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L * The Journal of the AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY am of Inc. A00336533P, ARBN 092-671-773 Volume 33 - Number 2 - June 2002

EDITORS, DESIGN & PRODUCTION EDITORIAL Bill and Judith Baker We present another fine spread of Australian aviation Address all correspondence to; subjects, most of which you will not see anywhere else. I am The Editor, AHSA, particularly fond of Roger McDonald's article on Gordon's P.O. Box 2007, Guides, perhaps because it takes me back to my youth South 3205 Victoria, Australia. when as a young chap I would go up to McGills newsagency 03 9583 4072 Phone & Fax in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne and buy a copy. I would then E.mail: [email protected] spend hours planning trips that I would never take. www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/ahsa.html 1 keep on harping about the need to grow membership, and Subscription Rates; I have thought often about our NSW Branch which does not Australia A$45. contribute many members to the total membership. If you Rest of World A$68, have friends in that Branch please tell them about what they Overseas payment to be in Australian are missing. currency by International Money Order or I must confess a twinge of alarm about the talk of postage Bank Draft. Overseas personal cheques increases. If it is the same percentage for postage of AH as cannot be accepted. is for the increase of standard letters we must expect an increase of about 11% which will really impinge on our Articles for Publication; costs. Are to be on an Australian theme. The Editor reserves the right to edit any Editors wish list; article accepted for publication. Priority 1: First to Fly in Australia^ Still waiting, waiting.) Payment is not made for articles. Any facet of Australia’s aviation history, Malaya, GAF Please include sufficient postage for the Nomad, Korea, Vietnam, anything that interests you and can return of originals if that is required. be printed. How about the history of Airbus in Australia? Or A - H and the Computer; Contributions for some photos out of your collection for the Members Photo the Journal are most welcome in any form, Page? Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands come but if you have a computer, exported on a under our banner also. Anything!! 3V2" disc in ASSCII format (plain text), or Cover: An unusual picture (for AH), a view of the Qantas WIN 6, would be just great! (Include hard Constellation crash at Mauritius, told in the first hand report copy also). However Macintosh discs can be by Len Sales. translated. All photographs submitted will be copied and the originals returned within 5 Next Issue; Volume 33 Number 3 will be in your letter-box days of receipt. in the first week of September 2002. Disclaimer; Contents; 1. Whilst every effort is made to check the 47 Len Sales Greg Banfield authenticity of the material and advertising 52 Out of the fog and into the sea Bill Baker printed, the Publishers, Editors, and the 58 Aeroplane fatality at Port Melbourne Aviation Historical Society of Australia and its 59 Not so skinny and small now Jim Dunstan Office Bearers cannot accept responsibility 61 Gordon's Australian Air Guide Roger McDonald for any non-performance. 78 WA's DH 84 Dragons Edward Fletcher 2. The views expressed in 'Aviation 87 Return to Darwin Ken McDonald Heritage' are not necessarily those of the Meetings of the AHSA; AHSA or its Editors.

Melbourne Branch: The fourth Wednesday in every AVIATION HERITAGE month, 7:30 at the Airforce Association, 4 Cromwell Street, ISSN 0815-4392 South Yarra. Further information - Keith Meggs 9580 0140. Print Post Approved PP 320418/00017 NSW Branch: The first Wednesday in every month 7:45 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Studio 1 at the Powerhouse Museum, enter from the © 2001 by the Publishers; Macarthur Street end. Further information Warwick THE AVIATION HISTORICAL Bigsworth 02 9872 2323 SOCIETY OF Queensland Branch: The last Friday in every month 7:30 AUSTRALIA INC., at the RQAC Archerfieid. Meals available. Contact Richard A0033653P ARBN 092-671-773 Hitchins, 07 3388 3900 P.O. BOX 2007, SOUTH MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA AHSA Aviation Heritage

LEN SALES Leonard Victor Sales joined the during the Second World War, serving as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, In 1947 he joined Malayan Airways as a Radio Officer on the start of its operations and seven years later joined Qantas. He transferred as a Navigation Officer in 1956 and was a crew member of the Super Constellation which over-ran the runway at Mauritius and was destroyed by fire in 1960. Subsequently he remustered as a pilot and flew on Boeing 747s. Today he teaches ATPL theory subjects for the University of New South Wales. He enjoys teaching, for which he has great aptitude, and he cares about his students. He recorded this interview with Greg Builfield on 6th October 2001.

I was born in Essex, England, on and to set frequencies, you would Although No.37 was an English 26th November 1923, and grew up change coils. You would carry around Squadron, about 85% of the aircrew around that area. I had a fairly with you a box of little coils of different were Australians. There were also normal sort of childhood, and when I frequencies and when you changed New Zealanders, Canadians and a left school I went to work in an frequency, you pulled one set of coils few Rhodesians. They were a good engineering firm. When the war out, put the others in and tuned them mob. started, I found myself in a reserved up. It was a very primitive The living was pretty hard, occupation. Normally the calling-up arrangement. because we were under canvas for age for military service was 18, but The radio apparatus also included about six months, on and off. We early in 1941 I saw an advertisement 250 feet of trailing aerial which you were on a dispersal about half a mile one day saying that the Royal Air wound out. The aerial had 22 lead from the airfield and we were sitting Force would accept aircrew recruits at beads on the end of It. Every now there in our tents one day when a 17^2 years of age, and that you could and then on training, the pilot would Junkers Ju 88 came over and strafed also join if you were in a reserved go down and do a bit of low flying and us. It knocked over about four of our occupation. you couldn't wind the aerial in quickly aeroplanes so our operations for that I hopped down and tried to join up enough. When you went to wind it, night were scrubbed, which we all straight away. I was sent away to there was nothing there - the aerial thought was good. Weston-Super-Mare to do a three-day had been torn off on something on We had big losses on the assessment course, at the end of the ground, and the Air Force used to Squadron but my crew got through which I was classed as fit for all charge us two shillings and sixpence pretty well unscathed, Every trades. I was inducted into the Air for the loss of an aerial, which was a operation was interesting and we had Force at that stage and then I was lot of money out of our pay then. a few frights. A fighter attacked us sent home, That was most We crewed-up at Moreton-in- one night and badly shot us up, but unfortunate, because I thought I was Marsh, and I joined an Australian the crew escaped without injury. We in the Air Force, but the flying schools crew with a pilot named Ken Murray. were shot up a few other times as were full up and I had to wait until We had a slight accident one night well, but no more so than anybody such time as they called me up. when we lost an engine just after else. We were young and foolish and During the next six months, I took take-off on a practice bombing run got over it very quickly. odd jobs here and there, including from Enstone, which was the satellite When we completed our tour of Ken working at the Ford Motor Company field for Moreton-ln-Marsh. operations with No.37 Squadron, we for a few months. Naturally, I wanted Murray saw the strip at a place called finally went home to England. After a Little Rissington, which was lit only by to be a Spitfire pilot (everybody while, I was posted to the Empire Air wanted to be a Spitfire pilot) and I had goose-neck flares, and he put the Navigation School at Shawbury, been accepted as a pilot, but I was down there. The first time we where we were flying Flalifaxes. The sure the war was going to be over landed, we were doing about 140 School also had a few Wellingtons, before I started my training, so I knots. The next time we landed, we as well as the record-breaking agitated and got people to write were outside the airport and went Lancaster Aries, ^ and I got a few letters to the Air Force on my behalf through a brick wall across the road! flights in that. to get on course. As a result, the We had 11 lb practice bombs on RAF wrote to me offering me a board and they all went off. The rear The School ran specialist position as a Wireless Operator/Air gunner ricked his ankle jumping out navigation courses for navigators who Gunner, in which mustering they but nobody else was hurt very much, were staying In the Air Force beyond could induct me straight away. I apart from Ken Murray, who suffered the war, and we had second-tour and accepted. a very large bump on the head which third-tour navigators as students. We used to get a bunch of about ten First I went to Blackpool, where affected him to the extent that he was navigators and go through a series of we did boot camp, and then we went taken off flying and sent back home to flights with them. First of all, we to Yatesbury, where we did about six Australia. would take them on flights of 6 to 8 months of radio training, followed by a Our crew then got another pilot, hours' duration on the Wellingtons, gunnery course. Then I was sent to an Englishman named Jackson. where they would hone their an Operational Training Unit at When we finished our training there, navigation. Eventually we would Moreton-ln-Marsh, where we we were sent down to St. Mawgans to move on to long-distance navigation converted on to the Vickers pick up a new Wellington Mk.X. We flights on the Hallfaxes with them. Wellington Mk.lC. That was excellent were then sent out to the Middle East and I enjoyed it. as a reinforcement crew, flying to Rabat Sale, and from there we ended 1 The Air Force at that time used an In 1946, the RAF's Lancaster set up in , where we joined No.37 old valve radio set officially called a a new record time for the flight from Squadron, RAF. 1082/1083. These sets used coils England to Australia of 45 hours 35 minutes.

47 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Middle East. There were thousands of aircrew floating around at that time trying to get jobs but I thought we would just give it a go and see if we I could find anything. The man from said that he had two jobs on the books right then and there, and wanted two Radio Officers immediately. One job was in , with a new airline called Malayan Airways. We spun a coin to decide who got which job, and I won. I said I wanted to go to Singapore, because I intended coming out to Australia In view of my association with the Australians in No.37 Squadron, and Singapore was half­ way there. Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancastrian of the Empire Air Navigation School, RAF I was told I had to get to Shawbury, UK. 1946 Photo; via L. VSales Singapore in a hurry, as I was We would take the Fialifaxes on But one day when we came back, supposed to be there for the eight-day trips to various places such there was a bunch of RAF Police Thursday of the following week when as Karachi, Cairo or Khartoum. Six or marshalling the aircraft all over the the airline was to start up with its first seven aeroplanes would go as a place. When we walked into the trip. I travelled out on an RAF group and we took our own ground debriefing room, all our dutiable Transport Command flight which took crew to service them ail the way goods were lined up there, having three days to get there, around, using supplies of spares we been taken off the aeroplanes. We On arrival, I was met by the Chief carried on board. were all slightly chastened, as we had Pilot, Danny Fenton, already made out our Form Fives There was At about the end of 1945, the another pilot there, Jimmy Brown, and declaring a bottle of scotch and a pair School Introduced the concept of the three of us made up the of silk stockings, and some of us had pressure pattern flying, which Qantas operational side of Malayan Airways a little bit more than that! Flowever, It were using when I joined them later. Ltd. But we had no aeroplane. They all ended up fairly well. Pressure pattern flying involves taking had an Airspeed Consul, which is an various comparisons of radar altitude Shawbury was a good station and converted to seat with a pressure altitude to give an a magnificent place for flying. I got five passengers, and It was being amount of drift, either left or right of Interested in navigation at that stage, flown out from England by an ex-Air track depending on whether you are and did a course with them there. Force pilot named Flodnett. It was en passing through a high pressure unofficially and In my spare time. route, but it kept breaking down, and system or a low pressure system. When the war in Europe finished, I required engine changes In France Rationing was in effect in England thought about staying on in the Air and Jiwani. Hodnett's wife, Nita, then but you could get duty-free Force. I was going to apply for a arrived in Singapore by boat with her liquor, cigarettes, watches and all permanent commission, but then I little baby and took up residence in sorts of goods at Gibraltar and other saw people parading, and painting the hotel where the rest of us were staying. places we flew to. A Customs officer stones white, which hadn't happened was based at Shawbury, a very genial before, and I changed my mind. The aircraft had only about a 3- old soul who used to say to new hour endurance anyway, and by the arrivals at the base, "I work for His I remained at the Empire Air Navigation School until I was time replacement engines were got to Majesty's Government, I am discharged from the RAF on 19th it, we ended up waiting around for expected to show a return to the three months before it finally arrived Government and, when you come January 1947. I went down to Air Service Training at Hamble to do a and we started up the airline. back from overseas trips, I would like Malayan Airways' Consul, VR-SCD, you to always make sure that you radio licence course to convert my qualifications to a civilian licence. Air operated its first flight on 1st May declare ever^hing. We will charge 1947 from Singapore's Kallang you a certain amount of duty, and Service Training was a really big school for training civilian pilots and airfield. Hodnett afterwards left everybody will be happy, including Malayan Airways and went back In me." other aircrew, and it had its own airfield and was equipped with big the Air Force. Sometimes we would come back aeroplanes. We used to do a flight to Kuala from a trip late at night and there Lumpur and Penang, once a day, would be a little notice on the On the completion of my six-week radio course there, I came out with seven days a week. By that stage we Customs door: "Please return your had a staff of three pilots and two dutiable goods in the morning for my civilian Radio Operator Licence. The following morning, a Saturday, a radio operators. Mostly we just used assessment." Which, of course, we to fly around the Governor-General always used to do, always declaring a friend and I celebrated our success in obtaining our licences by walking Into and a man called Sir Edward Gent pair of silk stockings and a bottle of and his family. scotch, on which the duty payable the office of Silver City Airways, who was two shillings and sixpence. used to handle the recruiting for Malayan Airways was owned at different organisations around the that time by the Blue Funnel Shipping

