VH-RQS  Cessna 172D Skyhawk                        (c/n   17250461)

                                          

                                                This Royal Queensland Aero Club Skyhawk was a contestant in the 1964 Ansett Air Race.
                                                Greg Banfield caught it at the overnight stop at Bankstown on 29 March of that year (above).
                                                It was flown by R.D. Taylor and was lucky, of course, that it didn't have to trek all the way to
                                                Archerfield to begin the race!    It was first registered on 31 Oct 1963 ( ex N2861U) and
                                                was originally to have been VH-DIA but this was not taken up when it went straight to the
                                                RQAC. .  When sold by the club in October 1967 it became VH-BQS, and, as such, is still
                                                current, being registered to a private owner in Thurgoona, NSW.