GEOFF GOODALL'S AVIATION HISTORY SITE

Last updated 15 October 2021

DE HAVILLAND DH.114 HERON IN AUSTRALIA

Compiled by Geoff Goodall

Australia's main Heron operator was Connellan Airways, Alice Springs NT later renamed Connair, which imported nine Herons.
Here VH-CLS with original DH Gipsy Queen engines departs Katherine NT in October 1967. Photo by Neil Follett

RILEY HERONS: Connair rebuilt its Herons as Lycoming-powered Riley Herons with big improvements in operformance.
Riley Heron VH-KAM departs Griffith NSW in November 1977 for Melbourne on a scheduled Kendell Airlines service.
Photo by David Carter

          During 1949 the De Havilland Aircraft Company decided that the improving post-war market justified development of a 4 engined stretched version of their successful twin-engined DH.104 Dove. The final design of the new DH.114 Heron carried 14 passengers and was powered by the same reliable DH Gipsy Queen 30 engines driving DH two-bladed variable pitch propellers.
         The prototype DH.114 was constructed at the DH Head Office factory at Hatfield Airport, 20 miles north of London. It used Dove nose and tail sections joined by a lengthened fuselage and Dove outer wing sections. The initial design aimed for economical simplicity with a fixed undercarriage. The prototype G-ALZL was first flown at Hatfield on 10 May 1949 and after 180 hours of development test flying, the tailplane was redesigned with dihedral. Heron production commenced at Hatfield, transferring to the DH Hawarden works at Chester.
         The prototype G-ALZL led a varied life as company demonstrator then airline and aerial survey flying in Europe before being ferried from Denmark to Australia in 1973 to become VH-CJS. She finished her long flying career carrying mining workers in the remote Gibson Desert in Western Australia.

   Total Heron production was 149 aircraft, the main production development being the Heron 2 with retractable undercarriage. It became the preferred model, customers accepting the cost and weight penalty of the hydraulics for the 20 knot increase in cruising speed and lower fuel consumption. In 1961 the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm replaced its five Doves (designated Sea Devons) with five Heron 2s (designated Sea Herons) for communications duties and as admiral's barges. One of the those Sea Herons later came to Australia as VH-NJP.

All Heron production models were powered by four 250hp DH Gipsy Queen 30 Mk.2 engines. 14 passenges or up to 17 if toilet removed.
DH.114 Heron 1B: fixed undercarriage,         AUW 13,000 lbs, cruising speed 165 knots
DH.114 Heron 2   : retractable undercarriage, AUW 13,000 lbs, cruising speed 183 knots
DH.114 Heron 2D: retractable undercarriage, AUW 13,500 lbs, cruising speed 183 knots

Herons in Australian service

First Heron seen in Australia was Heron 1B ZK-AYV in May 1952 which De Havilland arranged to be used as a demonstrator during its delivery flight to NZ National Airways Corporation. Arthur Butler,founder and Managing Director of Butler Air Transport Pty Ltd, Sydney was impressed with the Heron and on 3 July 1952 BAT announced an order for two new Mk.1Bs. They were delivered from England as VH-AHB and VH-ARB by BAT crews and operated as 14 passenger airliners on the BAT network of scheduled services to NSW country centres. Arthur Butler later wrote "The introduction of the DH Heron on services previously operated by Anson and Dragon aircraft helped to improve our financial situation. The Heron was faster than our DC-3s and many of our passengers preferred to travel in this modern four-engined aircraft."

A rather austere 1953 magazine advertisement for the Heron

           Next Australian Heron operator was Associated Airlines Pty Ltd, Melbourne. Their new retractable-gear Heron Mk.2D VH-ASH arrived at the company's Essendon base in May 1957. Despite its name, Associated Airlines was a private operation formed in 1937 by BHP to provide fast transport for Australian mining industry senior staff. VH-ASH replaced a Lockheed 12A. The Heron was flown for 11 years in attractive bright red, white and polished metallic finish, its cabin featuring loungechairs and tables in two compartments. It was replaced by a new Grumman Gulfstream 1 VH-ASJ in the same red colour scheme. As corporate transport became more established, Associated was to operate more Gulfstream 1s and the later Gulfstream executive jet models.

          In 1958 two Herons were imported from New Zealand by Southern Airlines Pty Ltd, Melbourne for their scheduled services from Essendon Airport. It was a final gamble to attract customers by the small airline, which was struggling financially after replacing Ansons with DH. Doves. The Doves featured a female copilot/hostess and the route network was widened to include Bairnsdale, Kerang, Swan Hill, Warrnambool, King Island, Flinders Island, Launceston Tasmania, Millicent SA, Naracoorte SA and Adelaide. The two Heron 1Bs VH-GVH and VH-GVI were in service for less than a year before Southern Airlines ceased operations. The company's shareholding and route licences were taken over by Ansett-ANA and the Herons were sold.

Enter Connellan Airways

         By far the largest Australian Heron operator and definitely the most influential was Connellan Airways Pty Ltd, Alice Springs NT. Founded in 1939 by E.J. "Eddie" Connellan who was determined to create an air service to remote properties and small towns across central Australia. First using Percival Gulls, he built up scheduled routes over desolate country as far as Wyndham WA, carrying mail, supplies and the occasional passenger. He also provided aircraft for the Alice Springs Base of the Flying Doctor Service of Australia.
        After WWII, Connellan planned new routes with bigger all metal aircraft, deciding on the Beech 18. He travelled to Manila in an unsuccessful attempt to acquire USAAF Beech C-45s being auctioned at Clark AFB in post-war aircraft disposals sales. Back home, to mprove services, he had little choice but to purchase DH.89 Rapide and DH.90 Dragonfly fabric covered biplanes then available in Australia.

         Connellan Airways' developmental routes could never be profitable without Federal Government subsidies which E.J. Connellan gained over many personal visits to Canberra to lobby Federal Ministers for support. But with Government subsidies came stifling Government control over the operation of his airline - which was to cause E.J.Connellan huge frustration over the next 40 years. His every improvement was handicapped by bureaucrats 2000 miles away in Canberra and Melbourne determined to protect the public purse. He still wanted Beech 18s but was limited to the biplanes. By the time Beech 18s were finally introduced in the mid 1950s, E.J. Connellan had decided the DH.114 Heron was now the best type to expand and improve trunk routes. Thus started a six year battle to gain Government approval to import second-hand Herons, which in Connellan Airways service proved to be the success that Eddie had expected.

Connellan Herons re-engined with Lycomings - the Riley Herons

         Eddie Connellan was well aware that his Heron 2s with Gipsy Queen engines would have less than sparkling performance in the high temperatures and humidity of his airline's network. Even before their introduction in 1963 he began investigating ways to improve their performance. His autobiography Failure of Triumph describes the lengthly path taken by this determined man to increase engine power. His early proposal to De Havilland management at Hatfield to supercharge the DH Gipsy Queen 30s was rejected as prohibitively expensive. Connellan decided he would have to completely change the engines on his Herons. He wrote
"After thorough investigation I chose the ungeared and unsupercharged Lycoming IO-540 engine of 300 hp. The English engineering business Aviation Traders, run by the famous Freddie Laker, wanted a guarantee of 50 aeroplanes to re-engine them with Rolls Royce built Continentals instead of the Lycomings I wanted. Airesearch in America countered with the requirement for 20 aircraft for a reasonable price. Jack Riley at Fort Lauderdale Florida* proposed he would do it for 8 aircraft at a reasonable price provided he had the blessing of De Havilland, access to their design data and the assistance of one or two of their design engineers.
This was difficult. De Havilland had already told me that my project was impossible. Herrod-Hempshall, who designed the Heron said it would not stand the extra power and the wings would crack. I went to Mexico City where the Bank of Mexico had a Heron which had been converted to four 340hp supercharged Lycoming engines and was having no trouble. It was done by a local company and as far as I could gather absolutely no design or stress calculations were made.
I took all the information I gathered back to Herrod-Hempshall in England. He said if we inspected the wing structure of the Mexican Heron, he was certain we would find find they were about to fall off with fatigue cracks. Back I went to Mexico and arranged for Pacific Airmotive in Dallas Texas to do a complete crack detection test. No cracks were found.
Back I went to Herrod-Hempshall. He was amazed. "I designed a better aeroplane than I thought" he said. De Havillands came to the party. They agreed to lend a couple of design engineers to Jack Riley as required and the whole project was on the way.

Jack Riley certified the conversion only to 12,500 pounds (5700 Kg) gross weight which was the maximum allowed for commuter airlines at that time in the United States. But because we were an airline there was no such restriction and we required the full original gross weight of 13,500 pounds so we undertook the whole certification program again.
We performed the actual conversion in our own workshops in the Alice Springs hangar with a saving of 800 pounds in weight.
The Lycoming Heron became the finest aircraft of its size in the world and also the most economical. It was a honey to fly. There was only one thing wrong with the Heron from our point of view. It had taken so long to gain Government approval to purchase them that, as usual, we already needed an aircraft twice the size because of the rate of growth of our traffic.
However the Herons continued to do a wonderful job for us for many years. We used all their fatigue life of 15,000 hours and had to respar them in order to begin their fatigue life all over again."

              Each Riley Heron conversion carred out at Alice Springs took 2,000 man-hours. Four 300hp Lycoming I0-540 engines driving three bladed propellers were installed with fire-extinguisher systems in each power plant, the wings were re-lifed, cockpit avionics were upgraded, new air conditioning and the cabin was refurbished with a separate toilet compartment and 16 lightweight seats to allow two extra passengers. The modifications were approved for airline use by the Australian Department of Civil Aviation.

              (*Riley Aeronautics Corporation specialised in aircraft modifications. Riley marketed a range of DH.104 Dove conversions with Lycoming engines culminating in the Riley Turbo Exec 400 with 400hp Lycomings and redesigned swept tail fin.
Riley's Lycoming Heron conversion was marketed in USA as the Riley Turbo Liner and achieved sales success with many airlines.)