48 AHS4 Aviation Heritage

what was called an XC Licence. navigator will be good training for you Malayan Airways used to come down as a pilot." to occasionally when we So I agreed, and remustered as a would bring the DC-3s down for 100- Navigation Officer in June 1956. I hourly servicing and we would land at began to enjoy navigation. In those outback places like Daly Waters. All days there was nothing in the way of radio work was on the Morse key and radio aids and it was good fun. there was no voice communication at ail. It was real bush work out there I was the navigator on the Super and if you were employed in those Constellation VH-EAC Southern areas, you were expected to do a bit Wave, which came to grief at of maintenance work as well. Mauritius at dusk on 24th August Ultimately, I didn't take the job with 1960 while on the run from Connellans. Johannesburg to Sydney. Ted Ditton was the skipper, a lovely bloke.^ The After three years In Singapore, I number 3 engine failed soon after the was due for six months' leave. Ken take-off run had commenced and Beohm invited me to stay with his before VI was called. An engine people In Sydney, which I did. During failure emergency was declared and my stay, I met and married Gwen, the Captain aborted the take-off, but Leonard Victor Sales as Radio Officer with and at the end of my leave I took her Malayan Airways -1947. the Flight Engineer had been late in back to Singapore. Gwen became calling the failure.^ The runway was Line, who ran passenger ships pregnant pretty well straight away, but wet and the aircraft failed to respond around the Islands, They really she also got sick. The doctor said sufficiently to the brakes, skidding off thought that air travel wouldn't catch she would be better off going home to the end of the runway on to rough on but that with this air service they Australia to have the baby, so I sent ground. The landing gear collapsed could pick up the odd few passengers her off, intending to stay on and have on the port side and the tip tank who didn't want to go on a boat. her return to Singapore afterwards. caught fire and the fire spread to the However, the airline took off like a But after she had been gone a couple wing before we stopped. The aircraft rocket and people were queueing up. of weeks, I resigned and came to join didn't explode, because the fuel tanks in July 1947 we bought the first of a her in Sydney just before Christmas, were filled to the brims so fortunately couple of DC-3s from the Royal Air 1950. there were no fuel vapours present. Force at Changi. We later bought Gwen's father was a builder and I another two Airspeed Consuls and On the Super Constellation, the worked with him for three years. I some more DC-3s (which I believe navigator sat back up on the step didn't really enjoy It much, and it was came from Hong Kong). from the cockpit, and sitting on the hard work. During this time, however, bunk beside my table was Second With the introduction of the DC- I completed a Commercial Pilot Officer Graeme Quinn, doing an 3s, we started operating up to Licence course. Then Qantas offered observation trip, his first trip with the Rangoon and all round the area, me a job as a Radio Officer and I company following his appointment. including to Saigon (which is now Ho accepted. (Graeme later became a Senior Chi Mlnh City). We did some rotten I joined Qantas on 17th February Check Captain.) We carried two runs in those days - going up to 1954. The job as a Radio Officer was Flight Engineers and the second Rangoon in the monsoon season in a a temporary one, for a period of a Engineer, Eric Chuter, was not DC-3 is not pleasant. And we used to year, maybe two years at the most. operating the controls but was sitting night-stop at Saigon, which was not a Radio communication suffered from a up on the step up also. good city because the French were lot of noise and other problems but having a bit of a problem there at that It was interesting getting out of the Qantas had Collins equipment which time with the Insurgents. plane, as we couldn't open the big was an improvement on what we had cargo door beside us because there had in the RAF. I started studying By then, the Blue Funnel Shipping was still a bit of residual straight away and got my Flight Line lost control of Malayan Airways. pressurisation. A lady passenger had Navigator Licence while I was flying Being a shipping company, they opened up one of the windows on the as a Radio Officer, as I wanted to be weren't really interested in it and other wing side which was on fire, and the a pilot and the licence would boost investors were brought in. BOAC and fire entered there and cut the aircraft my qualifications. Qantas also took stakes in Malayan In half. Pat McGann was the Chief Airways and started Injecting money. I arrived at Mascot one morning Steward and he was down the back of Danny Fenton was surpassed as on a flight back from London on a the aircraft evacuating people, but we Chief Pilot by another man BOAC Lockheed 749 Constellation and was were cut off from that avenue of sent out as Manager. met in the old Nissen hut that served escape and had to lower people out as the terminal there by the Chief A very good friend of mine was through a little window which was up Pilot, Donald Farquhar MacMaster. "I the Chief Engineer, Ken Beohm. Ken on the front section. There was one understand you have your Nav. had worked for Connellan Airways in passenger with only one leg, and the Licence," he said. I wondered how he Australia beforehand, and he kept nose section of the aircraft was up knew about that, but obviously he had talking to me about going back to pretty high. We got out the First contacts in the Department of Civil work for them. I did actually write to Aviation. Qantas were short of Connellans at one stage, and they ^ Edward William (Ted) Ditton died on navigators and he offered me a offered me a job as a Radio Operator. 2nd November 1993, at the age of 81. position as such. I wasn't real keen During this time, I had also obtained ^ Flight Engineer Maurie Pickens on that as I wanted to be a pilot, but my Radio Ground Engineer's Licence, consequently carried the blame and was he said, "A couple of years as a sacked following the subsequent inquiry.

49 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Officer, Dennis Patrick, and then very Gwen was very pregnant with our challenge and you were an essential carefully lowered our one-legged eldest son and had had a lot of part of the crew, passenger out and Dennis caught trouble beforehand and I was him."^ Only four of the ten emergency frightened that she might hear the I did a Boeing 707 course and got exits were usable but we cleared news on the radio and possibly lose my endorsement on that aircraft. I everyone from the aircraft in 90 the baby, so I asked if a signal could then did one trip on the 707 as a seconds. be sent to Sydney to stop her getting Second Officer before I was put back as a Navigator. Qantas were short of We then helped move our news in the wrong way. navigators and hadn't cleared all the passengers up the rocky slopes and Consequently, Alan Wharton, the routes, so I was back there for assembled them to try to get a head director of Flight Operations, rang another five or six years, and still count. There was fire everywhere Cwen early In the morning, while she agitating. and the aircraft's dinghies were still in bed.^ Len is going to be a exploding up through the wings and home, he told her. "The In January 1964 I was posted to the Verey cartridges that were carried aeroplane is delayed for a little while, London as a navigator for 2/2 years, in the dinghies were shooting up like so don't worry about it." which was very enjoyable. We were fireworks displays. Gwen thanked him and hung up. operating across the Atlantic to New York, and also down to Teheran, and The true hero of the day was the wondering why Alan Wharton was ringing her with that to Bermuda on Qantas' Sydney to Qantas Station Engineer, Ron Barrett, . , x • London service via Mexico City. By who actually leapt up into the aircraft [^formation. By that time, Alan rang that time, the era of automatic at the back to check, as far as he back again and told her what was happening, and that everybody was navigation was upon us and could, if there were any more people „ • u* ai navigation was no longer very still Inside. He could not check the •'•Qht. Alan did a good job. enjoyable. With the installation of front section because it was high off Four days later, Qantas sent inertial navigation on all the the ground and burning fiercely. The another Super Constellation over with company's aircraft nearing fire was still burning when we left the an investigation team and to pick up completion, finally I got back over to scene, and was finally extinguished the passengers. The crew had to wait the pilot staff in October 1971® by foam from the airport fire tenders, in Mauritius while a preliminary .....One very good trip I did in this assisted by local brigades. There investigation was carried out. period was with Captain Frank Brown, an Englishman who was madly Interested in satellites and space flight. Frank used to be in contact with NASA and on this occasion he arranged with Qantas to put on a special flight to observe the re-entry of a manned spacecraft. Frank calculated the timing and position, and Qantas re-arranged the flight to San Francisco accordingly. There was a special menu for the flight as well, featuring items such as "Space Soup", and right on cue we saw the trail of the craft as It re-entered the atmosphere. It was very well organised and earned a big round of applause from the passengers. The burnt out remains of VH-EA C at Mauritius. I transferred to the Boeing 747 In November 1976. Fifty-five was the were no deaths but, among the Life settled down again but I was retiring age for pilots, although we injuries, one elderly woman was still agitating to get in on the pilot could extend a year at a time up to severely hurt and was permanently side. The management kept age 58. I was getting close to that crippled. Of the 12 crew and 38 promising me that I would be age when I got up to starting my First passengers aboard, six of the transferred as a pilot when the Officer training, but because I had passengers were treated at Mauritius various routes were cleared for pilot been mucked around quite a bit, Alan Hospital, two with fractures, three with navigation and the navigators were Terrell (who was the Director of Flight burns and one with bruising, while then going to be phased out. But It Operations at that stage) told me that Flight Hostess Marion Stewart- took years before they considered he would let me finish my training if I Dawson suffered a fractured ankle they had cleared enough routes and I could complete it by the time of my while leaving the aircraft. ® was allowed to go over. I enjoyed the retirement. navigation very much. It was a 4 All the crews were very good to S. Dennis Patrick died only 7 months me, knowing I was next cab off the later, on 18th March 1961. He became rank for First Officer training, and they infected by a worm which entered his liver Flight Engineer Officer R. M. Pickens gave me as much training on the line and it killed him very suddenly. He was 40 Flight Engineer Officer Eric W. A. Chuter years of age. Radio Officer Harry Hocking as they could. I felt pretty confident ^ The crew of the aircraft were: Navigation Officer Leonard V. Sales Captain E. W. (Ted) Ditton Chief Flight Steward Pat McGann ^ Qantas' last four navigators became First Officer S. Dennis Patrick Flight Steward Alan Mackie redundant and terminated their Second Officer E. R. Miller Flight Steward Neville Foster employment with the company on 31** Second Officer Graeme Quinn Flight Hostess Marion Stewart-Dawson. December.

— 50 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Murray is a retired Air Commodore and I taught with him at Bankstown Airport for about three years. Then the University of Western Sydney seemed to change its direction. They weren't quite sure what they were trying to do and wanted to get rid of the Aviation Department. At that point, the University of New South Wales asked me if I would like to join them, as they were just starting up an Aviation Degree course, and I accepted. I have been there for about four years now as the Senior Instructor, doing all their ATPL theory training. In the meantime, Murray Turnbull Another view of the crash scene had started up his own training but unfortunately training stopped, as venues, and football supporters to organisation. Combined Air Services, it is wont to do at various times. their matches. Often we would take and now does the training for the Everybody was very disappointed for the footballers to matches in Qantas Cadet Pilots. The University me. I remained a Second Officer Melbourne, and those groups were a of New South Wales does the ATPL then for the rest of my flying career bit wild. theory training for him under contract, because of our previous association, with Qantas, operating on the Boeing Bill Pike gave me all the training I 747 until I retired on 26th November so I teach their courses for him at wanted and I flew with him for about Bankstown. 1981. three years, until he sold Rebel Air. For some time, I had been doing In the latter stages he said that he I did a Second Class endorsement part-time teaching of the Airline would give me a chance at command on the Cessna Citation when I joined Transport Pilot Licence theory training on the DC-3 but he sold the the University of New South Wales. subjects and when I retired from airline (in February 1984) before that As I was also teaching theory on the Qantas, the people at the New South eventuated. I was sorry when that Citation to some students who were Wales Department of Education's finished - it was good flying and a training on it, I said that I should be Technical And Further Education break from teaching. able to fly the aircraft as well, and the division asked me to go to work for University agreed. Afterwards I did I was still working at TAFE when them as an instructor. I did a two- the occasional trip with them as a co­ Qantas approached me to come back year course and gained a Diploma of pilot, which I enjoyed. However, on the ground training side. I was Teaching while I was at TAFE. because of my age, I don't get much happy to accept, and helped run flying these days. During this time. Bill Pike, who three-day ground training courses for owned Rebel Air Pty Ltd, asked me to captains and first officers undergoing In addition, I conduct at least one fly for him as a First Officer on his two promotional training. Later I was ATPL course a year for the RAAF, to DC-3s We did a lot of flying at asked if I would like to go into the qualify pilots leaving the Service for Rebel Air - I was doing a couple of office and do some of the flight jobs in the airlines. The pilots pay the hundred hours a year there. Bill simulator work, drawing up the University for the course and then if Pike's wife, Chris, ran all the simulator programs. So I went to they pass successfully, they claim the administration of the company and work for Captain Dave Shrubb, the cost back from the Air force. The was the Chief Hostess. My wife, Manager Flight Training, and I did that RAAF provides a classroom and Gwen, also flew as a Hostess a work for a while. facilities for us to run the courses, couple of times. A number of other either at Richmond (where I travel out Next I was allowed to conduct the Qantas people were also employed to on a daily basis) or Williamtown simulator checks for new pilot fly the aircraft. Including Captains (where I stay in the Mess). We run a recruits. I went over to London with Neville Harrang, H. W. (Bill) Taylor very intensive course but the pupils Captain Dick Wilkinson, who was my and Ross Horne. are all very switched-on people. boss then, and we picked up from the We used to run chicken and RAF the Aptitude Training package I would like to keep flying but champagne flights around Sydney at that we bought to apply to new pilot obviously I can't - it's come to the end. night. We also did wine tours to the applicants. Consequently I was I would have loved to have done my Hunter Valley, taking groups of running all the aptitude tests and the pilot training and got up to a people up there on Sunday mornings. simulator checks for the pilot command, but that just didn't occur On arrival, the group would be met recruitment. In conjunction with because of my navigation duties. and taken round on the wine tour on Captain Ken Ireland, I also used to Nevertheless, I have enjoyed every an old London bus they had there, write the programs for the aircraft moment of my career and I would like while we would sit there for five or six endorsement training. to do it all again. ^ hours until they came back in a fairly I finished up again at Qantas after good mood, and fly them back to An apology to Milton Cottee. four years in the Flight Training Sydney. We did a lot of weekend In the last issue, the article, "No Section, and then I was approached trips carrying bowlers to various by Murray Turnbull to go and work for 2 Air Trials Unit" was wrongly him at the University of Western attributed to Milton Coffee. Of ^ VH-PWM, bought in November 1979, Sydney, teaching Aviation Science. and VH-MIN, bought in August 1983. course it should have been Milton Cottee Sorry Milt.- Bill 51 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Out of the fog and

into the sea. Compiled by Bill Baker

The tragic story of T.A.A’s first passenger fatality and the worlds first fatal accident to a F 27. (the following report was compiled mainly from newspaper reports of the day) n the night of Friday June 10 1960, T.A.A's - Mackay service arrived overhead Mackay at 8:40 pnn to find that the airport was fog bound. Intermittent fog had been a problem that night at Mackay so the pilot Captain Francis James Pollard elected to set up a holding pattern above the airport.

