Department of Transport SA226T Merlin III VH-CAL is seen here taxying at its Melbourne/Essendon base, probably in the mid-1970s. It carries the DoT 'Irish Compass' logo on the fin and fuselage side, but is still painted in the old DCA house colours.

The DCA ordered four new Merlin IIBs to replace the four Aero Commanders in 1968, introducing high performance light turboprops to the fleet. These were later supplemented by two Merlin IIIs – VH-CAL and VH-CAM.

Purchased at a cost of $552,000, VH-CAL (c/n T-213) was registered on 7 September 1971 and served as a light transport and utility aircraft until sold in the USA as N174SP. The Australian registration was cancelled on 15 October 1986, but the aircraft did not actually leave Essendon and remained parked at the airport into the 1990s along with the former VH-CAM.

Both aircraft were later ferried to Bankstown where they remained inactive for some time. Eventually both were returned to the air, VH-CAL as VH-SSD. As of 2007 it is still operating with Winrye Aviation out of Sydney/Bankstown.

This aircraft was actually the second VH-CAL - the first was a DCA Avro Anson.

The Merlins were replaced by Gulfstream 1000s.

(Photo: CAHS collection)

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