Warbirds

It is understood the RSL started buying several surplus Macchi aircraft hulks to restore one for the memorial. One other Macchi rear fuselage with the serial ‘11’ (A7-011) was noted in the workshop with Macchi N14-087/A7-087.

Visiting Warbird Pilot Talk

How does one become a warbird pilot? Read how British Air Marshal Clifford Spink (R’td) came to be one!

Air Marshal Spink CB CBE FCMI FRAeS was in Australia in November as a guest of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (Australian Region) to deliver the 2012 Captain Frank Fisher Lecture. When in Melbourne Spink hosted a talk night at the Moorabbin Airport Royal Victorian Aero Club to a group of interested pilots and warbird enthusiasts. And an interesting talk it was.

A former senior RAF Officer, he is now a Spitfire display pilot on the UK national air display circuit. The first Spitfire he ever flew belonged to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Now aged 67, Spink joined the RAF in the early 1960s, learning to fly on the Jet Provost before progressing to the Folland Gnat and the Hawker Hunter. Later he was posted on a tour of duty flying the English Electric Lightning, an aircraft Spink described as the “most exhilarating rocket ship any young man could wish to fly”.

As he rose through the ranks of the air force he was tasked to fly a number of aircraft. These included the Chipmunk, Nimrod, BAe Hawk, Phantom FGR2 and F4, Hercules and Sea King helicopter. He later converted to the Tornado F3. Along the way Spink was involved in several theatres of involvement including Cyprus, the Falklands, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf War.

Following his introduction to warbirds through the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, where he flew the Spitfire, he then gained Hurricane time.

The majority of his warbirds flying time has been done at Duxford and he regards himself as one of the ‘luckiest and most privileged pilots’ to have flown a variety of famous and historic aircraft. These include: Spitfire II, V, IX, XI, XIV, XVI and XIX, Hurricane II and X, Bf109G, Buchon, Wildcat, Mustang, Sea Fury, Polikarpov I-153, N-A T-28 Trojan, DH. Vampire, T-33 Silver Star, N-A F-86A Sabre and Hunter, Corsair, N-A T-6, P-40 and the P-47.

He currently flies a restored Spitfire XVIe, TD248, and has a display authorisation for jet and piston aircraft, and is a display authorisation evaluator for the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority.

A quiet but comfortable speaker, Spink talked about some features of a few of the aircraft that he had flown. He noted that the Bf109 had poor vision due to the canopy design and that the rudder had no effect until the aircraft reached 40 kts. And that its speed, ground handling and approach were all ‘interesting’.

Spink had flown Mustang G-HAEC in the UK. He was aware that it was an Australian CAC-built aircraft, but was a little surprised to know that it had been built at Fisherman’s bend only a few miles away from the talk location and that it had been operated from Moorabbin Airport as VH-FCB. The aircraft was destroyed in the UK following a midair collision with a Skyraider in November 2011, in which the pilot of the Mustang parachuted to safety with scant seconds to spare.

And how does one pick a British pilot from an Australian pilot? Easy. The Brits always talk of being ‘on finals’ while an Australian uses the singular, ‘on final’. Now you know!

Col Pay Memorial Hangar

At Scone Airport the Aero Club’s new hangar – the Col Pay Memorial Hangar –was officially opened on November 17 by state MP for the Upper Hunter George Souris.

A number of interesting aircraft were noted, both local and visiting. Of the 35-plus aircraft present were Cessna Birddogs VH-LQS and VH-YAP, Mustang VH-AUB, Tiger Moths VH-PCL and VH-JJW, Harvard VH-HAJ, Chipmunk VH-AMV, Auster J1 VH-AJE and Curtiss P-40E VH-KTY.

Mustang VH-AUB was the aircraft that saw Col Pay enter the warbird scene. He recovered the aircraft from a property at Jericho, Queensland and had it rebuilt and put back into airworthy condition.

Col Pay died in the crash of Air Tractor AT-802 VH-LIS on December 7 2007. Ironically the recovered Air Tractor was on the airport at the hangar opening.

Register News

The local register has a few changes of interest. Cessna 195 VH-KXR, c/n 7872, was added to the register on 30/11/12. Built in 1952 the aircraft is owned by Colin Taylor of Coonabarabran, NSW. It was previously N195BL in the USA and last owned at Prosper, Texas. Waco Classic YMF-F5C, c/n F5C096, VH-LFZ, was put on the register on 20/11/12 to Kangella Pty Ltd of Whyalla, SA. Built in 2001, it was previously N519HJ.

Vintage Bell 47J-2 helicopter VH-JEY, c/n 1801, has been exported to New Zealand. Built in 1960 the aircraft was struck off the register on 20/11/12.

From the UK comes VH-XVE, a Scottish Aviation 121 Bulldog. Put on the register on 29/11/12 with c/n BH120/348 it is owned by Stephen Lovegrove of Angle Vale, SA. Built in 1975 the aircraft was previously G-CBCV and XX699 (RAF).

BAC 167 Strikemaster VH-LLD, c/n NZ6372, was removed from the register on 22/11/12. It is to be dismantled and put in storage and was last operated by Hastings Fighter Flight at Port Macquarie, NSW.

Piper J3C-65 Cub VH-IMR, c/n 19610, has gone to the RA-Aus register. It was taken off the VH register on 13/11/12. And for the record Chipmunk VH-QOZ was removed from the register on 19/10/12 following an accident at Goulburn, NSW. An old favourite, DHC Beaver VH-AQU was re-registered to VH-YKY on 8/11/12. The float-equipped machine, c/n 1544, is operated out of Hobart and registered to YKMF Group P/L.

Last but not least Auster J5 VH-KAP, c/n 2893, had an ownership change on 12/11 to Phillip Couchman of Canobolas, NSW.

The New Zealand Civil Aircraft Register is in a state of flux. In early December the register was no longer made available to the public, based on privacy grounds. It would appear that some aircraft owners were concerned about their name and address details being made public, more so in an interesting financial world. After a short time the register was returned but with no ownership details.

Hercules For Point Cook

Saturday December 8 saw the last flight of the RAAF’s C-130H model Hercules to fly RAAF service in Australia. At 12.30 the aircraft landed at Point Cook where it was taken on charge by the RAAF Museum. Using the callsign ‘Trojan 32’ the Hercules, A97-011, was flown from RAAF Richmond where it had been based.

In Brief

● Noordyn-built North American AT-6 Texan VH-TXN was saved from a fiery fate on October 25 when, following an interactive display at the Point Cook RAAF Museum, the aircraft suffered an engine fire. Quick thinking by an attendant ground support crew brought the fire under control.

The ATSB incident report brief stated that after disembarkation the crew observed fire and smoke emanating from the engine cowl.

Had the fire occurred at any other location there might not have been a competent ground crew and fire extinguishers close at hand. Good save guys!

● The Catalina Museum at Lake Boga near Swan Hill, Victoria has been completed and is open for inspection. The museum building was built over and around the Catalina. The facility includes a small theatrette and displays telling the story of the WW2 Lake Boga Air Base. Meanwhile, the Catalina Flying Memorial Ltd (CFML) is pressing ahead with its aim to have a hangar/museum at the NSW Lake Macquarie Rathmines former RAAF base site. The CFML has the aircraft VH-CAT and is now seeking further donations and company sponsorship to push ahead and get the Catalina airworthy and the hangar/museum built. Any and all help and donations are welcome.

Contact Dave by email at [email protected]