Theoaircraft was Fokker F 27-2 Friendship VH-TFB (c/n 10112), ’Able Tasman', and was the first of the Friendships purchased

by T.A.A. It had been flown from Holland by a T.A.A. crew and had arrived in Melbourne on 16 April 1959. The Able Tasman' had been put into service mostly on the Queensland feeder services.

At 10:02 pm VH-TFB was given a clearance to land, the fog had mostly cleared but there were still patches remaining. Three minutes later the aircraft crashed some seven miles offshore from the Mackay airport.

For Australia it was a tragedy of epic proportions as some twenty-nine lives were lost, including those of nine school-children returning home for the Queen’s Birthday holiday -it was thus the worst air disaster in Australia's history; it was the first crash in which a Fokker Friendship was involved; and it brought a tragic end to 8V2 years during which Australia's air passenger transport had had a clean sheet record.

The Minister for Civil Aviation, Senator Paltridge, on Wednesday June 15 announced that he would set up a Court of Inquiry, to be presided over by Mr Justice Spicer, with one assessor, Qantas' director of technical operations. Captain R. J. Ritchie, and others to be appointed, to make a full public investigation.

The Abel Tasman, although the first Friendship of T.A.A's present fleet, had only 2,400 hours of flying in its logbook. The pilot. Captain Francis Charles Pollard, 36, of Brisbane, is reported to have had extensive experience of the type. His first officer was Gordon Lloyd Davis, 24, of Brisbane, and the other crew members were Hostesses June Mary May Hamilton, of Armidale, NSW, and Mary Katherine Wilmer, of Brisbane. They were flying from Brisbane to terminate at Mackay and return to Brisbane the following day.

It was a normal flight made abnormal only in that a low, drifting, fog overhung Mackay when they arrived over the airport at 8:40 pm. Reliable reports say it was a patchy fog and that the lights of the airport must have been visible as the aircraft circled overhead. It was given initial clearance to approach and came down to a level that may be the subject of varying reports. There Captain Pollard encountered thick fog. The airport - as well equipped with aids as any outside the major metropolitan centres of Australia - had Visual Aural Range and Distance Measuring Equipment but no Instrument Landing System. The aircraft at that stage had fuel for more than 3V2 hours flying. So Captain Pollard sought and obtained permission to climb to 5000 ft. There, sometimes in the view of Mackay residents and within their hearing, he kept the Friendship in normal holding circuit and in almost continuous radio contact with the airport air traffic controller.

Apparently the fog situation had cleared sufficiently for the captain to seek and obtain clearance to begin visual approach for a landing at two minutes past 10 o'clock. There was no electronic recording of communications between the tower and the aircraft as is common practice at major Australian airports, so the precise timing and wording of these signals will be a matter of evidence, but apparently there was no more contact and any subsequent happenings will, again, be a matter of evidence.

It is reliably reported that the two cockpit clocks recovered from the wreckage had stopped, respectively, at 10.05 pm and 10.07 pm. If it is accepted that the first one to stop in fact recorded the time of the actual crash this leaves a space of three minutes between the time when clearance was granted and the moment of disaster.

The aircraft struck the water seven miles north of the Mackay runway and, apparently, slightly north of the direct line of the runway. A statement has been attributed to the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Mr D. G. Anderson, that, the wings were level at the point of impact, but another technical expert, with knowledge of the early fact-finding of the investigators, has said that evidence will show the aircraft was slightly nose-down in attitude and that the right wing was slightly down. Normal approach speed of a Friendship is about 180 kt, and the so far known evidence suggests that the impact was of such force that no one in the aircraft survived that moment.

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It is evident that any story which may be pieced together from a meticulous examination of the wreckage salvaged from the seabed, from any instrumentation that is in a condition to be checked, and from the hundreds of Mackay people who had any story to tell of what they saw and heard will take a long time to assess. All reliable accounts, however, are alike in paying tribute to the speed of action of the Department of Civil Aviation, the wide-spread organisation and efficiency of the search for the wreckage, and, most particularly, the great contribution made by the Navy, In positive location of the wreckage and in the risk-filled task of the divers who combined in the search to recover the bodies of the victims and the salvage of the wreckage. That story is a long one but it can be stated that the first news that a tragedy was probably received by DCA (Department of Civil Aviation) officers at Melbourne at 10.20pm. By 2am the following morning a DCA Friendship had left Essendon, carrying aboard it accident Investigation specialists of the Department, and TAA specialists as well. This aircraft was still on its long flight to Mackay when the Navy radioed to it offering help and giving the positions of ships in the vicinity. The help of HMAS Warrego, which had been Inward bound for Townsville, had already been accepted and it had been directed to the scene by the time the DCA aircraft arrived. A DCA Aero Commander from Brisbane was conducting an aerial search of the sea, a TAA DC-3 was also there; 17 small launches and other craft were patrolling and police parties were searching the adjacent beaches that day, and by 11.45 am Warrego was on the scene. The Navy, too, had sent from Sydney a specialist "clearance diver" Lieut. A.C. Wright, RN, who in the days that were to follow won the highest praise for his skill, daring and unsparing effort. It was not until the following day - 4 p.m., Sunday, that the Aero Commander spotted an oil slick, which Warrego, with Its asdic equipment, investigated with such accuracy that when Lieut. Wright went over the side into 40 ft. of water he was able to return with a piece of the aircraft wreckage. The DCA Director of Accident Investigation, Mr C.A.J. Lum, had in the meantime divided his team of experts into three groups, one to interview witnesses (300 were talked to that weekend), one to study any aircraft structure recovered, and the other to make any engine studies. DCA officials said afterwards that the Warrego's part in the salvage operations, and the search for bodies, was remarkable. Its captain. Commander N. Sanderson RAN, was unsparing In co-operation, and the efficiency of navigational and other search and salvage equipment, and the men who handled It was admirable. Among the crew, fortuitously, were eight who had completed diving training. In the period of two weeks that followed they recovered every bit of wreckage that littered the seabed over a wide area. Much of the divers' work, particularly, was carried out In difficult and dangerous conditions and it was made more difficult by the necessity to complete the salvage, sometimes of large sections of the aircraft, without additional damage that might distort the investigators' picture. The Mackay Harbor authorities made available a large shed and on this the remains of the big aircraft were carefully laid out like the putting together of a giant jigsaw puzzle.

The following are excerpts from the contemporary newspaper reports: Melbourne Herald 4 October: "Air crash: "Pilots Mistake Likely". May have mis-read meters, says expert. BRISBANE. Today. -The evidence strongly suggested that the pilots of the TAA Fokker Friendship which crashed into the sea off Mackay on June 10 were not aware of their dangerously low height, said an official report sub­ mitted to the inquiry today. The report, by the Civil Aviation Department's director of air safety, said no cause had been found for the crash. Counsel assisting the Inquiry said evidence would be given by pilots of abnormalities in the operation of altimeters (height indicators) of other Fokker Friendship planes. The Inquiry into the disaster, in which 29 people died, began today before a four-man Inquiry board. This Is what the Civil Aviation Department's director of air safety, Mr C.A.J. Lum, said In his report: "The cause of the accident has not been determined, but the circumstances strongly suggest that the aircraft descended while under the control of the pilots, and that for same reason which remains obscure, they did not become aware of the dangerously low height at any time, or at least not until was too late to prevent the aircraft striking the water." Mr Lum said both altimeters fitted to the plane had been accurately set to a barometric setting before the crash. There was knowledge of two incidents involving Fokker aircraft, in which errors occurred in altimeter and air-speed indicators. The occurrence of these Incidents seem to heighten the possibility of instrument errors. He said the most likely explanation seemed to be that the pilots mis-read their altimeters. He said there was no evidence of anything unusual having taken place aboard the plane, and no evidence of fire or explosion having occurred before or after the crash. The plane probably struck the water at a speed of not less than 160 knots, and on a substantially level course. No evidence was found of material or structure defects before the crash. Proper maintenance had been carried out on the plane. It had been certified airworthy, and all proper air control procedures had been carried out. The weather In the Mackay area at the time was generally fine and calm, with patches of fog and some low-level cloud at times, and the moon was full, Mr Lum's report added. Mr G. A. G. Lucas, QC, counsel assisting the Inquiry, said evidence would be given of some abnormalities and discrepancies in the equipment of the crashed Fokker found by expert examination of the wreckage. Evidence would be given by other Friendship pilots of abnormalities in operation of altimeters of other Fokker Friendship planes. He said the crashed airliner had been serviced regularly and passed as completely ain^/orthy. On June 10 the plane made a flight from Mt. Isa to Brisbane, and the pilot of this flight would testify that the aircraft performed normally. Mr Lucas told checks had been made of both pilots of the crashed plane on the Mackay flight. Captain Francis Pollard and First Officer Gordon Davis, that they were both experienced. These checks showed that

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Pollard had not suffered any recent Illness and he had not taken alcohol. Davis was In normal health and was practically a non-drinker. Mr Lucas said evidence would be given that until the arrival of the plane "over the top,' at Mackay the flight was normal In every way. At 7:10 pm the air traffic control officer at Mackay put out a special weather report of shallow ground fog at a height of 20 ft. and visibility of 880 yards. This Information was given to the plane when It landed at Rockhampton, and it was told that Rockhampton and Townsville would be suitable alternative airports. During refuelling at Rockhampton the portside drain valve jammed temporarily, but was quickly rectified. The probable cause was the presence In the valve of an extraneous metal bolt, found at the examination of the wreckage later. Mr Lucas said expert opinion was that the valve was seated properly. He also said that after the plane left for Mackay Captain Pollard was told by radio that Mackay airport was closed to landing. When the plane reached the point where it would normally descend Captain Pollard said he would continue at 13,000 ft. and 'hold' over Mackay at that altitude. At 8.40 pm Captain Pollard reported "over the top" at Mackay. He said he had at least 100 minutes of fuel available for holding over Mackay, as well as the 45 minutes statutory requirements All navigational aids at Mackay were in operation. The plane reported that the fog was clearing and was cleared for landing. A distress warning was given at 10:10 pm, five minutes after radio communication with the plane was lost

Melbourne Sun October 6 TAA MADE CHANGE AFTER FRIENDSHIP CRASHED Probe told BRISBANE, Wed. - TAA introduced a new system for servicing the pitot static system on Fokker Friendship aircraft after the June 10 crash off Mackay. The inquiry also was told that bends discovered in the wrecked plane's system were the opinion of experts not caused by the accident. Today is the second day of the inquiry, which is expected to last five weeks. The witness who gave evidence on the pitot static system was mmm PT. John Alexander Taylor, base supervisor for TAA servicing in Queensland. He told Mr. B.L. Murray QC (for TAA), that, before the accident, any water found in the SLADE I. pitot static system was blown through with air. JE)-« OUTER Since the accident the new system was to blow air through whether water was HARBOUR found or not. (The pitot static system measures the outside air pressure built up as the aircraft moves through the air. This operates several cockpit instruments ' wasM including the altimeter, and the rate of climb indicator.) AC KAY FLATTOP I. When Mr A. D. Pearce, for the Australian Federation of Airline Pilots, said that a Department of Civil Aviation report on the crash showed there were bends in the \ ROUND TOP pitot static system not caused by the crash, Mr J. Starke, QC (for the DCA) I interjected. He said he thought Mr Pearce was pursuing this line of inquiry too AIRFJEl \\flR(UlT LOOP early. Mr Pearce reserved his right to re-examine Taylor later. ^ TO FOG The DCA Director of Airworthiness, Peter Stroud Langford, said that the plane was technically was unserviceable, because an overnight check had not been made at Mt Isa on June 9. But a check made at Cloncurry the next morning would compensate for this if carried out properly. The plane was airworthy from an engineering point of view, Langford said. - MAIN WRECKAGE Mr Starke read part of a DCA report during cross-examination of TAA check 1 FOUND MERE and training captain, Capt. John Whittell, of Brisbane. The report said that a number of services for the port side of the plane were found switched off, and a number for the starboard side switched on. It said in another section: "There is no evidence of real emergency, but there is slight evidence of an emergency being simulated for training or checking purposes." ° ^ Capt. Whittell said he thought it unlikely that the pilot of the plane, Capt. Frank Pollard, would have simulated an emergency to test First-Officer Gordon Davis. Mr Starke: Do you realise that there is some evidence of an eye-witness that the lights of the plane were out? Capt. Whittell: Yes. Mr. Starke: Could it not mean the captain suspected a fire or incipient fire? Would he turn out the liahts? - Yes he would turn off all normal electrical services. Capt. Whittell said that an electrical switch had been found on "emergency".

Melbourne Herald October 7 "Airport signed off, then came crash Brisbane. Today. - Mackay airport's controller was so confident on the night of June 10 that the TAA airliner Abel Tasman was about to land safely that he wrote "Off duty" in his log book. Later I rubbed them out," the witness, Eugene William Anthony Miskell what appeared to be book. erasures in the log The erasures were at the critical time of the planes last attempted landing at the airport, about 10.02pm.

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Miskell said: "Anticipating a perfectly normal landing, I wrote the words and then signed my name. I could not see any reason why the landing would not be normal." Miskell was senior airport controller in the control tower on the night of the crash and was the last man to talk to the crew of the airliner, just before it crashed into the sea.

