VH-DRB DHA-3 Drover
1
(c/n 5006)
Photos of VH-DRB are compartively
rare. The above is from CAHS archives, via Phil Vabre. .
The image
immediately below is from the John Oxley
Library, State Library of Queensland collec-
tion
showing a doctor
alighting from a Royal Flying Doctor Service Drover greeting some women
and children at
an
outback station,
date and venue unknown. Well, he seems friendly enough -
the
potential
patients look a little nonplused. Anyway, the narrative indicates
that
the aircraft was
named
"John Flynn". VH-DRB
was, in fact, the
aircraft named after this founder of the Service. It is seen
in
the photo at the foot of the page in a
DHA
publicity shot (via Geoff Goodall) on its delivery flight
from the
factory at Bankstown to Charleville,
Queensland where it was based by TAA for the Flying
Doctor Service
contract. Captain W. D. Young, standing on the wing, was the
pilot in command for
the flight. -DRB
was
re- registered VH-FDR in 1962. The FDS
had "Royal" charter bestowed
upon it in
1955.