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Gallery History The Glorious Sixties (1961 - 1971) Plane Spotting at Changi

Plane Spotting at Changi

David Taylor took these photographs as a 16 year old while stationed with an RAF family at Changi airport in the early 60s. Over a course of three and a half years, He took over 1200 photographs of aircraft transiting through Singapore. Quite a few of them turned out to be Indian Air Force aircraft.

Presented on this page are twenty four snapshots of various IAF aircraft that transited through Singapore.

Typically, the purpose of these aircraft transiting through Singapore would have remained a mystery - but fortunately David had found the answers for these right in our website archives. The Story of the Dakotas and Vampires can be found in the articles by Air Commodore David Bouche and by Wg Cdr V Kondath. The appearance of HS-748 Subroto can be explained by the reference to demo flights in Gp Capt Kapil Bhargava's article

Photos Copyright of David Taylor

Size: 24 items
C-119 IK457 at Changi (Jan 1963)
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C-119 IK457 at Changi (Jan 1963)

IK457 taxies out at Changi past a RAF Britannia and Hastings

Views: 227

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C-119 IK457 at Changi (Jan 1963)
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C-119 IK457 at Changi (Jan 1963)

C119 IK457 seen from the rear

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IK457 front side view
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IK457 front side view

IK457 front side view - This aircraft is an example that has not yet received the Dorsal Jet Pack

Views: 174

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IK457 front view
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IK457 front view

IK457 front view - This aircraft is an example that has not yet received the Dorsal Jet Pack

Views: 167

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IK457 returns back through Changi (Jan 1963)
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IK457 returns back through Changi (Jan 1963)

IK457 on its return leg through Changi. The destination of this aircraft is not known

Views: 169

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Vampire T-55 [BY601] in March 1963
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Vampire T-55 [BY601] in March 1963

The next group of visiting IAF aircraft were the Vampires being ferried from Indonesia to India by David Bouche and his pilots. Vampire T-55 BY601 is seen

Views: 195

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Vampire T-55 [BY605] in March 1963
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Vampire T-55 [BY605] in March 1963

A total of eight Vampire T-55s were bought from Indonesia. These aircraft probably ended up with various Squadrons that were still flying the Vampire in 1963. Vampire BY605 is the fifth in that series

Views: 180

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Vampire T-55 [BY607]
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Vampire T-55 [BY607]

The aircraft departed Bandung airfield and arrived at Changi on 3rd March 1963. BY607 is seen here parked on the tarmac

Views: 173

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IAF Vampire Line Up at Changi
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IAF Vampire Line Up at Changi

All the eight Vampires are seen in this photograph parked on the other side of the tarmac. Closest to the Photograph on the left is a Royal Ceylonese Air Force De Havilland Heron transport aircraft.

Views: 233

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Vampire Line Up [BY601, BY606, BY604]
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Vampire Line Up [BY601, BY606, BY604]

Another view of the eight Vampires as seen parked at Changi. Atleast one of these aircraft (BY608) took part in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, flown out of Halwara on Train Interdiction Missions.

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Dakota HJ217 taxies at Changi -[8 Jan 62]
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Dakota HJ217 taxies at Changi -[8 Jan 62]

Dakota HJ217 was one of the two that flew in the pilots and supporting ground crew to Indonesia in 63. The aircraft is seen here taxyng in at Changi from an earlier flight on 8th Jan 62. Note the differences in the painting of the lines on the nose one ye

Views: 176

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Dakotas HJ217 and HJ882 parked
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Dakotas HJ217 and HJ882 parked

Dakotas HJ217 and HJ882 parked at Changi. This photograph was taken during the return leg. The aircraft arrived here on 6th March 1963 as per Wg Cdr

Views: 180

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Dakota HJ882 arrives to join HJ217
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Dakota HJ882 arrives to join HJ217

Dakota HJ882 having just arrived to join HJ217 6th March 1963 on the return leg.

Views: 174

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Dakota HJ882 shortly after arrival
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Dakota HJ882 shortly after arrival

Dakota HJ882 just after its arrival at Changi on 6th March 1963 from Bandung

Views: 174

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HS748 Avro BH572 touching down on Runway 20 [July-Aug 63]
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HS748 Avro BH572 touching down on Runway 20 [July-Aug 63]

BH572 was the first IAF built HS-748 'Avro' from Kanpur. The aircraft first flew on 1st Nov 1961 and was subsequently flew demo flights in the far east. Photographed here coming into land at Runway 20 at Changi airport.

Views: 260

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BH572 taxies into the dispersal
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BH572 taxies into the dispersal

BH572 taxies back to the dispersal area at Changi. The aircraft prominently carried the name "Subroto" in honour of late Air Chief Marshal Subroto Mukerji

Views: 149

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BH572 taxies into the parking area
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BH572 taxies into the parking area

BH572 taxies back to the dispersal area at Changi. The aircraft prominently carried the name "Subroto" in honour of late Air Chief Marshal Subroto Mukerji

Views: 154

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BH572 Parked at Changi
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BH572 Parked at Changi

Gp Capt Kapil Bhargava has written an article about the first test flights of "Subroto" at this Link

Views: 159

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BH572 parks at the maintenace bay [Aug 63]
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BH572 parks at the maintenace bay [Aug 63]

A beautiful shot of BH572 "Subroto" shown parked at the maintenance bay at Changi.

Views: 195

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BH572 parks at the maintenace bay [Aug 63]
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BH572 parks at the maintenace bay [Aug 63]

A beautiful shot of BH572 "Subroto" shown parked at the maintenance bay at Changi.

Views: 155

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BH572 Tail fin detail
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BH572 Tail fin detail

BH572 Tail fin detail shows what was possibly Kanpur BRD's Crest.

Views: 155

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Dart 6 under servicing (July - Aug 1963)
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Dart 6 under servicing (July - Aug 1963)

BH572's Rolls Royce Dart 6 Turbo Prop engine opened up for servicing at Changi.

Views: 232

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Whirlwind IZ648 [Aug 1963]
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Whirlwind IZ648 [Aug 1963]

One of the first helicopters operated by the Navy was this Sikorsky S-55 Whirlwind [IZ648] on loan from the Indian Air Force. This helicopter was later lost in a ditching accident in the Ernakulam Canal.

Views: 255

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Whirlwind IZ648 taking off.
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Whirlwind IZ648 taking off.

Another photograph of the Navy's Sikorsky S-55 Whirlwind [IZ648] on loan from the Indian Air Force. The Helicopter was operating from the INS Vikrant at that time.

Views: 180

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