Warbirds

One of those caught out was visiting CAC Winjeel VH-SOB, which at one stage had water over the wings. Also at the airport were Percival Gulls VH-CCM and VH-UTP, which suffered repairable damage.

At Mothcair, the rebuild workshop owned by brothers Nick and Greg Challinor, the situation was better than expected. DH. 60G Gipsy Moth VH-UGN suffered minor damage, but Tiger Moths VH-AGY and VH-WTM, Auster VH-HPM and DH. 85 Leopard Moth VH-UVF were dismantled and in the loft storage area and out of the water, Nick advised.

Also high and dry was DH. 83 Fox Moth VH-UUS.

The Challinor’s Mothcair hangar is reported to be higher than a lot of other hangars on the airport. The actual runway is in the centre of a depression on the airport which is close to the Tweed River, which flooded so rapidly that it caught out aircraft owners who with more time may have been able to take action to put their machines on higher ground.

Nick mentioned that some 34 aircraft were damaged or written off by the floods at Murwillumbah. Known write-offs include Bonanza VH-CAD, a Mooney, a PA-32, Cessna 150 VH-FSY and unfortunately the oldest Cessna 172 in Australia, VH-ZKN (which was seen recently at the Avalon Airshow).

Meanwhile at nearby Lismore the airport was also flooded but not before some 16 owners managed to move their aircraft to a patch of high ground that aerial photos showed resembled a fort with flood waters totally surrounding it.

Hars Parkes Division Gets a Convair

The Parkes Aviation Museum has taken delivery of former Pionair Convair 580 freighter VH-PDW, with latest acquisition for the HARS-operated museum arriving on March 27.

The Convair was built in 1953 as a model 340 for United Airlines as N73136, powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasps of 2,400hp (1,790kW).

In 1966 it would be re-engined with 3,750hp (2,800kW) Allison 501-D13 turboprops becoming a Convair 580, while over four decades later it would arrive in Australia, by then converted as freighter. The aircraft was placed on the Australian register on October 29 2007 with Pionair Australia.

In the decade since it was used extensively on the domestic freight network, most recently on contract for Virgin Australia.

Over time the Convair will be converted back to a passenger configuration.

Ex Ran Dh Sea Venom to Fly Again

At Ogden, in south-western Utah, Rich Grinnell and his Red Rock Warbirds has acquired former RAN Sea Venom WZ944 (N4-944 ‘873’) with the aim of getting the machine airworthy again.

The former RAN twin boomer left Australia in 1971 and had several owners before it ended up with Red Rock Warbirds and has been registered N7022H with several US owners.

After service with the RAN WZ944 went on display at the Warbirds Museum at Mildura, Victoria before being exported to the US in 1989. After restoration it returned to airworthiness in 1995.

To once again return to the air WZ944 needs a new canopy and new fuel lines. To this end the Sea Venom was trucked to Ultimate Aviation at nearby Brigham City in early March.

One to watch.

Antique Aeroplane Gathering

The annual gathering of the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia brought together a flock of older aircraft to Echuca, on the Murray River, on March 17 to 19. A total of 120 aircraft were noted over the weekend, which experienced fine weather, a cloudless sky and little wind. It was an aviator’s delight.

This year the feature of the AAAA event was the Beech Bonanza of which six Beech 33 and 36 types flew in – but sadly no V-tailed 35 models! It is amazing to reflect that the first Beech Bonanza flew 70 years ago – and that the type is still in production today! No fewer than 12 Tiger Moths turned up, while six Chipmunks were in attendance, including VH-DBS and VH-AFL.

From Luskintyre came Roy Fox’s recently rebuilt DH. 83 Fox Moth, VH-UVL.

Also from Luskintyre and Matt Webber’s rebuild crew came the DH. 60 Gipsy Moth VH-UOI, while Dave Slater’s DH. 60, VH-UAE, also put in a late appearance.

For warbird fans there were the North American T-28B VH-NAW and Harvards VH-TXN, NZH and YVI, and jet trainers Aero L-39 VH-IOT and SIAI-Marchetti S-211 VH-DZJ. Ryan PT-22s VH-NEA and RPT were parked next to each other, the first time the two aircraft had been at the same event in the 30 years that they have been in the country.

