VH-BZA   Douglas DC-3CS1C3G                (c/n  4651)

                              
                             
                                  VH-BZA was an ex C-47-DL built in 1942 with the USAAC serial number 41-38623.  In 1943
                                  it was assigned to the 5th Air Force and stationed in Brisbane.  It went onto the civil register in 1947
                                  as VH-GAT for Guinea Air Traders.   Ansett acquired it in 1948 and it was re-registered VH-RMA.
                                  Noted aviation historian and author Fred Niven advises that the 'RMA' stood for the initials of the airline
                                  founder - that great Australian entrepreneur Reginald Myles Ansett (later Sir).  In 1949 the Ansett fleet
                                  was re-registered again, this time into the VH-BZ- series.   VH-RMA became VH-BZA and it is in the
                                  livery above that most air travellers of the 1950s associate the fleet.  At this time the aircraft was named
                                  'Anscirrus'.  Color scheme was natural metal with dark red cheat line, rudder and titling. (No white top).
                                  VH-BZA crashed off Spectacle island, Fred Henry Bay, Tasmania on 12 Jan 1956.   The aircraft was
                                  on a cargo flight and carried only the two pilots, one of whom was killed.  A reproduction of a post card
                                  I received from Ansett in 1948 showing the aircraft as VH-RMA can be found at that sequence.
                                  Below is a poor rendition of it in as VH-BZA in the -RMA style markings.  Finally, at the foot of the
                                  page are a couple of nice color shots of -BZA from the 1950s   The first is from the Geoff Wikes coll-
                                  ection (via Fred Niven), and the second (very bottom) is from the R.N. (Bob) Smith collection.