r

Aviation Historical Society f-

OF Australia r

Registered in Australia for transmission by post as a periodical

VOLUME IX No.2 March - April 1968

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A.H.SoA. Journal -27- March-April 1968

An Account of the First Aerial Reconnaissance in Australia, By N,M, Parnell

At 2,30 am on March 12th, 1921, the auxiliary yacht ’Acielle* weighed anchor in Sydney Harbour and departed for Jervis Bay, NSW, to assist in the first aerial reconnaissance in Australia, Promoted and financed by Mr, Lebbeus Hordern, a Sydney businessman, their equipment was by today’s standards, crude, and the facilities to operate an aircraft were non-existant. Never-the-less, the expedition set forth arriving at Jervis Bay some twelve hours later. The Acielle, under the command of Capt, C„ Snook, was to act as tender for a Curtiss Seagull, a three seat seaplane fitted with a 160 hp Curtiss water-cooled engine, which was to be used to take aerial photographs of the coastline. On reaching Jervis Bay, a message was sent to Capt, Andrew Lang, the pilot of the Seagull, advising him not to leave Sydney before 9,00 am on the 13th as, although the mooring facilities had been completed, the weather was not suitable. The morning of the 13th broke beautifully fine with a slight mist over the Manly end of the harbour. It was about 10,00 am when the Seagull lifted off from Double Bay, and headed in the direction of North Head, The fuel tank was only a little more than half full, some twenty-eight gallons, but the array of equipment stowed in the cockpit - an aerial camera, a magazine of plates, clothing, maps, riding lights, a 28-lb, anchor with 20 fathoms (120 feet) of line attached and two persons aboard. brought the vreight up considerably. After circling Manly for some twenty minutes to gain height, they flew over the heads and turned south, passing Bondi at some 2,000 feet. Off Thirroul a collier was observed appearing as if it was about to run into a reef, but upon checking an Admiralty chart later there was at least fifty feet of water under her keel. The day was particularly cleari from 2,000 feet the pattern of the bottom of the ocean could be seen for quite a depth. The Seagull began to roll and yaw a bit and it became apparent that a north-easterly was moving down the coast, Wollongong, from the air, was decidedly disappointing but photographed anyway, Shellharbour was next but the camera jammed just as it was needed most. Still it was hoped .that anything mi,ssed on the way down could be caught on the return trip. Passing over Kiama the wind freshened, and with it over the tail, they flew inland over Gerringong, chasing a few cows. Crossing short over Black Head, which was most appropriately named, a few minutes later they were opposite Greenwell Point, with Nowra in the distance, ensconced in a bend of the Shoalhaven River, This was considered an ideal shelter for flying boats. Taking a short cut across Wollumboola Lake, the Seagull was over Jervis Bay before the crew of the Acielle was aware of it. The wind was blowing from the north-east at about 25 mph,, and over the toTO it was decidedly bumpy. Capt. Lang landed the Seagull in the choppy water about fifty yards from the mooring bouy, Alex Hill hung over the side and made fast, Ihe trip took one hour forty minutes, and five minutes later, the crew were on board the Acielle, With the strength of the wind it was decided to moor the kite in the shelter of Currumbene Creek, A great many people turned up in the afternoon to look at the first flying boat in Australia, but with the poor conditions all thoughts of flying had to be abandoned. For the record the crew of the expedition consisted of $- Capt, Andi’ew Lang Pilot of the Seagull W.B.M, Smith Bosun Alex Hill Fitter and rigger Frank Chandos Cook Frederick Laidler Engineer for the Seagull Jack Watson Marine engineer Capt, Charles Snook Commander of the Acielle Fi"ont cover; Transavia PL-12 Airtruk demonstrating at the Rylestone Air Show. Inside Cover top; The Seagull at Double Bay NSW and,Lower; on the punt at Launceston, Tasmania. Centre; Members of the expedition from left, Capt. Andrew Lang, Frederick Laidler, Jack Watson, Alex Hill, Eranlc Chandos, and Capt. Charles Snook. A.HoSeA. Journal -28- Ma^Gh*=?Ap riJ_1968

