VH-SMA (2) Aero Commander
680
(c/n 422-96)
Carrying the 'primo' registration for the
Snowy
Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority is this 680
Commander, seen above in
this shot by Greg Banfield at Bankstown in December 1968. It
had not changed liveries
since Greg first saw it (below) at Mascot in January 1963. The
680
had been imported new in
May 1961.
It was re-registered VH-SMG in 1967 and then re-
registered again as VH-PSG
when sold
to Air Oasis (Pty) Ltd of Parafield later that same year.
Shortly after that it went
to
SAATAS. Later it appears to have
wound up in
some legal
shenanigans, being
registered to SAATAS'
founder Richard Cavill and then went through a
receivership ownership
before being acquired
by the South Australian Aviation Museum at
Port Adelaide in 1990 who, at
time of writing (2008), were still intent on restoring it to at
least
ground display status.