Australian Aviation history - Plane spotting

geoffc · Veteran Member

Australian Aviation history - Plane spotting

iana · Guru

yeah I was involved early on, if you search two posts I made "Crash Salvage Imonda, Papua New Guinea" and another, forget what I called it, its just a bit further down. It might interest you. Will answer any questions. Have another salvage not posted, couldn't quite get the enthusiasm. Few other crashes, some stories.

KJB · Guru

Well do not forget to call at the Nhill (Victoria - situated on the Western Highway half way between Melbourne and Adelaide ) Airfield because there is a Camp Ground, Airfield (ex. WW 2 ) and a hangar devoted to the rebuilding (to taxiing status ) of an Avro Anson (last I heard was that one motor had run, and running the second was not far off - that was 12 months ago. )

KB

geoffc · Veteran Member

Thanks iana and KJB for your replies
Firstly to iana I gather you must have been a LAME working for a company in PNG to have been involved with the type of work that you depicted P2 aircraft been a little hard to keep track of
To KJB. Have not been out to the Nhill Airport since they put up the new building but do have the full WW2 history and some photos of the base. The base was enlarged in anticipation of the USAF using the base but that did not eventuate

geoffc

iana · Guru

Yes, I worked in NZ on crop dusting aircraft, if you Google "Kiwi Beavers" you will see the Beavers, lodestars and DC'3 that I worked on. I worked for Aero Space industries working on FU24 Fletchers, CT4 trainers and Thrush aircraft. Then over to PNG with Talair (Territory Airlines) worked on most Cessna's, many twins including twin Otters. Moved back to Oz, and did a bit then left the industry. In all I did three crash salvage fly outs from the bush in PNG.

Wombat 280 · Guru

If your in SA don't forget to look in at the South Australian Aviation Museum at Port Adelaide, great display and if in NSW try Temora and Albion Park The Temora airfield has flying weekends when all the old Vietnam era birds take to the air plus some Pre Vietnam depending on serviceability status . Worth calling first to see what's happening before you head out

I was Rotary Wing and Canberra's plus a lot of endorsements for twin engine civy birds No longer fly just to old and lost interest been an airborne Taxi Driver

geoffc · Veteran Member

Hi Wombat
if you were on Canberra's you would have to have been either 1 or 2 Sqd and at a long guess for rotary 5 or nine
It is interesting as one travels this land where you will find memorials to our lost airmen
Places like Narrandera 8 EFTS
Tocumwal No 7 (Heavy Bomber)OTU
Mildura Airport No 2OTU, museum in the old RAAF Headquarters building
Narromine airport was in the thick of things from 1940 to April 1946
Nhill, Vic between Melbourne and Adelaide now have a Anson on display out at the airport
and if you are travelling between Kerang and Swan Hill there is Lake Boga

regards
GeoffC

PeterD · Guru

Are you folks across the Flight Radar site? It is a paid for site but they give you a little while each day to play with it.

Talking of places to visit, there is the Lake boga Flying Boat Museum at Lake Boga. There is a nice caravan park at the other end of townI use when passing through the area. It is a good base for Swan Hill area.

geoffc · Veteran Member

Hi and greetings PeterD
There are actually three (3) sites that one can look at and they all are different in the way they inter act
Flight Radar 24 in it's basic state is free but they then have three or four paid subscriptions depending on what you wish to get out of Flight Radar 24 ( I do have a Gold subscription as it allows me to go back in time
Then there is Flight aware and Plane finder which are free
Personally I use Flight Radar first then Flight Aware. With the latter you are able to check Airports for arrivals and Departures as well as Tail No / Flight No
But the most interesting thing about all three is that you may not see an a/c on one but will see it on the others plus be careful how you interpret what you see as often the type and owner do not equate in other words there are often a lot of errors with in all of them
Peter it is nice to see the Cat out of the weather but why would you go and paint the old girl gloss white a real crying shame from a personal perspective mat black would have been the much prefered colour
regards
GeoffC

Dunmowin · Guru

Geoff, perhaps you might be interested in the B24 Liberator restoration project at Werribee (Victoria). We've called there twice in 9 months, and will continue to check it out as the project is to get it to taxi standard.

geoffc · Veteran Member

Thanks Dunmowin for that. My wife (Colleen) and I were there We on a wet and windy day 28Feb2012 a couple of days after we had been to Point Cook for a Air Show (bloody hot and windy) The chaps were lifting the engines into place using a fork lift. got some good photos and video whilst there
The worst part of that holiday was that I some how managed to tear my Achilles tendon had it repaired and it got infected got six(6) blood clots in the leg etc. etc wont bore you with the rest other than to say I spent a bloody long time in and out of hospital in 2013
As I say thanks for the info

regards
GeoffC

Dunmowin · Guru

The engines are not on the aircraft currently. They are on test benches, and every three months one is run up. We have noticed even in 9 months the difference in the project.

We also visited the Pt Cook RAAF Museum last year. Have you visited the HAR Museum at Albion Park, Wollongong. That is another good one.

Cadpete · Guru

If you come to Western Australia might I suggest Bullcreek aviation museum. I know it's my local but I reckon it's pretty good. Lancaster, Catalina, Anson and Dakota to name a few. Run by the RAAF Association of WA in the grounds of one of the retirement homes.

http://www.raafawa.org.au/museum/

geoffc · Veteran Member

Thanks Cadpete.
Bull Creek is definitely on the list of things to do whilst Colleen and I are in WA. Anticipating leaving Adelaide at the end of July will be down at Rockingham (Rockingham Holiday Village as it is close to where Colleen's brother lives) from the middle to the end of August
Was at Bull creek donkey years ago so will be good to revisit
Hope also to get out to Beverley
regards
GeoffC