After a sojourn of four days the Acielle pushed off for the Moruya Bar at 9o20 aiTij leaTing Capto Lang and Alex to quarter at the local hotel. At 2.00 am the following morning the Acielle was back at Jervis Bay, the 45 hp Stirling engine used as auxiliary power having gone *phut*. Ihile repairs were effected, it was decided to slip the Seagull at the back of the Government slipway at Huskisson. As soon as it was high and dry, they were astounded to find the hull a mass of barnacles. Alex soon cramped the style of the aeronautically minded barnacles with a rag well soaked in petrol. For the next three days, the aircraft had its hull given two coats of best quality marine varnish in place of the copper paint originally usedj cables were greased to prevent them rusting; and as the petrol tank was fitted with a gauge which measured in US gallons, the contents were emptied and remeasured in Imperial gallons. The Acielle was repaired and left for Moruya. The Seagull was moored out overnight for an early morning start, but the plans of mice and men oft times go astray. The tide was falling at a great rate, and a motor launch was used to tow the seaplane out. The shallow draught of the Seagull made it very hard to control, so as the towrope was released, the boat promptly ran aground on an un-noticed sand-bar, and the tide swept the Seagull into collision with it. There was no damage to the Seagull but it was deemed prudent to check the alignment. They packed up the air­ craft with bags of sand. As the tide went out the seaplane settled onto the bags, Alex wratching a spirit level set up on the hull. After much lifting and heaving the plane was finally in the correct position. The collision had not affected the alignment at all. By early evening the Seagull was again on the moorings with the two prostrate airmen/mechanics at the hotel. The next morning, Good Friday, dawned about 5,30 am, and the weather pros­ pects appeared good. It had been decided the previous night, after lengthy discussions not to use a launch to break the anchor but to do it under the Seagull's own power, so as to minimise the risk of collision again, especially as the tide ran quite fast. This method had the drawback that if the engine stopped the seaplane might be swept onto the rocks. However, nothing disastrous occured, although crossing the bar the engine had to be revved up to 1,100 rprn to move the Seagull against the incoming tide, Capt, Lang flew over the Haval College and Alex photographed it before they ran into some cloud which forced them to descend to 250 feet, as the visibility was only some 400 yards, Turning down the coast, the Seagull sped south, making 63 mph at 1,500 rpm, with the cliffs not more than thirty yards away, A brother Seagull attempted to fly ahead of them but finding the mechanical monster approaching so fast did a 'split S' semi-spinning nose dive to?rards the water and was lost to viev/. Entering Wreck Bay the cloud lifted to some 400 feet with the visibility near two to three miles. Just after passing St, George's Head, one of the magnetos began playing up, making the engine sound rough. The Curtiss had been fitted with one American and one British type,and it appeared as though the latter had 'downed sparks and struck. The wind was slightly more than easterly off Bateman's Bay with a practically calm sea. Off lorth Head a compass course was et to Burrewarra Point, Here the mist lifted considerable, the wind being to the north east. Turning in to­ wards the Tomage Eiver and north of Broulee, the gained a little height preparatory to making for Sandy Point and the Moruya River, finally arriving over the town at 1,200 feet. The Seagull made a smooth landing and was soon moored off the wharf near the Acielle after one hour fifty minutes in the air. The British magneto was quickly removed and found to have as much magnetism as a brick. A spare American magneto was unpacked and duly installed. Having satisfied themselves that both were synchronised, lunch was deemed to be next on the list. The wind died down and light rain began to fall. It was an opportune time to wash the wings down to remove the seawater which had a deteriorating effect on the dope * Next day broke fine and clear, but with a vresterly blowing. On the Moruya River, the only way to get in and out, was with an east or west wind blowing. However l.rLS,A. Journal - ^Z9- March-April 1968 with the westerly breeze^ there was a bridge crossing the river with a row of tele- graph wires well mounted on poles across the top of it^ near the end of the run* Shortly after lunch they took the Seagull across to a sandbank^ which had been selected to pick up cargo^ but the tide was on the fall and before one could say ^Bool ^ it was nearly high and dryo There was quite a struggle to get it off but one or two of the local lads took their boots off and came to the rescueo The only dam­ age done was to the wingtip skid which hit on the sand and splits when a gust of wind turned the aircraft* This was replaced in about five minutes with a spare from the Acielleo By this time the two passengers arrived for their flight and were made snug in the cockpit* Just as the nose was turned in a north-easterly direction for the takeoff^ a gust of wind came from the south-east causing the Seagull to try to get its nose to the wind in true weathercock fashion* After a. long run^they made it off with a little time to spare^ gaining about fifty feet at the end of the reach* Climbing up to 150 feet^ Capt* Lang made a mild turn to the south-east to avoid a hill about 250 feet high, when a downdraft suddenly dropped them back to 50 feet above the water* Passing the hill the Seagull climbed to 1,000 feet, and looking north, they could see the Tollgate Islands off BaternanJs Bay, whilst to the south. Cape Dromedary reaching out into the Tasman Sea, After returning to the anchorage Capt, Snook said that he had engaged a pilot to take the Acielle through the heads at 9,00 am the following morning, and they had best get their gear in order* Shortly after 9,00 am on Easter Sunday, Capt, Lang and Alex watched the Acielle cast off from the wharf. By lunch the weather appeared to be breaking in the east and the wind was going to veer round. Soon after 3,00 pm as they were getting ready for their flight, an Aboriginal brought word that the schooner was still inside the bar, the engine having broken down. However it was decided to push on as they might miss the chance of favourable weather conditions. After raising the temperature of the engine to 130*^, Capt, Lang swung into wind and opened the throttle, rising quickly to 1,000 feet. Here they found that the wind was from the nort-east, giving them a nice tailwind for the flight to Eden, After shooting up Moruya with the camera, they cut across South Head and set course, at the same time making themselves as comfortable as possible, Alex passed a note to the pilot asking if he had seen the ^barge* at the wharf near the mouth of the river. The hastily scribbled reply was - ”HoJ Unfortunately had the telescope to my blind eye,” Arriving over Eden after an easy flight down the coast,they circled the town taking a few photographs. At 1,000 feet, Eden welcomed them with a colossal bump. It was difficult to locate the cause as the wind at that height seemed to be coming from the east. At 200 feet Capt, Lang decided it was coming from the north east and pointed the nose accordingly, touching down just off the end of the pier, A slight touch of the throttle and about a minute later they were moored some thirty yards off the beacho Upon rising from their seats, they were astounded to see the pier and the hillside a mass of people, A fisherman provided his boat for their transport to shore, where they were introduced to the Shire Clerk, Mr, Rodd, It was not long before they were both experiencing the hospitality of h4untie^ Pike at the Hotel Australasia, At Eden the were joined by a new addition to the expedition, Fred Laidler, an engineer who was to look after the Seagull*s engine, Hext morning the trio were at the wharf at 6,30 am, to enable Fred to look over the engine while Alex,, checked the controlsc About 10,30 am, two visitors sought a flight, and a few minutes later the Seagull was taxying out. The wind appeared to be from the south-east, but as the Seagull was accelerating in this direction, it was hit in quick succession by two gusts which swung the nose to the nort-east, and with the swell it was a.’ hard job to keep it on the surface until flying spedd was reached. Getting off alright, every­ thing went well for the first 200 feet, but then the Seagull hit turbulent'-.air, and it went up like a lift only to lose the height a few seconds later, Capt, Lang flew over to Boyd Bay in the hope that the buffeting would stop, but if anything, it was worse. A*H«S*A, Journal March-April 19 68 Returning over the'moorings^ the wind appeared to be coming from six different directions at once^ but when some fifty feet up there was no mistaking that the swell of the water was the culprits Fortunately once down the hull stayed on the water* The wind had freshened since takeoff and the Seagull shipped a few waves firhile making for Snug Cove at the foot of town* Inuring the afternoon there was no end of excitement as to who was going to be the first ^Aeroplane Girl^ in Eden* To solve the difficulty^ Gapt* Lang suggested that the first two ladies down on the beach before breakfast would be the first two up® Sure enough at 6o35 am^ Miss Jean Logan and Miss Eileen Hilder arrived and had the first flight* By 10^00 am^ a north-easter had started to blow and by mid-day a solid swell began to come through the heads and make itself felt throughout the whole of the bay* At noon on Thursday^ the Acielle came through the heads and dropped anchor to pick up a pilota The engine was running on two or three cylinders^ and as it was switched off^ backfired and shattered the cogs of the water pump^ making a nice mess of the driving spindle^ As the barometer had fallen considerably^ the Eden pilots Capt* MacAlister^ suggested that the yacht make for East Boyd Bay, just in case the wind came from the south-west^ Toward evening the wind freshened into a gale straight from the north, and Snug Cove was no longer the name it implied* The wind nearly lifted the Seagull out of the water* One of the 28-lb* anchors was changed for a 56 pounder* If the anchors began dragging it was doubtful that the Seagull could be boarded from another boat* There was always the expedient of swimming out should the seaplane get into a dangerous predicament* An all night watch was kept, the crew taking turns, and at 6*00 amx the next morning, the wind was as strong as ever. About 7*00 am the north wind suddenly abated and a slight breeze was felt from the south* It was immediately decided to move the Seagull to the comparitive shelter of East Boyd Bay* By the time the rowboat was launched, a gale was already heaving the sea­ plane up and down on the moorings* Gapt* Lang jumped knee first onto the forv^/ard decking, kicking the dinghy away from the plane with his free foot* It was almost impossible to stand, but there was no time to lose as the anchors were dragging to­ wards a reef less than forty feet off* Hanging on to the struts he pulled off the engine covers, then slid down into the cockpit to,pump up the fuel pressure* Climbing back he straddled the fuselage to pull the propeller through a few turns so as to get petrol into the cylinders* Returning to the cokpit the throttle was set, and the engine started without a falter. Being fitted with Zenith carburettors, it was impossible to open the throttle more than a quarter of an inch when the engine was cold, but by flooding the carburettor until the engine was running very rich, it was possible to edge the throttle up quicker* In a few minutes, the temperature was 100° and the engine was turning over at 900 rpm* Opening the throttle up to 1,180 rpm the thrust was just holding it* Now the problem ?ms to up the anchors* Easing forward until the lines were slack, Capt* Lang crawled onto the forward decking and untied the larger ^pickS throwing the rope to the lad in the dinghy who vras still standing by, then hauling up the 28-lbo anchor and putting it on the passenger seat* The Sea­ gull immediately swung into the wind, directly for the pier, but aided by an extra gust of wind it just cleared the end^ The Seagull was not answering to the right rudder* After a few anxious moments, he found that it had been lashed on the right side auxiliary rudder bar* Taking a chance he kicked right rudder with all his strength* A sudden swerve indicated that the rope had come free, and swinging into wind, the Seagull was soon airborne, speeding across the bay at 73 mph*, twenty-five feet above the water* Five minutes after leaving Snug Cove, the seaplane was anchored in a small cove in East Boyd Bay* The following morning the sou^wester was still at it, and it was decided to have a day off* The fishing lines were over the side at 7*00 am Three-quarters of an hour later the catch stood at three Bream, a couple of Flathead and some Gummies. Several sharks were hooked, but these promptly took the hook, line and sinker and headed out to sea* Later the Stirling engine of the Acielle was examined to find out A.H.S.A. Journal -31- March-April 1968

why it was operating on two and a half of the four cylinders. It was discowered that the gasket had not been installed on the front induction resulting in an air leak into the two forward cylinders. Towards evening the wind showed signs of abating and the Acielle was moved over the other side to the pier, leaving the Seagull until conditions improved sufficiently to permit it being flown over. They had a good brisk run across the bay and tied up at the pier. There was such a swell running that it was deemed advise- able to put out anchors fore and aft to hold the Acielle off the pier. Next morning the wind showed signs of moderating and had veered around to the north-east. Mr. Logan took Capt. Lang and Alex over to the Seagull, When the covers were removed, it showed the effect of the storms - rust and salt everywhere, Capt, Lang described the hop to the other side as one of the most Interesting experiences of the whole trip s- ”Taking off into the wind - north-east - we swung round to the west, having the town on our starboard bow. The Seagull was held about five feet off the surface all the way, and as there was a fair surge running we had the extraordinary experience of noting an effect that has so far been unkown to me. I have often flown for miles over the sea at no more than five to ten feet off the surface when on testing work in England, but I have never flown over a sea with such a surge on it before. On this occasion, I noticed that the machine rose and fell as if it were riding on the surface and as the joystick was not moved in any direction, this struck me as very peculiar. Poking my nose over the windscreen, I noticed that the aircraft rose and fell with the surge. There was no mistaking it, as at times there would be a slight pause when the speed of the machine did not quite 'click' with the surge ahead. As soon as we tied up Alex Said to me That is one of the most delightful flights I have had. Did you notice how it rose and fell with the surge?" "How do you mean?" - was my query. "Well I watched you closely and noticed that you were not playing with the stick at all, and when looking over the side I noticed that she was actually falling and rising with the surge." Now that was a voluntary statement and made us both wonder for the rest of the day whether this was one of the reasons why the Albatross flys so low over the water when he is keeping company with a ship. It has given us much food for thought since," Work on the Seagull kept them busy for most of the day. Towards nightfall the wind freshened and by 9.0C pm there was a light gale from the north. Although the mooring site was good a heavier 'pick' was tied to the seaplane and dropped. The following day the wind moderated, but the barometer started falling rapidly and it looked as if another blow from the south-east was coming. It was decided to move the ark' away from the wharf and moor it about one hundred yards out. They were just about to cast off when Frank, the cook, let out a wail that there was no fresh water in the tanks. That meant tying the boat up again. This done, while they were forward pulling up the anchor, some-one had rung down to the engine room for full astern without them knowing it, as the engineer had discovered a ton of kelp wound around the propeller. Finally breaking the anchor, they looked aft to see the Acielle bearing down on the Seagull, but the boat just cleared it and every-one breathed again. By the time the panic was over, the Acielle was almost a quarter of the way across the bay, and the southerly was coming up fast. Clambering into the dinghy, Capt, Lang and Alex started to row back to the pier. By they reached it, the wind had stopped but the rain vras coming down in torrents. Strolling up to Auntie Pike's, they dried out in front of the fire. About 2,30 pm the wind veered to the south, and so the anchor was raised and the Seagull moved tp the shelter of East Boyd Bay. By 9.00 pm the wind had settled down to the south-west and every-one got set for a good blow. On the morning of the third day after the blow commenced there was a lull with bright sun shining, and as the photography was still on the weak side, they decided to try a bit more. Capt. Lang, in company with Alex, had only reached 1,000 feet, when turning south, they were faced with a shower of rain, with a strong southerly behind it, and they had to return to the moorings. jL.H.S.A. Journal -32- March-April 1968