              By 1979 Connellan Airways, now renamed Connair Pty Ltd was operating Fokker F.27 and DC-3 equipment alongside its remaining Herons and carrying 70,000 passengers a year. But Eddie Connellan was a tired and disillusioned man, fed up with constant conflict with Government, the airline pilots union and his own Board of Directors. A terrible personal blow had been the tragic death of his son Roger Connellan, a Connair Check and Training captain and destined to take over the airline from his father: on 5 January 1977 a disgruntled pilot who had been dismissed by Connair dived a stolen Beech Baron into the Connair administration building at Alice Springs Airport, killing himself, Roger Connellan, company engineers Mark Chittoni, Ron Dymock and assistant Liana Nappi. Serious burns were sustained by engineers Tony Byrnes, Kym Hansen and 20,000 hour Connair veteran pilot George Tayor.
             During 1979 an attempt to sell his airline to Trans-Australia Airlines was scuttled by the NT Government. E.J.Conellan negotiated a sale to East-West Airlines, Sydney effective 14 March 1980. This had the blessing of the NT Government despite Connellan's prediction that major airline costs on his modest routes doomed the takeover to fail. East-West formed a new company Northern Airlines based at Darwin, which lasted less than a year, announcing in December 1980 they were shutting down with losses of millions of dollars.

               Former Connair Riley Herons, including those taken over by the ill-fated Northern Airlines, were acquired by a variety of Australian third-level airlines and flew on in passenger service into the 1990s. Their sometimes complex ownership trails are detailed below:

Australian DH.114 Herons listed in order of appearance on the Civil Aircraft Register:

DH.114 Heron Mk.1B c/n 14006 Warrawee VH-AHB

.52	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hatfield. Production Heron 1B The first six Herons were built at the DH works at Hatfield Aerodrome Herts, then Heron production continued at the DH factory at Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester
	Built to the order of Butler Air Transport, Australia
5.9.52	Registered G-AMUK Butler Air Transport Pty Ltd, Kingsford Smith Airport Sydney NSW
15.9.52	Handed over to BAT at DH company headquarters Hatield, accepted by BAT Operations Manager Captain Tom Young
23.9.52	British CofA issued, 14 passenger seats
23.9.52	Departed Hatfield on delivery flight to Australia crewed by Captain T.R.Young, Captain R.Baker, engineer C.Hobday
4.10.52	Arrived Sydney Airport
8.10.52	Registered VH-AHB Butler Air Transport Pty Ltd, Kingsford Smith Airport Sydney NSW Named RMA Warrawee
4.11.52	Entered BAT scheduled operations, first service Sydney-Temora NSW. 14 passenger seats and toilet.
56	BAT retired both Herons VH-AHB & VH-ARB and offered them for sale. The sale proceeds went towards two new Vickers Viscounts VH-BAT & VH-BUT. BAT Ops Manager Tommy Young later said "The Herons turned out to be pretty useless. They had a very low payload and were totally unsuitable for our class of work. Arthur Butler chose the Herons and Viscounts himself, the selection was never discussed with me. The Viscounts were the most beautiful aeroplane I have ever flown, but they were a bit ahead of their time and the traffic just wasn't there for them. We used them on all our routes but the only one on which the Viscounts made money was Sydney-Coolangatta."
28.3.56	Change of ownership: Field Aircraft Services Ltd, Sydney NSW
14.5.56	Change of ownership: Aviation Sales Pty Ltd, Sydney Airport NSW
10.6.56	Struck-off Australian Register as sold abroad
11.7.56	Restored to British Register G-AMUK: Gulf Aviation Co Ltd, Bahrein
	Ferried from Sydney to Bahrein
15.8.67	Change of ownership: Flying Facilities Ltd, Gatwick
26.8.69	Change of ownership: Tradair Ltd, Southend
7.72	Scrapped at Southend

VH-AHB waiting to board passengers at Sydney during 1953. Photo by Eddie Coates

Rare colour view of VH-AHB at Sydney Airport in BAT service. Ben Dannecker collection

Sydney Airport Chris O'Neill collection

DH.114 Heron Mk.1B c/n 14034 Warrawa VH-ARB

.53	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 1B
	Built to the order of Butler Air Transport, Australia
16.10.53	Registered G-ANFE De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hatfield
10.11.53	British CofA issued
11.11.53	Handed over to Butler Air Transport. Ferried to Australia by BAT crew
17.12.53	Registered VH-ARB Butler Air Transport Pty Ltd, Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney NSW Named RMA Warrawa
56	BAT retired both Herons VH-AHB & VH-ARB and offered them for sale. The sale proceeds went towards two new Vickers Viscounts VH-BAT & VH-BUT.
20.7.56	Struck-off Australia Register as sold abroad
30.7.56	Restored to British Register G-ANFE: Gulf Aviation Co Ltd, Bahrein
	Ferried from Sydney to Bahrein
15.8.67	Change of ownership: Aerocontracts Ltd, Gatwick
5.4.68	Registered TN-ABA Cogeair, Kinshasa Zaire
11.7.69	Crashed Ruddervoorse, Belgium while being ferried to England

VH-ARB at Sydney Airport in 1954. Photo by Eddie Coates

DH.114 Heron Mk. 2D c/n 14111 Silver Heron VH-ASH

3.57	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2D
25.4.57	Handed over to Associated Airlines. Fitted out to Heron Executive Special configuration: the passenger cabin divided into two compartments.The rear compartment has 4 large armchairs in pairs facing each other across a wood panelled folding table. The forward compartment has two armchairs with smaller folding tables and provision for installation of a buffet.
27.4.57	VH-ASH visited Edinburgh-Turnhouse on crew training
29.4.57	Registered VH-ASH Associated Airlines Pty Ltd, Melbourne Victoria
	Associated Airlines was a private operation formed in 1937 by Broken Hill Pty Ltd to provide executive transport between Australian mining enterprises. First aircraft were Lockheed 12As
2.5.57	Accepted from DH by Associated Airlines Chief Pilot Captain Len M.Diprose. Delivered to Australia by chief pilot Captain Len Diprose, copilot Roger W. Jamieson (Manager DH New Zealand) and engineer A.C.Dalziel
2.5.57	Delivered via Southend en route to Australia
18.5.57	VH-ASH arrived Melbourne-Essendon on delivery. Australian certification inspection by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd at Bankstown Aerodrome, Sydney At that time Associated Airlines was based at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation airfield Fishermans Bend, Melbourne but moved its operations to Essendon in July 1957 when a new hangar and administration office was completed. It remains based there today with a fleet of executive jets.
9.9.65	Undercarriage folded during landing Essendon, minor damage
68	Offered for sale by Associated Airlines, replaced by Grumman G.159 Gulfstreams
3.5.68	Struck-off Australian Register, sold to USA
3.5.68	Registered N210FA Omni Investment Corp, Washington DC
3.5.68	N210FA departed Essendon for Sydney-Bankstown to have ferry tanks installed by Hawker De Havilland
.68	Continued delivery from Sydney to USA
68	Leased to Florida Airlines, Miami Florida
24.7.68	Reregistered N998SA Sun Airlines, St Louis Missouri
25.4.69	Change of ownership: RayJay Corporation. Converted to Riley Heron 2 with Lycoming engines
6.5.72	Reregistered N3FB Fischer Brothers Aviation, Gallion Ohio operating as Allegheny Commuter
18.12.78	Written off. Struck an airport vehicle crossing the duty runway while landing Cleveland-Hopkins Ohio. Aircraft wrecked, no fatalities among the 2 crew and 15 passengers.

VH-ASH at Essendon in November 1957 in factory paint scheme. Photo by Jeff Atkinson

Adelaide January 1962. "Silver Heron" red and white on polished metal finish. Photo by Geoff Goodall

VH-ASH at Associated Airlines' hangar at Essendon Airport. Ben Dannecker collection

VH-ASH repainted as N210FA at Essendon May 1968. Photo by Gordon Reid

Rebuilt as a Riley Heron with Lycomings, seen in service with Allegheny Commuter in 1973.
Keith Simpson collection

DH.114 Heron Mk.1B c/n 14033 Queen of the South VH-GVH

.53	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 1B
27.10.53	Registered ZK-BBO New Zealand National Airways Corporation, Wellington NZ
8.12.53	Reregistered ZK-BEQ. Named Mako (bellbird) NZNAC requested the change to indicate "Elizabeth Queen" because this new NZNAC aircraft had been selected to carry Queen Elizabeth II on her forthcoming NZ royal tour.
27.12.53	Acceptance date by NZNAC. Ferried to New Zealand
	Sold to Southern Airlines, Melbourne Australia
18.1.58	ZK-BEQ departed Auckland on delivery flight to Australia, under comand SAL Captain A.G.Gifford. Refuelled at Norfolk island, Coffs Harbour and Sydney, to Melbourne-Essendon
26.1.58	Registered VH-GVH Southern Airlines Ltd, Melbourne-Essendon Vic
27.1.58	Displayed at an airshow at Bairnsdale Vic
15.2.58	Named Queen of the South in a ceremony at Southern Airlines port Naracoorte SA, where local fundraising had contributed to the purchase of the two Herons.
1.11.58	Southern Airlines ceased operations. On 22.12.58 Ansett Transport Industries took over the Southern Airlines route licences. The SAL Doves and Herons were not included in the purchase and were advertised for sale by the SAL liquidators.
6.1.59	Change of ownership: Qantas Empire Airways, Sydney NSW Acquired by Qantas on behalf of Fiji Airways, in which it was a major shareholder.
3.59	Delivered to Fiji
23.4.59	Registered VQ-FAL Fiji Airways Ltd, Suva, Fiji
11.12.65	Ran off runway into ditch landing Ura airstrip, Taveuni Island, Fiji. Pilot and 17 passengers unhurt. Damaged beyond economical repair

VH-GVH in Southern Airlines service at Essendon during 1958. Photo by Bob McCutcheon

Parked at the Southern Airlines hangar at Essendon 1958. Photo by Neil Follett

VH-GVH still in Southern Airlines scheme while VH-GVI is repainted for Fiji Airways early 1969.
Photo: Civil Aviation Historical Society

DH.114 Heron Mk.1B c/n 14012 Queen of the Islands VH-GVI

.53	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 1B
19.12.52	Registered ZK-BBN New Zealand National Airways Corporation, Wellington NZ
22.4.53	Acceptance date by NZNAC. Delivered to NZ
	Named Matuhi (bush bird)
31.7.57	Retired, stored pending sale
1.58	Sold to Southern Airlines Ltd, Essendon Airport, Melbourne Vic
22.1.58	Test flown at Christchurch by Southern Airlines Captain Joe Salfass. Aircraft was repainted in Southern Airlines scheme as VH-GVI
29.1.58	VH-GVI departed Christchurch on delivery to Australia under command SAL Captaon A.G.Gifford. Refuelling stops at Auckland, Norfolk Island, Coffs Harbour, Sydney. Arrived Essendon 1.2.58
	Australian certification inspection at Essendon
4.3.58	Registered VH-GVI Southern Airlines Ltd, Essendon Airport, Melbourne Vic
4.3.58	Inaugural SAL passenger service, Melbourne-Bairnsdale return
3.58	Named Queen of the Islands in a ceremony at Flinders Island
1.11.58	Southern Airlines ceased operations. On 22.12.58 Ansett Transport Industries took over the Southern Airlines route licences. The SAL Doves and Herons were not included in the purchase and were advertised for sale by the SAL liquidators.
5.1.59	Change of ownership: Qantas Empire Airways, Sydney NSW Acquired by Qantas on behalf of Fiji Airways, in which it was a major shareholder.
24.2.59	Registered VQ-FAX Fiji Airways Ltd, Suva
9.11.66	Damaged landing Suva, Fiji. During repair serious corrosion was found and aircraft was written-off.
	Airframe donated to airport fire service Nausori Airport, Suva for practice exercises

