VH-SME  Piper PA-24 Comanche 250                        (c/n  24-3552)

                         
                              
                              Nice hangar shot by Greg Banfield at Bankstown in December of 1963 of one of the many aircraft
                              operated by the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority.  Below is an interesting publicity shot
                              showing most of the fleet registered in the VH-SM block on display at the company airfield at Polo
                              Flat near Cooma, NSW in 1967.    VH-SME (ex N8307P) heads the group.   To the left is the
                              Pilatus PC-6B Porter VH-SMB.   John Wheatley's shot (no 3) taken in the early 1970s is odd in
                              that it shows the Comanche with what appears tio be the Ansett delta logo on the tail.  Fred Niven,
                              the Ansett airlines historian indicates that the reason for this is that, in those days, Ansett General
                              Aviation were the local dealers for Piper and many of the aircraft passing through their hands were
                              thus adorned.   By the time of Danny Tanner's image at the foot of the page at Parafield in January
                              1980. the aircraft had been sold odff again.   VH-SME is sill flying, and is currently (20162) regist-
                              ered to an owner in NSW.