The forth day broke clear and sharp. They got off the water about 10.00 am with the intention of putting in a good hour with the camera. The visibility was excellent and they did some good work with the camera, coming in quite low over the town to Snug Cove. The wind was from the south-east and there was no turbulence. Near mid-day the wind shifted east. It was hoped that it would continue around at least to the north­ east so as to help the flight to Lakes Entrance, The wind had moved well towards the north by 12,30 pm when the Acielle steamed up to the wharf. The fuel tank was filled for the very first time, and taking carefull measure and marking off every tin on a handy broom handle, it was found that it carried exactly 35 gallons instead of the 43 or 45 first reckoned upon. The radiator was filled, all the plugs were changed and the photographic gear stowed in the cockpit. By this time it was well on towards 2.00 pm. It had been counted on getting off the water by 2.30 pm at the latest. Then some hitch occurred in the photographic gear, and it was not until 2.50 pm that the Seagull was taxied out. Because of the full load in the seaplane they went well west of the town to start their takeoff. It was as well that the long run was allowed for as they hit two nice rollers coming through the heads before the third bounced the Seagull into the air. Swinging round to the east, they were soon clear of South Head. As the seaplane got well into Disaster Bay, the breeze hit them from the east. Five minutes later Alex passed a chit to the pilot saying that the wind was now from the south-west. Half an hour after leaving Eden, the plane arrived over a point of land with a light house on it, and the crew anxiously looked for Gabo Island, but it was not to be seen. It became apparent that they were flying into a rather stiff breeze. Moving along Ninety Mile Beach, they could not see more than a few miles as the sun was very low and dazzled them badly. The fuel tank gauge was getting down towards the danger mark with a least fifty miles to go. The Snowy River was sighted, and the next thing was to find some habitation, A small pier showed itself jutting out into a broad stretch of water, and going lower, a small village - Mario - was found a little way back from the pier. The last five hundred feet was difficult to judge. The light had been fair at 2,000 feet but low down had suddenly become dark. The Seagull landed about 200 yards down the stream, and shortly had the anchor down thirty yards off the pier. At the hotel they met the Victorian Premier, Mr, Lawson, with his party, and an enjoyable evening was spent. 'At 7.35 am the next morning, the Seagull took off for Lakes Entrance. Capt. Lang had been given some letters to deliver there, saving some twelve hours for the Premier. Gaining height, they discovered the reason for the muddy appearance of the water. The Snowy was in flood and the ocean showed mud opposite the mouth as far as ten miles out. 'it the twilight of the previous night, they had not been able to distinguish the colour of the water, Awesterly wind was blowing but the air was clear. Photographs were taken over Lake Tyers, and then the Seagull headed for the Entrance, taking seven minutes from the centre of the lake, A few more films were exposed over Cunninghame, and locating the Club Hotel from their elevated perch, it wasn’t long before the two airmen were in the care of Miss Holley, the owner, who plied them with enough food to supply an army for a week. Later they checked on how much fuel was left in the tank. Ihe three gallons remaining showed that the engine had averaged sight gallons per hour for the four hours flight from Eden. This was a good consumption rate for a 160 hp. engine. Of flying the Seagull, Capt. Lang wrote s- "When taking off the water the Seagull puts up a speed of 54 mph. at 1,490 rpm. As soon as the boat leaves the water the revs jump to 1,560 and the airspeed shows 55 mph. Now let us say we are flipping together from Eden to Lakes Entrance with a full load up. ffe climb steadily until^we get to our photographing height, which in this case is 2,000 feet, Ihe rate of climb varies with the load. Light, we viould probably climb at 53 mph at 1,540 revs with the engine temperature at 1620. Having reached our level of 2,000 feet, the next thing is to fly level and not lose height. On this last flight, my airspeed level showed 57 mph. at 2,000 feet and the engine revs were reduced to 1,440. After about ten minutes A.H.S.A. Journal -33- March-April 1968 flying the altimeter recorded 1,800 feet, so the revs were increased to 1,460, which kept the seaplane at that height. By increasing the revs another 20 rpm. to 1,480 we were soon back at 2,000 feet, this time the revs were reduced to 1,460 and the Seagull easily held that height," For the rest of the day they worked on the engine and the control wires, tobe ready for the air the next day. Mr, Lawson, the Premier,turned up with his party in the evening and invited Capt. Lang and Alex Hill to dinner. Later word was brought that the Acielle had just cleared the bar, and by the time they had all reached the Post Office pier, it was alongside. The next morning Mr. Lawson went for a jaunt over Lake Tyers. He had attended a corroborree there the previous day and was anxious to have a look at it from the air. The balance of the party then had a 'tear round' and all enjoyed it. During dinner that night, Capt. Lang was told that the Acielle would be leaving for Bairnsdale at 8,00 am the following morning, taking the Premier up the lakes to enable him, amongst other things, to catch a train. As there was a lot of flying to do the next day, they pulled the Seagull alongside the Acielle, ran an electric lead from the engine room and Fred began adjusting the engine's tappets. This kept the crew busy until 11.30 pm. Taking the air at 6.30 am with some passengers who were anxious to catch the early boat, the crew were not in the best of moods. At 8.45 am they went on board for breakfast, and just getting started, they were informed that the Premier had come on board and the Acielle was leaving. Heading for their bunks and grabbing what they ■ thought they would need, the airmen just stepped onto the wharf as the engine room bell rang, The weather being fine, it was decided to get the Seagull up onto the beach, and dry-dock her, as she had not been up since the gales at Eden. Fred wrent over the engine while Alex, and the Capt, varnished the hull. A coulpe of days after this, word came through from Bairnsdale that they were wanted there the following day -■ Sunday The day arrived and with it a stiff west­ erly, which by 9,30 am had become so bad, that the Seagull began to drag its anchor. It was moved some 400 yards to a more sheltered spot. The next day was a considerable improvement - fine, cold and clear. At 7.20 am Capt. Lang, Alex and Fred, who was flying in the Seagull for the first time, pulled up the anchor and moved off into a northwesterly breeze up the north arm of the channel. Steaming up on the port bow was a dredge that was operating on the channels. As there was enough clearance on the star­ board side, Capt, Lang opened the throttle. Just at the critical point, the dredge turned across the Seagull's path. Putting on right rudder,they cleared the dredge and the training wall on the other side by a scant three feet from each wingtip, leaving the vrater just after passing the dredge. It was a grand sight. There was not a ripple on any of the lakes. They passed over Metung at 1,000 feet, then Lake King and the Tambo River. By the time the Seagull was over the Mitchell liver, it had climbed to 2,000 feet. A few minutes later after leaving Jones Bay, they were over Bairnsdale. The Mitchell River was much tc® narrow to land on successfully, so the seaplane was turned towards Eagle Bay, in Lake King, After forty cold minutes the Seagull was anchored off Eagle Bay Point. Little has been said of their main purpose, i.e. photography. Twenty-four test plates had been taken over Eden and another thirty-six during the run to Lakes Entrance, but inspite of all precautions they were no better than any of the previous efforts. At Bairnsdale, Capt. Lang was introduced to Mr. Howard Bulmer, who was looked upon as being the foremost outdoor photographer in Victoria. He was given the history of the results in terse and plain Australian language. Alex suspected the plates, but as the firm that supplied them 'could do no wrong', they had had to carry on. Making a short flight they tried out a dozen plates of his recommendation and got results far ahead of anything secured in Sydney, The plates, it turned out, were for 'indoor puposes only'. An hour after landing the Seagull was once more in the air. Photo­ graphs were taken fron 1,000 feet up to 3,000 feet and not one of them turned out a dud. The next afternoon, six flights were made with passengers, the last landing A.H.S.A. Journal -34- March-April 1968 being made by moonlight. Onerather large (14 stone) female put her foot through the windscreen while scrambling aboard for a spin. The following morning the Seagull was ready for action by 9.30 am. Besides Alex and the pilotj Mr. Bulmer was on board to supervise the photographic efforts. There was no wind and the seaplane took a mile to take off. Height was gained very slowly with the extra weight on board. The Seagull was making 57 mph., but as soon as the nose was lifted to climb a little steeper^ the engine temperature would jump to 190° ( during cruising it seldom rose above 152 ). During the afternoon, the Seagull was washed down with fresh water to remove the salt deposits, The next morning was such a beautiful day, that it was decided to give the hull a varnish and to rub-down and re-grease the cables. The next stage was from Lakes Entrance to Welshpool. The Seagull's tank was filled in case any head winds were encountered, Fred towed the seaplane to the western end of the lagoon with the runabout, so as to conserve fuel. The Seagull lifted off beautifully and climbed to 500 feet before making a sweeping turn over the town and setting course for Welshpool, following the coastline and an Admiralty chart. Along Ninety Mile Beach they were hit by a change of wind. The first they knew of it was wiien the Seagull hit a rather large bump, Wb.en the seaplane settled down Capt, Lang was perturbed to find that, although he was flying parallel to the beach, the Seagull was drifting backwards and out to sea. A touch of right rudder to head inland a bit stopped the drift. Passing over Port Albert, the town turned out in full force to watch the seaplane go over. It wasn't long before they landed in the bay off ffelshpool, anchoring about fifty yards from the wharf. T'Pq first matter to attend to, was to engage a pilot to bring the Acielle through the channels. Next day the Acielle steamed in amidst volumes of black^^smoke, as the engine vras running very rich on three cylinders (petrol consumption was 1-f miles per gallon). Later examination showed an exhaust valve stuck on No. 4 cylinder. The following day, all the expedition members attended a social given in their honour. Some days later a short flight was made over to Port Albert, and, as the next day was fine, several joyflights were made from there, the first being Mrs. Russell, a local woman. Looking across Bass