Essendon 1958 with Southern Airlines. Peter Gates collection

Parked at the Southern Airlines hangar at Essendon in 1958. Photo by Eddie Coates

VQ-FAX heads a line of Fiji Airways Herons at Suva-Nausori Airport in September 1962.
Photo by Gordon Clear, courtesy South Australian Aviation Museum

DH.114 Heron Mk.2 c/n 14070 VH-CLR

.55	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2
9.6.55	Registered VT-DHH Indian Airlines Corporation
.63	Herons VT-DHH & VT-DHI purchased early 1963 by Connellan Airways from Indian Airlines. Both had been retired for some years at New Delhi and were unairworthy at the time of purchase. Both were flown to Australia
28.3.63	Registered VH-CLR Connellan Airways Ltd, Alice Springs NT
	Both Herons flown to Australia together. VH-CLR was flown by veteran airline pilots Harry Purvis and Damian Miller with Roger Connellan, Eddie Connellan's son.
8.4.63	VH-CLR arrived Alice Springs NT from India, three days behind VH-CLT
13.4.63	VH-CLR ferried Alice Springs to Sydney-Bankstown for Australian certification inspection and mandatory modifications by Hawker De Havilland Australia
22.7.63	Delivered Bankstown-Alice Springs to enter airline service
10.7.70	Connellan Airways Pty Ltd operating name changed to Connair Pty Ltd Aircraft were progressively repainted in a new yellow and white "CONNAIR" scheme
13.12.72	Struck-off Register, sold to Canada
12.72	Registered CF-FZP Saunders Aircraft Corporation, Gimli Manitoba
14.1.73	CF-FZP noted Fairoaks, England during delivery flight to Canada
	Rebuilt at Gimli Manitoba as Saunders ST-27. Tenth conversion, Saunders c/n ST27-010. (The ST-27 was a rebuilt DH.114 airframe with a 8 ft 6 inch (260cm) fuselage stretch, enlarged tailplane, powered by two PT-6A turboprops which could carry 24 passengers
.74	Reregistered C-FFZP Skywest Airlines (did not enter service)
5.75	Change of ownership: Air Atonabee Ltd, Toronto Ontario

VH-CLR and VH-CLT at Singapore-Paya Lebar late March 1963 on delivery from India to Australia.
VH-CLR's previous registration VT-DHH has been touched up for the ferry. Photo by David Taylor

Alice Springs January 1972 still with original Gipsy Queen engines. Photo by Mike Madden

London-Gatwick January 1973 during ferry flight to Canada as CF-FZP in Connair yellow paintwork.
Photo by David Freeman

After transformation to Saunders ST-27 C-FFZP, at Toronto Island Airport October 1981 with Air Atanobee.
Photo by Geoff Goodall

DH.114 Heron Mk.2 c/n 14071 to Riley Heron John McEwan, Spirit of Bass Strait VH-CLT

.55	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2
15.7.55	Registered VT-DHI Indian Airlines Corporation
3.63	Herons VT-DHH & VT-DHI purchased by Connellan Airways from Indian Airlines. Both had been retired for some years and were unairworthy at the time of purchase.
29.3.63	Registered VH-CLT Connellan Airways Ltd, Alice Springs NT
	Both Herons flown to Australia together. VH-CLT was flown by veteran Australian airline pilot and now professional ferry pilot Captain Bryan Monkton, with copilot Charles Osborne.
5.4.63	VH-CLT arrived Alice Springs NT on delivery from India, followed by VH-CLR three days later
	Used for crew training at Alice Springs
6.7.63	Ferried Alice Springs to Sydney-Bankstown for Australian certification inspection and mandatory modifications by Hawker De Havilland Australia
63	Entered passenger service with Connellan Airways
69-70	Rebuilt at Alice Springs by Connellan Airways as their first Riley Heron conversion with four 300hp Lycoming I0-540 engines driving three bladed propellers.
12.3.70	Civil Register aircraft type changed to a new DCA type designation DH114/2E/A1
10.7.70	Connellan Airways Pty Ltd operating name changed to Connair Pty Ltd. Aircraft were progressively repainted in a new yellow and white "CONNAIR" scheme
6.8.71	Starboard main gear collapsed during landing Alice Springs, minor damage
25.12.74	Survived Cyclone Tracy at Darwin. Connair staff parked it in a hangar overnight, prepared for the high winds with brakes set and all 3 wheels chocked, controls locked internally and externally and tail anchored to a tug. The rear freight locker was hastily filled with cartons of beer brought from a freight shed to weigh the aircraft down. Next morning Connair pilot David Frederickson used its HF radio to contact the Katherine DCA Flight Service Unit to pass news of the extent of destruction in Darwin. No other Darwin radio transmitters were operational after the cyclone and numerous essential messages were passed on behalf of police, government, emergency services and the military.
14.3.80	Eddie Connellan sold Connair and its assets to East West Airlines, Tamworth NSW. East West formed a new operation Northern Airlines to take over the Connair routes
18.6.80	Change of ownership: Northern Airlines Pty Ltd, Darwin NT
6.2.81	Northern Airlines ceased operations.
30.7.81	Change of ownership: Southern Airways (Operations) Pty Ltd, Adelaide SA
8.8.81	CLT noted at Adelaide-Parafield, no airline titles; noted in hangar 4.10.81 being repainted blue and white with "Southern" titles.
3.83	Change of ownership: Airlines of Tasmania Pty Ltd, Launceston Tasmania Named Spirit of Bass Strait
19.3.83	Delivered Parafield-Essendon-Launceston
	Flown on scheduled passenger services within Tasmania and to Bass Strait islands and Melbourne
16.10.85	Total flying time 21,169 hours
87	Retired at Launceston. Dismantled in the company hangar by 3.88
22.6.89	Struck-off Register
c89	The fuselage shell was moved by an Airlines of Tasmania engineer to a hunting lodge west of Woodbury, Tasmania for use as temporary accommodation
2002	CLT fuselage by now used as a storage shed at the hunting lodge, roughly painted in camouflage. Reportedly still there in 2013.

Bankstown May 1967 during routine maintenance by Hawker De Havilland. Photo by Roger McDonald

Mount Isa Queensland July 1970 soon after being re-engined with Lycomings. Photo by Roger McDonald

This landing accident at Alice Springs in August 1971 caused minor damage. Photo by Robert Zweck

Adelaide-Parafield October 1981 with charter operator Southern Airways. Photo by Nigel Daw

Launceston April 1984 with Airlines of Tasmania. Photo by Geoff Goodall

VH-CLT's fuselage in use as a storage shed at a hunting lodge in the Tasmanian bush near Woodbury.
Photo Gerard Brereton via Ron Cuskelly

DH.114 Heron Mk.2 c/n 14067 to Riley Heron VH-CLS

.55	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester.
19.6.55	Registered VT-DHE Indian Airlines Corporation
5.61	Sold to Banwarilal India
3.63	Sold to The Hundu Times
4.63	Sold to Kasturi Lal and Sons
.65	Sold to aircraft dealers Aerocontracts Ltd, Gatwick Airport, London. No British CofA issued, aircraft held in India pending resale
5.65	Sold to Connellan Airways Ltd, Alice Springs NT
28.5.65	Cable to DCA from Aerocontacts Ltd to advise that they have sold VT-DHE 14067 to Connellan Airways. Aircraft is located at Bombay. Scheduled to be delivered June 1965 by British ferry pilots
15.6.65	Registered G-ATFE Aerocontracts Ltd, Gatwick
6.65	G-ATFE delivered from India to Alice Springs by a British ferry crew.
28.6.65	Struck-off British Register
65	Parked outside at Alice Springs for six months reportedly due delays in availability of maintenance for Australian certification overhaul in Sydney.
1.3.66	Entered Connellan Airways hangar at Alice Springs to be prepared for ferry flight to Sydney-Bankstown for Australian certification inspection and modifications by Hawker de Havilland Australia.
4.10.66	noted at Bankstown completed overhaul at HDeH, painted as VH-CLS metallic with white upper surfaces.
21.10.66	Registered VH-CLS Connellan Airways Ltd, Alice Springs NT
10.66	Ferried Bankstown-Alice Springs where painted in Connellan Airways blue and white scheme
10.7.70	Connellan Airways Pty Ltd operating name changed to Connair Pty Ltd. Aircraft were progressively repainted in a new yellow and white "CONNAIR" scheme
19.11.71	port flap burnt by engine start fire at Victori River Downs Station NT
10.73	Completed rebuild at Alice Springs by Connellan Airways as Riley Heron 2E with four 300hp Lycoming I0-540 engines driving three bladed propellers. Australian certified for 2 crew and 16 passengers. DCA type designation DH114/2E/A1
24.12.74	Evacuated from Darwin to Katherine NT in the early evening ahead of approaching Cyclone Tracy. Later that night Connair pilots flew VH-CLS back to Darwin returning company DC-3 pilots who had flown Connair DC-3s VH-EWE, -MIN and -PWM from Darwin to Katherine. The Heron crew made 3 approaches but were unable to land due severe wind gusts and wind shear, returned to Katherine. Next morning after the destruction at Darwin, VH-CLS was the second aircraft to land at 11.30am. It was immediatey used to replace Heron VH-CLT for HF radio communications to DCA Flight Service Units, providing the only outside radio contact on the ground at Darwin that day. VH-CLS then joined the airlift to evacuate citizens whose homes had been destroyed.
23.10.75	Crashed destroyed on landing approach Cairns Qld. Captain G. Edwards, First Officer Peter Scaife, Hostess Lorraine French. All 11 persons on board died.
	The aircraft was operating Connair Flight 1263 Alice-Springs-Mount Isa-Cairns. Making an ILS approach to Cairns at night in rain and thunder storms, the crew reported not visual at the minima. Tower instructed them to make a Missed Approach procedure climbing to 3700 feet. The investigation determined that instead the Captain remained at a low altitude, probably marginally below the cloud base and was turning back to the runway through a turn of 270 degrees when the aircraft impacted terrain in a sugar cane field just north of the airport.

