VH-FDV  Beech 65 Queen Air                           (c/n  LC-203)

                              

                                  Formerly a Royal Flying Doctor Service machine, this aircraft came onto the Australia civil register
                                  in April 1966.   It never did look very sprightly, even when first imported, as seen in the photo below
                                  by Greg Banfield at Mascot in March 1966, a month before it was officially registered in Australia.
                                  Oddly, since it was a new machine, it was dressed overall in white with a red N9506Q rego.  By the
                                  time that John Wheatley photographed it (above) at Adelaide in September 1977 it had been sold by
                                  the RFDS to air charter and tour outfit Skytours.   This company conducted tours to destinations
                                  which included Alice Springs, Andamooka, Ayres Rock and Oodnadatta.  The fleet grew in the mid
                                  80s to include three Queen Airs and an Aero Commander 680. . It was still in Skytours basic livery,
                                  although minus the cowling titling, when Greg saw it again at Bankstown (photo # 3) on 20 November
                                  1994.  VH-FDV is still on the current register and privately owned in NSW.   Phil Vabre saw it at an
                                  air show at Bundaberg in 2009 as seen in the photo at the foot of the page. .