Strait from the air that evening, one could see all the way to the Kent Group, some sixty miles away, from a height of 1,000 feet. Such a clear evening pointed to rain, There was only twelve miles to go to Welshpool but it took thirty-five minutes before the Seagull landed there in the choppy water. Opening up" the engine to dodge some crayfish pots, the engine died through running out of petrol and the Seagull came off second best, with the wingtip skid split and the float badly dented. For three days the westerly blew. The Seagull was being sprayed from stem to stern and frequently a wingtip would disappear under the water. That night a dance was put on by the townsfolk for the crewmen,and every man, woman and many children turned up. Only a short flight was made the next morning, which turned out fine. As the Curtiss engine required top overhaul every 100 hours, Capt. Lang was trying to conserve the hours flown, By Midday the sky had clouded over again and in the afternoon it commenced to blow from the east. It continued for six days. As the Acielle steamed out of Welshpool some days later, there was a steady easterly blowing, but the indications pointed to a westerly. Alex and the pilot had given up taking any notice of the local weabher experts. Asked what it would be like tomorrow, the answer could be expected to be something like the following "Tfell, there is a high barometer, and the tide is the lowest I have seen it since the Battle of Waterloo’ although mind you, it was very nearly as low on the day Queen Victoria got married, but I think that the wind tomorrow will come from the west, so long as it comes up with the tide. But if it does not come up with the tide, then it will come from the east. If it is a dead calm when the tide is going out, then it will be a fog, and this, when it doescome, will last two or three days. We had an awful fog here just after the Crimea which lasted a whole week, butwe seldom get it over three days, and we have never known one to last under two days. Of course if there is no fog no rain and no wind, and the sun shines brightly, it willbe a fine day and you might A.H.S.A. Journal -35- March-April 1968 be able to get away^ but if it rains you will be kept here for a ?reekj, as once it comes down herOj it will continue day and night until everything is waterlogged^ Now I remember the flood of '72o,.o..” The next morning there was a dense fog and from all accounts it could not possibly pass off for at least twenty-four hours. By 10.00 am, the whole area was free with the fog bank drifting away to the south. The light-house keeper at Wilson's Promontory said it was in the vicinity of the Kent Group. By the time they would reach that point, it should be possible to see Flinder's Island, The water was mirror calm, and a rather long run (l|- miles) was needed to get the Seagull into the air. They made straight out on a course of 130°, for the Cliffy Light, which was photographed, as were the Seal Islands. Midway between Cliffy Island and the Hogan Group, the seaplane was hit by an easterly.' At that stage they were only two minutes behind schedule, but pass­ ing over the Hogan Group, they were a good ten minutes behind. In view of the increased wind, it was decided to pass over the Kent Group from the east to have the wind from the rear. Although there was a lot of mist over the sea there was none over the island, or Hurray Pass, separating Erith and Dover Islands from Deal Island. The lighthouse on the latter is 1,000 feet high and the altimeter showed 1,800 feet. Suddenly the Seagull hit a down-draught which took them below the level of the island where it was going to be crossed. Banking over with the right rudder hard on, Gapt. Lang swung off west passing below the level of the lighthouse on the point. By the time the Seagull was clear, they were not much more than 700 feet high and just on the fringe of a bank of mist. Dropping down to 200 feet, the pilot set the nose of the Seagull at the same angle as was assumed with the run of the waves prior to reaching the Kent Group, so as to pass, it was anticipated, over Wakatipu Rock, and strike Flinders Island at Cape Frankland, Having reached this point, the Seagull put the Cape abeam just as a rain squall blotted it out. TIhitemark was likewise obliterat­ ed, so Capt. Lang passed to the west of Green Island and almost over Kangaroo Island, There had been quite a bit of turbulence, the height varied from 1,800^ to 700 feet and on one occasion, 400 feet, Nearing Franklin Sound things cleared up, but this did not last long. Passing over Entrance Rock at about 2,000 feet, the pilot altered course to E.S.E,, suddenly being enveloped in black cloud which appeared to come from no-where. Throttling back and heading down, the Seagull came out into the open at 1,200 feet, and was immediately carried seawards in a gigantic down-draught. They both braced them­ selves for the impact. A sudden thump shook the Seagull from stem to stern, and a fraction of a second later the Seagull was 100 feet up, Capt. Lang estimated that there had been no more than five feet between the keel and the water. For some fifteen minutes it was a fight to keep the Seagull on an even keel, then they ran into a rainstorm, and the cliff, a few hundred yards away, was obliterated. Just as suddenly they were out of it, and about five minutes later the turbulance diminished. Nearing Lady Barren, Capt. Lang located the small harbour formed by a series of small islands which ran out about 350 yards from shore. Passing through two of these, the throttle was closed and the seaplane just about to settle, when it was hit by a gust of wind under the star­ board wing. The Seagull heeled over 45° and at the same time, kicked its nose up. Reacting instinctively, the pilot used all his strength to push the stick forward to the right. Just as quickly, it was back on an even keel and ten seconds later was on the surfacGc As Alex dropped the anchor, it began to rain. Covering up the engine and cockpit a young m.an came out to meet them in a dinghy. They were invited to use the small building just off from the nearest house, and they made themselves at home, Mr. Gunter proprietor of the local store, did not carry any of the required fuel or oil, so there was little to do except sit and wait for the Acielle, as it was still raingng cats and dogs. The next day was fine, and as the Acielle had still not put in an appearance, and as there was still twelve gallons in the tank, the airmen went for a forty minute jaunt around the islands taking numerous photographs, before cloud forced them to return. About 6,30 pm the Acielle turned up, maintaining her reputation by arriving on AJrUS Journal March'-April 1968 three cylinders^ a tap-pet rod haTing broken* The ship was due to leave at daylight and if the Seag'nll was off the w“ater by 10*00 am« ^ it should pass over the Acielle between Cape Barren and Waterhouse Island. When they arose the next morning the 'ark^ had departed^ but it \ms raining and continued to do so all day. The following day the sun showed itself briefly about 8o00 a:nn , but once again the place wras saturated by light misty rain* Another night passed with 126 points falling* The Seagull had shipped about five galions« This^ on,top of wrhat had saturated the wings^ meant the Seagull would be carrying over 500 lbs* of superfluous w'eighto They mopped up as much as they could reach off the wings and got ■ rid of another two gallons off the floor with an apple tin* Sitting there, too tired to talk, a sudden gust of wind from the west put the starboard wing under water^ Looking towards Strezlecki, it was seen to be covered in low lying cloud, which was heading in their direotionc Deciding that they had better move now or be stuck for a week, the engine was started - at the first time in spite of the cold and dampo As soon as the desired temperature was reached, the throttle was opened up to release the strain on the anchor line so Alex could haul it up* Clearing the islands there was quite a sea running and the Seagull shipped a large amount of water* Turning into wind the engine opened up surprisingly well, but from the hull there was no response* Having run at least half a mile v^rithcut any apparent results, the seaplane started to feel a little bettero At the end of a mile and a half with only another half mile available, Gapt* Lang decided he had better try bouncing it off or abandon the takeoff* At the first attempt, the seaplane lifted about six inches, at the second about a foot* A third bounce gained some four feet in altitude* A last skip and the pilot held the Seagull about two feet off the water, allo?/ing the speed to build up* The wind was now from the west and it was going to be a race for Cape Barren between the rain and the Seagullo Passing south of Goose Island, there were a few substantial bumps but the plane was far too soggy to worry about the result* Hearing the Cape at 1,100 feet instead of the usual 2,000 feet, they ran into a rain cloud* Emerging at 600 feet and leaving Long Island on the right, Capt. Lang set a course of As the Tasmanian coast came nearer through the fog patches, the course of the Seagull was progressively altered to the west until off Cape Portland, where a direct course was set to Water-- house Island, off Pingarooma Bay* The island was passed at 800 feet and shortly after leaving there, the mist cleared a little to the north-»west and showed ^'^inth Island* To their left they caught glimpses of the coast, which appeared to be very flat* The Seagull out across Anderson Bay and picked up "the coast proper at East Sandy Cape* Opposite Stoney Head and Tenth Island, the fog at sea had lifted considerably though inland it was still dense* The Seagull had been cruising along at 1,500 rpm* and as it was now encountering a stiffish breeze, the throttle was gradually opened fully* The engine peaked at 1,520 rpni*, 40 below the maximum and was running quite rough* At Five Mile Bluff, they ran into some dense fog which forced them down to 500 feet* Exactly thirty minutes after entering the head of the Tamar River, Capt* Lang landed the Seagull on the Tamar, close to Cataract Gorge* The flight from Lady Barren had taken just on two hours forty minutes* Obviously the first thing that had to be done, was to have the aircraft dry- docked* The pipes on the engine were white with salt, the paint on the wing tip floats had patches of rust showing through, whilst the varnish on the lower wings was completely washed off and the slat had worked its way into the dope. Since the method in vogue in that part of the world, was to mount the yacht to be docked on the back of a punt, by Sunday midday, they had the petrol tank out and all the weighty gear such as the battery and wing floats off so as to reduce the ?/eight as much as possibleo A punt was pulled near to the Tamar Rowing Club’s sheds and sub­ merged by pulling out the plugs in eight feet of water* Then the Seagull was posit­ ioned above it, and as the tide went out, the seaplane slowly sat on the punt* The plugs v/ere reinstalled, the plane tied down and everyone went home to bed* Next morning the Seagull was sitting serenely high and dry on top of the punt* This was the first sea­ plane seen in Launceston and the waterfront was a mass of people* / A.H.S.A. Journal -37- Maroh-April 1968 SypAJgy ^ "I

