The Last Qantas DC-4s and
The Great Registration Switcheroo of 1980

In 1980, an era in Australian aviation came to an end when two former Qantas Douglas DC-4s departed our shores for the last time. These two aeroplanes, VH-EDA and VH-EDB, had served Qantas from 1949 to 1977. Although they were originally mainline aircraft, they soldiered on for many years on the Sydney to Norfolk Island run, simply because no other aircraft could operate the route efficiently. Eventually progress caught up with the DC-4s and on 27 February 1977, VH-EDA operated the last DC-4 service to Norfolk Island. Significantly, it was also the last Qantas flight to be operated by a piston-engined aircraft. In August of 1977, both DC-4s were sold to Air Express who used them on freight services from Melbourne to Tasmania and on ad hoc freight charters. Exactly two years later, Air Express ceased operations and the company was placed into receivership.

In January 1980, both DC-4s were sold to Basler Flying Service of Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the United States. At this time, both DC-4s were parked in or in the vicinity of Hangar 104 at Essendon and two former Air Express engineers had been retained by the receivers to prepare the aircraft for delivery. In addition, Maurie Legg was engaged to paint the new U.S. registrations on the DC-4s and his son, Russell, was tasked with washing the aircraft. Maurie and Russell both suspected that all was not well with the instructions they had been given for re-painting the registrations so they raised their concerns with both of the engineers. After due consideration and checking, it was confirmed that the re-painting instructions were correct and accordingly, on 6 February 1980

VH-EDA was painted as N5581T
VH-EDB was painted as N5581S

The first aircraft to leave was N5581S which departed Essendon on 17 February 1980 flown by a Basler crew, arriving in Brisbane at 1330 local with a dead cylinder on No 3 engine. The aircraft was to depart Brisbane for Tarawa and Honolulu on 18 February but bad weather off the Queensland coast delayed the departure until 0100 on 19 February.

The second aircraft, N5581T, departed Essendon for Brisbane on 9 March 1980 and left for Tarawa at 2300 on the same day. Included amongst the crew of N5581T was Warren Basler, the President of Basler Airlines. With the departure from Australia of the last Qantas DC-4, this should have been the end of the story.

It's not certain when it first became generally known to enthusiasts/historians that all was not as it should have been. The aviation historian's bible, Aviation Letter of August 1982 carried a report from a correspondent who had photographed both DC-4s at Oshkosh in August 1980. At this time, it was obvious that the last letter of both registrations had been overpainted. By reference to the previous Australian registrations which were clearly etched into the skin under the wings, it was obvious that:

The former VH-EDA was now N5581S
The former VH-EDB was now N5581T

Traces of the former Australian registration under the wing, together with other subtle differences between the two aeroplanes, had enabled the author to confirm that the reverse had been the case when the aeroplanes departed Brisbane. (At the time, the author was employed at Brisbane Airport and therefore would have been amongst the last to inspect and photograph both aircraft at close quarters before they departed Australia). Evidently, when the aeroplanes were repainted at Essendon on 6 February 1980, the instructions passed to the painters had mistakenly transposed the registrations. Even though the painters had identified the error, their advice was ignored. It is not known when the mistake first came to the attention of the new owners, but clearly it was easier to change the aeroplanes than it was to change the paperwork!

If, like the author, you have trouble remembering which is which, the aeroplanes should have been, and ultimately were, re-registered in alphabetical sequence:

A became S

B became T

Perhaps this confusion should not be so surprising as these two aeroplanes have a history of identity crisis. In July 1963 it was announced in Qantas News under the headline "Names Traded", that as a result of a successful staff suggestion; "the two Qantas Skymasters have been renamed and VH-EDA is now Norfolk Trader and VH-EDB is now Pacific Trader." What this was reporting was that Malayan Trader and New Guinea Trader had been renamed to reflect their almost exclusive use on the Norfolk Island route, but in so doing, Qantas News transposed the two new names. This confusion was repeated in a fleet list published by Qantas in 1967 and corrected two years later. What was supposed to happen as a result of the 1963 staff suggestion was:

VH-EDA Malayan Trader was to be renamed Pacific Trader
VH-EDB New Guinea Trader was to be renamed Norfolk Trader

But it gets worse, one keen observer recorded in his notebook the registrations and names of all the Qantas aircraft present at Mascot in the period 6 February 1963 to 6 May 1963. The DC-4s were recorded as follows:

VH-EDA was Norfolk Trader
VH-EDB was Pacific Trader

This being the case, it would appear that when paint met aeroplane, the names were reversed! Rather than just leave them as they were, the names were subsequently swapped again as per the original plan.

