd, Sydney. (Note 4) |
| 02DEC47 | CofR #1431 and CofA #1347 issued for VH-JCM. (Note 4) |
| 02DEC47 | Departed
Sydney for Athens under charter to European Air Transport. The aircraft
was commanded by Captain F Twemlow. (Note 2). Crew shown elsewhere as Ted Gabriel and Mac Twemlow. The CMA conversion included a hinged sheet metal nose cap to facilitate the loading of baggage into the nose compartment. |
| 11FEB48 | Arrived in Sydney from Athens under charter to European Air Transport with 13 Greek immigrants plus 3 crew. Commanded by Captain Frank W. Twemlow (Note 2) |
| 19MAR48 | Departed
Sydney for Athens under charter to European Air Transport to bring migrants
to Australia. The aircraft was commanded by Captain Burdus. (Note 2) The Customs departure list shows that the aircraft was named "Kithira" (this report is subject to confirmation). |
| 13MAY48 | Arrived Sydney from Athens with 13 Greek immigrants plus 1 Australian. Commanded by Captain W. Burdus. (Note 2) |
| 17DEC48 | V.J. Madsen has held an Airline licence since this date. Aircraft class to be changed from Class 3 (Charter) to Class 4 (Airline) (Note 4) |
| 18JAN49 | Because of continuing bad weather which had grounded Anson aircraft, East-West Airlines chartered the aircraft to operate two return services from Sydney to Tamworth to shift the backlog of passengers and freight. (Note 3) |
| 01FEB49 | Curtis Madsen Airlines Pty Ltd commenced airline services from Sydney to Cootamundra and Temora. (Note 4) |
| 23DEC49 | Ownership transferred to John David Curtis, Glebe, NSW. (Note 4) |
| 20NOV50 | Change of ownership to East-West Airlines Ltd., Tamworth, NSW (Note 4) |
| 01DEC50 | East-West Airlines requests change of registration from VH-JCM to VH-EWE. (Note 4) |
| 20DEC50 | Registration change approved. (Note 4) |
| 21DEC50 | Converted to a freighter with seating for 2 crew and nil passengers. (Note 4) |
| 12MAY51 | At the opening of Gunnedah Airport, the aircraft was named Namoi City. During its East-West service, the cabin door was widened to accommodate a standard wool bale and a window was added to the door. (Note 3) |
| 16JUL51 | CofA amended to show aircraft as a freighter or 16 passenger airliner. (Note 4) |
| 10APR52 | Total Time: 3019 hours. Time since last overhaul: 925 hours 53 minutes. (Note 4) |
| 14APR53 | Total Time: 4075 hours. Time since last overhaul: 1056 hours. (Note 4) |
| 26AUG53 | Ownership transferred to South Coast Airways Pty Ltd (by this time an East-West subsidiary). Aircraft still registered to East-West. |
| 08APR54 | Total Time: 5215 hours. Time since last overhaul: 1148 hours (CofA). (Note 4) |
| 06APR55 | Total Time: 6595 hours. Time since last overhaul: 1380 hours. (Note 4) |
| 22AUG55 | Operated the inaugural East-West service from Tamworth to Newcastle. (Note 3) |
| 19MAR56 | Total Time: 7289.47 hours. Time since last overhaul: 641.49 hours. (Note 4) |
| 12JUN56 | Letter from EWA stating that aircraft "-EWE has been withdrawn from Airline Operations with this Co. and is for disposal, we are desirous of retaining our regn. VH-EWE. Could you arrange to have another registration other than the -EW Block allotted to this aircraft." (Note 4) |
| 18JUN56 | Letter from DCA stating that VH-BPT has been allocated. (Note 4) |
| 26JUN56 | CofR and CofA re-issued as VH-BPT. (Note 4) |
| 13AUG56 | Request to operate as a freighter for carriage of freight in the flood bound NW of NSW. (Note 4) |
| 14AUG56 | "Aircraft stripped of chairs, curtains and carpets for use as a freighter." (Note 4) |
| 20AUG56 | "Aircraft back to its original state." (2 Pilots, 1 Hostess, 16 Passengers) (Note 4) |
| 12SEP56 | Commenced a three day airlift of 112 bales of wool from flood bound "Swanley" about 80 km NE of Moree, NSW. (Note 3) |
| 08FEB57 | "Aircraft has been out of regular service for past year and is being re-introduced as standby aircraft for emergency use only." (Note 4) |
| 01MAR57 | Commenced rainmaking operations over the Snowy Mountains area under contract to the CSIRO. Based at Wagga for approximately 2 years on this operation. Fitted with silver iodide burners under each wingtip. (Note 3) |
| 26APR57 | "Aircraft has been converted for cloud seeding operations, by installation of four (4) tanks in the bomb bay and burners installed on each wing tip. A control panel for operating this equipment is installed in front left hand corner of cabin. Drift recorder fitted through floor and skin at left rear cabin to CSIRO drawings and EWA Drawings 62, 63 & 64." (2 Pilots, 1 Hostess, 9 Passengers, 1 Drift Recorder). (Note 4) |
