Warbirds

The Thunderbolt, a razorback model, is currently in the Classic Aviation hangar at Bankstown, in a dismantled condition. Robert Greinhert has indicated that current plans are to follow up on parts availability and technical data during 1995. If this proves to be satisfactory, the next two years will see at least one person allocated to the task of restoring the machine on a full time basis. It is planned to restore and fly the big fighter in Australia. Already, just the presence of the aircraft, dismantled as it is, has generated significant interest. Perhaps this is just a fraction of the potential interest that the machine would get if flown around the local airshow circuit.

Looking Back Two Decades

When one looks at the Warbird movement in Australia today and the number of flying warbirds, warbird projects underway, potential projects and imports, it seems hard to think that all of this has taken place in barely 20 years. It was over the weekend of November 5-7 1976, that the Aviation Historical Society of Australia held its first ever National Conference, entitled an Historical Aviation Happening, at Wodonga in Victoria. The program included a visit to the then Joe Drage Air Museum and at the symposium, held at the Provincial Motel, a number of speakers addressed the delegates that attended. The speakers included Captain Edgar Percival and Group Captain Clive Caldwell, both now deceased. Air Commodore Allen Wheeler of the Shuttleworth Collection also spoke.

For Warbird enthusiasts the person they were most keen to hear was Mr Ken O’Neill of the then Department of Transport. Mr O’Neill mentioned that the Department was preparing a “discussion paper” on the subject of the airworthiness aspects of the restoration and operation of historical or vintage aircraft. The paper covered antique type aircraft but also had provision for the operation of what we know today as Warbirds, or ex military aircraft. The end result of the discussion paper is history. While the main thought of most at the conference was the operation of antiques there was also clear provision for the operation of ex military aircraft. At the time most thought of those aircraft being such types as Mustangs and Wirraways and maybe Winjeels a bit further down the track.

If one had suggested operation of some of the types now flying in Australia the comment would have been that the person simply didn’t know what they were talking about. To have even thought about the operation of say a civil registered supersonic MiG-21 would have been over the top. Remember that the cold war was still in full swing at this stage. If anything, thoughts may have run to the operation of WWII types but not much further. Yes, times have changed somewhat and so has the operation of Warbirds. Over the years the regulation that was granted, better known as Air Navigation Regulation 108A, has altered and is today known as Civil Aviation Regulation 134.

Those readers who were at the 1976 conference remember with pride what took place and what was discussed because now, nearly 20 years later, those thoughts and discussions are seen in the form of the Warbirds that are seen around Australia. Those present could not have realised that they were hearing what was effectively Warbird history in the making. Warbirds now form an integral part of the aviation industry and today are the keystone and drawcard of almost every airshow and major aviation event. Long may they keep flying.

Iskra Airborne

The second local TS-11 Iskra is airborne. Owned by Mike Falls Snr of Short Stop Jet Charters in Melbourne, the Iskra, registered VH-ISK, made its first Australian flight on Friday February 24 from Essendon Airport. The test pilot was retired RAAF pilot AVM Bill Collings. The first flight went well with only a few minor squawks. Two days later the Iskra flew to Moorabbin Airport, on the other side of Melbourne, for a new paint job. In fact the original red and white colour scheme of the Polish Air Force (PAF) aerobatic team that was on the aircraft has largely been retained, and made ever better, to quote Mike Falls. This new Warbird jet is the second of the type to take to the air in this country, the other being VH-ADG owned by Gordon Glynn. That machine took to the air on June 4 last year. VH-ISK was previously the third aircraft of the PAF aerobatic team and carried serial number 1H0728.

Wwi Aviators Memorial Plaque To Australia

A plaque which once marked a WWI pilots grave has found its way to the Australian War Memorial, thanks to the generosity of Goulburn resident Virginia Lyttle, and her brother John Hay Boyd, who now lives in Connecticut, USA. The plaque was on the final resting place of Mrs Lyttle’s uncle, pilot Second Lieutenant John Hay, a New South Welshman who enlisted in the British Royal Flying Corps and served in the Western Front.

Lieutenant Hay – with three victories of his own – was shot down by the infamous Baron Von Richthofen while flying an FE-8, a single seat pusher biplane fighter that was already outclassed when it reached the front lines. It is believed that Hay was the only Australian flier among the 80 aircraft shot down by Richthofen. He was also the Red Baron’s 17th victim. Born at Double Bay in Sydney on January 22 1889, Hay was only 28 when he met his fate on January 17 1917. John’s comrades in No 40 Squadron RFC had the plaque made and emblazoned with the message “The earth holds not a braver gentleman”, to mount on a propeller hub over the grave. The plaque was taken from France to the family in the USA many years ago and from there it was brought to Australia for the recent handover at the memorial.

Lieutenant Hay’s uncle was politician Sir John Hay, after whom the NSW country town of Hay was named. Prior to the handing over of the plaque, AWM staff members discovered several interesting facts concerning John Hay. One of these was that Hay’s mother had journeyed to France, still at war, in 1917 to see her son’s grave. Another was that Hay had proposed to Emma ABeckett by letter, sending her a three-diamond engagement ring. Miss ABeckett was about to embark for England to marry him when news of his death arrived. She never married and died in Sydney, aged 86, in 1973. David Crotty, who has been handling the Hay case at the AWM, says the story brings home the fact that behind the heroics and legend there was blood and personal loss and one of our own was killed by the Baron.

