The wonderful photo above shows DCA HS.125 Srs. 3B VH-CAO on the apron at Canberra's RAAF Fairbairn in about 1969. In the background are one of the two RAAF Viscount VIP aircraft and a USAF Convair C-131 Samaritan.
The photos above and below show VH-CAO at around the same time, the lower image being at the Flying Unit's base at Melbourne/Essendon.
Below is VH-CAO six after the top image at its Essendon home base. Since the previous photos a weather radar has been fitted in accordance with DCA regulations introduced following the
crash of Viscount
VH-TVC into Botany Bay on 30 November 1961 requiring the fitting of weather radar to all turbine powered aircraft. Another change is the removal of the DCA Flying Unit logos from the fin and forward fuselage following the merging of DCA into the Department of Transport in that November 1973.
Toward the
end of its career, the Departmental name change to the Department
of Transport, Air Transport Group saw new colours for VH-CAO. It's
seen here at the Departmental Flying
Unit's Essendon base in January 1976 in a not-unattractive dark
blue and yellow colour scheme, with the revised 'Irish Compass' logo on
fin and forward fuselage.
(Photos:
1 - Rod Adam/Geoff Goodall collection / 2&3 - CAHS/Ben Dannecker collection / 4 - Ken Watson / 5 - Roger
McDonald)
Back to Departmental Aircraft index page
If this page appears without menu bars at top or left, click
here