| 30APR57 | Total Time: 7463.41 hours. Time since last overhaul: 173.54 hours. (Note 4) |
| 28NOV57 | Aircraft is operating in the Snowy Mountains area. (Note 4) |
| 21MAR58 | Re-registered VH-EWR and continued rain-making operations in full East-West livery with additional titles "Special Projects Division". |
| 23APR58 | Total Time: 7724.42 hours. Time since last overhaul: 261.01 hours. (Note 4) |
| 28APR58 | One passenger seat removed from port side (Position 5) to allow for installation of camera mount mounting bracket. (Note 4) |
| 06APR59 | Total Time: 7976.58 hours. Time since last overhaul: 252.16 hours. (Note 4) |
| 08APR60 | Total Time: 8206.49 hours. Time since last overhaul: 226.16 hours. (Note 4) |
| 23JUN60 | Withdrawn from service and stored at Tamworth. |
| 07APR61 | Retrospectively struck off Register on this date with CofA expiry in light of subsequent late advice from EWA on 11APR61 that they do not intend to renew the CofA. |
| 11APR61 | Letter from EWA stating that "we do not intend to renew the CofA for the above aircraft and also wish to have the CofR cancelled." (Note 4) |
| 31MAR62 | East-West board resolved to wind up South Coast Airways and re-purchase two Hudsons. (Note 3) |
| 02APR62 | Application for CofR and CofA by East-West Airlines Ltd., Tamworth, NSW. (Note 4) |
| 12APR62 | Returned to Register as VH-EWR. CofR #4101, CofA #4101. Seating 2 Pilots, 1 Hostess, 4 Passengers, 1 CSIRO operator. (Note 4) |
| 15APR62 | Total Time: 8244.19 hours. Time since last overhaul: 37.30 hours. (Note 4) |
| 17APR62 | Arrived at Essendon to begin a rain-making contract for the Victorian Government. (Note 3) |
| 28APR62 | Operated first rain-making flight from Essendon under the command of F.C. Braund. |
| 31MAY62 | Returned to Tamworth from Essendon. (Note 3) |
| 10AUG62 | Letter to DCA from Australian Aircraft Sales Pty Ltd stating that they have purchased the aircraft from East-West and requesting transfer of certificate to Sepal Pty Ltd, c/- Adastra Airways, Mascot who are now the sole proprietors of the aircraft. (Note 4) |
| 10AUG62 | Change
of ownership to Sepal Pty Ltd (an Adastra company). (Note 4) Re-registered VH-AGE on this date. |
| 20AUG62 | Application for CofR by Sepal Pty Ltd, Mascot, requesting registration VH-AGE. (Note 4) |
| 21AUG62 | Letter from East-West to DCA confirming the sale and requesting retention of the registration VH-EWR. (Note 4) |
| 24AUG62 | Letter from Adastra to DCA requesting renewal of CofA for 12 months from date of purchase. Aircraft has flown only 57 hours 50 minutes since renewal of CofA on 06APR62. |
| 10SEP62 | Total Time: 8302.40 hours. Time since last overhaul: 58.20 hours. (Note 4) |
| 17SEP62 | The
request for CofA renewal was approved on this date and the CofA renewed
from 14SEP62. (Note 4) The aircraft was converted for mineral survey work with a magnetometer "bird" mounted externally in a cradle on the bomb bay doors. Operated initially in natural metal with white top and Adastra titles but later painted in Adastra's green livery. The aircraft initially entered service with the only nose glazing being a transparent nose cone. A single nose window in the top forward position was added later. See photo. |
| 26APR63 | Aircraft re-weighed following installation of P&W 1830-90B engines and provision for cameras etc. (Note 4) |
| 03MAY63 | Test flight Sydney-Bankstown-Camden-Sydney after installation of R-1830-90B engines. (Note 4) |
| 19AUG63 | Aircraft operating out of Darwin, NT. (Note 4) |
| 14APR64 | Total Time: 9004.40 hours. Time since last overhaul: 762.08 hours. (Note 4) |
| 25SEP64 | Aircraft
fitted with Doppler and Magnetometer equipment. (Note 4) It is believed that VH-AGE was test flown around this time with a magnetometer boom installed between the fins (similar to VH-AGS in late 1962). Although Ted McKenzie cannot recall if the magnetometer being tested at this time was a boom or a towed bird, correspondence in DCA files suggests that it was a boom. As both were fitted simultaneously to VH-AGS this is also a possibility with VH-AGE. By January 1965 VH-AGE was fitted only with a towed bird. For more information about the magnetometer boom installation see here. |
| 26SEP64 | Magnetometer and Doppler test flight (55 mins) by Ted McKenzie. (Source: Ted McKenzie's log book) |
| 27SEP64 | Magnetometer and Doppler test flight (40 mins) by Ted McKenzie. (Source: Ted McKenzie's log book) |
| 28SEP64 | Magnetometer test flight (30 mins) by Ted McKenzie. (Source: Ted McKenzie's log book) |
| 29SEP64 | Magnetometer test flight (1 hr 5 mins) by Ted McKenzie. (Source: Ted McKenzie's log book) |
| 02OCT64 | Test flight
