For today's airlines, that have been around for long times, and been "continuously operating", without a break, it's implied that, from their origin to the current day, they must have (serially) transited through the most remarkable phases of technology and innovation, from ancient to modern, (relating to both a/c and navigation). Take for examples: KLM, the oldest airline of the world, or Avianca, the world's second oldest airline after KLM, and, in fact, the oldest airline in the Western Hemisphere. Origins of such (historic) airlines are always fascinating e.g., Avianca, founded in 1919, in Columbia, had got officially into business, around September/October of 1920, when a German pilot, by the name of Helmuth von Krohn, piloted a (float-equipped) Junkers F.13, between Barranquilla and the nearby town of Puerto Colombia, following the course of the Magdalena River... (nature's navigational aid). Using the floats, Helmuth von Krohn was able to perform the first inland flight over Colombia (first in the Western Hemisphere and the Americas); the flight took eight hours and required four emergency landings in the water...transporting 57 pieces of mail...Oh well...And the same Avianca airline is now flying the Boeing Dreamliners and the Airbus Neos...!

Now, historic airlines, that did not survive that long, but lost their identity by getting merged or acquired or dissolved in bigger airlines, also are interesting. This post illustrates one such airline of the Australian Outback, that was once an active operator of the de Havilland DH.104 Dove. In a recent post of another member (see the topic "Some Herons") ....in addition to "de Havilland DH.114 Heron", there was also a reference to the "DH.104 Dove", a classic early aircraft which became a successful short-haul airliner. The Dove was a contemporary of the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. The Dove flew first on 25 September 1945, just weeks after WWII ended. DC-3 had flown earlier, but became the staple of newborn airlines, only when the (military) surplus DC-3s, after the war, flooded the civilian transport market...

In the rich tradition started by Geoffrey de Havilland's intense interest in natural sciences of insects and birds...🙂...leading him to choose the names accordingly for his aeroplanes... (who can forget the Moth, Mosquito..., and DH.53 Humming Bird, been one of his earliest bird-named airplanes), then, later on, many more would come, also named after birds (Swallow, Albatross, Flamingo, Heron etc.), and the Dove...! The Dove(s) have a long history of operation in Australia, the first deployments been in Western Australia, starting in 1946. Generally, because of the expansive (and sparsely populated) nature of the continent, many (domestic) airlines in Australia had evolved and started regionally, serving the respective territorial communities. For example, today's well-known QANTAS, is short for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services", as it originally served Queensland and the Northern Territory. Likewise, there was (once) an airline in Western Australia, known as "Airlines (WA)" that was the earliest Dove operator in Australia. The Doves of "Airlines (WA)", while proving wrong the prevailing (local) thinking that the (untried) type would be unsuitable for the hot and dry conditions, went on to successfully operate, and serve, for a decade and more, commuting between the (Outback) stations of Western Australia. Airlines (WA) had become an all-Dove fleet covering a wide route network. Some of the earliest Route Maps of "Airlines (WA)" show these (Dove) operations centered around PERTH (today's YPPH). To symbolize this fact, I've selected for my Dove flight, for this post, a takeoff and a touchdown of a DH.104 Dove at Perth Airport (YPPH) - See pictures below.  

And, for the Airline of my choice, I've featured S.A.A.T, aka "SA Air Taxis Ltd.", another early Dove Operator in Australia, with its hub in the city of Adelaide, now South Australia's domestic and international gateway. SAAT was later renamed "SA and Territory Air Services" (SAATAS). The Dove, Regd. (VH-RCI), seen below, in the attractive white and blue scheme, belongs to this S.A.A.T (airline).

The design of the Dove was headed by Ronald Bishop, the creator of the (legendary) war-time Bomber (de Havilland Mosquito) nicknamed "Wooden Wonder”, and also of the (quad-jet) de Havilland Comet (to follow just 4 years later), that would be the world's first commercial jetliner. The Dove was a direct descendant of the Mosquito. The early Doves were fitted with a clear Perspex Roof cockpit, but the one, shown below, a Mk.6 variant, has a solid plastic/fiber (painted) roof. Atop the cockpit roof, you can see the Dove's signature (VHF) aerial antenna. Doves required two crew for takeoffs and landings, so "Airlines (WA)" of Australia (and a few other operators) trained their air hostesses to be radio operators who occupied the right-hand seat of the Dove cockpit for takeoff and landing, and then tended to the cabin for the rest of the flight...interesting practice of the times...

