VH-TOH  Bell 47G4                                     (c/n  3372)

                                    

                                         Well over 100 Bell 47s have been registered in Australia over the years.  This one was seen at
                                         Bankstown in 1965 by Mike Croker (photo via the Geoff Goodall collection). It was registered
                                         to Aerial Agriculture Pty Ltd of Bankstown.    (During 1964/65 the NSW Region of DCA used
                                         the VH-TO and -TP blocks).      Aerial Agriculture was financed by Fred W. Sutton of Suttons
                                         Motors, Sydney (owner of Proctor VH-SMS among other machines).  By the mid-1960s Fred
                                         'got into' helicopters and owned quite a few of them, many registered to Aerial Ag.  .VH-TOH
                                         was written off on 22 December 1965 when, during a downhill spraying run of a crop which had
                                         a considerable gradient at Little Hampton, SA (in the Adelaide hills), the port spray boom struck
                                         the ground and the helicopter rolled over and crashed.  The pilot escaped with minor injuries but
                                         the aircraft was totaled by the impact and subsequent fire.