VH-BVL  Cessna 180A Skywagon                            (c/n  50296)

                                 

                                     This Geoff Goodall photograph was taken at Cudal, NSW, at Max Hazelton's private airport. 
                                     Max and Laurel Hazelton were the founders of Hazelton Airlines, which started as a crop-dusting
                                     operation, and went on to become a very viable local service airline supporting the Orange and
                                     western NSW area.......later to be bought out by Ansett, but that's another story.  Locals recall
                                     Max being lost in the Blue Mountains for more than five days during winter, presumed dead. 
                                     However, he walked out down the Colo River and resumed his career.   Geoff's photo above
                                     was taken in 1967 when Hazelton Air Services was primarily an aerial agricultural concern.  Greg
                                     Banfield 's interesting photo below was taken as the aircraft was completing a crop dusting display
                                     at an air show at Orange, NSW in February 1966.        Based on this, it is perhaps not difficult to
                                     understand why VH-BVL was written off in a crash at Labertouche, Victoria in February 1970!