In the close-up [VC] shots, below, of the front flightdeck, with its analogue avionics, notice, the (neatly) placed (dual) groups of "primary six" gauges for both Pilot and Co-Pilot, and also the (rudimentary) Autopilot Panel just above the Pedestal. The original Dove Autopilot didn't have ILS controls, but, looks like, JF, here, for the benefit of simmers like I am...🙂...has (thoughtfully) enhanced this Autopilot with ILS capabilities, which I've made full use of, to capture the ILS signals at YPPH/Perth, and land on that Airport's Rwy (see the landing shots, below; in my pictures, the takeoff is from Rwy 3 and the landing is on Rwy 21)...

Hope you enjoy this collection of pictures of one of the classic de Havilland planes, called Dove, roaming the (virtual) skies above Perth, around where, this iconic Bird had originally started flying for the first time...in the Australian Outback...back in 1946...

Thanks for your interest...!! Good flying...!

Great article and excellent shots!

Very nice shots! 😉 

Fine set, thanks for showing !

cheers 😉

Thanks for the comments, folks...!! Cheers...!

Well done! Great to see the Dove flying 🙂

I like the information you write in your posts, always worth the read.

Interesting about he hostie doubling in he cockpit.

Some excellent views of this wonderful old plane which was stil fairly common in my early spotting days in England.

Interesting story and great shots of the Dove, P_7878. I love these vintage planes, luckily we get a fair share of them also in MSFS. It would be great to also see one day the Dove in the new sim 🙂

Incredibly Unique!!

wonderful story and screens

Folks:

Many thanks for the additional comments and kind words...looks like the story of the Dove pulled at the heartstrings of some...🙂...

 

Edited November 19, 20223 yr by P_7878

Nice set of screenshots and nice roundup on the Dove in Australia. Nicely done.

Yes a lot folk used them in OZ  MacRobertson Miller (Airlines of WA) Royal Flying Doctor Service, SAAT to name a few. Reminded me to finish off a paint for the MMA Doves I had in the workshop. As you say a typical De Havilland design - a very pretty aeroplane and they were not that little either and got along a good clip for the time! The JF model is very nicely done and works just fine in P3DV5 despite being FSX vintage. 

Edited November 19, 20223 yr by coastaldriver

16 minutes ago, coastaldriver said:

Nice set of screenshots and nice roundup on the Dove in Australia. Nicely done.

Yes a lot folk used them in OZ  MacRobertson Miller (Airlines of WA) Royal Flying Doctor Service, SAAT to name a few. Reminded me to finish off a paint for the MMA Doves I had in the workshop. As you say a typical De Havilland design - a very pretty aeroplane and they were not that little either and got along a good clip for the time! The JF model is very nicely done and works just fine in P3DV5 despite being FSX vintage. 

Always good to hear from a Native...🙂...thank you much for chiming in...!!

A small additional contribution this is the JF in a MacRobertson Miller paint (finished today) ex Kalgoolie for Perth - a standard run in the Dove. It was where they tragically learnt about metal fatigue in the early De Havillands when AOQ lost a wing inbound to Kalgoolie. 

Edited November 20, 20223 yr by coastaldriver
additional information

Thanks for the work on this repaint...🙂...!!

Yes, I do recall your reference to the (VH-AQO). While exploring "Airlines (WA)", I'd come across that incidence, this being one of the earliest examples of metal fatigue in such (early) commuter planes, which was rectified by De Havillands (Hatfield). Because you folks were oceans apart ....🙂...from England, the (metal) modifications kits were shipped and installed into the Doves in Australia...

Despite this, the faith of "Airlines (WA)" in the Dove(s) was un-affected, and it would soon become an all-Dove fleet...And of course, the retractable tricycle undercarriage for a commuter plane was also one of the earliest innovations that must have been welcome by passengers (in contrast to the iconic and ubiquitous DC-3...). Ironically, I gather, MMA (competitor of "Airlines (WA)") that had initially opposed the Dove for one or more reasons, would soon acquire "Airlines (WA)", and, in fact, like the Doves well-enough to operate them for a number of years, itself...

Interesting bits of forgotten history...!

Thanks again for the (Dove) MMA livery...!

Edited November 20, 20223 yr by P_7878