VH-CLS at Bankstown 4 October 1966 on completion of Australian certification after being ferried from India .
Photo by Roger McDonald

Early morning departure from Katherine NT in October 1967. Photo by Peter Limon

VH-CLS operating a scheduled Connellan Airways service to Mount Isa circa 1970. Ben Dannecker collection

VH-CLS in Connair paint scheme awaits passengers at Darwin in July 1973. Photo by Roger McDonald

DH.114 Heron Mk.2D c/n 14124 to Riley Heron Alice, Clive VH-CLV

.58	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2D
18.4.58	Delivered new to West German Air Force/Luftwaffe as CA+002
	Luftwaffe acquired two new Herons for military communications including personal transport of Chief of Staff. They were the first British built aircraft to serve in the post-war Luftwaffe which was largely US backed. Both these Herons were to later come to Australia for Connair.
30.8.62	Registered G-ASCX Ferranti Ltd, Manchester Based Machester-Ringway, one of several Herons used by Ferranti for courier services between its various plants manufacturing avionics, radar and defence electronic systems.
1.9.62	British CofA issued
2.70	Sold to Connellan Airways Ltd, Alice Springs NT
6.5.70	G-ASCX arrived Alice Springs on delivery flight ex UK
10.7.70	Connellan Airways Pty Ltd operating name changed to Connair Pty Ltd Aircraft were progressively repainted in a new yellow and white "CONNAIR" scheme
11.8.70	noted Alice Springs as VH-CLV flying
14.8.70	Registered VH-CLV Connair Pty Ltd, Alice Springs NT
	Entered service in Ferranti paint scheme with Connair titles
8-9.73	Rebuilt at Alice Springs by Connair as Riley Heron 2 with four 300hp Lycoming I0-540 engines driving three bladed propellers. Australian certified for 2 crew and 16 passengers. Named Alice
21.12.73	Civil Register change of type to DH.114 Heron 2D/A1.
18.9.74	Ferried Alice Springs-Sydney Airport to commence 4 scheduled return services per week from Sydney to Lord Howe Island on contract to Ansett Airlines of NSW. ANSW had retired its two Short Sandringham flying boats when an airport was constructed on the island but restricted terrain made the new runway inadequate for ANSW Fokker F.27 Friendships. Connair contract ended with last service 2.3.75 due Australian Federation of Air Pilots demands that its members fly the airline service to Lord Howe Island.
26.12.74	Flew Alice Springs-Katherine-Darwin arriving just after dawn to support the evacuation of Darwin citizens following the devastation of Cyclone Tracy the previous day, Captain Bob Bennett, F/O Mark Rindfleish
14.3.80	Eddie Connellan sold Connair and its assets to East West Airlines, Tamworth NSW. East West formed a new operation Northern Airlines to take over the Connair routes
18.6.80	Change of ownership: Northern Airlines Pty Ltd, Darwin NT
6.2.81	Northern Airlines ceased operations. Northern Herons were parked at Alice Springs pending disposal
30.9.81	Delivered Alice Springs-Sydney to join Avdev Airlines Davey
30.9.81	Change of ownership: Avdev Airlines Davey Pty Ltd, Sydney Airport NSW. Named Clive
	Avdev Airlines Davey Pty Ltd was formed in February 1981 when Aviation Developments Pty Ltd purchased Advance Airlines, Sydney, Davey Air Services, Dubbo NSW and Thorpes Air Transport.
15.1.82	Change of owner's name: Aviation Developments (Operations) Pty Ltd trading as Avdev Airlines of Australia, Sydney NSW Managing Director was William A. Davey who had founded Davey Air Services at Dubbo NSW in 1963. Avdev used Herons VH-CLV and VH-KAM on their prime routes Sydney-Parkes and Sydney-Lord Howe Island, replacing Beech 200s and Bandeirantes which proved unsuitable for the LHI run.
11.5.84	Change of ownership: Airlines of Tasmania Pty Ltd, Launceston Tasmania
12.5.84	Delivered Sydney to Launceston. Enterd service retaining name Clive
16.10.85	Total flying time 21,215 hours
12.10.91	visited RAAF Richmond NSW air show on a charter from Tasmania
6.93	Airlines of Tasmania report: VH-CLV and VH-CLX are the only Herons remaining in service, while VH-KAM is on lease in New Zealand
14.2.97	Airlines of Tasmania ceased operations
13.8.97	Sold to Australia Pacific Air Parts, Burleigh Gardens Queensland. Stripped for parts at Launceston
29.9.97	Struck-off Civil Register as withdrawn from service
.97	Stripped airframe was donated to Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston
2011	Fuselage VH-CLV stored in compound behind museum
2021	Stored inside a building at the museum, complete fuseleage with wings stacked alongside
9.21	QVMAG offers the Heron for disposal "as is"

Alice Springs June 1970 after delivery flight from UK. Photo by Gordon Reid

Darwin November 1970, VH-CLV initially in Connair service retaining its previous Ferranti paint scheme.
Photo by Robert Zweck

Alice Springs August 1980, now with the short-lived Northern Airlines. Chris O'Neill collection

Sydney Airport June 1982 with Avdev Airlines Davey. Photo by Chris O'Neill

Launceston July 1984 just after delivery to Airlines of Tasmania ex Avdev Airlines. Photo by Roger McDonald

VH-CLV in Airlines of Tasmania service, waiting to load passengers at Melbourne-Essendon in January 1985.
Photo by Mike Madden

VH-CLV in storage at the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston but no longer wanted in 2021.
Photo: Aviation Historical Society of Tasmania

DH.114 Heron Mk.2D c/n 14108 to Riley Heron VH-CLW, T3-ATA, DQ-FDY, "VH-CLW"

.56	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2D
12.56	Test flown with Class B registration G-5-15
.56	Sold to West German Air Force/Luftwaffe as CA+001
	Luftwaffe acquired two new Herons for military communications including personal transport of Chief of Staff and Chancellor Conrad Adenauer. They were the first British built aircraft to serve in the post-war Luftwaffe which was largely US backed. Both these Herons were to later come to Australia for Connair.
31.1.57	Departed Chester on delivery flight, overnight Southend. Next day flew to Koln-Bonn.
13.2.57	Luftwaffe operating permit issued. On strength 3./LTG62 (VIP) Squadron
7.1.63	Ferried West Germany to Sywell, England on delivery to Shackleton Aviation
4.3.63	Registered G-ASFI Shackleton Aviation Ltd, London (Aircraft brokers)
28.5.63	British CofA issued, based Sywell
11.63	Sold to USA, registration N4661T allocated but sale not completed. Remained at Sywell as G-ASFI
15.9.64	Registered CR-GAT Transportes Aereos de Guinea Portuguesa - TAGP, Bissau, Portuguese Guinea
5.70	Sold to Connellan Airways, Australia
21.7.70	Registered VH-CLW Connellan Airways Ltd, Alice Springs NT
21.8.70	Arrived Alice Springs on delivery flight
3.72	Rebuilt at Alice Springs by Connair as Riley Heron with four Lycoming IO-540 engines, 3 bladed props
13.4.72	Test flight Alice Springs after Riley conversion
17.4.72	Civil register type changed to DH.114 Heron 2D/A1
.76	Leased to Kendell Airlines, Wagga NSW
6.76	noted at Sydney Airport in Kendell Airlines red/black scheme operating a scheduled Kendell service from Wagga. Noted Melbourne Airport 11.76 on Kendell services.
16.2.77	Change of ownership: Premiair Aviation Pty Ltd, Wagga NSW trading as Kendell Airlines. Managing Director Don Kendell
21.7.79	Struck-off Register during a major overhaul at Wagga during which the wing structural life was extended by use of a wing strap modification rather than replacing the wing spar.
10.3.80	Restored to Civil Register
3-5.80	Leased to Executive Airlines, Melbourne-Essendon Vic.
5.80	noted at Melbourne Airport back in Kendell Airlines markings, on scheduled Kendell services. Kendell's Herons VH-CLW and VH-KAM were being replaced by Swearingen Metros.
5.81	Sold to Air Tungaru, Tarawa, Kirabati (formerly Gilbert and Ellis Islands)
30.5.81	VH-CLW departed Wagga for Brisbane on delivery flight painted in Air Tungaru markings. Delivery pilots were Don Kendell and John Macknight (of Macknight Airlines, Deniliquin NSW). The previous night a hangar party was held, with everyone associated with the Kendell Airlines Heron era invited.
1.6.81	Arrived Tarawa on delivery via Brisbane, Noumea, Nadi, Funafuti. Don Kendell gave endorsement training to Air Tungaru pilots.
26.6.81	Registered T3-ATA Air Tungaru, Tarawa, Kirabati
11.84	Ferried Tarawa-Fiji on sale to Sunflower Airlines
3.12.84	Registered DQ-FDY Sunflower Airlines, Nadi, Fiji. Named Belo Vula (white heron)
1.85	Port wing seriously damaged when Nadi hangar was wrecked during a cyclone. Repaired using a replacement wing acquired from Prinair, Puerto Rico and airfreighted to Fiji by Flying Tiger Line. Because the hangar had been demolished, the replacement wing was fitted in the open weather.
21.8.88	Damaged by fire during refuelling, Nadi Airport Fiji
7.95	Sold to Heron Airlines, Sydney NSW
15.4.97	DQ-FDY departed Nadi for Noumea on delivery flight to Sydney
97-00	DQ-FDY parked at Sydney-Bankstown, stripped for parts.
9.00	Acquired by Paul Ewoldt, Sydney on loan to Australian Aviation Museum, Bankstown Airport
12.2.01	DQ-FDY noted at Bankstown, less engines and parts
09	Reported to be loaned by Paul Ewold to Mudgee Aero Club for a planned aviation museum at Mudgee
.12	Sold dismantled by Ewold to Central Australian Aviation Museum, Alice Springs NT
	Moved to Alice Springs where assembled and restored for display at CAAM by volunteers, including retired former Connair Heron pilots and engineers.
	Current. Displayed at CAAM as yellow Connair VH-CLW

1957 De Havilland picture prior to handover to Luftwaffe. Ron Cuskelly collection

Alice Springs July 1973. Photo by Roger McDonald

Sydney-Bankstown June 1976 now with Kendell Airlines. The unpainted cabin door had been modified to
incorporate an airstair design. Photo by David Carter

Both Kendell Airlines Riley Herons VH-KAM and VH-CLW at Melbourne Airport during February 1977.
Civil Aviation Historical Society/Mike O'Grady collection

Melbourne-Essendon April 1980 while on short lease to Executive Airlines. Photo by Mike Madden

Back in Kendell service at Melbourne Airport during June 1980. Another fine study by Mike Madden.