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The hull was completely scraped down to the bare woodo Alex meantime removed the floor boards, which were held down by thirty^-eight small brass screws, uncovering about five gallons of bilge crater, The control cables were removedo The port aileron cable was badly stranded and the starboard rudder cable just about to go. After two weeks clean­ ing and varnishing, the Seagull was returned to her former glory. The Acielle, also to be in fashion, was drydocked. The Marine Board used a wooden floating dock which is submerged at high tide, the vessel floated in and the gates closed. An electrically operated centrifugal pump then pumps the water out. The Acielle was due to enter the dock at 6.00■ am. At the entrance to the dock is a sill about three feet high. The tide was falling^ rapidly. when the Acielle started to enter and getting one third the way in, she ran up on the sill. All the attempts to haul it off were in vain, As the tide fell so did the dock, until it finally rested on the mud. The schooner sat with its stern on the mud and its bow cocked up and lying on its side at about 45'^. There was little damage but the hull appeared to have been strained, as, where it only needed pumping onceI a fortnight, it was subsequently found necessary to do it every second day. The next high tide floated the Acielle A.H.S.A. Journal -38- March-April 1968

into the dock and a hose soon removed the mud that was on the hullo After a coat of anti-fouling painty it was ready for the sea once moreo On the Sunday morning some two weeks later, the Seagull was ready for a trial flighto The river was too narrow where it was anchored, so they towed the seaplane 400 yards to the junction of the Tamar and the Esko On take off the engine responded beautifully, being only EO rpm down on maximum, and the Seagull left the water after a surprisingly short run. At 250 feet, without warning, the engine coughed and died, took up again, then spluttered out altogether^ Landing on the water, the oil and water pressures were normal and the temperatures likewise» Capt, Lang decided to give it another spin, as on the water and throttled down, it was turning over smoothly. Opening up again, they were off the surface in better time than the first effort, but three minutes later,exactly the same thing happened. A third attempt, with a turn for home half completed, the engine again gave up the ghost. This time as soon as he had landed, Capt. Lang stood up on the wing and touched the spark plugs. They were far too hot for the time they had been running. Taxying back to the moorings, they had to stop half way to allow the engine to cool. As soon as Fred removed the plugs, there was no mistaking that they were the trouble, the points were all colours under the sun, and warped out of adjustment by thousandths of am inch. They were not the long distance set, but some that had been procured in Melbourne for local work. They may have been excellent for a car but for the Curtiss, quite unsuitable. Fitting the original plugs, Capt. Lang, Alex, this time accompanied by Fred, went up for thirty minutes after lunch. During the last ten minutes the magneto began playing up. Just before closing the throttle prior to landing, Capt. Huxley appeared mounted in his F.E., and formated alongside about thirty feet off. At midday on June 19th, the Seagull was towed to the junction of the Esk and Tamar for the first stage of the return trip. There was a fairly sharp north-west wind on the surface although higher up it appeared to be a southerly. In spite of raising the temperature to 140°, it was still a bit sluggish. The wind was slightly off the port bow and the Seagull rolled a great deal on the surface. After climbing steadily for a few minutes, Capt, Lang glanced down at the altimeter, but noticed the A.S.I. was registering 75 mph. It was doubtful if the Seagull was doing any more and it was thought that the static holes in the pitot tube must have than 50 mph « 9 been blocked up. Gaining 250 feet, the first turn in the river was reached. Half- way round the turn the engine commenced to splutter and the, revs dropped to 1,300. Putting the nose do?m, the Seagull picked up speed rather sluggishly. The fuel pressure showed 3|- lbs., and the temperature was 20° down from normal. The radiator blinds were closed to the second last notch and as the temperature rose, the engine improved slightly. In order to keep it between 165° and 170°, the blinds had to be closed completely and a careful watch kept on the temperature gauge, ■Attaining 1,000 feet, they turned once more for the town, passing over Cataract Gorge at about 2,000 feet. Alex was busy with the camera, The Seagull was flying right wing low. There was evidently some give in the aircraft due to the bad weather, as once airborne the controls were quite slack. It was a case of carry on regardless. Exactly an hour and a quarter after leaving Launceston, the Seagull landed in the bay opposite Georgetown Ten minutes later, Capt. Lang and Alex were on shore being deluged with invitations to lunch. As soon as it was over they made a bee-line to the kite with the intention of finding out the cause of the petrol pressure leak, lifter eliminating the hand-pump to tanlc, and the engine pump to tank lines, it vras isolated as being something to do with the tank itself, A diligent search with an oil can around the joints was made but nothing showed, The Acielle arrived about 5.00 pm running on all four cylinders for once. As soon as it tied up at the wharf, the small petrol cans were filled and put into the runabout which took them over to the Seagull. Once the tank was filled and the pressure pumped up, the leak was exposed at once. It was a small crack in the cylinder that supported the petrol gauge. To be concluded next issue. A.H.S.A. Journal -39- Mar ch-April 1968

In a joint announcement on April 3rd, the Federal Minister for Civil Aviation (Mr« Swartz) and the NSW Minister for Transport, (Mto Morris) disclosed the findings of the Commonwealth/State CoiiuTiittee investigating intra-state air services in KSU. The Commi­ ttee, set up twelve months earlier, found that there was no just­ ification for any transfer of routes from Airlines of ISW to East- West or vice versa; that existing services were meeting the public needs; and that no scope existed for competition between the two operators. The management of EWA strong­ ly criticised the findings of the report and made strong representations to the NSW Premier, asking that his Government reject the findings. Towards the end of April, the.Government acknowledged the EWA representations by appointing a NSW committee to investigate the report and to see if East-West's criticism is justified. QANTAS started to alter the styling of their aircraft early in March. The old title - QANTAS . AUSTMLIA'S OTORSEAS AIRLINE has been altered to QANTAS . AUSTRALIA with the Australian flag separating the two words. ' The' QANTAS Boeing 707-3380 ''7H-EAE "City of Brisbane", arrived at Brisbane on April 6th after a 14 hour 30 minute non-stop delivery flight from Seattle. The air­ craft, under the command of Capt. A.A.E, Yates, cruised at 550 mph at an altitude of between 30,000 and 37,000 feet during the 7,500 mile record flight. The third QANTAS Cadet Pilot graduation ceremony v/as held at Mascot on March 29th. The Governor General, Lord Casey, presented wings to each of the twenty grad­ uates. Fifty-six Cadet Pilots have now been trained under the scheme. Ansett-ANA announced early in March that they were selling their helicopter fleet, with two exceptions, to Helicopter Utilities of Sydney. The deal involves eight helicopters and will include all contracts held by Ansett-ANA. The price paid by Helicopter Utilities is believed to be approximately Si million, and the purchase will confirm its status as being the largest civil helicopter operator in Australia. The reasons given by Ansett's for the sale was that they wanted to concentrate their efforts'on airline operations, standardise on three main types of aircraft, and that helicopters are'a special operation. The two exceptions to the sale are the Sikorsky S-61,''VII-BRI, used on Barrier Reef routes and the Bell Jet Ranger, VE-ANC, used on the'City-Essendon route, and also for Mr. R.Mo Ansett’s transportation to his Mount Eliza estate from the city. Aircraft sold to Helicopter Utilities were Bell 47G3B-1 VH-ANG, Bell 47J'3 W-TKD, INE, INF, IIW, IIW and INZ and the Sikorsky S~62 VH-ANE. The remains of the second S-62A, 1/Ii-AND, which crashed in Bass Strait during August 1967,was also sold to Helicopter Utilities. On April 23rd, the NSW Premier, Mr. R.WQ Aslcin, officially opened Ansett-ANA's ll m-illion engine overhaul division at Dubbo, NSW, The division was built at ^ubbo as a result of a promise made by Mr. Ansett during the 1965 re-allocation of NSW air routes. "If the'NS’ff Government allowed Airlines of NSW to retain the Sydney-Dubbo route, Ansetts would make a large investment in Dubbo in the form of the engine overhaul division. Initially they will only overhaul piston engines, but by the middle of 1969, when the number of trained employees has increased to about 100, work on turbine power units will commence. During the opening ceremony, Mr. Ansett stated that the'Dubbo site was ideal as it was accessible from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Engines from, the New Guinea fleet would come by sea to Sydney and then road freighted to Dubbo. 'The'ex Ansett-ANA Miscount 700, VH-RMO, arrived in Perth on April 18th for delivery to'MaoRobertson Miller Airlines. It was then repainted in the full MMA colour scheme, christened R.M.A, "Oakover", and flew the inaugural 'Viscount service to Fort Eedland on April 25th. The aircraft will be operated in an entirely first class configuration. MaoRobertson Miller took delivery of their sixth F'okker ■t' -27( including two leased aircraft) at Perth on March |8th. The aircraft, VH-MMV, was officially named R.M.A,"Victoria", by the wife of the West Australian Premier, Mrs. Bland, at a ceremony at Port Hedland on March 30th. A.H.S.A, Journal -40- March-April 1968

