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After
evacuation to Australia, the KNILM fleet was effectively commandeered
by the USAAF. Under the terms of the contract of sale, all aircraft had
to be test flown before delivery. The KNILM maintenance crew agreed to
have all aircraft ready for a simultaneous test flight and thus all 10
aircraft were in the air together over Sydney Harbour on 14 May 1942.
The Dutch destroyer "Tromp" berthed at Woolloomooloo was buzzed by several
of the aircraft. Three of the KNILM aircraft then flew under the Sydney
Harbour Bridge, once in each direction. The "Bridge Formation" (as
recalled by John Gyzemyter in 1996) was led by Captain Frans Van Breemen
in DC-2 PK-AFK followed by Capt Peter Deenik in DC-3 PK-ALW and Captain
Dirk Rab (with John Gyzemyter as Flight Engineer) in DC-5
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QUEENSLAND
AIR MUSEUM 
www.qam.com.au