Old Dakota
 

About 60 nm south of Perth WA, on the eastern shore of Lake Preston, there is an old dakota just outside the front door of a house. It is obviously there as the property's "statue". I am wondering if anyone knows anything about it. I am just curious as we have quite often seen it and discussed it. There is what looks like the remains of an old airstrip so it may well have been flown in.

This belongs to the same guy that once owned a trilander ( MRJ ) and two 337's ( MRQ and MRZ ), Murchison Relines, he presently owns a C150 and some flying school in Bunbury ?.

Drives around in a rolls royce ute, the DC3 came in on the back of a truck.

Basically a toy for his grand kids to play in.

I believe its the one that used to be out in front of Mcdonalds in midland. Could be wrong though.
Blair has a taste for expensive toys. Wish he had of spent them dollars on the aircraft we were flying about for him though.

Got a fantastic pic of it, anybody know how to attach an image???

It was from Midland Maccas, it went out to tender for different LAME's at JT to do the removal and installation there.

That's not "the remains of an old airstrip" - it's still in regular use - but call Blair first and introduce yourself. You'll probably get a warm welcome. Oh, and look out for the geese on the airstrip :O

Thanks for that.
I remember the one at Maccas and that did cross my mind. I thought it was a shame they got rid of it. I suppose it cost too much to look after or some OH & S issue.

According to www.dc3.adastron.com
VH-ANW was part of the McDonalds restaurant at Midland, Perth from 1987 to 2000. It was displayed in fictitious markings as VH-MMF "Fortescue" of MacRobertson Miller Airlines. After being stored at RAAF Caversham in W.A. the aircraft was sold to Mr Blair Howe of Myalup, W.A. The aircraft was trucked from Caversham to Myalup on 23rd August 2003 to be displayed on Mr Howe's airstrip.

Will someone who knows Mr Howe please tell him that the log book for VH-ANW is currently listed on eBay as Item No 130070324787.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Aircraft-Main...QQcmdZViewItem

Speaking of Dakotas, has anyone seen the results of the photo-shoot inside the Dakota at Essendon late last year?? :E [see thread 'young birds inside an old bird]

It's the one from Maccas?? Shame. I'd heard that had gone to Bullcreek to be done up by the old boys out there.

Still, I guess at least some kids still get to play on it. Pity it couldn't be flying though :(

Had many a Maccas birthday in that thing, I always hated that the flight deck was closed in with Plexiglass, because at the time I wanted to sit up there and play with all the buttons :}

I do recall reading something as well that McD's had problems with vandalism and rowdy behaviour, they didn't want to have someone 'supervising' so installed cameras... another rumour that went around was that some perv used to hang around there where it was hard for parents to keep an eye on kiddies and they didn't want that hanging on them either, so they got rid of it... fair enough... dunno if it's true or not though...

Would have looked good out the front of Perth Airport though!!

Dakota driver
 

I didn't pick the pseudonym, but--most of you were nearly right.
The old DC3 at Myalup never flew for a WA company and was mostly owned by one of Reg Ansett's Co's.
It flew 47,500 hrs before retirement to a childrens park in SA in 1971. After some years it was refurbished and trucked to Midland for the McDonalds Franchisee. I bought it from a museum group that had been donated the machine for $10,000. While the museum mob had it it was dressed up by the ABC for the movie The Shark Net. I shifted it to Myalup on trucks for another $15,000. It now has pride of place as my garden gnome.
And yes the airstip is in regular use as an out strip for the Bunbury Flying School which has nine aircraft, both GA and LSA working out of Bunbury.
Anybody's welcome to take a look.
I note the first log book from when it went on the Civilian register is for sale on E.Bay. I have the rest of them so I guess somewhere along the line this one has been stolen.
Blair Howe

And while on the subject Dakadoodles - The NZ Warbirds Association DC3 'Dakota', has finally been repainted from it's authentic wartime D-Day invasion scheme, to a more romantic post-war scheme of the RNZAF, it looks absolutely fantastic. It is as if someone has wheeled the RNZAF DC3 from Wigram Museum out, and takin her flying. Great job.

http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/groups/g_54...AWXtFBBVO5wity

Ahhh lovely old girl....

What a strapping young lad sitting under the wing! :} :} :}

A good fun weekend.

Photo
 

M14 P

My puter doesn't like your link, can you post the pic instead?

ABX

Dakota sitting outside McDonalds in Taupo NZ...