Miskell said a member of the planes crew - he was fairly certain it was the pilot. Captain Francis Pollard - first called him by radio when he was more than 50 miles from Mackay. The plane reported from 13,000 ft. up, on a normal course approaching Mackay. At Mackay then, bright moonlight made visual landing safe. Miskell said he told Pollard to make a visual approach. Pollard acknowledged this, and soon afterwards reported on his final approach. Miskell said he told him "Clear to land."

"I very definitely expected him to land," he said. Then I saw him about 50 ft. above the strip, and when opposite the tower he climbed away to the left. Navigation lights on the aircraft were clear to me at first, but became hazy as he began to climb. Captain Pollard reported a, small patch of fog on the runway at 50 ft. and said he would try the other runway.

"I next saw the plane at about 200 ft. approaching the other runway. It came across; climbing, and I gave the captain permission to hold at 5000 ft. Visibility then was down to 400 yards In some because of the fog. The aircraft appeared to be following a normal holding pattern within a five-mile radius. At 9.40pm It called to say the crew had been watching the fog, and thought that in about 20 minutes it would be completely clear to land."

Miskell said the fog began breaking up, but Pollard replied, "It still looks pretty thick over the field to me." At 10pm visibility figures were above the minimum for a let-down. Pollard radioed: "I can see now. I will commence let-down on Runway 32."

By 10.2. Miskell said conditions had improved rapidly and visibility was continually Improving. "He said he would start a let-down." Miskell said: "I cleared him for a visual approach."

Miskell said "He passed on to Pollard Information about altimeter setting. He got a temperature reading and called the plane to pass it on, but the plane did not acknowledge. It was then about 10.4. he continued calling but there was no answer." He declared a distress phase at 10.10.

Crash plane cockpit was 'remarkable' BRISBANE, Today. - Some of the cockpit controls in the TAA airliner which crashed off Mackay on June 10 were found in a "remarkable" condition, the crash inquiry was told today.

But there was no evidence of a real emergency, It was stated.

This was stated In a Department of Civil Aviation report on Investigations Into the crash, read to the Inquiry. The DCA report said a *'remarkable feature" In the crashed plane's cockpit was that some controls for the port side - were found switched off, and some for the starboard side were switched on. This applied to the electric power generators, the pitot heaters, the fuel filter heaters, the engine intake propeller de-icing, the wing air intake de-icing and the water methanol supply.

Mr J. Starke, QC (for the DCA), said the report stated In another section: "There Is no evidence of a real emergency, but there is some slight evidence of an emergency being simulated for training or checking purposes." Captain John Whittell, TAA check and training captain In Brisbane, told Mr Starke that he did not think the plane's captain would have simulated an emergency for the benefit of the first officer, the other member of the plane's flying crew.

Captain Whittell agreed there was some evidence by an eye-witness that the lights of the plane were out.

Mr Starke: Would you say that Indicated the possibility of a fire or smell of burning In the cockpit?

Whittell: it depends how much reliance you place on the people who said the lights were out. Captain Whittell said he had known Captain Pollard, the pilot of the plane, for 11 years and regarded him as an above-average captain on Fokker Friendships.

Peter Stroud Langford, of Sandringham, Melbourne, director of airworthiness for the Civil Aviation Department, said that technically the plane was unserviceable because an overnight check was not done at Mt. Isa. But from an engineering point of view the plane was airworthy.

John Alexander Taylor, TAA base servicing supervisor for Queensland, said he was familiar with the Fokker plane and was responsible for Its servicing. The servicing procedure followed for the plane was that laid out in the servicing Instruction manuals.

George Hayes. TAA licensed aircraft maintenance engineer, said he carried out all prescribed servicing, on the plane on the day it crashed .

Melbourne Sun Thursday 20 October 1960 FOKKER PLANES: FAULTY INSTRUMENTS BRISBANE, Wed. - instruments of two TAA Fokker Friendship planes had shown errors, the. Mackay air crash inquiry was told today. On one plane, a height of 15,000 ft. was shown, although the plane had descended to 4,000 ft.., said Mr Frank McMullen, TAA acting senior aeronautical engineer. In another Friendship, an altimeter showed an error of 4,000 ft. during descent! another witness said. Mr McMullen was a member of the airframe Investigation group for the Mackay Friendship crash.

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He told the inquiry that on May 1 Captain K. Horn was flying a Fokker from Melbourne to Canberra in sub-zero conditions. When the plane started to descend from 15,000 ft., the starboard altimeter showed no error but the port altimeter stayed at 15,000. ft, until the plane reached 4,000 ft, it had then unwound itself very rapidly from 15,000 ft. to 4,000 ft, The rate-of-climb and descent indicator showed no descent, he said.

The DCA Director of Airworthiness, Mr Peter Langford, said that there had been altimeter misrepresentation In a depart­ mental Fokker

The inquiry will resume at 10 am tomorrow at Brisbane airport.

Melbourne Sun, Thursday 10 November 1960 FOKKER HAD EMERGENCY SWITCH ON An emergency switch in the "on" position might indicate that a state of emergency existed in the Fokker Friendship just before it crashed, the Board of Inquiry into the accident was told yesterday.

Mr K. B. Campbell, QC, who is representing the manufacturers of the plane, told the board: "The fact that the switch was on gives some concern to everybody who is trying to find the cause for the accident." The switch position could indicate a state of emergency, or near emergency, he said. (The switch, an "emergency invertor," can be used to give an added power supply to some of the pilot's instruments.)

The Board of Inquiry, which was set up by the Minister for Civil Aviation, Senator Paltridge, is hearing counsels' final addresses. The hearing will end today.

Mr Campbell said that the pilot's attention could have been distracted by an emergency, or even a feeling that there was an emergency. "One of the warning, lights on the instrument panel could have come on" he said. Continuing he said that practically all factors in the accident, including the possibility of water affecting the instruments, could be eliminated except the human factor of pilot error.

He suggested three possible causes for the crash: • Misapprehension of height by the pilots, due either to misreading the altimeter or because they were flying by visual clues; • A wrong height being shown on the altimeter due to malfunction of instruments; • Or a state of emergency, or suspected emergency, in the plane before the crash. He said there was not the slightest evidence to suggest that water had affected the plane's instruments.

Mr A. D. Pearce, for the Australian Federation of Airline Pilots, the Airline Hostesses' Association and the widows of the deceased, pilots, said that there had seen no evidence of anything unusual In the flight.

Any suggestion that Captain Pollard had flown the plane without reference to his Instruments could not. be believed he said.

The Chairman of the Court of Inquiry, Mr. Justice Spicer on December 8 1960 brought down his report. The following were his recommendations which like other such Australian aviation inquiries had far and long lasting results.

From the Official Report SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS BY MR. JUSTICE SPICER, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY I summarise my conclusions as to the accident and the cause of the accident as follows;- (i) On 10 June, 1960, at 10.05 pm Fokker Friendship Aircraft VH-TFB owned by the Australian National airways Commission and operated as part of , entered the sea some 7V2 miles south-east of Mackay (ii) The aircraft was totally wrecked. (iii) The aircraft carried a crew of 4, and 25 passengers, all of whom were lost as a result of the fatality. (iv) At the time of the accident the aircraft was approaching the Mackay Airport with a view to landing. (v) A clearance to make a visual approach was properly given by the air controller at Mackay. (vi) The weather conditions at the time presented no hazard to safe approach and landing, and all the radio navigational aids and airport lighting facilities were functioning satisfactorily at all relevant times. (vH) The pilot and the first officer were properly licenced, trained and competent officers. (viii) They were both in good health and there is nothing to suggest they did not have complete control of the aircraft or were at any stage rendered incapable of fully performing their functions in relation to the flight. (ix) Until at least 10 p.m. conditions m the aircraft were perfectly normal. (x) There is no evidence to suggest that between 10 and 10.05 p.m. this condition of normality did not continue. (xi) The aircraft entered the water with its engines under power at a speed of not less that 160 knots. (xii) The evidence does not support any conclusion other that that the aircraft and its engines were functioning normally. (xiii) The aircraft probably struck the sea in a flat attitude between 5 degrees nose up and 5 degrees nose down and banked to starboard at a similar angle. (xiv) The aircraft descended towards the sea at not less than 900 feet per minute. (xv) The evidence supports the view that the electrical equipment of the aircraft was functioning normally at the time of the impact. (xvi) There in no evidence of fire or explosion having occurred at any time prior to or subsequent to the impact. (xvii) The circumstances of the accident suggest that for some undiscovered reason the aircraft was being flown at a lower altitude than the pilot intended. (xviii) The evidence does not support a conclusion that the instruments or any of them were not functioning properly.

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(xix) It has not been established by the evidence that there was at the relevant time any water in the pitot static system of the aircraft, and the evidence does not justify a conclusion that water in the static system caused or contributed to the malfunctioning of the instruments. (XX) The possibility of the existence of water In the static system so moving along the system as to cause a malfunctioning of the instruments cannot, on the evidence, be entirely excluded an a possible cause of the accident but the evidence points to the fact that such a happening was improbable. (XXi) The evidence does not justify a finding that the Captain or the First Officer or both, misread the altimeter or that the altimeter misrepresented the actual height of the aircraft. (xxii) The evidence does not justify any finding that the Captain or the First Officer in flying the aircraft disregarded or paid insufficient attention to the instruments and relied unduly upon visual observation by which he was misled. (xxill) In the absence of any other explanation of the accident the possibility that undue reliance upon visual observation by the person flying the aircraft at the relevant time must remain a possibility. (xxiv) The evidence does not support a conclusion that any sudden emergency caused the accident, but such a possibility has not been entirely excluded. (xxv) The aircraft struck the sea at a time when its altitude should have been not less then 1,000 feet, but it in impossible to say how this occurred.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1 .Flight Recorders It has proved to be impossible to reach any firm conclusion as to the cause of the accident because, there being no survivors of the fatality, there are no means of ascertaining what occurred an the aircraft in the last few minutes of its flight.

It would, no doubt, have been enlightening to have a record of any conversation which took place between the Captain and the First Officer during that period and of the readings of the flight instruments up to the moment of impact.

Counsel for the Department of Civil Aviation informed the Board that the Department has since 1955 been engaged in work on instruments known as flight recorders which would be capable of providing such information in the case of an accident such as this. I am advised that considerable development has taken place both here and abroad in relation to such Instruments, but we were informed that the Department had not yet had presented to it an instrument which is sufficiently perfected to justify the installation of such instruments in aircraft in Australia. The interest which the Department has displayed in this matter is commendable. It is recommended that the search for such an instrument should be pursued In the hope that satisfactory flight recorders can be installed at no distant date.

There would be a legitimate objection to the installation of such instruments If the recorded material were available to operators at the conclusion of every flight.. I am advised however that instruments are in the process of development which will automatically obliterate earlier recordings an the flight proceeds so that only the events of an immediately preceding short period will at any time be preserved and that the whole recording will be obliterated immediately upon the pilot stopping the engines at the conclusion of each flight. The installation of such an instrument in not therefore necessarily subject to the type of objection to which I have alluded.

2. Altimeters The possibility that some misreading of the altimeter contributed to the fatality has already been discussed. There can be no doubt that misreading of altimeters has heretofore been the cause of some accidents. It is not easy to devise an instrument of this character which will be proof against the possibility of any human error, and modifications of existing methods of presentation, while avoiding me source of possible error, may but provide another. Despite the difficulties which this problem presents it is urged that investigations Into Improved presentation of height information should be pursued. Instruments at present In use provide Information as to height above sea level. Radio altimeters are capable of providing information of the actual height of the aircraft above the terrain over which it Is being flown. I am advised that no suitable equipment of this kind for Installation In aircraft Is at present available. It is recommended that steps should be taken to develop an Instrument suitable for the purpose and that It should be an Instrument employing a single pointer. 3. Decent Procedures at Mackav It is recommended that consideration be given to revising the visual descent procedures employed at night at Mackay having regard to the large sectors where there are no visual cues such as the ocean area. It is suggested that, when meteorological conditions permit, aircraft approaching the airfield at night should not descend below 1,500 feet until within seven miles of the airport as measured by D.M.E. This height is in conformity with the lowest altitude to which aircraft may descend at Mackay during an instrument approach before commencing final descent. It may be that such provisions would be appropriate at other airports at which similar conditions prevail. MODIFICATIONS TO PITOT STATIC SYSTEM In addition to these recommendations it is appropriate to report that the Fokker Company proposes to make certain modifications in the pitot static system. These are designed to eliminate any possible risk that any small quantities of water which may enter the system will affect the operation of the Instruments by movement along the lines towards the instruments. The Board was informed that work In this direction was going on with a view to making the drainage valves more effective by ensuring that any water passing to them is trapped and retained. Such modifications may have application in other types of aircraft. Further precautions being taken with the present system which are significant are more frequent blowing of the lines to remove any water and an inspection of all Fokker aircraft with a view to eliminating any such Irregular bends in the system as were found in F27 VH-TFB. >>

57 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE MINUTE PAPER (This side only to be written on.)

SUBJECT: Aeroplane fatality at Port Melbourne.

Controller of Civil Aviation.

1. I have the honour to report the result of my Investigations of the accident to the AVRO aeroplane at Port Melbourne on Sunday, 22nd, May, whereby the Pilot,- Mr. Hubert G. Ross,-was killed, and the passengers,- Miss Jessie Dorman and Mr. Cyril Harris, were fatally injured.

2. I inspected the wreckage on the following day and there appeared to be no mechanical defect in the machine, controls, or engine. Witnesses of the accident stated the engine was running until the machine struck the ground. The pilot's switch being found in the "contact” position bears this out. Apparently nothing came away from the machine during Its fall. 3. From the statements of the witnesses Harris, Norris and Hart, it is apparent that the machine turned to the left, and then spun for some distance, eventually diving into the ground, the engine running the whole time.

