This 1949 aircraft, formerly VS618, was one of the 252 RAF-surplus Prentices bought up by Freddie Laker and ferried to his company ATEL at Southend and Stansted for conversion as 5-seater GA tourers. Despite a price tag of just £1500, only 28 were civilianised and the rest were scrapped. Since 1964 this one was owned by Alan Hilton Smith (AHS). Seen here on a winter's day being readied for flight with a departing Luftwaffe Transall incongrously framed by the mortal remains of ex-Merpati Vanguard G-BAMX