Is it any wonder that there is confusion?

After a brief time on the US Register, both DC-4s moved on to the Canadian Register.

N5581S (ex VH-EDA) became C-GPFG
N5581T (ex VH-EDB) became C-GPSH

It is said that these registrations denote that the former VH-EDA was, shall we say, "very Good" and the former VH-EDB was, shall we say, "rather Hot"!

Special thanks to Maurie and Russell Legg.

VH-EDA

Twilight of an Era

DC-4 N5581T (formerly VH-EDA) at Brisbane on 9 March 1980 before departing permanently for the United States at 2300 hours.

Brisbane - 17 February 1980



Oshkosh - 25 June 1980

VH-EDB

PARKED

DC-4 VH-EDB Norfolk Trader and VH-EDA Pacific Trader stored at Sydney on 20 May 1977.

Brisbane - 17 February 1980



Oshkosh - 25 June 1980

The Root of Much Confusion

The staff suggestion was clearly intended to correct the anomaly that two DC-4s which carried the names Malayan Trader (VH-EBK/EDA) and New Guinea Trader (VH-EBN/EDB) were now almost exclusively serving Norfolk Island. In reporting the adoption of the suggestion, Qantas News has transposed the registrations. In reality, VH-EDA became Pacific Trader and VH-EDB became Norfolk Trader.

 

 

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

 