4 . The machine was fitted with dual rudder-bars, one in the pilot's cockpit and one in the passengers', interference with this second bar being prevented by a piece of wood about 2" by 1" fixed across the passengers' cock-pit above and behind the rudder-bar. The passenger would naturally place their feet on this fixed piece of wood as was intended. The lady passenger was sitting on the right and wore shoes with comparatively high heels. 5. I will now reconstruct the accident as I consider it happened:

The machine took off all right, the lady sitting on the right with high heels on her shoes. After rising to a certain height the pilot turned to the left (borne out by out witnesses).This would necessitate, amongst other things, pressing forward the left end of the rudder-bar, the right end moving back. The second rudder-bar would conform to this movement. If the pilot made a sharp turn the rudder bar would be moved sufficiently for it to be possible for the heel of the right shoe worn by Miss Dorman to get between the rudder bar and the fixed bar. Then when the pilot wanted to neutralise his rudder to come out of the turn he would be prevented from doing so by the heel being jambed as indicated above. The rudder being jambed In this position,- hard left rudder,- the machine would fall into a slow spin, as Is borne out by the evidence of witnesses.

6. Now the first action of a pilot of any experience In getting into a spin would be to switch off the engine. That this was not done in thin case can be explained as due to the pilot Is attention being fixed inside the machine in trying to locate the cause of the jamb. The pilot might not then even notice that the machine wan spinning; again, though he might know he was In a spin, his anxiety to get the rudder free might cause him to forget to "switch off" .

7. This explanation is possible, but wants further collaboration. This, I consider, is supplied by the right shoe of the deceased Miss Dorman; the heel of this shoe is pulled nearly off, the pull having been forward as Indicated by the nails. I consider that this heel must have been caught In something In order to pull the heel away, even on hitting the ground. Again, If this had been done In hitting the ground, I consider that the tendency would have been to pull the heel backwards instead of forward as happened. Therefore I consider that this heel gave in the air, allowing the pilot to bring the machine from a spin to a dive, but he had not sufficient height to avoid diving into the ground 8. The wires of the rudder control are of 2 ten cwt. wires, therefore, sufficient force could be used to pull the heel away.

9. To sum up, I am of opinion that the accident was due to the unfortunate jambing of the heel of Miss Dorman's shoe, thereby rendering the rudder control useless causing the machine to spin and eventually to dive into the ground.

Though this is the conclusion I have arrived at - still the accident could have been caused by an error of judgement on the pilot's part in stalling the machine while turning. The machine could then spin and If not promptly righted would crash in the manner It did. But the fact that the pilot did not cut off his engine until the very last moment, if at all. In conjunction with the wrenched heel or Miss Dorman's shoe, incline me to accept the first explanation.

y

Superintendent of Aerodromes 27/5/1921

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Not as skinny and small now! By Jim Dunstan

Alan Ash's wonderful historical flight - and saw an economical way to out and cut the cable his end, leaving book "Gliding in Australia" contains go flying by joining the glider club. I me with about 1000 feet of steel wire on page 44, the following passage: was fortunate enough in those attached to the aircraft's nose hook. I "New members joined the club Depression days, to have a job (albeit returned to the beach very rapidly, but once it became active. One of these a lowly copy boy in the Telegraph safely, surrounded by steel wire and a was a small skinny 14 year old youth Newspaper) but my weekly wage of very sweaty aura. They said I looked 12 shillings, less two pence tax, like a bird in a cage! named Jim Dunstan. He was so light, meant I couldn't get into learning (about 75 pounds) that he had to Training was done in primary power flying. An "A" license at the carry ballast to fly the Zogling. On one gliders, all single seaters, so training Aero Club cost 45 pounds, which was occasion he forgot the ballast, and was very progressive. First facing into eighteen months wages. Before tax!!! the glider stalled sharply off a bungy wind and learning to balance the launch and performed an inelegant But gliding was a lot of fun and a glider with ailerons and rudder. Then tail slide back to earth. Young lot of work - bungy cord launches, and ground skids, learning to keep level Dunstan required several stitches to a dragging the glider around - kept us and straight and then the first "hop", a gash in his head, but the Zogling was pretty busy. Most of us travelled to few feet only, usually followed by a only slightly damaged. During repairs, and from by push bike - not many thumping landing. After that, the opportunity was taken to fit the cars those days. Building the aircraft, student gradually moved up the slope Zogling with a nacelle. On his first repairing it and maintenance were all for short hops or if no slope, longer flight in the rebuilt glider, Jim found he hard work. Hand drills, foot powered bungy launch hops on the flat. was not tall enough to see over the jig saws, Casco casein glue etc. This brings to mind another edge of the cockpit, so made the I was certainly a bit on the light hazard for the student pilot - the entire. flight staring alternately at the side in those days and the ballast was occasional break In the bungy cord. abovl Later thrclub^^^^^^^ necessary. As an example; one day I This happened one day, when we had was caught in a pretty savage gust, a new member of the club doing to raise Jim’s bottom several inches got the aircraft down and then spent ground skids. The bungy cord was above the normal seat, thus allowing some time sitting in the thing while it stretched out to about 15 paces, but it him to see where he was going." stood vertically on its tall and the broke at the crew end. Our new others were trying to return it to earth member received a face full of Well, the small skinny 14 year old before It flipped on its back. returning bungy cord which rendered youth was me and the year was 1932. him quite unconscious. We revived The two episodes above were really We flew at Marburg, west of him with copious hatfuls of water and typical of gliding in those early days Brisbane and down at the South (now adjudged him shaken, but okay. (He and I could recount many more. Gold) Coast. Here at Burleigh I had another "Incident" when the auto tow didn't come back again for more I had been interested in aviation cable would not release from the lessons -1 wonder why?) for a few years - model making, nose hook. The driver of the tow car All sorts of gliders were being built hero-worshipping, trips on the bike to reached the end of the beach, jumped by the enthusiastic amateurs of the Archerfield, the odd Gypsy Moth joy

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day, but the most popular was the Other gliders were being built and Ryan STM, Gypsy powered and I was Zogling Primary of German design. A the Smith Brothers, of Graceville, able to fly in that later in the day. A triangular "King post" amidships, an near where our club flew, built a beautiful aeroplane. open truss fuselage and a fin and secondary which they designed and tailplane made for a very basic we flew this at our club field. We also On my return to Melbourne I was machine. The pilots seat was a "bum" obtained the plans for a British a bit chuffed to be able to tell R. M. sized wooden bucket, with perhaps a designed parasol wing single seater - that the aeroplane he bought in 1936, pad about six inches square at the the Scud 1, which we never finished and in which he won the Brisbane - back, a joystick, rudder bar and that building, Adelaide air race, was still in excellent was it. Some clubs added a condition, well cared for and quite World War II service and later removable nacelle to streamline flyable. (He did know however that it family life, kept me occupied after the things a bit. Fabric covering for the had been re-engined, with the Le thirties and although I did not wing and tall assembly was usually Blond radial being replaced by a four participate in gliding any more, I Egyptian cotton and aircraft dope was cylinder Continental! R.M. didn't miss retained an interest in the sport. applied to that. much!!!)

A small book was produced in In the late 1960s the Darling Like all aviation, gliding has Germany for the guidance of student Downs Soaring Club staged a advanced far beyond our most pilots. Among other words of wisdom Veteran's week-end at their field at fanciful dreams. One must applaud "To fly bare headed is inadvisable as Oakey and I flew up from Melbourne that. But I think it is sad that aviation accidents may happen and the head to join in. It was a wonderful nostalgic has no "characters" now. No would then be totally unprotected." week-end for the old timers and the Kingsford Smith or Hinkler or Hudson "Goggles, if worn, should be made Club Members did us proud. Fysh or Lester Brain - real people, of celluloid or triplex to avoid damage An interesting sidelight to the visit real flyers, real aviators who or wounds from flying glass." was to meet John Bange, a grazier of fascinated us all in the 1920s and Clifton who came to the carnival. John 1930s. I suggest it was the golden "Anyone wearing glasses should was the proud owner of the Porterfield age of aviation and I will always be in case of accident, try to take them which originally belonged to my boss grateful I was able to live in it and to off before the crash, as they are . I went out to John's home see and even meet, some of those always a source of danger" to see the aircraft and spent the night wonderful flying people. (It wasn't exactly an encouraging there with the intention of flying in the book for the beginner to read!!!) Porterfield next morning. Alas, the (Incidentally, I'm not as skinny and The glider was balanced for a pilot black mud of the Darling Downs and small now!) of about 12 stone or 80 kg In weight. the spatted undercarriage of the At around half that weight, I certainly Porterfield didn't combine well, so we needed that ballast!! had to scrub the flight, to my deep disappointment. John also owned a

60 AHSA Aviation Heritage

GORDON’S AUSTRALASIAN AIR GUIDE

“THE BLUE BOOK OF AIR TRANSPORT” Roger McDonald

Before the age of computers, Web sites and On-line Bookings, the air transport industry relied on written publications to assist travel consultants and aidines to make bookings across Australia, and the world. For return reservations, long delays occurred as timetables and reservations had to be confirmed by cable or pre booked phone calls. There were monthly overseas publications available but by the time they reached Australia, local schedules were generally out of date but still were used as the basis for planning the most complicated wodd trip by different aidines using vadous connecting points required by the customer. In Australia, a small monthly publication was launched in May 1937, which listed the services. Timetables and Fares of the majodty of Australian and New Zealand Internal aidines and the main overseas connections. Known as “Gordon’s Australasian Air Guide", the pubiication had a blue cover, which remained for 30 years. To answer a query about an aidine schedule, the words: ‘T’ll look in the blue book" were uttered frequently.

AIRPLANE INSTRUMENTSv Auntralian Reprcscnutivcs ot the Pionter Instrument Conr.party oi New Yorkr Htnry Hvfthr* St Son, l^ondon Huiun " CorapMs). “ - Equipped fpr Prpaifs and Adjustmetits. rTY. PROUDS LTD. CR. KING Si PITT STS., SYDNEY IHPORTERS OF AVIATION AND NAUTICAL INSTRUMENTS

No. 11 MAY let, 1937

OFFICIAL MONTHLY

GORDONAUSTRALASIAN ’S

AIR GUIDE

For AIR TRAVEL INFORAAATION Consult MACDONALD HAMILTON & CO. Booking Agents for Principal Australian Air Lines Chief Agents in N.S.W. for AustreJian National Airways 25 . SYDNEY. TELEPHONE B7S11 AIfo at BECSBAlfE BUHDABEBG. KDUJJDZ. MELBOURNE, FTIEMAKTLE AWD PERTH.

MACDONALD HAMILTON & CO.

Each issue of Gordon’s declared it was published Society building in lower Pitt Street, Sydney. The name by Richard Geraint, who along with his wife, collated “Gordon" appeared to be a family name of the publisher the multitude of airline timetable information supplied and was easily remembered. Gordon’s came out by each company, from a small office in the A.M.P. promptly on the first day of each month, except for

61 - AHSA Aviation Heritage

three issues, which were combined as a bi-monthly research easy. The first issue listed the following issue, and was principally available by subscription airlines, three of which are still flying under their original with limited retail sales available at the Pitt Street or similar name. (See Note 1) Sydney shop of Swain & Co. Pty. Ltd., and for a short Adastra Airways Ltd., 136 Liverpool Street, period at major booksellers In each capital city. Sydney, The layout of the first issue changed little over the Sydney - Nowra - Bermagui - Bega years it was available. There was a “Contents” page Aircrafts Pty Ltd,, Wool Exchange Bldg,, Eagle followed by a comprehensive airport “Index”, the latter Street Brisbane. listing every center of population in Australia, New Zealand and overseas which received an air service Brisbane - Maryborough - Bundaberg -Rockhampton Monto listed in the guide. This was followed by a listing of airlines’ routes within the guide and a full list of Brisbane - Wondai - Murgon - Mundubbra - Monto - Cracow “Booking Agents” at each center. Each timetable was given a table number which for Airlines of Australia Ltd,, 14 Martin Place, many years, became the official route reference Sydney. number between the airlines and the authorities in Sydney - Grafton (optional) - Lismore - Brisbane matters pertaining to that route. Apart from showing Brisbane - Maryborough - Bundaberg - Rockhampton timetables, they published comprehensive - Mackay - Townsville “Information For Travellers” which covered all Townsville - Innisfail - Cairns requirements for air travel, from making reservations, Townsville - Charters Towers - Hughenden - using cameras to smoking. The latter information in Richmond - Julia Creek - Cloncurry - Mt. Isa May 1937 stated: “Smoking is not permitted, except Rockhampton - Clermont - Mt. Cooloon in all metal aircraft.” Ansett Airways Pty. Ltd., 204 Gray Street, By using the comprehensive information published Hamilton. Vic. within the guide, travel could be planned by using the Hamilton - Melbourne large foldout map of Australia and New Zealand published with each issue. All routes covered were shown on the map with the appropriate timetable MELBOURNE~DENlLIQUIN—HAY 30 (Dally Weekdays) number marked, making It easy to look up the VICTORIAN fc INTERSTATE AIRWAYS particular service. The route miles for each point to Miiei Airports of Airporti of 0 MILBOU^Nf .. .. 7 50 HAT ...... dap 10 16 16S DENILIQUIN .. .. >rr 9 10 DINILIQUIN ...... arr 10 50 point in the schedule was shown, a feature of .. .. d.p 9 26 .. dap 11 06 233 HAY .. ♦. >rr 10 UP MBLaOUaNE ■ , arr IZ IS Gordon’s until dropped in 1960. A comprehensive FARES Single Return .. .. £1 17 0 3 12 0 4- U 0 Fare and Freight rate grid accompanied each ptwiLiQuiw-HAY :: :: :: :: g 1 10 0 Free Bsrgagt, minimum 20 lbs. Child Timetable. The first issue dated May 1, 1937 was 3 to 12*years\alFfar*' * ***** 10% of fare ; published, as “OFFICIAL MONTHLY GORDON’S

