This aircraft was ordered new by Department of Civil Aviation - ?

Powered by Bristol Siddeley Viper 521 engines

First flown at Chester - 1966

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-CAO - ?

Registered to the Department of Civil Aviation, Melbourne

Arrived Melbourne (Essendon) on completion of the delivery flight - January 20, 1965

Delivery route: Hatfield - Athens - Beirut - Bahrain - Karachi - New Delhi - Calcutta - Bangkok - Kula Lumpur -

Jakarta - Denpasar - Darwin - Alice Springs - Melbourne

It was used principally for the purpose of providing jet experience to the Department's Examiners of Airmen

Used for other DCA needs and occasional VIP transport

It was not as was popularly believed equipped for navaid calibration

It inadvertently made a wheels-up landing at Melbourne (Avalon), Victoria - January 24, 1967

The aircraft was recovered and transported by road to Sydney (Bankstown) for repairs

During the recovery process the fuselage suffered minor wrinkling aft of the cockpit

This was caused by the incorrect placement of the lifting straps

During repairs it was fitted with new Viper 522 engines thus becoming a HS-125-3B

A new wing was also fitted during the rebuild

Withdrawn from use - August 01, 1978

Sold to Arnjul Pty Ltd, Auburn, N.S.W.

It was observed stored in poor condition at The Oaks, N.S.W. - 2009

VH-CAO. Department of Civil Aviation - in the original livery over England, January 1965.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 0125-039.)

VH-CAO. Department of Civil Aviation - in the original livery over England, January 1965.

(Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 0125-040.)

VH-CAO. Department of Transport - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 14, 1978.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0125-084.)

VH-CAO. Amjul - in the basic 'DCA' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, August 1979.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0125-038.)