Warbirds

As the aircraft was over very rugged country Carlson and his passenger elected to bail out. They landed under their parachutes with minor injuries but got separated. After spending a night in the bush they met up and got a lift back to civilization.
The aircraft was last owned in Australia by Round Engines Pty Ltd of Toowoomba, Qld. It was struck off the register on August 29 2017. Shipped across the Pacific it was then registered as N337VT to Ronald Carlson of Mercer, Wisconsin, on September 26 2017.

Passing of Mustang Owner

It is with regret that we advise the passing of Peter Gill. Peter was the owner of CAC Mustang, VH-URZ. Peter, a former freight and airline pilot, had long aspired to own a Mustang. He eventually bought Mustang A68-199/VH-BOZ, from Graham Hosking in July 2012 and set about restoring it to fly again at Tyabb, Vic. It became VH-URZ.

he first post-restoration flight was made on December 16 2016 with Nick Caldwell as the pilot. Soon after it was back in the air Peter was ready to do some training in a North American T-6 Harvard in order to get the experience needed to fly the Mustang. It was earlier this year that he found out that he had an aggressive brain tumour. Peter subsequently passed away on April 6. He was aged 68.

A moving Celebration of Life service was held for Peter in his hangar at Tyabb airport on May 3. The 200 plus seats were filled with a number of people standing.

The Mustang has been sold. (See AA April Warbirds) It departed Tyabb for Scone, NSW, on May 8 with Tyabb pilot Nick Caldwell at the controls. After the service two T-6 Harvards and the Pay Mustang did a fly past to remind all that Peter ‘Gilly’ Gill was gone but not forgotten.

We look forward to seeing the Mustang in the air and at events in the future.

Youngest Warbird Pilot

Sixteen-year-old Toowoomba Grammar School year 12 student Marco Zuccoli-Handley became the youngest warbird pilot in Australia on Saturday 14 April when he went solo in the Zuccoli Aircraft Collection Winjeel A85-036 (VH-WIJ).

The event comes as no surprise to those who know the Zuccoli family and their warbird heritage. His family recalls that when Marco left hospital after his birth he was taken straight to the family hangar at the Toowoomba Airport rather than to home! Marco has grown up around warbirds.

“I was a bit nervous when I taxied off for my solo. But as soon as I lined up for the take-off all my training kicked in, and once airborne, the exhilaration of being solo in the Winjeel was a wonderful experience that I’ll never forget”.

“It is a real honour to be able to carry on a tradition first undertaken in this aircraft by Air Force pilots and others over a number of decades”.

With his older brother Guido already in ADFA, Marco hopes to also become an air force pilot. In the meantime, he is looking forward to many more hours building up his experience in the Winjeel and enjoying the camaraderie of the Warbird fraternity.

Ryan Sale

Keen to have an aircraft that looks like it was built yesterday but was built before WWII? Dig deep into your pocket and bid for Ryan STM-2, S-29, VH-AGW ex RAAF A50-22, c/n 465. Expect to pay $128,600 for the machine. Based at Caloundra, Qld. it is reported that the aircraft is part of a collection of an 82 year old gentleman who has decided that he won’t be flying anymore hence the sale. It is registered to the Walker Family Trust of Armidale, Victoria.

Over the years the Ryan has had the Menasco engine replaced by a Lycoming four cylinder engine and then in due course replaced by another Menasco engine. An interesting and graceful that one hopes will stay in Australia.

Museum Notes

Have you seen the Southern Cross at Brisbane Airport or the Vickers Vimy at Adelaide’s West Beach Airport lately?

o is probably the answer. Both aircraft are suffering from the march of time in that developments around them have effectively cut them off from view and thus visitors to see these unique aircraft. Both aircraft are part of the pillars of aviation development here in Australia but in recent times have disappeared from sight. Both aircraft need a touch of government intervention to do something about their current display locations and to get them back into the public eye before something negative happens to them.

The Australian War Memorial (AWM) has added an RF-111C to its collection.

The big swing bomber, A8-134, is currently held by the South Australian Aviation Museum in Port Adelaide, which in turn will receive another ex-RAAF F-111C, A8-132, as a replacement for the RF-111C.

While the AWM will not display A8-134 immediately it will go on display in due course.

The Australian National Aviation Museum has acquired CAC Sabre A94-910.

The Australian National Aviation Museum and the Royal Australian Air Force, History and Heritage Branch finalised an agreement to transfer the ownership of Sabre A94-910 to the Museum by way of a Deed of Gift.

Currently located at Wagga, A94-910 is an incomplete airframe. It is missing the canopy. The vertical stabiliser has been removed from the aircraft, but rather than re-fit to then disassemble for relocation, it is provided as is, already removed. The engine is missing, the tyres are inflated, and the aircraft is considered towable. All the instrumentation has been removed. There is a small amount of switch gear still fitted. The ejection seat has been removed. The aircraft has some structural corrosion in the empennage area.

The museum currently has a Sabre on display but A94-910 is considered a better machine even given its short comings. It will go into storage at least for the short term.

From New Zealand we learn that Gene De Marco is no longer with TVAL, Peter Jackson’s famed WW1 aircraft manufacturing and flying operation. It is reported that legal proceedings are to take place regarding the sale of some aircraft and the monies involved in those sales.

The last flight of CAC CA-16 Wirraway, VH-CAC, took place on Saturday April 28. The aircraft made a delivery flight from Tyabb to Nhill in Western Victoria where it has gone into the Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre (NAHC). The aircraft has been sold by owner Borg Sorensen to the NAHC for display in the centres museum. The pilots were Borg and Nick Caldwell. Over 1000 people were present along with some 60 visiting aircraft to view the arrival and hand over to the museum. The flight was delayed out of Tyabb due to a minor hydraulic issue.

Wings Over Illawarra Airshow

A great event held under sunny skies on May 5. The RAAF had a number of aircraft on display on the ground and in the air. On the warbird and antique side there was plenty to see.

The Hawker Hurricane was flown by Steve Death while Paul Bennett flew the Pay/Hourigan CAC Mustang. A Temora Aviation Museum Spitfire was well received. The Bennett TBM Avenger took to the skies. Jeff Trappett had his CAC built CA-27 Sabre on display and two Siai Marchetti S-111 ex Singapore Air Force light jet trainers performed as a formation flight. It is disappointing to report that the much publicised Focke Wulf FW-190 did not fly due to a fuel pump issue. At least the aircraft was on ground display.

Register Notes

The Roger Richards Winjeel VH-WIJ has been sold. The new owner is Aerotec at Toowoomba, Qld. The change of owner took place on March 28.

De Havilland DHC-1 T Mk.10, VH-RSM, c/n WB-710, was struck off the register on April 6. The aircraft suffered an engine failure on February 13 soon after take off from Luskintyre, NSW. The machine was damaged in the ensuring forced landing.

VH-IJI is the registration of a WW1 replica Newport 24 replica, c/n 261, that was placed on the register on April 13.

he owner is Andrew carter of Wavell Heights, Qld. Andrew is the founder of The Australian Vintage Aviation Society (TAVAS) based at Caboolture, Qld.

North American T-6 Harvard, VH-LNT, c/n 78-5976, had an ownership change on April 27 to Jace Harrison of Sunbury, Vic.