ADASTRA AERIAL SURVEYS

Issue	Date	Remarks
15	10MAR08	Added the date that VH-AGP was withdrawn from service (15NOV71).
14	18SEP05	Added information concerning the location of the camera mount in this aeroplane. Thanks to Dave Barth.
13	23FEB04	Amended the account of the engine fire in June 1965 to show that the fire had been in the starboard engine, not the port. This is confirmed by Allan Walker who was captain of the aircraft.
12	16JAN04	Added an account of an engine fire in June 1965 thanks to Dave Aitchison who was the camera operator at the time.
11	30AUG03	Added an image of VH-AGP at an unknown outback location, thanks to Peter Shute.
10	01JUN02	Added reference to a replacement nose section being grafted on to the aeroplane during its restoration to military configuration.
9	-	Added reference to participation in the Buna campaign thanks to Chris Goddard of the AWM.
8	-	Included reference to fictitious markings A16-123 in November 1977.

05DEC41	Received at 2 Aircraft Depot ex U.S.A.
20DEC41	Received at No 1 Operational Training Unit ex 2 AD.
10JUL42	Skidded through a fence landing at Western Junction.
10DEC42	Under instructions from the Air Board, 15 Hudsons were detached to North Eastern Area from 10 December 1942 for "an indefinite period for the purposes of transporting troops, arms and equipment to the forward battle areas" at Buna and Sanananda. A16-105 was one of these aircraft, and was flown by Flight Lieutenant David W I Campbell. Known as No 1 OTU Detached Flight and under the Command of Squadron Leader O B Hall, they flew under extremely hazardous conditions from Ward's at Moresby to Soputa and Dobodura until recalled on 11 January 1943.
01JAN43	Flown to Townsville by Flt Lt Campbell for an engine change at 12 RSU due to excessive oil consumption.
23JAN43	Returned to 1 OTU.
28AUG43	Fitted with dual controls.
24SEP47	Sold to European Air Transport, Sydney NSW.
12DEC47	Collected by purchaser.
31OCT49	Registered to Curtis Madsen Aircrafts Pty Ltd as VH-BKY.
21DEC50	Change of ownership to East-West Airlines.
21DEC50	Re-registered VH-EWB. Named "Cathedral City".
26AUG53	Ownership transferred to South Coast Airways Pty Ltd (by this time an East-West subsidiary). Aircraft still registered to East-West.
21MAR58	Re-registered VH-EWS.
21JUL58	Commenced a tentative aerial mapping contract with the NSW Department of Lands. Following the success of this contract, East-West were awarded a two year contract with a one year extension option.
17NOV58	Ceremony held at Mascot, NSW to hand over the newly overhauled and converted VH-EWS to the NSW Department of Lands at the commencement of a three-year aerial mapping contract. Aircraft was named George Vincent in honour of the NSW Surveyor-General.
11AUG60	Withdrawn from service by East-West.
30MAY61	Struck off Register.
31MAR62	East-West board resolved to wind up South Coast Airways and re-purchase two Hudsons.
10SEP62	Sold to John Fairfax & Sons as VH-SMO.
04OCT62	Leased to Adastra Aerial Surveys.
02JUN65	The aircraft suffered a fire in the starboard engine while returning to Sydney after a photographic sortie over Richmond, NSW. The fire was not finally confirmed until the aircraft was on final. The aircraft landed normally with emergency vehicles in attendance. The aircraft was towed back to the Adastra hangar where it apparently remained out of service undergoing repairs until at least late August. See: Baptism of Fire.
24JUN66	Sold to Sepal Pty Ltd (Adastra) as VH-AGP.
	Whereas all other Adastra Hudsons had the camera mount in the nose compartment, the camera mount on VH-AGP was installed in the cabin. The aircraft also differed from the other Hudsons in that it had a high pressure oxygen system with a large cylinder protruding through the bulkhead of the darkroom. Other Hudsons in the Adastra fleet had low pressure bottles installed in the bomb bay. This image shows camera operator Dave Barth working the camera in the cabin of VH-AGP.
15NOV71	Struck off the register as withdrawn from service.
NOV76	Sold to Malcolm Long and ferried to Moorabbin under a Permit to Fly (callsign "Hudson 105"). During the subsequent restoration to military configuration, it was found that the nose section had been so drastically modified for survey use that it was deemed easier to obtain a stock Hudson nose from New Zealand and graft this on to VH-AGP. The survey nose was scrapped.
NOV77	Displayed in the static park at a Point Cook airshow. Marked as A16-123.
22NOV81	Ferried to Coolangatta under a Permit to Fly for display at the Chewing Gum Field Museum. Registration VH-FXF was reserved but not taken up. Marked A16-105/FX-F (6 Sqn code).
85	Ferried to Wangaratta under a Permit to Fly for display at Airworld.
15JAN01	Sold by Malcolm Long to the Australian War Memorial. Malcolm Long is assisting the AWM to build up a turret for the aircraft. (Source: Malcolm Long) The aircraft is displayed in the ANZAC Hall at the AWM.