DOUGLAS DC-4-1009 MSN 42917 VH-EDA
15MAR45					-	Construction completed at Santa Monica. (Source: 11)
28NOV45					NC10202	Registered to Western Airlines (Source: 11)
24MAR46					NC10202	Delivered to Western Airlines. (Source: 2)
09APR47					NC10202	Sold to Australian National Airways (ANA). Total Time: 2,493 hrs) (Source: 11)
10APR47					VH-ANF	Departed Long Beach for Las Vegas where the sale took place. (Source: 11)
12APR47					VH-ANF	Departed for San Francisco, Honolulu, Canton Island and Nadi. (Source: 11)
16APR47					VH-ANF	Arrived at Essendon. (Source: 11)
21APR47					VH-ANF	Registered (presumably back-dated) to Australian National Airways (ANA). (Source: 3)
JUL47					VH-ANF	Entered ANA service named Loongana (Swift). (Source: 11)
22APR48					VH-BPC	Sold and registered to British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPA) and named Adventure. (Source: 3/11)
15FEB49					VH-EBK	Sold to QANTAS and named Malayan Trader. Total Time: 8,441 hrs. (Source: 3/11)
23SEP59					VH-EDA	Change of registration to QANTAS. (Source: 3)
JUL63					VH-EDA	Renamed Pacific Trader. (Source: 7)
05AUG63					VH-EDA	Chartered by Airlines of NSW until 12SEP63 to cover the overhaul of a Fokker F27. VH-EDA also operated the scheduled Qantas services to Norfolk Island during this period as VH-EDB was out of service for refurbishment. (Source: 18)
08AUG64					VH-EDA	Operated an engine relief flight to London returning to Sydney on 28AUG64. (Source: 18)
30SEP64					VH-EDA	Operated a horse charter to Tokyo returning to Sydney on 04OCT64. (Source: 18)
22JUL66					VH-EDA	Repaint until 30JUL66. (Source: 18)
03MAY68					VH-EDA	To Hawker de Havilland at Bankstown for mods to increase the maximum zero fuel weight and hence the seating capacity. It is not clear if this is a commencement date or a completion date. (Source: 18)
27FEB77					VH-EDA	Operated the last Qantas DC-4 service to Norfolk Island. This was also the last Qantas service to be operated by a piston-engined aircraft.
19AUG77					VH-EDA	Sold to Air Express and named Tasmanian Enterprise. Total Time: 55,120 hrs 9,807 cycles. (Source: 11)
20AUG77					VH-EDA	Departed Mascot on delivery to Air Express at Essendon. (Source: 11)
20AUG79					VH-EDA	Air Express ceased operations. (Source: 11)
21JAN80					VH-EDA	Sold to Basler Air Service. (Source: 11)
22JAN80					(VH-INR)	Registration reserved but not taken up. (Source: 3) (See Machinations in the Background below)
05FEB80					VH-EDA	Registration and Air Express titles removed at Essendon. (Source: 4)
06FEB80					N5581T	Change of registration to Basler Air Service. (Source: 4). The aircraft should have been painted as N5581S.
09MAR80					N5581T	Departed from Brisbane for Tarawa on delivery to Basler Air Service. (Source: 8)
25JUN80					N5581S	The former VH-EDA was photographed at Oshkosh painted as N5581S (see photo above).
NOV81					C-GPFG	Registered to Calm Air International, Thompson, Manitoba. (Source: 10)
16JUN87					C-GPFG	Crashed at Hidden Bay, Saskatchewan. (Source: 9)
21MAR90					C-GPFG	Cancelled from the Canadian register. (Source: 5)
DOUGLAS C-54A-1-DO MSN 7458 VH-EDB
06JAN44					42-107439	Delivered to United States Army Air Force (USAAF) but operated by American Airlines on loan. (Source: 2)
13NOV45					NC90414	Registered to the Reconstruction Finance Corp. (Source: 10)
08APR46					NC90414	Registered to American Airlines and named Flagship America. (Source: 10)
02APR49					NC90414	Registered to Aircraft Sales and Parts Ltd. (Source: 10)
11JUL49					VH-EBN	Registered to QANTAS and named New Guinea Trader. (Source: 3)
09DEC56					VH-EBN	The aircraft suffered extensive damage when it landed short of the runway at Norfolk Island. (Source: 16)
28MAR58					VH-EBN	The aircraft landed long at Nadzab, New Guinea and blew all tyres during emergency braking. (Source: 16)
10SEP58					VR-SEA	Leased to Malayan Airways and named Albatross. (Source: 1)
11APR60					VH-EBN	Returned to QANTAS. (Source: 3)
11APR60					VH-EDB	Change of registration to QANTAS. (Source: 3)
02APR63					VH-EDB	To Hawker de Havilland at Bankstown for installation of a double freight door in place of the previous single passenger door. (Source: 18)
02MAY63					VH-EDB	Returned to Mascot after freight door mod. (Source: 18)
JUL63					VH-EDB	Renamed Norfolk Trader. (Source: 7)
10OCT63					VH-EDB	Operated a charter for the St Kilda Football Club SYD-MEL-SYD-NAN-BNE-SYD-MEL-SYD returning on 20OCT63. (Source: 18)
16AUG65					VH-EDB	To Tamworth for radio mods and Check 1 returning to Sydney on 31AUG65. (Source: 18)
01SEP68					VH-EDB	To Hawker de Havilland at Bankstown for mods to increase the maximum zero fuel weight and hence the seating capacity. It is not clear if this is a commencement date or a completion date. (Source: 18)
22AUG77					VH-EDB	Sold to Air Express and named Tasmanian Tiger. (Source: 10)
20AUG79					VH-EDB	Air Express ceased operations. (Source: 11)
21JAN80					VH-EDB	Sold to Basler Air Service. (Source: 11)
22JAN80					(VH-INT)	Registration reserved but not taken up. (Source: 3) (See Machinations in the Background below)
29JAN80					VH-EDB	Registration and Air Express titles removed at Essendon. (Source: 4)
06FEB80					N5581S	Change of registration to Basler Air Service. (Source: 4). The aircraft should have been painted as N5581T.
19FEB80					N5581S	Departed from Brisbane for Tarawa on delivery to Basler Air Service. (Source: 8)
25JUN80					N5581T	The former VH-EDB was photographed at Oshkosh painted as N5581T (see photo above).
MAR82					C-GPSH	Registered to Calm Air International, Thompson, Manitoba. (Source: 6)
02APR84					C-GPSH	Registered to Soundair Corporation. (Source: 5)
20MAR90					C-GPSH	Soundair Corporation of Mississauga, Ontario responded to an enquiry from Australia advising that the aircraft had been withdrawn from service at Dorval, Montreal in 1987 and had not flown since. Total Time: 61,805.4 hrs. Engine times since overhaul: #1 - 726.3 #2 - 626.6 #3 - 372.8 #4 - 698.6 (Source: 17)
AUG90					C-GPSH	Registration cancelled. Aircraft stored at Miami. (Source: 13)
10AUG90					N7171H	Registered to Ernst & Young Corp. (Source: 10)
DEC90					N7171H	Registered to International Airline Support Group, Miami. (Source: 14)
08FEB91					C-GPSH	Registered to Buffalo Airways (1968) Ltd. (Source: 15)
19MAR91					C-GPSH	Seen at Opa Locka stripped of paint and with the registration C-GPSH roughly applied. (Source: 15)
-					-	Buffalo Airways named the aircraft Arctic Distributor.
29DEC06					C-GPSH	Crashed at Carat Lake. (Source: 12)
MAR07					C-GPSH	The nose of C-GXKN was trucked to Carat Lake for grafting on to C-GPSH. C-GXKN (MSN 36090) was damaged in an engine fire at Norman Wells on 05JAN06.
JUL07					C-GPSH	C-GPSH was ferried to Hay River and stored.

