Delivered on October 2nd 1957 to Aviaco of Spain as Heron 2D with Gipsy Queen engines. Converted to Riley Turbo Skyliner in 1976.

Acquired Jan 69 from Cimber Air OY-BAM. Broken up Opa Locka FL. circa 2013.

Retired Apr 91.

Seen active at Oshkosh in Jul 2017 and at Lakeland Apr 2018. Reg cancelled Feb 2019.

Last noted as fuselage only in Sebring FL Sep 79.

Converted to Turbo Skyliner in 1969. In 1977 Air Miami started operating Skyliners on scheduled services between Miami and St. Petersburg. In late 1978 the airline purchased Shawnee Airlines and its rights to fly to the Bahamas, and the Skyliners were soon painted in Shawnee colours and put to work on the Bahama routes. In 1980 Air Miami was the first of several commuter airlines to enter into agreement with Air Florida to operate contract flights for them as Air Florida Commuter. With their now much expanded network, Air Miami changed their name to North American Airlines on 1 Dec 1980, but flights continued as Air Florida Commuter until the contract ended on 1 Dec 1981. North American Airlines ceased operations in Dec 1982.

Painted as a memorial to airline pioneer Arthur Butler. VH-NJI was withdrawn from use in 1995. Registration cancelled in 2004. Displayed at the Fleet Air Arm museum at Nowra before being passed to HARS at Parkes. The original VH-AHB was a fixed-gear, Gipsy Queen-powered Heron 1B.

Withdrawn from use in 2006

Two Riley Doves carried registration N668R. The first one was registered on 23 July 1965 (c/n 04491, to N880JG, ditched in 1969) and this is the second, registered on 1 November 1965 and withdrawn from use at Honolulu by 1978.

Built in 1952 as Dove 6A registration N1536V then converted to Riley Dove in 1966. On 20 May 1975 it ditched in Lake Michigan after departure from Meigs Field/IL (of Microsoft Flight Simulator Version 1.0 fame) after running out of fuel. A swept fin was a part of the full Riley Turbo Executive 400 conversion, but I think the original, as here on this partial Dove 2 conversion, looks better.

The Riley Rocket is a re-manufactured early Cessna 310 (in this case a 1959 310C) with improved performance. Obvious external differences are one-piece windshield, extra side window, three-bladed propeller and cowling louvers.

DQ-FDY was part of a collection of derelict aircraft stored in the museum compound. The museum has since closed and the collection dispersed. The Heron is with the Central Australian Aviation Museum at Alice Springs in the livery it wore as VH-CLW with Alice Springs-based Connair.

Scrapped

Withdrawn from use in 1987 and shipped to Australia in 1990 as spares. Airframe scrapped in 2001.

CAHS/Mike O'Grady collection