VH-UTJ  Bell 47G-3B-1                                                         (c/n  2802)

                                        

                                                Registered VH-FVS for two months, VH-UTJ was acquired by Helicopter Utilities of
                                                Sydney in April 1963 and reregistered in its VH-UT* block      . It was sent to Papua
                                                New Guinea immediately where it flew with the Army Survey Corps mapping the country
                                                and  crashed at Alola on January 1, 1966.      It was rebuilt and returned to the register in
                                                July 1970 with a new c/n, 7349.   David Carter’s picture shows –UTJ at Mascot awaiting
                                                its post-rebuild test flight.     The Bell was withdrawn from use in August 1973, possibly
                                                after another accident, and did not return until November 1975 when it was with  WJ and
                                                BA Campbell at Newcastle, who used it on surf rescue work   . –UTJ ended up being
                                                used for cattle mustering until it was tragically lost in a crash at Eaglefield Station, near
                                                Mt Coolon, Queensland on October 25, 1978.     The pilot and observer survived the
                                                crash but while escaping the ensuing fire, the observer was struck and killed.by the still
                                                turning rotor