VH-FDS  DHA-3 Drover 3                                          (c/n  5007)

                                

                                     First registered in 1951 as VH-DRC, this Drover underwent conversions to a Mark 1F; a Mark
                                     2 and finally a Mark 3 with the installation of the Lycoming flat-four engines.  It was re-registered
                                     into the Royal Flying Doctor series as VH-FDS in September 1963.  The photograph above was
                                     taken by Roger McDonald (via Geoff Goodall) at Bankstown in 1968.    It was probably being
                                     "traded in" by the RFDS at that time, since Roger saw it again at Perth (immediately below) a year
                                     later, by which time it was bereft of its Flying Doctor livery and flying for Murchison Air Services
                                     on their 'Murbird' services to Rottnest island. . In 1972 it was sold to John Collins' Air-Rep Service
                                     Pty Ltd.  VH-FDS crashed at remote Trefoil Island, off Cape Grim on Tasmania's north-west coast
                                     on 30 July 1973.   The late Mike Madden took the shot of its remains (bottom) in October of the
                                     same year.  (Photo via the Geoff Goodall collection).    Mike was probably Australia's greatest
                                     aviation photographer and must clearly have made the trip specially to take a series of photographs
                                     of the wreck since Trefoil Island is private property, owned by the Trefoil Island Aboriginal Co-op-
                                     erative, and approval is required prior to visiting.    In 1989 the wreck was donated to the Queens-
                                     land Air Museum and restoration back to full RFDS standard began at Coloundra in 2007.   For
                                     a complete history of this Drover and more historic photographs, go to the QAM's site at
                                                                       http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/drover/VH-FDS.htm