This fairly rare colour photo shows the Royal Victorian Aero Club's Cessna 172 VH-RVP (c/n 46059) on the RVAC's apron at Melbourne's Moorabbin (Harry Hawker) General Aviation Airport in 1960. At the time the Cessna 172 was the latest word in light training aircraft and included that novelty, the nosewheel! VH-RVP was registered new to the RVAC, whose house colours it is in and whose emblem can be seen on the door, on 16 December 1958. It was later sold, becoming VH-CHA, under which identity it is still on the Register (c.2005).

In the background, and enlarged below is the Moorabbin Control Tower. This Tower was constructed at the same time as the airport in 1949 and is of the typical 'box on stilts' construction of the time. Click here to see the similar Tower at Melbourne/Essendon.

There is a VHF radio antenna on the roof at right, but resting on the balcony is a cane signal ball and hanging from the roof inside is a signal lamp, indicating that this was still, at least partly, in the era of air traffic control using visual signals.

This Tower's cab was replaced by a new cab in 1962, and the whole Tower was replaced in 1977.

Click here to see another photo of this Tower

Click here to see a the 1962 Tower

(Photo: Alan Fraser via Maurice Austin)

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