This Chipmunk was built for the RAF as a T Mk 10, WG478, and served from 1951 to 1995. It was possibly allocated the Australian registration VH-TMX, but this was not taken up and it was subsequently registered VH-MMS(3) on 27 November 2000.

VH-MMS seen here either on a promotion flight on December 28, 1959, or its inaugural flight three days later. It amassed over 70,000 hours in Australia before it was exported to Chile in 1991. As a result of MMA's long sectors for an F27, VH-MMS became the first F27 to pass both 10,000 hours and 20,000 flying hours. Photo from: State Library of Western Australia

Delivered new to Mac.Robertson Miller Airlines 24th Dec 1959 and had later spells with Airlines of South Australia, Air NSW and was transferred to Ansett Nov 1984. Sold as OB-1454 with Expresso Aero 13th Dec 1991 and was finally retired in SCEL (Santiago) 3rd Aug 1994 with TT 72020 hours and 69478 cycles.

VH-MMS seen in storage at Tullamarine after being withdrawn from service with Ansett. It was sold and left for Peru in 1991.

Became part of the Ansett group's eastern Australian operations as F28s replaced F27s in the west.

De Havilland days at Caboolture in perfect weather

VH-MMS was registered in November 2000

VH-MMS was leased to MMA to cover maintenance of the F28 fleet. It had been a part of the MMA fleet until replaced by F28s in January 1972

VH-MMS flew with MacRobertson Miller Airlines in Western Australia from December 1959. By the time it was withdrawn from the West in January 1972 it had amassed 41,000 hours at a remarkable utilisation of 3400 hours a year. From 1972 to 1989 -MMS flew with Ansett's eastern Australian airlines, and clocked a further 29,000 hours at a more normal utilisation of 1700 hours a year. That was not to be the end of its career and from 1991 to 1994 it added a further 2000 hours in Peru as OB-1454. The former -MMS was scrapped in Chile with 72,020 hours in the log book.