The DC-9 crewing dispute continued into March. T.A.A. refused to include a third member in the DC-9 crew after March 1st, with the result that their DC-9’s were grounded for some weeks. Ansett-ANA did not follow T.A.A.'s action, and stated that they were including the third man on a 'temporary basis'. T.A.A.'s fourth DC-9 arrived in the middle of the dispute and was immediately grounded, while the Dept, of Civil Aviation grounded Ansett's because under the two airline agreement, each new' aircraft must be placed into service on the same day. The action against T.A.A. carried on into April, when QAFTAS was brought indirectly into the dispute. On April 2nd, QAITAS Blight Stewards went on strike when QAHTAS arranged a charter of a Boeing 707 to T.A.A. to operate a service to Port Moresby. Because T.A.A. hostesses were going to be used on the flight, QAKTAS cabin staff claimed that this was a threat to^their future employment, and also that T.A.A. staff were not familiar with emergency procedures on Beoing 707's. As the QAFTAS strike ended on the 4th, Ansett-AFA Blight Engineers went on strike, but after a sharp rebuke from Mr. Ansett with the threat of instant dismissal, the strike ended on the 6th. Following on this the Australian Flight Engineers Association agreed to take the two-man dispute to arbitration. Another T.A.A, dispute with the Australian Federation of Airline Pilots, came before the public early in March. With D.C.A. approval T.A.A. intends to operate the D.H.C.-6 Twin Otter on mainland routes with one pilot. However the Federation claims that as the aircraft will be flown on regular airline routes, safety requirements demand that a second crew member is necessary. Two further DC-9-30's were introduced into Australia during March, They were T.A.A.'s YH-TJM c/n 47072, which arrived at Essendon on the 10th, and Ansett-AFA's VH-CZD c/n 47065, which arrived on the 12th. T.A.A. announced on March , their order for four Fokker F-27QC aircraft, three for delivery in December 1968 and the fourth in January 1969. This will allow the DC-4 Cargomas'ters to be phased out, and with the replacement of the DC-3's by the Twin Otter during the remainder of this year, T.A.A. will have attained their long ambition to operate an entirely turbine powered fleet. The first two Twin Otters of an additional order for six, were delivered to T.A.A. at Brisbane early in March, The aircraft, VH-TGT c/n 84, and VH-TGU c/n 88, will be based at Mackay, Forth Queensland, replacing the two Beech A80's VH-TGA and YH-TGC, on services to Brampton Island, Schute Harbour and coastal ports to Towns- ville. The remaining four Twin Otters will be Series 200 models, giving an increase of 25/ in baggage space. East-West Airlines announced on March 17th a new timetable for their Albury service. The new schedule, introduced on the 25th, increases the number of flights. from five to twelve a week. Also car connections to Corowa and Wangaratta are being provided. In announcing the new timetable, the General Manager of EWA, Mr, Riley, stated that the increased services were the result of the FSW Government's intention to restrict T.A.A, from carrying intra-state passengers on their Sydney/Canberra/ Albury/Melbourne service, A number of routes previously operated by Ansett-AFA were taken over by "third level" operators as from April 1st, In Foi-th Queensland, Bush Pilot Airways took over the route Formanton/Kuramba to "Stations", while in Victoria, Commuter Airlines took over the routes Melbourne/ Horsham, Melbourne/ Warracknabeal and Melbourne/Swan Hill, The second is being shared by Executive Air Services, this being their only route. Bush Pilots are using Cessna 402 aircraft on their routes, Goinmutor Airlines are using Piaggios while Executive are using Aero Commanders, The Perth/Rottnest Island route was relinquished by MacRobertson Miller as from March 31st, and two "third level" operators took over the route. One, Southern Airlines Pty Ltd. is using Piper Favajo aircraft and the other operator is Civil Flying Services (lA) Pty, Ltd. is using Beech Baron and Queenair aircraft. The "third level" operator. Commuter Air Services changed their title as from \

A.H.S^A. Journal -41- Ma rch-Ap ri1 1968

mid-March, how known as Commuter Airlines^ they took delivery of two ex-Ansett Piaggios on March ISth. The aircraft, P-166A 7H-PGA c/n 374, and P-166B YH-PC^A c/n 410^ were delivered in Comiriuters new colour scheme of purple and gold^ With the addition of new routes (see previous page) Commuter Airlines and the NSW based Masling Airlines, have become the two largest ^*third level'^’ operators. Thunderbird Aviation obtained DoC.A. approval during mid-March to commence regular third level services to Sydney from Quirindi and Scone. Thunderbird took over the route from East-West Airlines as from October 5rd 1967, but had only been able to provide a charter service until approval was given to co.mmence regular services. Aircraft being used are Cessna 402 YH-TFO with Cessna 337 VH-DQY as back-up aircrafts Masling Aviation^s third level service from Wollongong to Sydney is to operate from the new Windang airstrip commencing at the end of April The service is at present operated fron Albion Park airstrip, some thirty minutes drive from Wollongong. The service from Windang will halve the distance. Masling Aviation are also awaiting approval from the RAh before beginning operations from HMAS ^^Albatross^’ at Nowra. The first British built, Britten Norman Islander to arrive in Australia, l arrived at its base of Pialba(central Queensland coast)on March 9th. The aircraft, TO-AIA (ex C-AYXT) was imported by Island Airways, and will be used on services to the company owned Frazer Island tourist resort. When not carrying tourists to Frazer Island, the Islander will fly a 408 mile newspaper run to various surrounding centres. One of the worst helicopter accidents in Australia occurred on March 27th. A Bell 204B, VH-IJT?f, owned by Helicopter Utilities, was giving inspection flights to a number of financial journalists visiting the Barracouta gas rig off the Gippsland coast. Alien returning to the heli-pad after a short flight, the helicopter got out of control just before touching down, killing three journalists who were standing on a corner of the pad and severely injuring seven others. The disintegration of the tail rotor assembly is believed to have caused the accident. An ambitious light aircraft airfield project was revealed during April. Group- air Pty» Ltd. announced that they had purchased the 200 acre Berwick airfield, 25 miles south-east of Melbourne, from the Australian Governor General, Lord Casey, Re-naming it Casey Aerodrome^' to honour the former owner, Groupair announced that they would be spending $1 million to make it a haven for light aircraft. The first development will be a 3,000 ft. all weather runway, with all other services and facilities, such as private hangars and a motel following. The first Japanese light aircraft to be imported into Australia arrived at Parafield, Adelaide, on The two aircraft are F'uji F"'A-200 Sabura single engined four seaters and carried the registrations JA3376 and JA3378. These were changed to YH-.FJB and YH-FJA respectively by the Adelaide based agents. Holdfast Avia ti0 n Pty. Lt d e The Chairman and Managing Director of Avis Renb-a-Car, Mr. Eric Mclllree, announced during March that Avis Rent-a-Plane and Avis Air Charter services would be reorganised and expanded. To achieve this, the complete Avis fleet would be sold to Rex Aviation Ltd. and Avis would offer for charter or rental Cessna aircraft owned by other organisations. Avis would Garry the advertising and promotion expenses of organisations joining in the scheme. The announcement stated that Avis would now be able to offer rent-a-plaiie and charter services at over 170 points throughout Aust­ ralia. Avis rent-a-plane revenue will be derived from a small flat percentage of the gross charter revenue of each charter or other service booked by Avis. A newr 3,000 foot sealed rurw/ay is to be constructed at Bankstown Airport. It will be parallel to the existing east-west runway and capable of taking aircraft up to 12,500 Ibso all up w'eight. Cost is expected to be $300,000 and is due to be com-- pleted by the end of the year. The Aerostat Society of Australia demonstrated their hot-air balloon EGO at the Roj^al Agricultural Society Show at Sydney in April. The balloon is 65 feet high and 54 feet in diameter and was the fourth built by the Society. The balloon was severely damaged by fire during an evening demonstration on April 9th. The members A.E.S.A. Journal -42- March-April 1968

