Victa 115 Airtourer VH-CAP

Following a policy of supporting local industry, DCA purchased Victa 115 Airtourer VH-CAP (c/n 59). The aircraft was registered new to DCA in their block on 9 April 1964. It left the factory on delivery on 27 July 1964 and was handed over to DCA on 24 August.

Along with DCA's first Bonanza, VH-CAB, VH-CAP was based in Queensland for use by airport inspectors and operations personnel on routine inspections, chiefly into the many small airfields used for agricultural operations and, in addition, into airports not served by regular airline services. The photo above shows VH-CAP at Townsville in August 1968. Note the DCA Flying Unit logo on the nose.

The production prototype Victa Airtourer 100 flew on 12 December 1961 and DCA awarded Victa a Certificate of Type Approval on 4 July 1962. A further Certificate of Type Approval for the Airtourer 115 was awarded in August 1963. By the end of June 1964, Victa had built 57 Airtourer 100 and 115 aircraft. By the end of June the following year 132 Airtourers had been manufactured and examples were operating in Britain and New Zealand, in addition to Australia.

The aircraft was reported by the Department as being offered for sale in 1967. Ownership changed on the register on 15 March 1968 to CFS P/L, Melbourne, Vic. The aircraft was later sold again to J F Schell, Goomalling, Western Australia, 21 May 1968. The photo below shows it at Goomalling on 13 December 1969 in its original colour scheme but without any DCA logos.

VH-CAP crashed and was destroyed on 2 March 1983 at Mundijong, WA.