The occasion was a Vietnamese new year's reception by South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm 'in the central highlands'. The Bird Dog was delivered to the French army in Indochina, arriving in Saigon by ship in 1954. It was transferred to the South Vietnamese air force in 1955. See photo 448153 for details of the C-47s on the right. The landing aircraft may be well be F-VNAG. Photo by: John Dominis / Life

Arrivals for a Vietnamese new year's reception by South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm 'in the central highlands'. The Hàng Không Viêt Nam C-47 still sports a French colonial registration, F-VNAG. It later became XV-NIA. The third C-47 is 348008 (43-48008) of the French air force, which still maintained a limited presence. On the far left is a South Vietnamese air force O-1 Bird Dog, 51-12831. Photo by: John Dominis / Life

Auster AOP.6 and T.7 of 1951 Flight, 663 (AOP) Squadron, at their Ringway base just before the disbandment of the unit.