In February 1967 Jack Masling was negotiating with Keith Hilder for
Maslings to operate for Aero Pelican the new commuter or Reg 203 ops that were then about to be approved by the Department of Civil Aviation. I was in a minor way privy to those discussions having just joined Maslings and with Jack and Tom Long flew into Pelican from Coota in C320 VH-FJW. Maslings did not end up going ahead with those proposals and instead launched their own service Sydney-Cessnock- West Maitland.
Much later Maslings bought out Aero Pelican, but in a matter of weeks
sold out to TNT for a sum many times the price they had paid for the business. This capital infusion enabled Maslings to expand its engineering business at Coota concentrating on turbine component overhauls and bow out from air service operations after many years
and many bases where Masling Aviation and then Masling Airlines flew its flag.
My memory is hazy on many counts. Tmbstory would have a better handle on the story.