of the Society are at present working on :a blimp. Also at the Show were para-sail demonstrations by members of the Sydney Sky- divers Club, The para-sail^ a French conceived ground training parachute, is towed behind a car and the trainee then rises from the ground to a height of about 50 feet to learn control of his descent and landing. It has been reported that the State Planning Authority of ISW has requested the Wyong Shire Council to maintain an area of land about 60 miles from Sydney for future airport development. It is envisaged that approximately 8,000 acres will be reserved for use about the turn of the century. A small vintage fly-in was held at the Latrobe Valley Aero Club at Morwell,Vic, on March 10th, Aircraft logged were Luton Minor V-ti-EPH, Leopard Moth VIl-UUL, Tiger Moths VH-GMC, BFiT, KVH, Chipmunk VH-BSU, Austers VE-BTI, KSZ, EJP, Cessna C-34 M-Kllvl, Debonair VH-EVC, Cherokee VH-MSC, Commander VH-MQC and a Miles Hawk VH~ACC. An open day for OAF and GAG employees was held at Avalon on March 23rd and although the day was overcast several aircraft gave demonstrations - Canberra A84-217, Winjeel A85-440, Mirage HID A3-105, and Macchi MB-326 A7~002. Aircraft present were - Cessna 172 VH-BSA, Canberras A84-208 and 217, Winjeels A85-440 and 442, Jindivihk A92-002, Sabres A94-907 and 942, Mirages A3-2, 6, 7, 8, 56, 57, 58, 60, 68, 69, 70, 74, 76, 85, 86, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94 and 105, Macchi A7-002, 008, 009, 012 and 013. A small flyin was held at Gympie, Qld, on March 17th. Although there was no organised display, the event was judged a success and may prelude a larger display to be held later in the year. Aircraft present were - Cessna 150G VH-RZG, Cessna 172A VH_ALE, Cessna 172G Vli-RPJ, Cessna 210 VH-EiiK, FqX Moth W-UAL, Tiger Moth VH~MDV and a Vieta 100 VE-CPE. An airshow was held at Rylestone, near Mudgee NSW, on April 21st to mark the opening of the airport. Present for the occasion was' the NSW Regional Director of the Dept, of Civil Aviation, Mr, A.W. Doubleday, and the Minister for Lands, Mr, T. L. Lewis. A fairly comprehensive display was put on with aerobatics, cropdusting, trade demonstrations,parachutists and a glider. Some aircraft noted were - Chipmunk VH~RSK, Piper Tri Pacers VH-KKL and PIB, Piel Emeraude VH-IGC, Sipa Minicab VH-SZT, Klemm Swallow VEI-UUR, Cessna 337 VH-EGT, Cessna 182 VH-DSU, Cessna 177 VH-DZT, Trans- avia Airtruk VH-TRE, Tiger Moths VH-AOU and AJA, Aztec VH-PAY, Cherokee Six Vll-PEI, Fletcher Fu-24 VH-CRQ, Fairchild 24 VH-AVN, Bonanza VH-DHJ Cessna 172 VH-EJC and a Blanik F’oka 4 sailplane.

Three roll-on roll-off palletisation Medevac units have been supplied to No. 37(T) Squadron, to convert Hercules aircraft, as required, for the evacuation on medical cases from Vietnam to Australia. A special stretcher for patients with spinal injuries, twenty-four other stretchers, a modern flight galley and toilet facilities are also provided. Although these kits enable patients to be carried in great comfort, they reduce the capacity of the Hercules from sixty-four battle field stretcher cases to only twenty- (f five. To take full advantage of these improved \ ■ ) Medevac flights, improved ground facilities, ambulance busses capable of carrying eighteen litter patients are being introduced into BAAW service, A feature of the buses are large rear doors and loading ramp, which, when the bus is backed up to the aircraft, enables the rapid loading and unloading of patients. Hr, J, R„ Gordon vras presented with the Air Efficiency Award, by the AoO.C, Operational Command, Air Vice Marshal K, Hennock, at RAAF Base Edinburgh, on March 21st„ Mr, Gordon, who is 72 years old, took part in the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli and subsequently during four and a half months with an R.F.C. squadron in France, destroyed seven enemy aircraft, for which he was awarded the Military Cross in March 1918. On the out break of World War Two he rejoined the RAAF, retiring as a Wing Commander onto the Reserve List in 1945. On April 20th, the Commonwealth Dept, of Supply called for tenders for the f- ■}

A.H.S.A. Journal -43- March-April 1968 purchase of the Convair 440 Metropolitan aircraft A96-31S and A96-353, together with operating spares. The aircraft have been phased out of service with No. 34 »^ST) Squadron in favour of the Avro Andovers, AiO-595 and AlO-596. Air Tice Marshal W.D. Bostock, wartime’ Air Officer Commanding the South West Pacific Area,.died at Benalla on April 28th, aged 76 years. He retired from the EAAF in 1’946 and became a grazier at Benalla. Three years later he entered Parlia- ment as the Member for Indi, a seat he held for nine years. The Programiae Director for the General Dynamics Corp., Mr. ’ffitchell, replying to criticism of the cost of the F-lllc, stated that the fly-away price of the actual aircraft had- not risen from the $5.95 million originally given when the order was placed in 1963, although the overall price which included spares and training had risen slightly. Thirty-one G.A.F. Jindivihk aircraft, comprising of fourteen Mk. 103A and seventeen Mk. 103B, are to be delivered to the British Dept, of Supply over the next two years, to be used at the missile range at Llanbedr, KSfales. Courses for ground crew, by both Australian and American instructors, on the systems of the F-lllc commenced at RAAF Base Amberley during March. The forty-seventh anniversary of the formation of the HAAF, Sunday March 31st, saw the BiiAF Base ’Williamtown granted the'freedom of the city' by Newcastle, NS’ff. The ancient priviledge of marching through a city with "swords drawn, bayo­ nets fixed, drums beating, bands playing and flags flying ", was given as an A expression of the goodwill of the citizens of Newcastle to the EAAF. No. 2 (B) Squadron, based at Phan Rang, South Vietnam, currently operating Canberra aircraft mainly on night missions against the Vietcong as part of the U.S, Seventh Air Force, will supply the bulk of the aircrew going to the U.S. for training on the F-lllc aircraft. Trials were carried out by No. 5 (UPl) Squadron, Detachment A, at RAAF Base Williamtown on March 2Sth, for the development of more efficient firefighting and crash rescue methods. By using a helicopter to reach the scene of a crash the time is considerably reduced, enabling firefighting teams to deal with the fire before it gains hold and rescue teams to attend to the survivors who are then transported direct to the hospital in the helicopter. Iroquois helicopters of No. 9 (UH) Squadron will undergo a modification programme to enable the role of helicopter gunship in support of the Australian Army operations in Vietnam, to be carried out by the squadron, instead of relying on U.S. Army helicopters to supply the firepower. A hunting horn is an unusual adjunct to an RAAF Squadron crest. No. 21 (City of Melbourne) Squadron has such decoration in its crest, although members don't ride to hounds. When this squadron was foriaed in 1936, Lord Huntingfield, the first Australian bornGovernor of any State, then Governor of Victoria, became the Squadron's first Honorary Air Commodore. The hunting horn, his family's crest was authorised to be incorporated in the Squadron crest. The Orions for No. 11 (MR) Squadron will remain at the U.S. Naval Air Station Moffett Field, where a training programime for EAAF personnel is being carried out, until the final group of Orions are ready for delivery...... As from July'1st, Australian Army pilots will be formed into the Australian Army Aviation Corps, which will allow them to follow a career of flying instead of being drawn from other units for specific tours of duty. One hundred and twenty pilots will'be eligible for transfer to the A.A.A.C. and it will have at least eighty aircraft on strength by the end of the year. The first Director will be Colonel M. B. Siirikin. An arms embargo by the Swedish Government resulted in the Australian Army running out of "Karl Gustav", an anti-tank missile produced in Sweden, being used against Vietcong bunkers and tunnel systems in South Vietnam. The last rounds were fired during March, and as an interim replacement, the less powerful American M-72 missile is being used.

A A.H.S.A* Journal -44- March-April 1968

BOOK KEVIE® by Clive A. Lynch The following are some brief reviews of various publications^ both old and new^ about or referring to^ Australian civil and military aviation. A Brief Histary of the Royal Australian Air Force Various Authors. Published b,y the RAAF Historical Section (no sale price) A not generally available publication covering in brief detail the history of the AFC and RAAF from 1909 to 1951 in forty-seven quarto pagesPrimarily produced as a recruit training aid in the early 1950^s^ it forms the basis on which Odger^s Illustrated History of the HAAF was based. The Royal Australian Air Force: A Illustrated history. George Odgers. Ure Smith Pty. Ltd 1965 (16.95) An illustrated version with some greater detail in the text of 192 pages. Unfortunatel few of the illustrations are new^ many having been previously published^ but it has the advantage/ at least, of making them available in one publication. For the serious student, forms but a precis of the five Official War History volumes. Australians Two-Airline Policy Stanley Brogden, Melbourne University Press (paperback $2.95) 1968 A further Brogden epic (?) this time on the T.A.,A. versus A.N.A. (later Ansett-AM) battle for airline supremacy. Some of the "facts" quoted seem raost interesting but taking into account this authorns previous vforks and flair for **journalese’/ their accuracy unfortunately is questionable, The subject is of great interest and definitely merits a work about it, perhaps by one who is more objective and accurate in his writings Flight to Hell Hans Bertram Hamish Hamilton 1936 (850 second-hand) Describes the author's experiences flying from Berlin to Australia and back in a Junker ¥.33 (D-1925 named Atlantis) between February 1932 and April 1933. Of great interest are the parts relating to his force landing on the North West Australian coast on May 15th 1932 and his subsequent adventures till the aircraft was recovered and flown to Perth in late September 1932. Also detailed are his travels round Australia until his final departure from Darwin on December 12th 1932, British Military Aircraft Serials Bruce Robertson Ian Allen ($3.75) 1st Edition-1912 to 1963, 2nd Edition- 1912 -to 1966, 2nd Edition revised - 1912 to 1966. A compact listing of aircraft serial numbers with explanatory notes, giving such details as quantities, types, previous identities and subsequent registrations, where built and b whom and the modifications. A reasonably valuable reference for cross-checking Mark numbers, etc, of British service aircraft used in Australia, but not essential. European Transport Aircraft since 1910 John Stroud Putnam 1966 (|16,30) The book is one of the Putnam series of detailed aircraft studies and covers tech­ nically and historically, all transport aircraft designed and built in Europe that have been used on passenger^ mail or cargo services. Somie 300 basic types of aircraft, to­ gether v^rith their many variants, and where practicable, production lists and fleets have been included. It can be summed up in one word - excellent. Although not many European transport aircraft have come to Australia, those that did-have their origins well detailed. Shorts Aircraft Since 1900 C.Ho Barnes Putnam 1967 ($13.10) Has a wide range of material included with a high standard of accuracy* It is an improve ment over the author's previous wnrk (Bristol Aircraft Since 1910) as the constructor's numbers are set out in a more logical format. An invaluable reference v/ork. A«HoS«A. Journal «45«- Maroh^April 1968

