Above and below: DCA Cessna 170A VH-CAS in flight near Point Cook, Vic, in the early 1970s. The aircraft's colour scheme was white overall with light blue fin and trim, and a colour DCA logo on the fin.

This aircraft (c/n 19090) was manufactured by the Cessna Aircraft Company, Wichita, Kansas, USA, in August 1949 and powered by a Continental O-300 of 145hp. It held previous identities N9529A, VH-AMM and VH-AMF before being purchased by DCA in Papua New Guinea from the Lutheran Mission at Madang (some sources say Wewak) in 1955. The aircraft was re-registered in the DCA block as VH-CAS on 7 January 1955. Click here to see a photograph of the cockpit.

It was the Departmental Port Moresby-based aircraft for a number of years before taking up residence at Essendon Airport, Melbourne. The aircraft was re-registered to the Department of Transport (into which the DCA had been amalgamated) on 7 June 1974.

The aircraft was disposed of and re-registered to the Department of National Development - Division of National Mapping, Melbourne, on 21 March 1978. The aircraft's registration was cancelled and the aircraft listed as Withdrawn From Use on 6 May 1987, however it was re-registered on 11 Oct 1990. It has been owned by D & J Ford of Red Hill, Western Australia since 1997.

(Photos: Mac Job collection)

Click here to see a colour photo of VH-CAS at Moorabbin

Click here to see a photo of VH-CAS at Whittlesea

Click here to see photos of VH-CAS at Hamilton

Click here to see a photo of VH-CAS with the Aviation Safety Digest editorial team

Click here to see a photo of VH-CAS as it is today