VH-DRR     Piper PA-23-160 Apache                          (c/n  23-1366)

                                      

                                             This was previously British adventurer Sir Donald Campbell's G-APLJ, flown out to Australia
                                             the previous year to support his land speed record attempts on the dry lake bed at Lake Eyre,
                                             SA in his "Bluebird".   Although delivered to the UK in 1958, it spent some time in Nigeria from
                                             March 1960 until August 1962, first as VR-NDG and later as 5N-ABS.   When restored to the
                                             UK register in 1962 it was still wearing its standard Piper finish.      However, in the photos seen
                                             above and below (both by Geoff Goodall) it is shown (i) above at Parafield in March 1964 and
                                             owned by then by Noarlunga Sand Pit Ltd of Adelaide  and (ii) below at Adelaide-West Beach
                                             in April 1963 still as G-ALPJ, wearing a quite hideous dull blue and white scheme. By December
                                             of 1986 when seen by Danny Tanner at Parafield (foot of the page) it was owned by the rather
                                             oddly named Assess Air Services of Essendon.    It is still current, and registered in Queensland.