On behalf of DNL, the Widerøe floatplane operated a service between Tromsø and Honningsvåg, near the North Cape. Photo by: Halvor Vreim / Nasjonalbiblioteket (Norway)

Quite an unusual visitor for Birmingham I'd say.

Former Royal Navy lend-lease aircraft returned to the US Navy after the war and put up for disposal. When seen at Chino it was in RAF desert camouflage with a fin flash and a US roundel. Currently displayed at Valle, Arizona, in Eastern Airlines markings.

The wreckage of VH-URC. While the pilot survived, the resident of the house it hit did not. Peter N Johnston photo.

Ordered by the USAAF as AT-19 42-46687. To the Royal Navy as Reliant Mk.I FK861 under Lend-Lease. Returned to the USA after the Second World War. To N1141 with airworthiness certificate awarded in 1955. Still current in 2020.

VH-UGC destroyed by enemy action January 1942. Edie Creek airfield was used to support gold mining at Edie Creek before World War II. Fell into disuse. Photo by Peter N Johnston

This AT-19 was built by Vultee and TOC by the USAAF as 42-46643 and during its service life it also flew with the Fleet Air Arm as FK817 and the US Navy as 11297. It then passed on to the N-register as N70096 and became N817FK in 1997 before arriving at Classic trainers in June 2016. This very interesting and unusual warbird is pictured at the Classic Trainers Open Hangar.

Del 08th March 1943, Former Yankee Air Force Inc as N15JH "Yankee Ship",Registered to Legacy Flight Museum of Rexburg as N43YF

This immaculate Reliant has spent its entire 80-year life in France. Delivered in 1937 to Antoine Cierplikowski (Monsieur Antoine), a world-famous celebrity hairdresser in Paris who also owned a Farman 393. Hidden in a barn during the war, it was retrieved in 1946. On 4 May 1946 it was registered to Benoît Millien, personal friend and pilot of Mr. Cierplikowski, as F-BBCS. In the mid 1970s the use of the Stinson was transferred to Jean Salis, and it was registered to him on 3 Jun 1987. In the 1990s it was restored to flying condition, and it made its first post-restoration flight on 24 Jun 1998. On 27 Jan 2000 the Reliant was re-registered as F-GJPS, still to Jean Salis.

Stinson AT-19 Reliant procured via the USAAF as 43-44085 for the UK Fleet Air Arm as FB644. Sold on the civilian market as N87675 postwar.

Reregistered VH-CWM in May 1961. Art Withers photo.