AUSTRALASIAN AIR GUIDE” and this title remained MELBOURNE—HAMILTON unaltered for may years. The cost of the first issue was 31 (Dally Wackdays) ANSETT AIRWAYS shown on the cover as 3d. with emphasis placed on "Miles t Airporti of (J MeLBOUFINE .. dtp 9 45 2 « I HAMIUrON .. dtp 8 00 I 00 purchasing it by subscription. There was very little 100 I HAMILTON . ■ ■ srr 11 OQ 4 00 | HtLiOUHNI . ■ Tr 0 15 2 15 Editorial comment in each issue, if at all, but the first FARES j Siagle, iU 15 0; Rtturn. £3. Free Batgagt 26 Ibi. issue carried the following: ''The time-tables, schedules of fares and kindred V.l. A. and Ansett Airways were included in the first issue information in the Air Guide are provided by and revised by of Gordon’s, May 1937. the Air Companies concerned, and no material is used unless supplied from such official sources. A list of Australian National Airways Pty. Ltd., 372 Companies whose services appear in the Guide will be Flinders Street, Melbourne. found on Page 10. The publisher of the Guide have not been able, as yet, to obtain reliable information concerning Melbourne - Wagga Wagga - Canberra - Sydney the services operated by the following Companies: Melbourne - King Island - Wynyard - Launceston - Airline (W.A..) Ltd., Perth Hobart Guinea Airways Ltd., Adelaide Launceston - Flinders Island Melbourne - Mt. Gambler - Adelaide North Queensland Airways Pty. Ltd., Cairns Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd., Hokitika, New Zealand Adelaide - Ceduna- Forrest Kalgoorlie - Perth Adelaide - Cowell - Port Lincoln East Coast Airways Ltd., Gisborne, New Zealand Adelaide - Renmark - Mildura - Broken Hill New Zealand Airways Ltd., Timaru, New Zealand Adelaide - Penneshaw - American River - Kingseote Waikato Aviation Co. Ltd., Rotorua, New Zealand As and when reliable information is available, the Co., Cootamundra, N.S.W. additional operating services will be included in subsequent Cootamundra - Narromine - Bourke - Cunnamulla - issues of the Air Guide. It should be noted that Adastra Charleville Airways Ltd. will be employing new aircraft on their Cook Strait Airways Ltd., Nelson, New Zealand Sydney-Bega service (Table 46) in early May, but until then Nelson - Greymouth - Hokititka the new time-table for the service cannot be determined. ” Nelson - Blenheim - Wellington Imperial Airways Ltd., 42 Pitt Street, Sydney. These Editorial Notes evolved into half page of Singapore - Europe - connecting at Cairo to South “Main Alterations” notes but unfortunately were not Africa included for the whole life of the Guide as they make Singapore - Penang - Hong Kong

62 AHSA Aviation Heritage

This Way ... Next Time >1 ANNOUNCING

tv THE AUSTRALIA-BALI-JAVA AIR SERVICE (STDNEY-BATAVIA IN LESS THAN 2 DAYS)

BY K.N.I.L.M. LOCKHEED SUPER ELECTRA AIR LINERS

BREAKFAST IN SYDNEY... DINNER IN DARWIN . . . LUNCHEON IN BALI ARRIVAL BATAVIA BEFORE DINNER Every Thursday and Sunday comn^encinj 7th July next plane fully booked) K.N.I.L.M. Lockheed Super Electra Air Liner* will maintain a fati, rejular jchedule of two services weekly from Sydney to Bauvia and vict versa. Air Porta on Outward PIlfht from Sydney ; Brisbane. Cioncurry. iDarwin, Koepanj, Ball (Denpaiar), Sourabaya and Batavia. Air Ports on InwardI Plight to Sydney : Batavia, Sourabaya, Bali (Denpaiar), Koepanf. Darwin. Cloncenry Lonxreach. Brubane and Sydney. The K.N I.L.M. Air Linen connect with K L M Air Service at Batavia, bringing London within 8 days of Sydney, Applications now being received for reservations in K.N.I.L.M. Lockheed Super Brisbane — Singapore — London Eleara Air Liners to Bali, Java and the East. (In aijoclation with IMPERIAL AIRWAYS) SEE TIME TABLE ON FACE 59 Time/able anti Fares — see Table 35 QANTAS EMPIRE AIRWAYS -43 CREEK STREET, BRISBANE X . u. At SYDNEY RUDDER'S (PTY.) LTD.. 41 PITT STREET ROYAL NETHERLANDS INDIES' AIRWAYS LTD. At MELBOURNE - RUDDER'S (PTY.) LTD, 14 MARKET ST. W. V. ttONINKUJKE NR Of RLAN DSCM-I NOISCMC LUCHTVAAJtT M AATS CHAPflJ (Iwcerporated In th. NethnHand*) PahMvurt Hokm, US CMrr* Stra«. fW UH

Australian National Airways Pty. Ltd. OPERATE

REGULAR PASSENGER

and FREIGHT SERVICES

Sydney—Melbourne — Adelaide—Ceduna — Kalgoorlie — Perth Melbourne — Launceston — Hobart Melbourne — King Island — Wvnyard — Launceston — Flinders Island Melbourne —Wagga — Canberra — Sydney Melbourne—Mt, Gambler—Naracoortc—Adelaide Adelaide—Kangaroo Island Adelaide —Cowell—Port Lincoln Adelaide — Renmark— Broken Hill — Mlldura— Kerang — Melbourne

Pull pwticulffi from : Haad OfTIca: 172 FLINDERS STREET, MELBOURNE or Prindpkl Agoou : NEW ENGLAND MOTOR CO. . . Adelfidf SCTMt. BRISBANE AJRLINES OF AUSTRALIA LTD. . . . . Mmln PI»CB. SYDNEY ADELAIDE STEAMSHIP CO. LTD. . . CurHe Stroo*. ADELAIDE ORIENT STEAM NAVIGATION CO. LTD. . Wllllim Sertet, PERTH WM. HOLYMAN * SONS PTY. LTD., Qwft Stroet, LAUNCESTON WM. HOLYMAN a SONS PTY. LTD. . . Morrl*on StroM. HOSART

Gordon's introduced display advertisements in 1938: Top Left: Qantas operated the Brisbane - Singapore section of the Lx)ndon route in 1938 Top Right: KN.LLM. were about to compete with Qantas connecting at Batavia with ICL.M. flights to Europe from July 1938 Bottom Left: Ansett had moved their base to by 1938 Bottom Right: A.N. A. served most centers in southern Australia in 1938

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Intercity Airways, 10 O^Connell Street, Sydney. Airlines (W.A.) Limited., St. Georges Terrace, Sydney - Dubbo - Narromine - Nyngan - Cobar - Perth, Wilcannia - Broken Hill Perth - Dalwallinu - Youanmi - Mt. Magnet - Cue - K.L.M, Royal Dutch Air Lines, 255 George Reedy - Nannine - Meekatharra - Wiluna - Mt. Sir Street, Sydney. Samuel - Lawlers - Leonara - Kalgoorlie Singapore - Europe Guinea Airways Ltd., Currie Street, Adelaide. MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Co, Pty. Ltd., Adelaide - Mildura - Hay - Leeton - Cootamundra - 156 St. Georqe^s Terrace, Perth. Sydney Perth - Onslow - Port Hedland - Broome - Derby - Adelaide - Farina - Oodnadatta - Alice Springs - Hall’s Creek - Daly Waters (via numerous points) Tennant Creek - Daly Waters - Katherine - Darwin Ord River - Argyle - Ivanhoe - Wyndham North Queensland Airways Pty Ltd., 77 Abbott Qantas Empire Airways Ltd., 43 Creek Street, Street, Cairns. Brisbane. Cairns - Innisfail - Tully - Townsville Cloncurry - Normanton Cairns - Port Douglas - Cooktown Longreach - Barcaldine - Blackall - Tambo - Cairns - Cooktown - Coen - Batavia - Portland Roads Springsure - Rockhampton Cairns - Georgetown -Croydon - Normanton - Brisbane - Roma - Charleville - Blackall - Longreach Burketown - Thursday Island - Winton - Cloncurry - Mt. Isa -Camoweal - Brunette Each month recorded the commencement of new Downs - Newcastle Waters - Daly Waters -Darwin - airline companies, while others were deleted as they Koepang - Rambang - Sourabaya - Batavia - ceased operations or amalgamated with another. Issue Singapore No. 14, showed the timetables of North Western (Butler services connected at Charleville and Airlines Ltd operating the Sydney - Tamworth - MacRobertson Miller at Daly Waters with Qantas flights Moree route and the commencement of an re­ to carry mail and passengers to Singapore to connect arrangement of routes between North Queensland with Imperial and K.L.M. services to Europe) Airways and Airlines of Australia which resulted in a Union Airways of N.Z. Ltd., Customhouse later merger between the two. New operators in New Quay, Wellington. New Zealand Zealand had been included; East Coast Airways Palmerston North - Blenheim - Christchurch - Dunedin based at Gisborne and Air Travel ( N.Z.) Ltd operating Victorian and Interstate Airways Ltd., 360 services in the Southlands region based at Hokitika. Collins Street, Melbourne. Melbourne - Deniliquin - Hay SYDNEY—TAMWORTH—MOREE 47 (Thrice Weekly) NORTH WESTERN AIRLINES Miles I Airports of Hon.Wid, Frfr Airports of Mon.Wid, FrI. n I SYDNEY .. d.p 9 00 MORte dap I 30 SYDNEY-BROKEN HILL 200 I TAMWORTH 10 60 TAMWORTH arr 2 40 (Twice Weekly) dap 11 20 dap 3 ID 45 3Z0 i moree" 13 30 SYDNEY »rr I 00 INTERCITY AIRWAYS FARES Single Return __ vvidr lYDNEV-TjOt-WOUT W 8 0 u Mon. SYDNEY'HORKI 10 l) 0 Miles Airports of Airporti of Thur. TAMWORTH-MOREE . . 4 U 1) SYDNEY .. d«p 8*00 BROKEN HILL.. . .. dep a 16 ;; ISO DUBBO ...... arr 0*50 WILCANNIA .. .. dap in 00 Rtturn tickets valid 1 month. Children under 2 years, free; between 2 and 12 years. 210 NARROMINE arr 10 05 COBAR . . arr 11 4.6 dap 10 30 .. dep 12 IS half fart providing an adult passenger is not excluded from a seat. Free Daggaga 30 lbs. 285 NYNGAN !! arr 11 25 NYNGAN ..dap I OS 365 COBAR...... arr 12 30 NARROMINE .. ..arr I 50 dap II SO . ..dap 2 05 516 wilcannia’' dap 2 10 DUBBO " .. . . dap 2Y20 636 BROKEN HILL arr 3 IS SYDNEY .. . .. irr 4 IS Calls at Nevtrtirc by arrangement. X Calls if required. Even though a well organized operator, the second World War interrupted North West Airlines long term plans for FARKS •s t '3 S I expansion. I 1 I J I 1 Sin. Ret. DO! BO .10 1.5 2.0 3.0 3.10 4.10 .S.IO fl.lO New overseas inclusions were the services of MAXROKim .16 1.10 2. 15 8.10 4.10 3.15 7.0 NEVIRTIM.. ,16 2.6 8.0 4.0 4.0 7.10 K.N.I.L.M. (Royal Netherlands Indies’ Airways Ltd.) HYNGXN . . 8.0 COBAR .0 3 10.0 WILCAW.flA 13.0 which were commencing services from Batavia on July RROXEN HILL 14.0 £ md JhUliag* (EsainpU ; 4.15 “ £4/15/0) 3, 1938 and from Sydney on July 7 with a small Free Baggage SOlba. Bxcen Baigage 6<1. lb. Children under 3, not occupying a leat, free j under U year* and fiilbt. weisht, half fare. Return n'ckeu available 2 month*. notation ‘‘that the July 7 service was fully booked,” The Timetable for services operated by Carpenter Airlines Ltd. between Sydney and Rabaul (via SYDNEY—BEGA 46 AOASTRA AIRWAYS numerous points) were included for the first time with Mon, Wad, Mon, Wad, Milts Airports of FrI. Sit. Airports of FrI, Sat. later issues showing connecting services to Salamaua 0 SYDNEY ..dap 8 30 BHCA ...... dap 1 1 30 75 NOWRA .. dap 0x15 BSRMACUl ...... dap I 8x00 and Wewak. 170 BCRMACUl .. dap 10x30 NOWRA .. .. d«p 13x41 210 BEGA .. arr 11 00 SYDNEY .. 30 During the life of the publication, it always contained X Calls by arrangement. excellent examples of airline advertising which FAKES Novra Bermagut SYDNEY Sin. £16 0 3 0 0 Ret. { 0 0 S 0 themselves, are now a great record of airline history. Free Baggage 25 tbs. By issue No. 14, the range of advertising was increasing. Ansett Airways were advertising their expanding services (now based at Essendon) with Both these airlines had short operating lives although “The Lockheed Electra all-metal 10-passenger Adastra remained an active aviation company for many planes used by Ansett Airways are luxuriously years. appointed and equipped with every requisite for safety and comfort.” Guinea Airways were By the third issue, the following three Australian advertising their services “are operated by Giant airlines were included: Lockheed . ”