Brisbane Airport 30 May 1981 during delivery flight from Wagga to Kiribati in the Pacific.
Photo by Ron Cuskelly

Next owner was Sunflower Airlines of Fiji as DQ-FDY. Company promotional picture via Ron Cuskelly

DQ-FDY at Nadi Airport, Fiji in April 1986. Photo by Ron Cuskelly

Nadi Airport Fiji March 1990 in a new Sunflower Airlines paint scheme. Photo by Craig Justo

DQ-FDY stripped airframe in the Bankstown Aviation Museum storage yard in 2007. Photo by Ian McDonell

DQ-FDY was restored for display at Central Australian Aviation Museum at Alice Springs as Connair VH-CLW.
Photographed there nearing completion in August 2017 by Ian McDonell

DH.114 Heron Mk.2D c/n 14098 to Riley Heron Nammo VH-CLX

.56	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2D
20.11.56	Registered G-ANPV De Havilland Engine Company, Leavesden Aerodrome Hertshire
1.57	First flight, test flown with Class B registration G-5-24
	Stored 57-59 pending sale
31.10.59	Change of ownership: Tube Investments (Group Services) Ltd, Birmingham
18.1.60	British CofA issued
26.11.70	Change of ownership: Dismore Aviation Ltd, London
22.12.70	Sold to Connair Pty Ltd, Alice Springs
	Ferried to Australia
12.3.71	Registered VH-CLX Connair Pty Ltd, Alice Springs NT
1.72	Rebuilt at Alice Springs by Connair as Riley Heron 2 with four Lycoming IO-540 engines, 3 bladed props
10.2.72	Civil register type changed to DH.114 Heron 2D/A1
1.11.73	Damaged, heavy landing Alice Springs
26.12.74	Flew Alice Springs-Tennant Creek-Darwin arriving just after dawn to support the evacuation of Darwin citizens following the devastation of Cyclone Tracy the previous day. Urgently needed Police equipment was loaded at Tennant Creek. Captain Bob Forman, F/O Bob Brown.
14.3.80	Eddie Connellan sold Connair and its assets to East West Airlines, Tamworth NSW. East West formed a new operation Northern Airlines to take over the Connair routes
18.6.80	Change of ownership: Northern Airlines Pty Ltd, Darwin NT Not put into service, retained Connair paint scheme
6.2.81	Northern Airlines ceased operations. Parked at Alice Springs with other Northern Herons pending disposal
7.7.83	Change of ownership: Airlines of Tasmania Pty Ltd, Launceston Tasmania. Named Nammo
9.7.83	Delivered to Launceston still in Connair paint scheme
	Originally acquired by Airlines of Tasmania for spare parts because of its high wing hours. After VH-CLY's landing accident at Launceston 4.8.83, the company decided to put CLX into service fitted with the repaired mainplane of CLY.
	Airlines of Tasmania named their rebuilt VH-CLX Nammo in recognition of Connair ground engineer Ian "Nammo"Bradman whose actions in securing Connair Heron VH-CLT at Darwin on the night of Cyclone Tracy saved that aircraft.
16.10.85	Total flying time 14,963 hours
6.93	Airlines of Tasmania report: VH-CLV and VH-CLX are the only Herons remaining in service, while VH-KAM is on lease in New Zealand
2.95	retired Launceston
-	Reportedly sold to Heron Airlines, Sydney. Assumed for engines and parts only.
14.2.97	Airlines of Tasmania ceased operations.
13.8.97	Sold to Australia Pacific Air Parts, Burleigh Gardens Queensland. Stripped for parts at Launceston
.01	Stripped airframe acquired by Australian National Aviation Museum, Moorabbin Airport, Melbourne
21.6.01	Dismantling commenced at Launceston by a team from NAAM
25.6.01	Arrived at ANAM Moorabbin by truck from Launceston via boat ferry from Tasmania
	Assembled and restored for display in faded Airlines of Tasmania paintwork. Fitted with cowlings but no Lycoming engines, tailplane stored under cover on site
5.16	Offered for sale "as is" by ANAM
	Sold to Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, Parks Airport NSW HARS based at Albion Park, Wollongong NSW was developing a second site at Parkes for its growing collection of airworthy and static display aircraft.
2.9.16	VH-CLX departed Moorabbin by road for Parkes
	Current. Static display at HARS Parkes

Renfrew Airport, Glasgow May 1962. Photo by Gordon Reid

Alice Springs July 1973 wearing a trial variation of the Connair colour scheme. Photo by Roger McDonald

Two views during a Connair service Darwin to Bathurst Island in January 1979. Photos by Geoff Goodall

Essendon December 1988, VH-CLX arrives on a scheduled service from Tasmania via Flinders Island.
Photo by Mike Madden

DH.114 Heron Mk.1 to Mk.1B c/n 10903 Prototype VH-CJS

.50	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hatfield Aerodrome. Prototype DH.114 Construction used a DH.104 Dove nose and tail units joined by a lengthened Dove keel, roof and side members, and Dove outer wing panels. Four 250hp DH Gipsy Queen 30 engines with two baded props
30.3.50	Registered G-ALZL De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hatfield
10.5.50	First test flight Hatfield, flown by DH test pilot Geoffrey Pike. Aircraft in polished metallic finish
	Airframe Log book: extensive test flying and certification trials, 180 hours
20.6.50	Airframe Log book: test flight after modifications by DH Leavesden
20.11.50	British CofA issued. 2 pilots and 14 passengers. 3 extra passenger seats approved if the rear cabin toilet was removed
24.11.50	Departed Hatfield for Africa for tropical performance trials at Khartoum and Nairobi
20.12.50	Airframe Log book: total time 260 hrs. Sent to DH plant at Leavesden Aerodrome for modifications including a dihedral tailplane and redesigned cockpit canopy. Test flown 14.2.51 after mods by Geoffrey Pike
51	Trial installation of more powerful 330hp DH Gipsy Queen 30-3 engines, but refitted with the original model 250hp Gipsy Queen 30s
5.51	Handed over to DH Sales Department for demonstration to potential customers
8.51	Painted in British European Airways Corp paint scheme for evaluation on Northolt-Channel Islands services. mOver five successive weekends G-ALZL carried a total of 5,000 passengers
52	Painted in Morton Air Service scheme for demonstrations to the airline based London-Croydon
.52	Early 1952 demonstrated at Oslo, Norway to airline Braathens SAFE
7.52	Demonstrated at Farnborough Air Show, painted in Japan Airlines scheme
25.4.54	Registered LN-BDH Braathens SAFE Air Transport, Oslo, Norway. One month lease from DH. Airline founded by Ludvig G. Braathen, owner of the Braathens South America and Far East shipping line, which operated DC-3s and DC-4s. Two Herons were purchased in 1952.
14.5.54	Returned to DH from Norway
21.5.54	Registered G-ALZL De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hatfield
15.12.54	Airframe Log book: total time 842 hrs. Brought up to production standard Heron Mk.1B.
30.6.55	Change of ownership: Jersey Airlines, Jersey Airport, Channel Islands. Named Duchess of Paris Jersey Airlines was the first British Airline to introduce Herons on its services between the Chanel Islands, France and England. G-ALZL was their 7th and last delivered in July 1955.
	During summer peak seasons, Jersey Airways removed the rear cabin toilet of its Herons to allow 17 pax.
12.2.59	Change of ownership: Alares Development Co, Jersey Airport (Parent company of Jersey Airlines)
15.12.59	Airframe Log book: total time 6,049 hrs.
26.2.62	Airframe Log book: total time 8,653hrs.
9.10.62	Change of ownership: Executive Air Transport Ltd, Birmingham. EAT was established 9.60 as aircraft leasing specialists, with or without crews, also providing Dove and Heron support and maintenance. EAT owned a total of 12 Herons for leasingout.
8.5.64	G-ALZL commenced a 12 month lease to English Electric Co Ltd, Samlesbury. Used as a executive transport between factories
2.6.65	Returned to Executive Air Transport Co
8.65	Leased to Emerald Airways Ltd, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Established in January 1965 to fly passenger services within Ireland and to Scotland. Began with four leased Herons and later Short Skyvans and DC-3s. Ceased operations November 1967.
3.9.65	G-ALZL operated Emerald Airways' inaugural services
11.66	Returned to Executive Air Transport Co
2.12.66	Sold to Dan-Fly, Denmark
13.12.66	Registered OY-DGS Dan-Fly, Copenhagen, Denmark
.68	Sold to Cimber Air, Copenhagen, Denmark
26.9.69	Change of ownership: Geoplan Company, Copenhagen Aerial survey operations, crewed and maintained by Cimber Air.
.73	Sold to Altair Pty Ltd, Perth, Western Australia.
29.7.73	OY-DGS arrived Perth-Jandakot on delivery from Denmark. "Geoplan" markings
6.8.73	Struck-off Danish Register
23.8.73	Registered VH-CJS Altair Pty Ltd, Jandakot Airport, Perth, Western Australia.
23.8.73	Australian CofA issued after overhaul at Jandakot. That day flew pilot-training circuits at Perth Airport
8.73	Entered Altair service carrying staff and equipment on contract to WA Petroleum Company to oil and gas fields at Barrow Island and further north in Western Australia. Also operated by Altair on the WAPET contract and other mining support were DH.104 Devons VH-CJX, VH-CJY and Mitsubishi Mu-2G VH-CJP. Later Altairused 3 leased Cessna 500 Citations on drilling support contracts between Perth, Timor and Broome.
10.74	Altair Pty Ltd ceased operations.
23.10.74	VH-CJS was ferried Telfer mine-Meekatharra-Jandakot after collapse of Altair. Parked Jandakot.
8.1.75	Change of ownership: Lease Industrial Finance Ltd, Sydney NSW
1.75	Altair Heron and Devons sold to Ernst van Reesma, Adelaide SA trading as Armor Coatings (Australasia) Pty Ltd. He had a financial interest in Adelaide air service Coveair Pty Ltd.
25.1.75	VH-CJS arrived Adelaide on delivery ex storage Jandakot. Operated on Coveair's charter licence
26.1.75	Flew an Adelaide-Whyalla charter
24.2.75	Civil Register Change of ownership: Armor Coatings (Australasia) Pty Ltd, Adelaide SA
	Based Adelaide Airport, flew charters and on Coveair's scheduled passenger services to Kangaroo Island and SA towns. "Coveair" painted above windows.
26.8.75	Rolled out at Parafield after repaint in a new Coveair white and red paint scheme
12.75	Leased by Armor Coatings to Amalgamated Air Services, Jandakot Airport, Perth The lease included Devons VH-CJY and VH-MGT which were also ferried to Perth from Adelaide
	Amalgamated Air Services was a short-lived business recently formed by Managing Director Michael D. Rainsford, Perth. AAS took over the lease of Heron CJS and Doves VH-CJY & MGT for a contract to carry mining workers and equipment from Perth to the gold mine operation at Telfer in the Gibson Desert, 1300 Km north.
	Michael Rainsford recalled "I negotiated for Amalgamated Air to lease the Heron from Armor Coatings. We then flew CJS from Adelaide to Perth to operate it on a contract run from there to Telfer on a two or three times a week return passenger and freight service. The Heron flew this for about ten months (stet), clocking up 80,000 miles in ground temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius. It was retired when servicing and parts costs became prohibitive and an unsatisfactory agreement experienced between the owners Armor Coating and Amalgamated Air. "
4.12.75	VH-CJS arrived Perth-Jandakot on delivery from Adelaide
28.3.76	VH-CJS flew a freight charter Perth-Adelaide during an Ansett and TAA airline pilot strike
10.5.76	Change of ownership: Michael D. Rainsford, Perth WA (Managing Director Amalgamated Air Services)
21.5.76	Heron VH-CJS last flight. Perth Airport-Jandakot ferry on three engines
8.76	Amalgamated Air Services ceased operations
	VH-CJS parked in open weather at Jandakot while lengthy legal action took place in an attempt to recover monies owed between Armour Coatings, Coveair, United Air Services, Amalgamated Air Services and several finance companies.
10.9.76	Struck-off Civil Register
c86	VH-CJS and Devon VH-CJY acquired by West Australian Museum of Aviation, Perth. WAMA was formed by a group of enthusiasts including aircraft ground engineers with plans for a new museum in Perth with different objectives to the existing WA Aviation Heritage Museum at the Airforce Association estate Bull Creek, Perth
86	VH-CJS and VH-CJY stored dismantled in a vehicle compound at Jandakot Airport, Both are in poor condition after 10 years weather exposure. Stored with ex RAAF Canberra A84-207 and DC-3 PK-GDC "Broome Tourist Bureau".until 1988 when airport management needed the compound area for development
1.88	VH-CJS was moved by truck from the compound to another site on the airport
	West Australian Museum of Aviation project was abandoned. Its aircraft collection was dispersed
28.1.97	The Heron was moved by road to Aviation Heritage Museum of WA, Bull Creek, Perth
	Held dismantled at AHM. Major airframe sections were restored and Gipsy Queen engines brought up to display standard, before the decision was made to cease work and place it up for sale.
.11	Sold to International Airliners Museum, Victoria
25.10.11	VH-CJS fuselage noted outside at Aviation Heritage Museum, Heron due to be transported to Victoria
2.12.11	Departed Bull Creek by road for Victoria
	Stored dismantled by founder of the embryo International Airliners Museum
.13	Acquired by Australian National Aviation Museum, Moorabbin Airport, Melbourne Vic
19	Stored dismantled in museum compound Moorabbin, long-term restoration project

