VH-TAD (2)  Douglas DC-6B                                         c/n  44687)

                                

                                      In the early to mid 1960s TAA acquired this DC-6B to augment the two that were being leased
                                      from Ansett-ANA.    C/n 44687 was originally built for the Supplemental Carrier (i.e. non-sked)
                                      North American Airlines in 1954 as N6120C.   It was subsequently operated by a several more
                                      of these non scheduled airlines (Trans-American Airlines, Twentieth Century Airlines and Columbia
                                      Airlines) before TAA purchased it in November of 1963, and named it  "John Ross". Greg Banfield
                                      took the above shot at Mascot in November 1964.   This, the second VH-TAD was flown by Trans-
                                      Australia for three years and then sold it to Trans Mediterranean Airways in September 1986 where-
                                      upon it became OD-AER.   After returning to the US in 1973 for Zantop International as N90687
                                      it went to Columbia in 1976 as HK-1707X.   It was written off in a crash at Sierra Cucuy, near
                                      Bogota,  while operating a cargo flight on on 8 December 1978.