VH-CAU  (2)  Aero Commander 560E                     (c/n  726-51)

                              

                                    VH-CAU was one of four Aero Commanders ordered by the Department of Civil Aviation in
                                    the late 1950s to replace its Avro Ansons.   The aircraft was ferried by DCA pilots from the USA
                                    early in 1959.     The photo above is from the Ian D Johnson collection (via the CAHS archives).
                                    The aircraft had many owners after the department sold it off.    Greg Banfield's shot immediately
                                    below shows it outside de Havilland's at Bankstown in April 1972 whilst it was with Blue Metal
                                    Industries Ltd..  Following that is a John Wheatley photo taken when -CAU was with Kennametal
                                    International.  Photo No. 4 is another Greg Banfield one, taken at Bankstown in September 1990
                                    when the aircraft was owned by W.V. Ritchie of Wahroonha, NSW.     Looks like the signwriter
                                    hadn't gotten around to putting in the caps on the  'Greater Northland Air Safaris' titling.   The fifty-
                                    year old machine is still current, and Greg saw it once again at Bankstown in April 2001 in a rather
                                    plain livery (foot of page).