De Havilland 1950 publicity picture of the prototype Heron G-ALZL

Two views of the arrival of OY-DGS at Jandakot WA 29 July 1973 after the long delivery flight from Denmark.
Both photos Geoff Goodall collection

Now Altair's VH-CJS, photographed by Michael Austin near Rockingham WA in September 1973

Parked at Altair Pty Ltd's base at Jandakot Airport, Perth during February 1974. Photo by Geoff Goodall

Adelaide-Parafield October 1975 while with Coveair. Photo by Geoff Goodall

Adelaide Airport March 1976 on a charter from Perth with new operator Amalgamated Air Services.
Photo by Geoff Goodall

Jandakot WA June 1984 abandoned out in the weather with a spare Gipsy Queen dumped alongside.
Photo by Geoff Goodall

Jandakot September 1988 dismantled with other aircraft acquired by the WA Museum of Aviation group.
Photo by Geoff Goodall

VH-CJS at the Aviation Heritage Museum of WA, Bull Creek, Perth in 2004, the wings were nearby.
Photo by Joe Barr

DH.114 Heron Mk.2D c/n 14122 to Riley Heron VH-CLY

.57	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2D
15.8.57	Registered EC-AOC Aviacion y Comercio S.A. - AVIACO, Madrid Spanish independent airline which flew 8 Herons on high-frequency local services, main route Balbao-Madrid-Barcelona. Grew to become a major jet airline.
31.7.64	Registered G-ASVB Morton Air Services Ltd, London-Gatwick Airport (sales agents)
	G-ASVB delivered to Gatwick from Spain, parked pending resale
1.10.64	Registered VQ-FAE Fiji Airways Ltd, Suva, Fiji
16.11.64	VQ-FAE & VQ-FAF departed Gatwick on delivery flight to Fiji
4.71	Change of operating name Air Pacific, Suva, Fiji
1.10.71	Reregistered DQ-FAE Air Pacific, Suva, Fiji
4.75	Connair sent Assistant General Manager Stephen Marshall and Engineering Manager Bob Bovill to Fiji to negotiate the purchase of Herons DQ-FAC, DQ-FAE and DQ-FAF retired with time-expired wing spars. A representative from Prinair, Puerto Rico (then the world's biggest Heron operator) was also in Fiji to acquire the same trio, but Connair was successful: three Herons plus spare parts for $50,000. Fiji aviation authorities approved ferry flights to Australia on a crew-only basis.
4.75	Sold to Connair Pty Ltd, Alice Springs NT
26.7.75	DQ-FAE noted at Brisbane Airport on ferry flight from Fiji to Alice Springs, full Air Pacific scheme. Continued Brisbane-Alice Springs 29.7.75.
11.8.75	Struck-off Fiji Register
	Parked at Alice Springs with DQ-FAF pending overhaul and conversion to Riley Herons
	Rebuilt at Alice Springs by Connair as Riley Heron 2 with four Lycoming IO-540 engines, 3 bladed props
17.8.76	Registered as DH.114 Heron 2D/A1 VH-CLY Connair Pty Ltd, Alice Springs NT
14.3.80	Eddie Connellan sold Connair and its assets to East West Airlines, Tamworth NSW. East West formed a new operation Northern Airlines to take over the Connair routes
9.6.80	Change of ownership: Northern Airlines Pty Ltd, Darwin NT
6.2.81	Northern Airlines ceased operations
	Parked Darwin, later Alice Springs pending disposal with other Northern Airlines Herons
9.5.83	Change of ownership: Airlines of Tasmania Pty Ltd, Launceston Tasmania
9.5.83	Delivery flight Alice Springs-Leigh Creek-Essendon-Launceston.
	Entered service in Northern Airlines scheme with "Airlines of Tasmania" painted above windows
4.8.83	Crashed during landing Launceston Tas. When misligned with the runway on the landing approach, the Pilot in Command made a late go-around, the flaps were partially raised and the landing gear was retracted. The aircraft sank and left wing struck several fences before the aircraft slid to a halt on its belly. 2 crew and 5 passengers were not injured
	Damage assessed as beyond economical repair, dismantled for parts
	Mainplane of VH-CLY fitted to VH-CLX.
	Stripped fuselage sold as scrap
02	Fuselage on a farm at Evanston Tas. Later the nose section was cut off and the remainder removed as scrap

Darwin December 1978 with Connair. David Carter collection

Darwin November 1981 after Northern Airlines had shut down. Chris O'Neill collection

DH.114 Heron Mk.2 c/n 14075 to Riley Heron Spirit of Tasmania VH-CLZ

.55	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2
8.55	Registered VT-DHJ Indian Airlines Corporation
.58	Sold to Hindustan Steel Company
5.62	Sold to Indamer Co (aircraft dealers)
12.62	Registered VQ-FAC Fiji Airways Ltd, Suva, Fiji
21.6.64	VQ-FAC arrived Sydney-Bankstown for overhaul, reportedly en route from India to Fiji
4.71	Change of operating name Air Pacific, Suva, Fiji
1.10.71	Reregistered DQ-FAC Air Pacific, Suva, Fiji
4.75	Connair sent Assistant General Manager Stephen Marshall and Engineering Manager Bob Bovill to Fiji to negotiate the purchase of Herons DQ-FAC, DQ-FAE and DQ-FAF retired with time-expired wing spars. A representative from Prinair, Puerto Rico (then the world's biggest Heron operator) was also in Fiji to acquire the same trio, but Connair was successful: three Herons plus spare parts for $50,000. Fiji aviation authorities approved ferry flights to Australia on a crew-only basis.
4.75	Sold to Connair Pty Ltd, Alice Springs NT
12.6.75	DQ-FAC arrived Alice Springs from Fiji on delivery flight, Air Pacific scheme
	Australian certification overhaul and conversion to Riley Heron carried out by Connair at Alice Springs
19.4.77	Registered VH-CLZ as DH.114 Riley Heron 2E/A1: Connair Pty Ltd, Alice Springs NT
14.3.80	Eddie Connellan sold Connair and its assets to East West Airlines, Tamworth NSW. East West formed a new operation Northern Airlines to take over the Connair routes
18.6.80	Change of ownership: Northern Airlines Pty Ltd, Darwin NT
6.2.81	Northern Airlines ceased operations
81-83	Parked Alice Springs pending disposal with other Northern Herons
25.5.83	Sold to Airlines of Tasmania Pty Ltd, Launceston
4.7.83	Delivered Alice Springs-Leigh Creek-Essendon-Launceston, still in Northern Airlines paint scheme
21.10.83	Civil Register change of ownership: Airlines of Tasmania Pty Ltd, Launceston Tasmania Named Spirit of Tasmania
16.10.85	Total flying time 21,068 hours
.89	Retired at Launceston.
11.89	noted Launceston parked outside, airline markings painted over, one engine removed.
5.91	stripped airframe in poor condition outside Airlines of Tasmania hangar Launbeston
14.2.97	Airlines of Tasmania ceased operations
29.9.97	Struck-off Civil Register
22.7.98	Sold to Heron Airlines, Sydney NSW: stripped for parts
by 01	Stripped airframe donated to Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston Tasmania Museum planned to use parts of CLZ to complete the more complete VH-CLV for display.