MISCELLANEOUS -"The first DHC-5 Buffalo to be seen in Australia arrived at M^ascot on March 17th for a three week demonstration touro Carrying a civil registration^ CF-^LAQ^ the aircraft was still in the Canadian Iviobile Command markings with full camoflageo The aircraft is designated CC-llb^ with a c/n of 114 and the RCAF serial of 9460, It was announced in M'.arch that the DC--3 YH~El/fE^ owned by East-lest Airlines has done 50^000 hours flying* The DC-3 is at present under charter to the NSII Dept, of Lands and Survey for photographic mapping« The first DC-8-62 airliner to be seen at Sydney^ F-BNLE, arrived on March 27th^ on a U«l\Ao service. This type of aircraft is to be used on the Pacific run with Tahiti being the only stop-over point between Australia and Los Angeles, A Boeing 707-465^ G-ARTfE, of BOAC, was destroyed after making a crash landing at London Airport soon after taking off on a flight to Sydney via Europe, The air­ craft suffered an engine fire soon after lift off^ and the Captain immediately did a half circut of the airport and landed on another runway. One hundred and twenty one of the 126 occupants escaped the subsequent fire. The first two Australian Viscounts to log 30^000 flying hours were VII-RMQ of Ansett-ANA and TII-TVI of T.A.A. on February 23rd and March 14th respectively, The DC-3^s on commercial operations in Australia are gradually being withdrawn from service, Ansett-ANA withdrew Cargoliners VH-ANV on March 8th and Vfl-ANX on the 9th« T,A.A.has retired VH-SBE and Vli-SBN although the latter may be used as a stand­ by, VH-SBK and VH-SBM are currently at Eagle Farm, Qld,, with their airline markings removed. A Fletcher Fu-24, ZK-BIP, being delivered to Australia by air on March 7th, made a diversion to Lord Howe Island and landed there, after encountering severe weather conditions en route from Norfolk Island to Sydney. The pilot was Derek Stubbs, On March 6th a Bristol Britannia, C-AOVS, of Llpyd International was noted at Mascot, This is the first time one has been seen here« On March 5th, sixty Americans, mainly graduates of the University of Michigan arrived aboard a Boeing 707-328, F-BHSE, of Air France, for a five week world tour, at a cost of $5,400 each. Three Zeros from Balalai Island, in the Shortland Croup near Bougainville, have been cut into four sections and shipped to Mr, R, Dimert, Manitoba, Canada, who hopes to be able to assemble one airworthy specimen , powered by a Wright Cyclone from a Mitchell, for hire to film companies and for air displays. A U.S, Naval Research Laboratory EC-121K, 141297 arrived at Mascot during . March, It was working in conjunction with the CSIRO on upper atmosphere research. On the 27th two other four engined transports arrived - a C«=141A 65-0249, and a G-124C 52-1038, The first RAF C-130K passed through Mascot on April 17th, The serial was XT214, c/n 382-4240 and an ex USAF serial of 66-8563. The orange and white Gypsy Moth, VH-AFN, arrived in Sydney late in April and was crated for shipment to the U„S. It had been advertised for sale recently. For the information of those who try to keep track of constructor's numbers, Transavia is using an odd systen of putting the last number of the year in which the aircraft was built in front of the number of the aircraft, eg, 'VS-TRC is c/n 710. This indicates that it is the tenth built and the year 1967. It will be interesting to see what they do when the tenth year of production is reached. Notes for this issue have been contributed by K. Kerle, G. Banfield, E. Favelle, D. Eyre, N. Parnell, E. Allen, P. Ricketts, Essendon Hewslatter, Australian Air Nog. The civil section was prepared by R. McDonald, P. Ricketts, N. Parnell, Military section was compiled by C.: Lynch and B. TiTiite, N,S,W, Editor. N.M. Parnell, 2 Elizabeth Street, Liverpool, 2170, NSW, Australia. Federal Secretary. J. A. Pryor, 17 Howard Avenue, Mt. Waverley, 3149, VIC, Australia. A,H.S,A. Journal Maroh-April 1968

mm GUINEA MOTES, Territory Airlinesof Goroka^ will spend 160^000 to provide single and married acoommodation for their staff at Mount Hagen^ T*A«L. have based aircraft at Mount Hagen for a riuinher of years to provide a charter service into the Vi/estern and Southern Highlands5 and this expenditure indicates the importance placed on the centreo On March 12th the Company stated that its aircraft had flown 500^000 lb of cargo into the Southern and Western Highlands over the past 29 days* One aircraft had uplifted 20,000 lb. in a day while another, carrying goods for a trade store, had the charter fee of 0170 paid in 100 pieceso( In the more primitive areas silver coins are readily accepted as money, while paper notes cause instant suspicion as it cannot be buried in the ground with out suffering damage. STOL Air Services, of Port Mioresby, are an unusual organisation where the imposs­ ible seems to occur as the norm rather than the exception. To many people this Company is synonomous with questionable air saftey through poorly maintained aircraft and inexperienced pilots® Despite the poor image it has grown steadilyOn March 13th the Managing Director, Mr® Ron Firns, stated that materials for a hangar costing $70,000 would be delivered by the end of April and that the building would have pro­ vision for offices and freight handling facilities. Tenders for this hangar were originally invited early in 1966 and although the site was levelled no further action took place® On February 23rd, Island Products (a company in the WoR® Carpenter group) obtained a petition to wind up Firns of Mew Guinea, a associate company of STOL. As the hearing was to take place on March 19th, it was likely that the hangar state­ ment was little more than window dressing® An association, the Melanesian Airlines Operator's Association, was formed at Rabaul on April 12/l3tho The meeting was organised by the Rabaul Chamber of Commerce and w“as attended by representatives from ToAoA., ToAoL., MoAoFo, Papuan Airlines, Crowley Airways, South Pacific Aero Clubs, Helicopter Utilities and Macair. In calling this meeting the Chamber expressed interest in improving tourist facilities in the area and hoped that a Melanesian Circle through Hev\/- Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, British Solomons and l\lev\r Guinea would be createdo For the operators, the Association could represent conimon interests and help set up a pool of mechanical facilities o A further meeting is to be hel later in the year, probably at Goroka, The Rotary Clubs of Port Moresby and Boroko organised an aerial pageant at Port Moresby( Jackson^ s) Airport on April 28th, to raise money for a sheltered v\rorkshop for the physically handioappedc Features included joyrides, skydiving, demonstrations by various aircraft- Porter, Caribou, Aztec, Cessna etc®, as well as a static display of the Wirraway A20-13, with all the upper surfaces painted a green drab, white wing leading edge and tail unit, no serial and an incorrect roundel® It was very inter­ esting for the residents as 7,000 attended and created continuous traffic jams for several hours® This was the first display since the House of Assembly was opened in 1964 and a display given by the RAAF® The greatest disappointment was the Tiger Moth VH^BEQ which lost a cylinder head the day before during practice® On one of these flight a very confused local gentleman asked ^HJan i step ?” as he found it very hard to believe that the wildly gyrating Tiger Moth had a pilot on board.

Photo page, left to right. Klemm L25D-11, TO-UUR being flown by Alex Oliver, the owner, at Rylestone Airshow. Fletcher Fu-24, ITi-CRQ of vTestair Aviation Service, Coonabaraban, at Rylestone. Auster J5G, 'VH-TOR in a red and w^hite colour scheme from Gilgandra, De Havilland Chipmunk T.IO, VH-RSK of the RAC HS?I, yellow and black trim. Piper PA-22/I6O, TO-KKL, an immaculate Tripacer at the Rylestone Airshow. Convair 440, A96-313, one of two Metropolitans v/ithdraw’n from RAAF service. Piper PA-31/310, FH-PNIT the first Navajo to be delivered to Papuan Airlines. De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo, CF-LAQ,being demonstrated to Press representatives at Camden NSW during its tour of Australia. i ]m I

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