64 AHSA Aviation Heritage

In November 1938, Butler Air Transport Co. were reversing the previous schedule allowing for overnights advising they now operated a “Twice Weekly Service in the town for aircraft servicing. Airlines of Australia to and from Sydney to Mendooran - Tooraweenah were announcing “we have taken over the services - Bourke - Cunnamulla - Charleville” in place of formerly operated by North Queensland Airways their previous Cottamundra - Charleville service. Pty Ltd.” Guinea had reduced their flights to Adelaide - Darwin, the Sydney service having ceased but were now operating the internal services in South Australia CCOTAMUN DRA-CHARLEYILLE 84 (Twie« W««kly) taken over from MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Co. Pty BUTLER AIR TRANSPORT CO. Ltd. who had established an Adelaide airline base Mon, Airport* of AirporlJ of Thur. COOTAMUNORA dap 6 i& CHA.RLEYILLE . dap 9 10 about two years earlier. 16® NAKROMINE *rr 7 30 CUNNAMULLA . Iff IOJf20 dap 7 45 BOURKE...... arr IJ OS 3M BOURKI 9 45 . dap 12 25 .. dap 10 15 HAH’kOHINI .. ..arr 1 IS 23 509 CUNNAMULLA Ui:45 ..dap 1 50 629 CHAHLEVILLE »rr I 10 COOTAMUNOW .. .. irr i )S X Calls on tcquut. UsB GUINEA AIRWAYS Two Direct Australian Services TRAVEL IN GIANT LOCKHEED LUXURY AIRLINERS Bourke Cunnamulla Charltville FARES ADELAIDE - SYDNEY Booking Ag.tnla in all SUttsi COOTAUtWTDRA .. srrs’ » 0 0 8 10 0 6 10 0 HAJUtOMIN* I 15 0 7 0 0 7 10 0 Daily aach way, axcapi Su&dayi. BUHNS, PHILP (5 CO. LTD., ■OURXI 4 5 0 5 15 0 Calling at Mildura. Hay, Laaton, Coola- or other racognii CUHtfAMVLU a 15 0 inundr*. Through Uras; £10/10/- Singla, £19 Ratum. Fret Bat%Agt SOIbi. Excels Bagrzaie 9d. lb. Return farts less 6%. Childica uadcr 3 yurB, free; uadcr 12 years, hall fare. ADCLAIDE ■ DAKWIN Weakly. Connecting wills o-rartaaa mufMmwm sttv-icts. Calling at Farioa, Oodnidatta, I! M t r t Alice Springra (oTemight), Tenn^l A ustral Chambers, Creak, Paly Waters. Eatberise. urria St.. AHalaida.

AIR 2f BUTLER TRANSPORT CO. Twice Weekly Service to and from TTO SYDNEY PASSENGERS MENDOORAN MAIL AND SEllVlCS TOORAWEENAH FREIG HT COONAMBLE BOURKE RESERVATIONS CUNNAMULLA AT ALL LEADING TRAVEL AGENCIES CHARLEVILLE /kWKYMIA

Principal Afents: MACDONALD. HAMILTON & CO., 4 Martin Place. SYDNEY r y r € f k Butler commenced services with a Cootamundra - AUSr/M CURME ST, ADELAfDE. Charleville service as shown in 1937 but by November 1938 had moved their base to Sydney. Guinea Airways Ltd was a subsidiary of a large New Guinea gold mining company who had a subsidiary air K.N.I.L.M were now promoting their services as transport company within New Guinea.. The company was “THE K.N.I.L.M. AIR EXPRESS” operated by the headquartered in Adelaide where a local airline operation Lockheed Super Electra Air Liners: “Breakfast in was also being established. The intial routes were Adelaide to Sydney and Adelaide to Darwin via various Sydney ... Dinner in Darwin (0/N)... Luncheon in towns as depicted in the above 1938 advertisement. By Bali ... Arrival Batavia Before Dinner”. The 1940, the Sydney route had been dropped In favour of connection from Batavia to Amsterdam and London expanding services within South Australia. was now advertised as being operated by Intercontinental Airways (a joint K.N.I.L.M. - K.L.M. Twelve months later, as the clouds of war were service). The issue now included the weekly service covering Australia, Asia and Europe, Gordon’s Air operated by P.H. Moody Air Taxis between Guide started to show the effect of war on overseas Rockhampton - Clermont - Mt. Coolon taken over from flights as all appropriate Timetables Included the North Queensland Airways Pty Ltd.. notation “Regular services are being maintained. For information contact ... (airline.) all operating times had been deleted for security reasons. (See P. H. MOODY AIR TAXIS following “Gordon's and Censorship”) Rockhampton Within Australia and New Zealand, normal Queensland timetables were shown, except times for the new Weekly service to Mt. Telegraph : Charter and Ambulance Coolon (see Table 80) AIRTAXIS.” Flights, I/- per mile. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd. weekly Auckland - Telephones : Day and Night. 881 ; Aerodrome, 1619. Sydney service. The new fortnightly services between Alice Springs and various pastoral stations to ROCKHAMPTON—MT. COOLON Wyndham flown by E.J. Connellan were now shown 80 (Weekly) P. H. MOODY AIR TAXIS while the expanding services of Ansett Airways were Miles Airports of FrI. Airports of O ROCKHAMFTON . . .. dap 6 30 MT. COOLON . . recorded. Gordon’s indicated Adastra Airways had 200 CLERMONT.. .. srr 7 10 CLERMONT .. 11 1:0 320 I MT. COULOM ’ mrr 8 3° ROCKHAMPTON ! I 90 suspended their Sydney - Bega - Moruya service and Also oils at DUxamoA, cmuald, capilla, twin hills and tacamumda request. revert to flying training and adding aerial surveying to their activities. It Is believed Butler purchased the route, Captain Moody advertising his central Queensland route their first expansion within N.S.W. in June 1938 By June 1939, issue No. 19, North Western Airlines had moved their base to their new hangar at Moree, mmf.i 65 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Interstate Airways was another causality of the war but “Gordon’s Australasian Air Guide’’ continued to be continued as a manufacturing company heavily published monthly during the war years, recording the Involved in war time activities and post-war, took on an effect of war on both internal and overseas airlines. aircraft agency for a period. The war emergency This is vividly illustrated in the October 1942 issue necessitated that all overseas flights were dropped where combined Timetables of Australian National from Gordon’s while the full services of Union Airways, Airways / Airlines of Australia who were now merging, Cook Strait Airways and Air Travel (N.Z.) continued to carried the following notice: be published without alteration. During the period, the “IMPORTANT: In consequence of the emergency expanding operations of E.J. Connellan were organized defence services undertaken by this company from into a company, Connellan Airways Pty Ltd. based at time to time, this Timetable may be altered without Alice Springs. notice. ” Qantas Empire Airways services throughout Queensland continued to operate but actual Timetables were only available directly from the company unlike the other Queensland internal operator. Aircrafts Pty Ltd. who continued to publish normal timetables The situation to the north of Australia caused Guinea Airways to advise prospective travelers to Darwin “that an aircraft would leave Adelaide at 6.00am - the day of operation is only available directly from the company.” The internal South Australian services of Guinea Airways continued to be shown without alteration. The Australia to Papua New Guinea services of Carpenter Airlines were noted as “Services Suspended”.

41 CARPENTER . . . BooMitig AstnU in Australia . . . MACDONALD, HAMILTON & CO. HOWARD SMITH LTD. AIRLINES CARPENTER AIRLINES

SYDNEY-BRISBANE-ROCtCHAMPTON-TOWNSVILLE- 25 CAIRNS—PORT MORESBY {Service Suspended) Mllti Airport! o« Airport! el 0 SYDNEY .. .. d.p RORT MoRIJiY d.p 47S BRISIA.Ne . . CAIKNS .. arr >21 ROCKHAMPTON »rr TOWNfVILLt :: Vrr 1200 TOWNIYILLI . irr ROCKHAMPTON trr dap 1374 CAIRNS BRISRANI ...... d*p dap IB»3 PORT HORKSBY arr SYDNiiT

Carpenter Airlines were a casuality of the second World War and subsequent Australian Government policy prevented them returning to the route they had pioneered. Connellan operated some of the longest mail runs in the In Western Australia, the expanding services of world. By the 1950’s, over 130 points were served within Airlines (W.A.) Limited continued to be published but the and adjoining states. the west coast services of MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Co. Pty. Ltd from Perth - Broome - Wyndham The post-war period saw a mushrooming of air - Daly Waters carried the following notice: “The services throughout Australia with all recorded in above-mentioned services are operated as Gordon’s. Issue No. 99, published on July 1, 1945, conditions permit. Information will be given on showed the comprehensive timetables being application to the Company’s offices in Perth”. developed by Australia’s airlines which built up to During the war years, Ansett Airways concentrated extensive services covered in the June 1946 issue and their efforts on chartering aircraft and providing abbreviated airline codes were coming into use: maintenance to the services, dropping all flights except Aircrafts Pty Ltd. (A.P.L.) their Melbourne - Hamilton return service. The Ansett Southern Internal Queensland services operation is well illustrated in their advertisements Airlines (W.A.) Ltd. (A.W.A.) headed “You’ve given your seat to a soldier. Every Southern Western Australia day the Ansett organization gives “all-out” aid to Ansett Airways Ltd. (A.A.) Australia’s war effort.” Melbourne - Hamilton - The operations of North Western Airlines were Melbourne - Mt. Gambler - Adelaide suspended when their sole D.H. Dragonfly aircraft was Melbourne - Wagga Wagga - Canberra impressed by the R.A.A.F. bringing an announcement Australian National Airway Pty Ltd, (A.N.A.) that the company would review the resumption of All trunk services from Perth to Cairns- and services when the war situation allowed. Victorian & smaller centers in N.S.W.,Victoria and Tasmania

66 AHSA Aviation Heritage

(All reference to Airlines of Australia had ceased.) Airlines Syndicate. After some intense lobbying and Butler Air Transport Pty Ltd. (B.A.T.) political maneuvering, the newly organized company, Internal N.S.W. including new destinations of Dubbo East-West Airlines Ltd. with strong local support gained and Cessnock. the Tamworth - Sydney licence. North Western Airlines Connellan Airways Pty Ltd., Aerodrome, Alice was subsequently liquidated in 1954. Springs, N.T. Gordon’s records the attempt by Aircrafts Pty Ltd to Services throughout the Northern Territory expand their route network in 1946 with new daily direct Lockheed Lodestar services from Brisbane to Cook Strait Airways Ltd. Melbourne and daily flights from Brisbane to Casino Internal New Zealand services and Grafton. Even though promoted heavily, the Guinea Airways Ltd. (G.A.L.) Melbourne service was only operated for a short period Internal South Australia with the Grafton connection operating for a number of Adelaide - Alice Springs - Daly Waters - Darwin years. MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Pty Ltd. (M.M.A.) Perth - Broome - Wyndham - Darwin Qantas Empire Airways Ltd. (Q.E.A.) Announcing Internal Queensland services Sydney - Lae via Queensland major centers Sydney - London in association with British Airways - Two New Air Services Gordon’s showing flights being operated with Hythe Flying Boats, Lancastrian or Liberator land based aircraft, the only Timetable showing aircraft types. BRISBANE - MELBOURNE Tasman Empire Airways Ltd., Mechanics Bay, in hours non-stop Auckland. N.Z. DAILY TIME TABLE: Auckland - Sydney Dtp. Bvi^bane 7.30 a.m. Arr. \feIbourni; 13.00 noon Dcp. Melbourne r.co p.m. Arr. Brisbane j.jo p.nn. Union Airways of New Zealand Ltd. Internal New Zealand services BRISBANE - CASINO - GRAFTON The guide continued to show K.N.I.L.M. as an airline Brisbane Oep. 12.50 p.m. Cration Dcp. 5.00 p.m. Cailirto (..45 p.m. Cuaim* operator with their advertisement advising “EXPRESS Casino Dcp. i.oo p.ni, Qmino Dcp. 4,00 p.m. AIR SERVICES are temporarily discontinued whilst Orafton Arr. 2.45 p.m. Brisbane Arr. j.ij p.m. personnel and equipment are engaged on ACTIVE Dail), c'^cept Sunday SERVICE.” Victorian & Interstate Airways Limited For Bookings or t'urthtr part*cndars, appiy: advertised their business “was now in aircraft overhauls as well as timber products, particularly plywood flooring and internal fittings for the aviation industry”. NO.! PUBUC CIIRATQR'S ARCADE^ EDWARD SL BRISBANE, yijg;/

Aircrafts Pty Ltd were attempting an interstate

Royal Netherlands Indies’ Airways Ltd. expansion before becoming a subsidiary of Butler K. N. I. L. M. Air Transport and being renamed Queensland Airlines. EXPRESS AIR SERVICES Are temporarll/ discontinued whilst personnel and Additional new Australian airlines and their services equipment are engaged ON ACTIVE SERVICE. continued to be added to Gordon’s with the initial Permanent addresi: K.N.I.L.M.,9 MARTIN PLACE, SYDNEY Melbourne - Canberra - Sydney - Brisbane Timetable TiUphont: BW7626 for the newly formed Commonwealth Government owned Trans-Australia Airlines appearing in the October 1946 issue. T.A.A. soon introduced a new slogan “Fly TAA, the Friendly Way’’ in their K.N.I.L.M. never returned to Australia - services advertising, a slogan that remained with the airline and were resumed later by their associate parent K.L.M. in Gordon’s until the end. Also, in the same period, new overseas airlines were being included. North Western Airlines Ltd continued to be an organized publicly owned airline company announcing By the October 1947 issue, these new airlines in 1946 they had applied to import two new De included: Havilland Dove 8 passenger aircraft to resume their British Commonwealth Pacific Airways Ltd., Moree - Tamworth - Sydney service as well as new 4A Martin Place, Sydney. (B.C.P.A.) routes to northern N.S.W. destinations. Events went A new airline formed in 1946 by the Australian, New against the company when Butler Air Transport Ltd. Zealand and the Governments to applied for the route along with a group of New operate air services across the Pacific. England businessmen operating as the East-West

