VH-UTV  de Havilland D.H.89A Dragon Rapide              (c/n  6655)

                               

                                    With a registration like VH-UTV one would assume, at first glance, that this nice Rapide was a
                                    restored pre-war Australian one.  It is, however, the re-registered VH-IAN which was an RAF
                                    Dominie which originally came in from New Zealand in 1971.  It was re-registered VH-UTV in
                                    1999.  You'd think that, if one were going to request a "period" registration in the VH-U series,
                                    then one would ask for one which had really been a Rapide, rather than VH-UTV which was
                                    previously a Short Scion!      Phil Vabre took the above shot at the AAAA National Fly-In at
                                    Narrandera, NSW in April 2006.  The aircraft is still currently flying. and is registered to Robert
                                    Fox of Kellyville, NSW.