VH-CLX  de Havilland (Riley) D.H.114 Heron 2D                  (c/n  14098)

                                   

                                          VH-CLX, acquired by Connellan in 1971 (I'll make an exception with this one to my normal
                                          cut-off date of registered on or before 12/31/1970 for inclusion in my aircraft photo selection
                                          in order to round out Connellan's Heron fleet history) was ex G-ANPV.  It was built in 1954
                                          and probably had a series of owners before its exportation to Australia.   Like the rest of their
                                          Herons, it was converted (by Connellans themselves) to Riley Mk 2D/A1 standard in 1972.
                                          Above is a rare shot from the Roger McDonald collection showing -CLX at Alice Springs in
                                          July 1973 wearing a short-lived experimental color scheme featuring ochre trim representing
                                          the red earth of outback Australia.      It was  reported that Eddie Connellan liked the ochre
                                          scheme but was persuaded that the yellow and white with green titling was preferable.
                                          Interestingly, Geoff Goodall's shot below, taken at Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory
                                          in January 1979 during a tropical rain storm, makes the yellow coloring appear to be more
                                          ochre!  Possibly film and lighting differences account for this anomaly.   The final operator of
                                          -CLX was Airlines of Tasmania and it is now part of the Moorabbin Air Museum's collection.