Skyrace Tasmania T-28 Wrap Up

How do you get your aircraft home when the engine packed up half way across the country? As noted in the April AA Air Race report Guido Zuccoli’s T-28D Trojan VH-ZUC, suffered a major engine problem when it poured smoke out from the exhaust stacks just as the T-28 class race began. Guido subsequently pulled out of the race and landed with high temps and no oil pressure. It has since been reported that the engine had effectively seized when it was shut down. OK, so this all happened in Tasmania and the home base for the machine is Toowoomba in Queensland.

Problem: How to get the big bird home? Answer: It pays to have friends at a time like this and there is no spare engine readily available. Friend and fellow T-28 owner, Steve Death from Albury came to the rescue by loaning the engine from his aircraft, VH-MEO, to Guido. The engine from Steve’s aircraft had to be taken out, transported to Tasmania, installed in VH-ZUC, the aircraft flown to Toowoomba, the engine again removed and taken south to Albury for refitting in VH-MEO. Nice one Steve! Anyone have a need for a good heavy boat anchor? Great talking point due to its past history.

On the subject of T-28s, Ian Sylvester has recently moved from the Northern Territory to Victoria and his Trojan, VH-DPT, is now based at Tyabb on the Mornington Peninsula. Tyabb is also the home base for Judy Pay’s T-28B, VH-NAW. Meanwhile, at Bankstown, NSW, John Weymouth’s T-28D, VH-XVT, has been sighted in the Winrye Aviation hanger. The machine is in for repair work following the minor accident at RAAF Williamtown, on December 17.

In Brief

It is amazing what you read in overseas publications. The often repeated comment here in Australia was that to learn about the flight and progress of the Vickers Vimy replica one had to tune in to publications from the UK or an overseas news source. The reason being that there was just so little news published here in Australia, apparently as a result of so little information being released here. It would appear that major sponsor National Geographic was keen to keep an exclusive on the flight, at least until it releases a TV documentary, and write-up in its own magazine, reported to be later this year. A different view is that additional media coverage in this country would only create greater awareness of the flight and in so doing generate greater interest in the yet-to-come National Geographic documentary.

The flight of the Vimy in this country was one that left some observers shaking their heads in disbelief after they heard that while it was alright for the Vimy replica to be the first aircraft to land on the new Sydney Airport runway it was not alright for the same machine to be included in an overfly of the Formula One Grand Prix races at Adelaide. The Adelaide overflight was not allowed on safety grounds as the machine was not a certificated aircraft. OK then, what was different at Sydney?

While there have been a fair number of air events throughout NSW and Victoria of late, the nation’s capital, Canberra, seems to have missed out, until now. On the weekend of May 20-21 Canberra will play host to an Air Fair. A compact flying program will be conducted on both days. Owners of warbirds, antiques and sport aircraft are encouraged to attend. Subject to CAA approval a temporary VFR lane will be established in the Canberra control zone to assist entry and exit for those aircraft not fitted with transponders. In addition to the flying activities there will be a number of workshops aimed at both the general public, such as “How to get involved in aviation” and the aviation sector, for example “How to reduce feedback in VHF radios”. The public will be admitted to the airport on both days and profits will go to the local Rotary Clubs for charity purposes. Further inquiries should be made to John Hogan.

The 1936 air race that was won by the late Reg Ansett gave the start to the airline that we now know as Ansett Australia. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the event an air race is to be held in February 1996 that will be a re-run of the 1936 race with Brisbane as the starting point and going through to Adelaide with the final leg finishing in Hamilton, Victoria. Hamilton was the initial base of operations for the then fledgling Ansett airline. Today there is a museum in Hamilton that maintains a wealth of data about the airline and its founder and also has a restored Fokker Universal aircraft painted up to represent the original Ansett Fokker. For more information about the race contact the museum at PO Box 651, Hamilton, 3300.

Do you know anything about RAAF Beaufort A9-311? Built in Melbourne and delivered to the RAAF in May 1943, the Beaufort was written off in a fatal accident in the Toora/Welshpool area of Victoria in August 1943. Aviation enthusiast John Keane recently came across a prop and parts of the aircraft salvaged from the crash site and now on display at a local folk museum at Foster, in southern Gippsland. The artifacts have prompted John to more fully record the history of this particular Beaufort. As a result John is anxious to have contact with any pilots who may have flown the machine and even mechanics who may have worked on it. A9-311 was based out of Sale. The aircraft had been engaged in an offshore patrol when fog reduced visibility. Although diverted the aircraft subsequently crashed into a steep hill near Toora. One person that John Keane would like to contact is a Flt Lt Cleverly who was the officer in charge of the search party that discovered the wreck.

The registration of the Cat that recently arrived in New Zealand for the 1995 Air Show at Avalon is VH-CAT. The machine was previously Z-CAT when it flew the Nile.