 

Machinations in the Background

17FEB77	The Federal Transport Minister announced that approval had been granted for Air Express to import two Carvairs and IPEC two Argosies. (Source: 19)
02MAR77	Ansett applied to the High Court to prohibit the granting of import licences to operators outside the Two Airline Agreement. (Source: 19)
05MAR77	DC-3 operator BBA announced that it was sacking four pilots because it was not allowed to purchase the two Qantas DC-4s. BBA claimed that Qantas had agreed to sell the two aircraft for A$500,000 but the Minister for Transport vetoed the deal claiming that there were already too many aircraft on the run. (Source: 19) (BBA had imported an Argosy in 1974. VH-BBA was added to the register on 10APR74)
MAY77	An attempt by Air Express in early May to purchase the two Qantas DC-4s was rejected by the Commonwealth Government. (Source: 19)
05MAY77	Air Express applied to the High Court to have Ansett's injunction dissolved but this was disallowed pending the handing down of a judgement in the original application. Air Express dismissed 48 staff including 12 pilots claiming that it would be forced to close its services to King Island and northern Tasmania if it were unable to replace its two ageing Bristol Freighters within a few weeks. (Source: 19)
22AUG77	Air Express purchased the two Qantas DC-4s (the two Carvairs never eventuated). (Source: 11)
23DEC77	The High Court of Australia overruled Ansett's objection. (Source: 20)
01SEP78	Argosy VH-IPB registered to IPEC. (Source: 3)
09MAR79	Argosy VH-IPA registered to IPEC. (Source: 3)
22AUG79	Air Express ceased operations. (Source: 11)
21JAN80	Both DC-4s were sold to Basler Air Service. (Source: 11)
22JAN80	Registrations VH-INR and VH-INT were reserved for VH-EDA and VH-EDB respectively but these registrations were not taken up. (Source: 3) Who had reserved these registrations is unknown but the use of registrations in the VH-IN block clearly suggests that it was Ansett. It could be speculated that Ansett were considering buying the two aircraft to prevent them falling into the hands of competitors. Such being the case, these plans were overtaken by the sale of both aircraft to Basler the previous day. It should be noted that by this time Ansett were no longer operating DC-4s, their last DC-4 (VH-INL) having been sold in July 1973.

 

Qantas operated a total of six DC-4s. These are the others.

Registration	MSN	Name	From	To	Remarks
VH-EBL	43067	Hong Kong Trader	15FEB49	13JAN61	Sold to Ansett-ANA as VH-INY.
VH-EBM	42918	Philippine Trader	09MAY49	05NOV59	Sold to Zantop as N600Z.
VH-EBO	18347	Pacific Trader	08FEB49	31MAY56	Sold to Air Carrier Service as N68579.
VH-EBP	42920	Australian Trader	24MAR55	19NOV59	Sold to Zantop as N601Z.

(Dates shown are On and Off the Australian Register from Source 3)

SOURCES

1	The Qantas Fleet 1921-1967, Qantas Press and Information Dept. November 1967.
2	The Douglas DC-4, Air-Britain, October 1967.
3	The Historic Civil Aircraft Register of Australia, AustAirData.
4	Aviation Letter, No. 161, April 1980.
5	CCAR https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/CCARCS-RIACC/RchHs.aspx
6	Aviation Letter, No. 186, May 1982.
7	The Qantas News, Vol. 11 No. 7, July 1963.
8	Personal observation by the author.
9	https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/326753
10	FreeBird Aviation Database.
11	Fred Niven, Ansett Historian
12	https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/322039
13	Aviation Letter, No. 287, October 1990.
14	Aviation Letter, No. 291, February 1991.
15	Aviation Letter, No. 293, April 1991.
16	Wings to the World, Sir Hudson Fysh, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1970.
17	Letter in author's collection.
18	Qantas Heritage Collection engineering planning documents sourced by Colin Lock.
19	AHSA News No. 3, July/December 1977.
20	High Court of Australia: https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/HCA/1977/71.html