VQ-FAC on a Fiji Airways service to Tarawa, Gilbert and Ellis Islands (now Kirabati) during the 1960s.
Photo by Gordon Clear via SA Aviation Museum

Alice Springs 1975 after delivery from Fiji to Connair. Neil Follett collection

Now Riley Heron VH-CLZ with Connair, at the original Ayers Rock airfield. Photo by Gordon Reid

Alice Springs November 1979 Chris O'Neill collection

Alice Springs June 1980 in service with Northern Airlines. Photo by Michael Austin

Two views of VH-CLZ at Wynyard Tasmania on an Airlines of Tasmania service in April 1984.
Photos by Geoff Goodall

VH-CLZ retired at Launceston November 1989. Photo by Gordon Reid

DH.114 Heron Mk.2D c/n 14123 to Riley Heron VH-KAM

.57	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2D
2.10.57	Registered EC-AOF Aviacion y Comercio S.A. - AVIACO, Madrid Spanish independent airline which flew 8 Herons on high-frequency local services, main route Balbao-Madrid-Barcelona. Grew to become a major jet airline.
2.10.57	Aircraft log book: EC-AOF delivered England to Spain, 7 hr 5 mins
31.7.64	Registered G-ASVC Morton Air Services Ltd, London-Gatwick Airport (sales agents)
20.8.64	G-ASVC arrived Gatwick on delivery from Spain
1.10.64	Registered VQ-FAF Fiji Airways Ltd, Suva, Fiji
16.11.64	VQ-FAF and VQ-FAE departed Gatwick on delivery flight to Fiji
26.2.65	VQ-FAF arrived Sydney-Bankstown for major overhaul by Hawker de Havilland. Departed Bankstown 15.4.65 on delivery to Fiji.
4.71	Change of operating name Air Pacific, Suva, Fiji
1.10.71	Reregistered DQ-FAF Air Pacific, Suva, Fiji
4.75	Connair sent Assistant General Manager Stephen Marshall and Engineering Manager Bob Bovill to Fiji to negotiate the purchase of Herons DQ-FAC, DQ-FAE and DQ-FAF retired with time-expired wing spars. A representative from Prinair, Puerto Rico (then the world's biggest Heron operator) was also in Fiji to acquire the same trio, but Connair was successful: three Herons plus spare parts for $50,000. Fiji aviation authorities approved ferry flights to Australia on a crew-only basis.
4.75	Sold to Connair Pty Ltd, Alice Springs NT
14.5.75	DQ-FAF noted at Brisbane Airport on ferry flight from Fiji to Alice Springs, full Air Pacific scheme. Continued next day to Alice Springs.
2.6.75	Struck-off Fiji Register
8.7.75	noted parked at Alice Springs with DQ-FAC, awaiting overhaul and conversion to Riley Herons by Connair. DQ-FAF had been on-sold to Kendell Airlines, Wagga NSW, with Connair contracted to carry out the Riley conversion prior to delivery to Kendell.
75	Rebuilt at Alice Springs by Connair as Riley Heron with four Lycoming IO-540 engines, 3 bladed props
16.12.75	Registered as DH.114 Heron 2D/A1 VH-KAM Kendell Airlines, Wagga NSW
12.75	Delivered Alice Springs-Wagga still in Air Pacific paint scheme. On arrival at Wagga it was repainted in Kendell Airlines' red black and white scheme.
1.76	Entered commercial service with Kendell Airlines early January 1976, initially mainly on Wagga-Melbourne return services twice daily. Replaced in 1980 by Swearingen Metroliners.
8.80	Change of ownership: Davey Air Services, Dubbo NSW This Dubbo charter business was established by Bill Davey in 1963 and by now operated scheduled airline services between Sydney and Dubbo connecting with Nyngan, Bourke, Brewarrina, and Cobar.
8.81	Davey Air Services taken over by Avdev Airlines, Sydney. Operated as Avdev Airlines Davey
15.1.82	Change of owner's name: Aviation Developments (Operations) Pty Ltd trading as Avdev Airlines of Australia, Sydney NSW Managing Director was William A. Davey who had founded Davey Air Services at Dubbo NSW in 1962. Avdev used Herons VH-CLV and VH-KAM on their prime routes Sydney-Parkes and Sydney-Lord Howe Island, replacing Beech 200s and Bandeirantes which proved unsuitable for the LHI run.
1.5.84	Change of ownership: East Coast Airlines, Sydney NSW Remained in basic Avdev Airlines scheme, operated as a back-up aircraft to East Coast's commuter airline network in NSW
15.3.85	Change of ownership: Seaspan Pty Ltd, Sydney operating as Tongair, Tonga
16.3.85	VH-KAM departed Sydney on delivery to Tonga, painted in Tongair markings
1.5.85	Returned to Sydney, parked
16.7.85	Change of ownership: Airlines of Tasmania Pty Ltd, Launceston, Tasmania
9.85	Intended sale to Sunflower Airlines, Fiji was not completed. Allocated registration DQ-FEC not taken up.
14.9.85	Delivered Sydney to Launceston, still wearing Tongair markings
16.10.85	Total flying time 24,721 hours
6.92	Leased by Airlines of Tasmania to Vincent Aviation, Wellington NZ. Vincent Aviation had been formed the previous year by Peter Vincent, a former SAFE air freight pilot, to fly group charters. Began with Heron ZK-TAJ but it was grounded due airframe corrosion 4.92. VH-KAM was leased as a replacement. See ZK-TAJ below for further details
26.6.92	VH-KAM delivered to Wellington NZ to Vincent Aviation. For the period of the lease, the Lycoming engines were replaced by the four Lycomings removed from Vincent Aviation's grounded Riley Heron ZK-TAJ.
21.8.92	Inaugural flight to Chatham Islands where Vincent Aviation planned scheduled services, which did not eventuate
17.7.93	Visited Dunedin on a rugby supporters charter
21.8.93	Departed NZ on return to Airlines of Tasmania at end of lease. Airframe time: 26,885 hrs
4.11.94	Last flight: Launceston-Flinders Island-Launceston. Captain Kevin Swiggs. Airframe time: 29,999 hrs and 7 minutes. Retired at Launceston due reaching the 30,000 hour wing life.
14.2.97	Airlines of Tasmania ceased operations
30.6.97	Sold to Australia Pacific Air Parts, Burleigh Gardens Queensland. Stripped for parts at Launceston
.97	Stripped airframe donated to Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston Tasmania
5.9.97	Queen Victoria Museum accepted a proposal from Queensand Air Museum to trade VH-KAM's airframe for a radial engine display supplied by QAM
8.2.98	QAM recovery crew arrived at Launceston to prepare the Heron for road transport to Queensland via the Bass Strait boat ferry to Melbourne
18.2.98	Arrived dismantled by road at Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra Airport Qld
	Currently displayed at QAM. Reassembled, restored and repainted as "VH-KAM Airlines of Tasmania" Displayed without Lycoming engines but with engine cowlings and fabricated propellers.

G-ASVC at London-Gatwick in September 1964. Photo by Gordon Reid

VQ-FAF at Sydney-Bankstown April 1965 during inspection by Hawker de Havilland Australia.
Photo by Bob Neate

DQ-FAF at Brisbane-Eagle Farm 14 May 1975 during its ferry flight from Fiji to Alice Springs.
Photo by Peter Gates

VH-KAM at Melbourne Airport August 1976 in Kendell Airlines service. Photo by Mike Madden

Sydney Airport December 1980 in the stylish scheme of Davey Air Services. Photo by Mike Madden

Sydney Airport September 1981 now repainted as Avdev Airlines Davey. Photo by David Carter

Sydney Airport July 1985 after the short lease to Tongair at Tonga. Photo by Tony Arbon

Next owner was Airlines of Tasmania. Seen at RAAF Richmond NSW October 1988 on a charter from Hobart.
Photo by Geoff Goodall

Airlines of Tasmania leased VH-KAM to Vincent Aviation in New Zealand during 1992-1993.
Photographed at Auckland Airport in November 1992 by Ron Cuskelly.

Queensland Air Museum's excellent restoration of VH-KAM's stripped airframe shell is painted in the final
scheme it wore with Airlines of Tasmania. Photographed at QAM in June 2019 by Angelo Calleja

DH.114 Heron Mk.2D c/n 14061 to Riley Heron Arthur Butler VH-NJI

	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2D
15.2.55	Registered TC-HER Daviet Hava Yollari, Istanbul, Turkey
5.56	Airline reorganised under new name Turk Hava Yollari - Turkish Airlines
4.66	Registered N484R Aviation Development Corp
31.85.67	Converted to Riley Heron with 4 Lycoming engines by Hayes Engineering on behalf of Riley Aeronautics Corpoation
3.67	Change of ownership: Heron Leasing Inc
22.8.68	Registered CF-RAB Royalair Ltd, Canada
27.1.69	Registered N138FA Bevdale Inc operating as Fleet Airlines
5.71	Registered N111KA Kundert Aviation
2.72	Registered N413SA Swift Aire Lines, San Luis Obispo, California
.76	Change of ownership: United Medical Leasing
.77	Registered N15FB Fischer Brothers Aviation, Gallion Ohio operating as Allegheny Commuter
7.11.83	Change of ownership: Short Brothers Ltd (trade-in on Shorts SD360s)
21.1.84	Change of ownership: Susquehanna Airlines, Binghamton New York
1.85	Susquehanna Airlines was grounded by FAA citing safety violations.
12.85	Registered DQ-FED Fiji Air Services trading as Fiji Air, Suva
12.85	Delivered from USA to Fiji with two others purchased at the same time, all three ferried to Fiji between 9th-12th December 1985 to become DQ-FEC, FED, FEE.
.91	Sold by Fiji Air to John Ives trading as Heron Airlines, Sydney NSW
27.10.91	DQ-FED arrived Sydney on ferry from Fiji via New Caledonia-Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island, flown by John Ives.
20.12.91	Registered as DH.114 Heron 2D/A1 VH-NJI Heron Airlines Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW. Named Arthur Butler Operated on passenger and freight charters, also outback Australia package tours
94	Flew an 21 Day Pacific tour Sydney-Lord Howe Island-Norfolk Island-Noumea-Port Vila -Nadi-Suva-Savusavu-Wallis Island-Apia-Pago Pago and return to Sydney
1.00	Flew extensive charter work during a period when many charter aircraft across Australia were grounded due to contamined fuel.
.01	Retired at Sydney-Bankstown
12.2.01	noted at Bankstown with parts removed
.01	Acquired by Australia's Museum of Flight, Nowra Naval Air Station NSW The Fleet Air Arm Museum at Nowra had been reorganised to display a wider range of aircraft and exhibits and in 2000 renamed AMOF under commercial management. Six years later a Royal Australian Navy policy change resulted in the museum reverting to Navy control under its original name and the removal of non-military exhibits.
4.02	noted at Bankstown dismantled, ready for transporting to Nowra by road. At Nowra dismantled outside the museum at the end of the month.
03-06	Displayed at Australia's Museum of Flight in Heron Airlines paint scheme, suspended from hangar rafters complete with Lycomings and propellers.
17.8.04	Struck-off Civil Register. "CofR holder is no longer a registered company"
07	Acquired by Paul Ewoldt, Sydney. Paul was associated with the Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown Airport which did not have indoor display space for additional aircraft
.07	VH-NJI moved by road from Nowra to Mudgee NSW where a new aviation museum was to be established, but the plan did not progress
24.2.10	moved by road from Mudgee to "Larras Lee" farm near Molong NSW for storage. Also on the property was a collection of retired Douglas DC-3s transported from the Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown. Paul Ewold was reported to be planning to restore the Heron for display.
.12	VH-NJI acquired by Ross Pollock who proposed a Butler Air Transport memorial museum should be established at Tooraweenah NSW. (Arthur Butler had personal ties with this small town and made it a hub for BAT air services to rural NSW. BAT Dragons and Rapides transferred passengers at Toowaweenah to connect with Sydney by BAT DC-3s and Herons until the mid 1950s.)
29.1.13	moved Molong to Tooraweenah for proposed BAT Museum
	Stored dismantled at Tooraweenah, repainted into white and blue inaccurate Butler Air Transport scheme, but the BAT museum project failed to gain financing
8.14	Advertised for sale dismantled by Ross Pollock
	Acquired by Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, Albion Park NSW as a static display aircaft for their newly established annexe at Parkes Airport NSW
3.17	Moved by road from Tooraweenah to Parkes
6.17	noted under restoration inside the HARS hangar at Parkes, painted as "Butler Air Transport VH-AHB"
	Current