after fitment of Boom Support Modification. (Note 4) Magnetometer test flight (45 mins) by Ted McKenzie. (Source: Ted McKenzie's log book) |
| 03OCT64 | Magnetometer test flight (30 mins) by Ted McKenzie. (Source: Ted McKenzie's log book) |
| 05OCT64 | Magnetometer test flight (2 hrs 15 mins) by Ted McKenzie. (Source: Ted McKenzie's log book) |
| 16OCT64 | Test flight after fitment of Doppler equipment. (Note 4) |
| JAN65 | Ted McKenzie flew aeromagnetic surveys out of Maralinga at which time the only magnetometer fitted to the aircraft was a towed bird. (Source: Ted McKenzie's log book) |
| 28MAR65 | While operating on photo survey in NW of South Australia, VH-AGE located the Wackett VH-BEC which had been missing since 14JAN62. See The Missing Wackett |
| 12APR65 | Aircraft based at Oodnadatta. (Note 4) |
| 17MAY65 | Total Time: 9651.40 hours. Time since last overhaul: 647 hours. (Note 4) |
| 03JUN65 | Test flight after fitment of French Oil Search equipment (winch bird and cradle). (Note 4) |
| 24SEP66 |
Crashed
at Tennant Creek killing Captain Kenneth Rowlands plus four crew plus
a boy passenger. |
| There is a persistent story that Hudson VH-AGE was engaged by DCA to take aerial photographs of the crash site of Viscount VH-RMI near Winton, Qld. in September 1966. Macarthur Job, who was involved in the investigation of the Viscount crash as well as the subsequent investigation of the crash of Hudson VH-AGE, has no knowledge of this. Certainly, no such photographs feature in the report into the Viscount crash. Furthermore, he is adamant that such photographs would not have been required anyway, as the Viscount wreckage was confined to a surprisingly small area, despite the fact that it had broken up in flight. In all probability, what happened was exactly as recalled in June 2006 by Trevor Sheffield whose father Les had rung the family home on the night of 22 September 1966 to advise that he was not on the Viscount as had been previously planned and that "they had flown over the site of the crash and photographed it". It is surmised that the normal operations of VH-AGE from its Tennant Creek base had taken it close enough to Winton such that an unofficial diversion was feasible. In all probability, VH-AGE would not have been fitted with a survey camera, as it was engaged in aeromagnetic work at the time. Therefore, any photos that were taken would have been taken with personal cameras belonging to the crew or at best with the 35mm tracking camera used in conjunction with aeromagnetic work. In either case, it is reasonable to assume that such photos, being unofficial in nature, would have perished with the Hudson two days later. As aeromagnetic work is usually conducted at lower altitudes, the over-flying Hudson would have been conspicuous to anyone at the Viscount crash site and any one of these persons could have been the source of the persistent story that the Hudson had "surveyed" the Viscount crash site. | |
| 24SEP66 | Struck off Register. (Note 4) |
|
Note
|
Source
|
|
1
|
National
Archives of Aust., Canberra, ACT A10297/1 Block 84 Extracted by Chris O'Neill |
|
2
|
National
Archives of Aust., Chester Hill, NSW. SP797/2 & SP797/3 "Inwards/Outwards Aeroplane Register" 1947/48 Extracted by Chris O'Neill |
|
3
|
East-West Airlines files held by Roger McDonald |
|
4
|
National
Archives of Aust., Chester Hill, NSW. C3905/9 VH/EWR Part 2 [21] C3905/9 VH/EWR Part 3 [21] C3905/1 VH/AGE [19] National Archives of Aust., Melbourne, Vic. MP113/1 VH/EWE Part 1 Extracted by Chris O'Neill |
| Issue | Date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 10MAR08 |
Added
a colour image of VH-AGE taken soon after entering service with Adastra.
|
| 14 | 07AUG06 |
Added
a reference to the crash of Viscount VH-RMI.
|
| 13 | 02APR06 |
Added
references to magnetometer test flying in the period Sep/Oct 1964.
|
| 12 | 02SEP05 |
Slight
revisions to entry of 07APR61 to clarify events.
|
| 11 | 10FEB05 |
Chris
O'Neill has extracted several files from the NAA and this has enabled
a significant expansion of the history of this aircraft. These sources
are listed in the table above and the revised entries are appropriately
annotated. Many thanks Chris!
|
| 10 | 01OCT04 |
Ted
McKenzie advises that his log book shows a series of magnetometer
test flights in October 1964. These flights relate to the boom installation,
so clearly, earlier reports that VH-AGE was never flown in this configuration
are incorrect.
|
| 9 | 06JUL04 |
Added
a colour photo taken at Maralinga thanks to Rob Hornsby.
|
| 8 | 08JUN03 |
Added
a reference to the aircraft being named "Kithira".
|