This photo of DCA's Piaggio P.166 VH-CAC was taken at Port Moresby, New Guinea,
on 9 August 1968. The aircraft (c/n 375) was registered new to DCA on 14 April
1961, CoR 3724, the third aircraft to carry this registration. The previous two
were a Lockheed Lodestar and an Avro Anson.
It was powered by two Lycoming GSO-480-B1C614 engines in an unusual pusher configuration.
VH-CAC spent almost its entire DCA career in Papua New Guinea, being obtained because spares and maintenance would be more readily available since the same type was operated by local operators Mandated Airlines (MAL - later Ansett/MAL) and Patair. It was used by DCA examiners and surveyors for surveillance and liaison visits to operators and to provide transport for management and specialist personnel to visit the many outstations which ranged in altitude from sea level to high altitude inland stations. A secondary task was Search and Rescue (SAR), for which its high-wing configuration provided a good visual platform. It could also home aurally on Emergency Locator Beacons (ELBs), the carriage of which became mandatory during this period.
All P/NG Departmental pilots were endorsed on VH-CAC, plus other aircraft, and several appropriately licenced non-aircrew supervisors were also endorsed on the aircraft to free up Departmental examiners from purely administrative transport flying. The aircraft provided generally reliable and comfortable service and, being little used in the highlands where a large proportion of engine hours were at high power settings, did not suffer the same degree of engine problems that gave its airlines sisters something of a reputation amongst line pilots.
P/NG flying eminently suited the Beech 200 Super King Air which ultimately replaced the Piaggio in government service there.
VH-CAC was sold to Executive Air Services, Essendon, and re-registered on 19 March 1973. It had various subsequent owners and was finally destroyed by fire following a ground collision with Tobago VH-BXC on 16 September 1982 at Bankstown, NSW, and struck off the Register. The registration then passed to a CAC Wirraway owner who had been waiting for it to become free.
(Photo: Roger McDonald)
Note: Much of the information about the service of VH-CAC in New Guinea was provided by Doug Macdonald, ex ATC Lae 1967-69, OIC/SATC Madang 1969-71.