Warbirds

The aircraft took up seven container loads to move to Wanaka. The circle aircraft was built by Ron Feast. It flew but with another that flies at Tyabb – it is not the only one of its kind. 

Rhodes is also involved in a plan to bring to New Zealand examples of all the commercial aircraft that have been used by Air New Zealand. These include a DC8 in Brazil and a Lockheed L188 Electra. 

For those wanting a flyable Curtiss Kittyhawk VH-ZOC, a P-40N-1, is for sale via Platinum Fighter Sales. The asking price is US$1,795,000 plus GST if applicable. 

Also for sale by Platinum is Australian registered Hawker Hurricane 11B, VH-JFW. The asking price is £1,450.000 plus VAT if applicable. 

CARIBOU WITH POLISH

Caribou A4-199 now gleams following a refurbish. The aircraft, a tried and trusted trooper, was returned to guard duties at RAAF Base Townsville late last year in time for the 20th anniversary of the deployment of the International Force East Timor (Interfet). It was one of the workhorses of that historic peace mission. 

The aircraft was refurbished by reservists from the History and Heritage Branch – Air Force that involved a seven-week restoration back to a post-Vietnam colour scheme complete with its signature No.35 Squadron, ‘Wallaby Airlines’ emblem on the tail. 

It is planned to have a collection of historical aircraft on display at RAAF Townsville that will include a PC-9, Winjeel, Mirage, Iroquois gunship plus the Caribou. A mini-RAAF museum but in the northern climes. 

‘Then from the shadows a white knight appeared in the form of New Zealander Jason Rhodes’

TOP COVER FOR QANTAS FOUNDERS MUSEUM AIRCRAFT

At Longreach, Queensland, the Qantas Founders Museum had a top cover installed during February. The cover, costing $14.3 million, was built to protect the display aircraft comprising the B747, B707 and the recently arrived and assembled Lockheed Constellation from the sun and rain and even hail. The cover will assist with the preservation of the museum display aircraft. 

The cover will allow visitors to do the famed wing-walk in all weather conditions. 

The top cover, titled Airpark Roof Project, used Aramax sheeting. The DC-3 and the Constellation will be located under the cover when it is completed. 

The roof height reaches 26 metres. Incoming aircraft can see it from some distance. The construction crew worked two shifts to build the structure. The first from 6am to 4pm followed by the second working 4pm to 2am. The roof covering will allow sound and light presentations once completed. 

On another note, the museum assisted in a new cabin safety video that Qantas produced for use in its fleet. The video clip was filmed in late 2019 and includes footage of the museum’s Avro 504K replica aircraft, a 1919 T-model Ford and the 1922 National Heritage-listed Qantas hangar. Later the Avro appears to fly then there is footage of a DH Express Liner followed by the Short Flying Boats at Rose Bay. The HARS Connie features and then the Boeing 707 closes off the interesting footage, with just a tad of help from Photoshop. 

The safety video is a great promotion for Qantas but also tells the story of the early days of the airline in a most interesting way. 

Would you like to see the safety video and its real aircraft? Just fly Qantas! 

REGISTER UPDATE 

From New Zealand we learn of two interesting new registrations: The first is a Thruxton Jackaroo, G-AOIO, serial 82151, imported from the UK. It was registered on 21 January as ZK-PHZ to a private owner. NZ regulations allow not to disclose the owner if they so wish. BA Swallow ZK-UUN, 414, was registered on 13 February to J. Byers of Christchurch. It is ex VH-UUN. 

From Australia VH-JGB a Cessna 305A, 21602, was registered on 20 February to Stuart Lee of Wangaratta, Vic. It is ex Royal Thai Air Force. 

Also new on the register is VHUCU, a DH87B Hornet Moth, 8136. Built in 1937, it came from Sweden where it was SE-AGE. It was registered to Umberto Filippi of Mt Pleasant, WA on 10 January. 

Interesting aircraft struck off the register are the Fleet Air Arm aircraft transferred across to HARS at Albion Park. The aircraft are not to be put back in the air; VHHVS Hawker Sea Fury, VH-NVU Fairey Firefly FB654 and VHNVW a Westland Scout. All three were struck off the register on 31 January having been withdrawn from service. 

EVENT CANCELLATIONS

The worldwide shutdowns created by the threat of COVID-19 has caused a number of local and overseas events to be cancelled or postponed. 

In Australia, the Antique Aeroplane Association event at Wangaratta has been postponed to possibly later this year. The big Tyabb Airshow was held on 8 March and was probably the last airshow before the lockdown rules came into being. 

The Brisbane Airshow scheduled for 4-5 July has been postponed for a year. The Victorian Serpentine Air Race, to celebrate the first air race held in Australia, in March 1920, has been postponed to a date yet to be announced. Warbird shows at the Temora Aviation Museum and Scone have also been cancelled or postponed. The Scone Warbirds event will now be held on 19-20 September. Wings and Wheels at Mudgee scheduled for April has been cancelled. Wings Over Illawarra has been postponed to 27 September. The Latrobe Valley Airshow has been postponed until 2021 at a date to be advised. The Paul Bennett Airshows, unable to be part of a number of local airshows created an innovative event. It was to run a series of pay-to-watch on your PC but at the last minute Paul Bennett unfortunately suffered a leg injury and so the airshow series has been postponed. 

In New Zealand, the ever popular Warbirds Over Wanaka for 2020 has been cancelled. 

From the USA we learn that the EAA AirVenture 2020 event has been cancelled. It is the largest aviation event held in the world. 

In the UK airshows are said to be cancelled or postponed until the end of 2021. All cancellations are at the behest of the government to try and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 due to close contact at events where many people would be congregating. 

The year 2020 was set to be a big year for warbird airshows in Australia but warbirds fans may have to wait another year. 

One now has to ask if the Australian International Airshow at Avalon will be cancelled or postponed given that it was to be the event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the RAAF. Many visiting overseas aircraft might well be cancelled due to the possibility of issues surrounding the virus here and back in their home countries. 

IN BRIEF

• Stinson L5B, VH-CRO, was damaged in a forced landing at Kyneton, Victoria on 9 February following an engine issue on take-off. The two occupants were uninjured. » 
• The Temora Aviation Museum is gearing up to get the Canberra back in the air. In recent times two overhauled engines have been flown from the UK to RAAF Base Richmond in a C-17 and then by C-130 to Temora. The installation of the engines will allow the museum to get the Canberra back in the air for museum functions later this year.