VH-EAX  (3)  DHC-3 Beaver 1                           (c/n 247)

                                   

                                        Interesting shot from the Ben Danneker collection of Otters VH-EAX and -EAW at the old Lae
                                        Airport, New Guinea circa 1958.  (Locale identified by Rowan Hughes),   Both were delivered
                                        new to the airline on 27 May 1958.  -EAX was named 'Kokopo'.  The DC-3 in the background
                                        is VH-EBY.  The Beaver was probably VH-EAV.     In 1960 both these Otters (along with the
                                        other two, VH-EAY and VH-EAZ)  were sold to TAA  for its Sunbird operation.  VH-EAX be-
                                        came VH-SBR and was renamed 'Kundiawa' by TAA.       Withdrawn from use in 1966 it was
                                        stored at Bankstown for a couple of years before returning to the land of its birth as C-FYLZ. 
                                        As such it is still (2012) current with West Caribou Air Service  a sporting and mining charter
                                        company operating out of Savant Lake, Ontario. (I imagine that most passengers enplaning on
                                        the Otter these days are considerably younger than the aircraft itself).   Notice this is -EAX the
                                        third.  The second was to have been a Drover which went straight to Fiji as VQ-FAS.