The Piper Cub line was well represented with a PA-11, VH-LTE, three Super Cubs and three J-3 types with mixed registrations – NC24749, VH-VGE and 24-2163. It was interesting to see that there was not one tailwheel PA-20 type that turned up, different from previous years.

CAC was well represented with five Winjeels and Doug Hamilton’s CA-28 Ceres, VH-SSY.

At the dinner presentation the Grand Champion Warbird was Harvard VH-NZH. Grand Champion Contemporary 1956-65 was Decathlon VH-FTA. Grand Champion Classic 1945-55 was Stinson 108 VH-STN. The Grand Champion Antique went to Roy Fox’s DH. 83 VH-UVL, dressed up in Royal Flying Doctors markings.

Next year the AAAA gathering will be held again at Echuca over March 16-18 before the annual event moves to another location.

Curtiss Robin Moves to Victoria

Geoff Davis’s 1929 Curtiss J-1 Robin, VH-JUV, has been sold to Jack Vivers of Patterson Lakes, Melbourne. The high-wing monoplane was flown over two days from Gawler, South Australia to its new home at Tyabb, Victoria over February 9-10.

The aircraft, with serial 477, was originally registered in Australia on June 5 1990. The ownership formally changed on March 2.

The aircraft has been rarely seen while it was in South Australia and is reported to have only flown some six hours in the last 30 years.

Rushworth Honours Air Force Legends

Rushworth, Victoria has honoured two local high-flying war heroes. Bronze busts of airmen Air Marshal Sir George Jones and Air Vice- Marshal Frank McNamara, both who were born and grew up in the town, were officially unveiled at the Rushworth War Memorial on March 20.

Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin and Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Leo Davies attended the ceremony, which featured a flypast of the Air Force’s newest aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon.

McNamara was the first and only Australian airman to be decorated with the Victoria Cross during World War 1. Air Marshal Jones commenced military service as a private to serve in Gallipoli before becoming a pilot in the Australian Flying Corps. During World War 2 he was pivotal in transforming the training of Air Force pilots and recruitment of aircrew.

Heroic Anson Pilot to Be Remembered

The Wellington Shire Council in Victoria’s Gippsland region is to name a road to honour a pilot who crashed his Avro Anson but avoided a built-up area and so prevented further loss of life.

On that fateful night of February 24 1945 13 Ansons departed Bairnsdale tasked on navigation flights over the Bass Strait. While the weather had been forecast as being fine soon after the aircraft took off a dense fog rolled in, with the 13 aircraft caught above it. Some made landings at East Sale and West Sale and one landed in a paddock which as the pilot found out later was the only clear area for miles. Another Anson crashed in a paddock killing the pilot when the aircraft hit a tree stump.

Another Anson, W2557, piloted by Flt Sgt Kevin Maloney, flew to Rosedale to try and find a suitable landing area. Unable to find that suitable area Maloney gave his crew of four the option of bailing out or remaining with the aircraft as the engines spluttered from fuel exhaustion. Two crew members bailed out and survived while another crew member, the navigator, also bailed out but his parachute opened at a low altitude and he died as a result.

Maloney and the last crewman stayed with the aircraft. Maloney then proceeded to land the aircraft in a paddock to the north-west of Rosedale. The Anson’s wooden wings were torn off in the landing but Maloney and his other crewmember survived.

Now the Wellington Shire Council is to name the road leading to Willow Park, Rosedale, as Maloney Rd in memory of Flt Sgt Kevin Maloney and his heroic actions on that foggy night many years ago.

In Brief

• Wirraway A20-704, previously VH-BFO with the late Murray Griffiths, was placed on the US register on December 14 as N436WR with owner Kermit Weeks, Florida.
• Formed in 1975, the Queensland Vintage Aeroplane Group (QVAG) changed its name in March to the Queensland Warbird and Vintage Aircraft Association (QWVAA). The name change is to reflect the increasing importance of warbirds in the old aeroplane scene.
• Ryan SCW-145 VH-SCW is currently in the UK for a six-month period, arriving there in September last year having been shipped from Victoria. The machine is one of only six of the type built. Its arrival caused a bit of a stir in UK old aeroplane circles given its rarity and that it had come from Australia.
• At the Point Cook RAAF Museum the Friends of the Museum has funded several picnic shelters along with tables and seating. The shelters are adjacent to the museum entrance. A small cafe where one can purchase a hot drink is also a new feature.

Contact Dave by email: flyer02@optusnet. com. au