Lockheed L-188 Electra (VH-RMA)

This is the first aircraft I flew on. I was 4 years old, the year was 1959. I think we travelled in May, it was before Ansett took delivery of RMB. I know it was not long after the aircraft went into service. Flew from Sydney to Melbourne (Essendon). I had the front row window seat that can be seen in this image, I remember we were ahead of the propellers and there were no seats in front of us. More than 60 years later I can still remember bits of that flight.

VH-RMA for Reginald Miles Ansett, who founded Ansett in 1936. This L188 was still flying cargo as a dedicated freighter until 1984.

This aircraft is now registered as C-FBAQ and owned by Buffalo Airways. A Google streetview image taken at Red Deer Regional Airport in Springbrook, Alberta, Canada, dated Sep 2015 shows the tail of the aircraft protruding from a hangar. It was reconfigured "tanker" in May 2016 and its Airframe Status is Stored (Planespotters.net pages updated 15 and 24 January 2022).

An interesting history of the aircraft can be found on http://www.adastron.com/lockheed/electra-188/vh-rma.htm

I hope one day to visit Canada and see the aircraft again.