Avalon International Air Show Vic October 1992 on a charter from Sydney. Photo by Mike Madden

Visiting Cairns Qld wearing a later paint scheme. Photo by Paul Howard

VH-NJI displayed at Australia's Museum of Flight, Nowra NSW in April 2006. Photo by Ian McDonell

Advertisement for VH-NJI published August 2014

VH-NJI in the HARS hangar at Parkes NSW in May 2017. Photo by Dave Eyre

VH-NJI displayed as Butler's VH-AHB "Warrawee"at the HARS Parkes annexe in September 2019.
Photo by Peter Ricketts

DH.114 Heron Mk.2 c/n 14072 to Sea Heron E.J.Connellan VH-NJP

.55	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2
4.55	Registered VR-NAQ West African Airways Corp, Lagos Nigeria
13.4.55	DH hand-over date to WAAC
28.8.60	VR-NAQ arrived London-Gatwick for disposal by Overseas Aviation Ltd
17.3.61	Registered G-ARKU Overseas Aviation Ltd, Gatwick
28.3.61	Struck-of British Register, sold to British Admiralty for Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
3.61	Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm as Sea Heron C Mk.20 XR443. One of five second-hand Herons acquired by Royal Navy in 1961 for communications duties, designated Sea Heron C Mk.20s with serials XR441 to XR445
3.90	Sold at auction of RNFAA aircraft to D. Liddel-Grainger
20.4.90	Registered G-ODLG David Liddel-Grainger, Ayton Castle, Eyemouth
	Originally registered quoting c/n 14092 due confusion caused by "G-ODLG" being temporarily painted on two Sea Herons purchased by Liddel-Grainger after the auction. Both were at Booker airfield. The other aircraft 14092 became G-ORSJ and was broken up for parts at Booker.
2.1.92	Change of ownership: RSJ Aviation International Ltd, Farnborough Airport
93	Purchased at Booker by John Ives trading as Heron Airlines, Sydney
93	G-OLDG ferried Booker-Gloucester for preparation for ferry to Australia by Eurojet.
22.7.93	Registered VH-NJP IBJ International Aviation Consultants Pty Ltd trading as Heron Airlines Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW
27.9.93	VH-NJP departed Staverton, Glos on delivery flight to Australia flown by John Ives
8.10.93	Arrived Sydney after a 27 stop delivery flight
	Delays with CASA Australian certification to allow passenger charter. The regulator discouraged the use of older type commercial aircraft forpassenger work.
14.1.95	VH-NJP visited Adelaide, basic Royal Navy grey & white scheme, "Heron Airlines" above windows name "E.J.Connellan" on nose
2.10.96	Flew Sydney-Maitland NSW, reported to be VH-NJP's first revenue operation
.98	Retired at Bankstown
12.2.01	noted at Banktown having maintenance
18.10.01	Test flight Bankstown after overhaul
.01	Retired at Bankstown
10.02	noted Bankstown, Heron Airlines paint scheme, not flying
.03	Sold to Al Mahatta Museum, Sharjah United Arab Emirates
9.03	Repainted at Bankstown as "Gulf Aviation G-ANFE"
.03	Dismantled and shipped from Sydney to Sharjah
04	Displayed at Al Mahatta Museum, Sharjah as "Gulf Aviation G-ANFE" alongside a DH.104 Dove, Douglas DC-3 and Avro Anson all painted in Gulf Aviation markings. (G-ANFE had been a Heron with Gulf Aviation Co, a BOAC associate company based at Bahrein which operated airline services to Arabian Gulf area, including Sharjah)
	Currently displayed Sharjah

VH-NJP at Bankstown in October 1993. Photo by Mike Madden

VH-NJP repainted to represent Gulf Aviation Heron GANFE, displayed Al Mahatta Museum, Sharjah UAE

DH.114 Heron Mk.2D c/n 14131 to Riley Heron ZK-TAJ

.57	Built by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hawarden Aerodrome, Chester. Production Heron 2D
6.1.58	Registered YV-P-AEB Cia. Shell de Venezolana S.A.
67	Converted to Riley Heron with Lycoming engines by Riley Aeronautics Corporation in Florida
10.68	Reregistered YV-P-AEC Cia. Shell de Venezolana S.A.
	(YV-O-MMH-5) Not Taken Up when sale cancelled to Venezuala Ministry of Mines
.74	Reregistered YV-284P
.86	Sold to Air Raratonga, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, South PAcific
7.7.86	Registered ZK-TAJ Air Rarotonga, Raratonga, Cook Islands (Aviation administration in the Cook Islands is provided by the New Zealand Government)
9.7.86	ZK-TAJ noted at Honolulu on delivery flight to Rarotonga
.90	Air Rarotonga's single Heron was replaced by a Bandeirante, flown to Auckland for resale
12.90	ZK-TAJ advertised in NZ aviation magazines: DH RILEY HERON COMMUTER ZK-TAJ Low Cost Entry Level. 15 Pax Com.Only 10,000 Hrs since new. New Lycoming IO-540 Engines. King IFR Avionics, Transponder, HF, Intercom. Complete Records From Day One. Extensive Spares Package. New C of A and Major Check. Excellent paint and interior. Immediate Delivery. All Manuals Included. Type Training Avail. Delivered Ex Ardmore
6.91	Sold to Vincent Aviation, Wellington NZ
	Delivery delayed while wing spar work carried out in Fiji
7.2.92	Arrived Auckland on ferry from Fiji via Norfolk Island
24.2.92	Final flight: flew Wellington-Palmerston North for maintenance by Fieldair.
	Serious corrosion found in wing structure. Aircraft grounded.
9.92	Shipped dismantled to Launceston for structural repairs for Vincent Aviation to be carried out by Airlines of Tasmania. Shipping container arrived Launceston Airport 15.9.92
	On detailed inspection the corrosion was found to beyond repair. Airframe sold "as is"for parts use to Airlines of Tasmania
	In 6.92 Vincent Aviation replaced the grounded ZK-TAJ with Riley Heron VH-KAM leased from Airlines of Tasmania. The Lycoming power plants from ZK-TAJ were installed in VH-KAM for the period of the lease.
4.8.93	ZK-TAJ struck-off Civil Register
	(Peter Vincent, founder of Vincent Aviation subsequently took succesful legal action against the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealandover their issuing a CofA to ZK-TAJ which poved to be unairworthy)
6.11.96	ZK-TAJ's dismembered airframe sections were carted away from the Airlines of Tasmania hangar at Launceston Airport by a scrap metal dealer

ZK-TAJ at Palmerston North NZ 28 February 1992 during the inspection that would not be comnpleted.
Photo by R.A.Scholefield

ZK-TAJ in the Airlines of Tasmania hangar at Launceston in December 1992. Photo by Gordon Reid

• • • • • •

Endpiece:
It's hard to believe this Canadian Saunders ST-27 twin-turboprop stretched Heron conversion C-FZZP was previously Connair's VH-CLR.
ST-27s could efficiently carry 23 passengers on two P&W PT-6As. Twelve were built at Gimli, Manitoba before the venture was shut down when Government financial support was withdrawn in 1976. Photographed by the compiler at Toronto Island Airport in October 1981, with Toronto city and CN Tower behind.

Sources:
- Australian Civil Aircraft Register, Department of Civil Aviation and its successors
- British Civil Aircraft Register: g-info website
- Department of Civil Aviation aircraft files: National Archives of Australia, Melbourne
- British Civil Aircraft Since 1919, Volume 2, A.J..Jackson, Putnam London 1973
- De Havilland Aircraft Since 1909, A.J.Jackson, Putnam London 1978
- De Havilland Heron, J. Graham Cowell, 1983
- SE Asia Civil Aircraft Registers, Air Britain 1979: VT- historical Register
- Civil Aircraft Registers of Venezuala, Air Britain 1983
- Failure of Triumph, E.J. Connellan, Paradigm Investments, Alice Springs NT
- Flight, Memoirs 1912-1958, C.Arthur Butler, Anna Yates 2008
- Serving The Outback - The story of Connellan Airways, Keith Simpson, Propliner Annuals 2018-19
- Romancing The Heron, Gordon Reid, Australian Aviation magazine, November 1986
- Tom Young, T.R.Young interview recorded by Greg Banfield, AHSA Aviation Heritage Vol.32 No.4, 2001
- Journal - Aviation Historical Society of Australia, and Civil Register updates, 1960 onwards
- NSW Air Log, monthly 1964
- Australian Air Log, monthly newsletter 1965-1968
- Western Airletter, monthly newsletter, Perth WA 1974-1983
- Aussie Airliners site: http://www.aussieairliners.org/dehavilland%20heron/vh-ahb/vhahb.html
- Aviation after Cyclone Tracy, Ron Cuskelly: http://www.adastron.com/cyclone-tracy/tracy.htm

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