67 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Sydney - Auckland - San Francisco -Vancouver Barrier Reef Airways Pty Ltd., Flying Boat British Overseas Airways Corporation. Base. Harniiton, Brisbane. (B.R.A.) Carrington Street. Sydney. (B.O.A.C.) Brisbane - Gladstone - Heron Island Australia - London Brisbane - Lindeman & Daydream Islands East-West Airlines Ltd., Airport. Tamworth. Curtis Madsen Aircrafts Pty Ltd., Kinqsford N.S.W. (E.W.A.) Smith Airport. Mascot. Sydney. (C.M.A.) Tamworth - Sydney Sydney - Cootamundra - Temora - West Wyalong Gulf Aviation Services, Airport. Whyalla. Overland Air Services Pty Ltd., Kinqsford South Australia. Smith Airport, Mascot Sydney. (O.A.S.) Whyalla - Port Pirie Sydney - Cootamundra -Temora - West Wyalong - Interstate Air Services Pty Ltd.. Kinqsford Temora - Conodobolin — Lake Cargelligo Smith Airport. Mascot. Sydney. Port Macquarie Clipper Pty Ltd., 173 Pitt Street. Sydney - Jervis Bay Sydney. New England Airways Pty Ltd.. Aerodrome. Sydney - Port Macquarie (a sub charter of a Trans Oceanic Airways flying boat) Taree was included as a Bankstown. N.S.W. port of call. Sydney- Kempsey - Coffs Harbour -Grafton - Casino Pan American Airways Inc., . PORT MACQUARIE CLIPPER Castlereagh Street. Sydney. 33c SYDNEY-PORT MACQUARIE Sydney - Auckland - San Francisco Mllei I Airports of I Airporti el 0 i SYDNEY ...... UARIE1 d.p t Trans-Australia Airlines. 339 Swanston Street. 17? POnT MACQUAWIE1 *rr I t Strvict optiritts frequtnt non--jch«dulctl nithw: for further informmtion tpply to th« Melbourne, optrttinj C(ompany (stt p»(» 8). t Conn.cti with roid trtn.port to/froin KEMPSEY. WAUCHOPE ind LAURIETON. Trunk route services from Cairns to Perth and FARES: Sinjlt, £5/5/-; Rttum. £10/10,'- Tasmania All New Zealand internal air services had now been Port Macquarie Clipper appeared in Gordon’s during nationalized by the Government and traded under the 1950. No times were given in Gordon’s but the airline New Zealand National Airways Corporation name for operated to a published Timetable showing each the remaining years of Gordon’s. Saturday, a Trans Oceanic Airways “Sunderland” flying Boat would depart Sydney’s Rose Bay at 8.00am, arriving Taree at 9.00am and Port Macquarie at 9.45a.m. The direct return flight departed at 10.30am. The operation was carried out by the Duihunty family who were developing land in the Port Macquarie area. Correspondence shows the Forster Council tried to get the company to include their town as a stop on the return service. The company replied they needed a guarantee of at least 15 passengers each flight.

Queensland Flying Services Pty Ltd..

cck increitil. (YC'r ZrsUn*. Archerfield Aerodrome. Brisbane. >^QU4ir |r« R*w W .»r N.2. NATIONAL AIRWAYS Brisbane - Toowoomba (for a short period in CORPORATION 1949/1950) JI(JI »li: (I l.f. I'iill*. « f. m. MlMi#. m CM* < All New Zealand internal services were nationalized South Coast Airways Pty Ltd.. Port Kembla after the second World War ended, Road. Wollongong. N.S.W. (S.C.A.) Wollongong - Sydney - Cowra - West Wyalong Aircrafts Pty Ltd was renamed Queensland Airlines Sydney - Jervis Bay Pty Ltd in 1948 after the company became a subsidiary Trans Oceanic Airways Pty Ltd.. Flying Boat of Butler Air Transport Pty Ltd. Over the following Base. Rose Bay, Sydney. (T.O.A.) years, various connections were made between the Sydney - Grafton two airlines but their respective Timetables were to Sydney - Brisbane - Port Moresby appear separately within Gordon’s. In 1948, Sydney - Queensland Airlines took over Inland Air Services Pty Sydney - Noumea - New Hebrides - Solomon Islands Ltd whose Timetables for services between Brisbane - Townsville & Country Airways Pty Ltd.. 41 Oakey - Condamine Mitchell - Charleville and Flinders Street. Townsville. Qld. (T.C.A.) Brisbane - Goondiwindi - St George - Cunnamulla Townsville Charters Towers Hughenden only appeared for a few months in the same year. Richmond - Julia Creek - Cloncurry - Mt. Isa The expansion of Australian internal airlines Woods Airways Pty Ltd.. 49 William Street. continued from the late 1940’s into the early 1950’s. Perth. Gordon’s Included Timetables for all these new Perth - Rottnest Island - a 15 minute flight by Avro operators even though some only lasted a few months Anson aircraft and Australasia’s shortest air route and while others remained for two or three years. These the only company to survive without alteration until Included: regulations caused it to close down in December 1961. Albury Air Services, Airport, Albury. N.S.W, Albury - (Holbrook on demand) - Wagga (appeared twice in mid 1952)

68 AHSA Aviation Heritage

PER AEREO BY AIR PAR AVION BRISBANE-CON DAMINE-CHARLEVILLE 58 A complete AIR SERVICE for the busy executive Mll#i Airpertiof Tut. MITCHELL’S INTERNATIONAL TOURS 0 CHARLtVlLLE ...... dtp U 30 BO HITCHELL ...... trr 12 25 47 CASTLEREAGH STREET, SYDNEY - MA 5404 ...... dtp I2rt0 (»Imo It DUNEDIN, N.Z., ind LONDON) coMOAMiNEmrr I « coNPAMiNi ...... trr I 10 POR AR MiTc^^^ELL. PER VLIEGTUIG PER FLYG. t chamleville'::;;::::::;::;:::: irri? u Brisbane;. r Rtfrtthm* nti »r« tcrvad aloft bttwttn thli and. th« .n»xt. port.m THE

BRISBANE—GOON DI WIN Dl—CUNNAMULLA 59 O^ficiAL Mllai Airjxjrti of Fri. Alrporti of Frl. 0 BRISBANE ...... dop 7 00 CUNNAMULLA ...... dtp 11 45 GOONDIWINDI ...... arr 8 25 ST. GEORCe ...... dtp 8r50 dap trio ST. GEORGE...... trr 0 45 GooNDiwiNbi ...... trr 1 IS ...... dtp U 55 ...... dtp 2 40 Airline Guide cunnahulla!!;!,;;” ;■ ...... trr 11 25 BRISBANE...... trr 4 01 r Rafrtihmtnti tr* atrvtd aloft batwaan thia and tKa AUSTRALASIAN MONTHLY Inland Air Services appeared in Gordon’s for a short period before being taken over by Queensland Airlines during 1948. 2/., Yaarfy 24/- lit Sept., 1*52

The changes in the Timetables of Trans-Australia A Airlines and Qantas during 1948 records the acquisition Now fly 'MMTAS: to of Qantas’s internal Queensland services by T.A.A. New overseas connections by Air Ceylon, Canadian

Pacific Air Lines, K.L.M. as well as the Paris - Noumea South AFRICA flights of Air France were also shown in Gordon’s. A revamp of the cover took place in mid 1951 when the by Constellation via Cocos Is. and Mauritius title was changed to “THE OFFICIAL AIRLINE GUIDE AUSTRALASIAN MONTHLY”, however, the blue cover was maintained and as a reminder of the A revamp of the cover took place in 1951 with the name previous years, the old name headed the “Index” page Gordon’s” being dropped from the cover. The original but generally the guide was still known as “Gordon’s name remained as the heading of the Index page. Air Guide.” For Unequalled Travel Comfort As 1952 closed, Gordon’s had recorded the continuing changes to Australia’s airlines with Curtiss- Madsen Aircrafts Pty Ltd ceasing services and selling TRANS OCEANIC AIRWAYS f,IMITF.D all assets (including debts) but not aircraft to Overland Flying Boat Services between SYDNEY and— Air Services Pty Ltd. Ansett Airways had acquired " • HOP ART direct Barrier Reef Airways Pty Ltd and renamed it Ansett Flying Boat Services Pty Ltd. Later in August 1953, East-West Airlines Ltd took over the services of South • GRAFTON Coast Airways Pty Ltd.. Townsville & Country Airways Pty Ltd ceased to exist following their last flight in For full informciion consult arvy I ORD HO\AAP Ic travel bureau or the Principal ^ IIV TT I. Id* Agents— November 1953 following a Government forced route exchange between T.A.A. and A.N.A. causing A.N.A. to THE McArthur shipping & agency co. ltd. Kyle House, 31 Macquarie Place, Sydney. BU 2048, BU2049 cease supporting T.A.C.A. to allow T.A.A. to operate their Townsville - Mt. Isa services without competition TRANS OCEANIC AIRWAYS while T.A.A. ceased their services throughout the 56 SYDN EY—GRAFTON Riverina area of N.S.W. to negate competition with f tight GN fHihi GS A.N.A...... ■ Mil«» Prl, Prl. SrONEY • NEWCASTLE • SCONE • TAHWORTH • ARMIDALE • MOREE t O ...... d*p lOrfX) dtp 2r00 320 CRAYTON ...... «rr 12 10 arr 4 lO » r R«fr«»hm»nu ari aarvtd aloft. FARES! Sin|l«, £6/10/-; Aiturn. £12/15/- 5 HITiHC AOUT|| ■ •OROSCO ROurCt 56A SYDNEY—HOBART S NORTH aietiMis CMS scaviei

fllthiNo. HS HS flight No. HN Milea Airport! of Mon,Wad. Frl, Airporii of Wad. Sat. I AND 0 srDNEY...... dap 8r4G HtOO HOBART ...... dap 34)0 8rL>6 705■ HOBART , •rr 12 IS IZ 3» SYDNSY ...... Brr 4 DO 11 30 ^ NORTH- ^ t Hails ara atrvad aloft. r Ralraib mania art atrvad aloft. FARES I Sfnfla, XIS/17/-; Raturn, £)1/M/-. I WEST $ X E .W . A . SYDNEY-LORD HOWE ISLAND J north-wcjl. 57 (Month of May) UJ EAST-WEST AIRLINES LTD. flight No. LHE O fTict ind Workihop) : Tainworch Aarodroma, fhona : fOI9, 02f (all hours). Taltfi•ami; “Alripaad.’’ Tamworih. Principai os IZ II 24 ."o. Q Atinti ; Trini-Auitrilli Alrlintt. 119 Rhillla St.. Sydnay. 10534; V 4 SO a 30 n 15 4 3fi and Craalc and Adalalda Sti.. BrI.bini. BI)4I ; E. J. Harpar. Clan Innaa. 2Sl ; Thoa. B 0 OO 2 <45 8 tX) U) oo lonaa A Co.. Armidala. 37 Howard Smith Ltd., B 1351. 2 < aircraft. With astute Trans Oceanic Airways had previously operated to Papua management and shareholder support, the company New Guinea and to Pacific Islands before settling on succeeded and expanded. these routes shown in May 1952.

69 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Early 1954 brought a new feature to Gordon’s abreast of the many changes with this operator over when aircraft types for each airlines’ flights started to the twenty eight months it operated and even the first be shown. The first airlines to make this information entry wasn’t without a notation: “Southern Airlines- available was Ansett Airways who showed all land This is a new airline operating Melbourne-Saie^ flights being operated by DC-3 aircraft with Bairnsdale and Melbourne-Warrnambool. Services Sandringham Flying Boats operating water based to Shepparton and Benalla, and to Echuca and services: East-West Airlines showed DC-3 and Balranald have been suspended for the winter Lockheed Hudson aircraft and MacRobertson-Miller months, and, in addition, it is intended to operate a Aviation operated DC-3 and Avro Ansons on their Melbourrne-Tocumwal service in the near future.” extending network. The last issue for the year included The company commenced with two D.H. Dove aircraft aircraft types of all Australian airlines listed in the and when services ceased on November 1, 1958 it was guide, the last being Butler Air Transport who operated operating the two original Dove and two D.H. Heron DC-3 and Heron aircraft throughout N.S.W. It was not aircraft on flights to Tasmania and South Australia as until April 1956 that New Zealand National Airways well as some Victorian destinations. showed they operated DC-3, Heron and D.H. Dominie Airline advertising continued in Gordon’s with types throughout New Zealand. In July 1955 one of the strong promotion between Trans-Australia Airlines, very early inclusions, Airlines (W.A.) Ltd was deleted advertising their "pressurized Viscount and Convair following their merger with MacRobertson-Miller aircraft” while Australian National Airways promoted Aviation Co. Pty Ltd to form MacRobertson Miller their DC-6B "as the “KING SIZE SKYCHIEF” offering Airlines Limited who now covered all of Western more space and comfort on interstate trips.” as well as points In the Northern Territory. were strongly pushing their Super Convairs “with the lowest fares where everybody can fly ” and Butler Air SOUTHERN AIRLINES Transport telling readers “they could Fly High, Fly MELBOURNE^BAIRNSDALE Wide, Fly Handsome in our Viscount at 25,000ft at 55 (Servic* t«.mpor»n’ly suspended) Heron, f/i jht Na. Htron, Flight No. UOB U06 320 miles per hour!” Hilas Airporct of Airportj of 0 MELBOURNE...... d.p BAIRNSDALE...... dap 137 BAIRNSDALE err MELBOURNE...... arr FARES and BAGCAOBt S.a ovarlo.f.

MELBOURNE-WARRNAMBOOL—NARACOORTE- fly HIGH 56 Ml LUCENT—ADELAI DE iMS Heron, Flight No. Heron. High! No. 1113 lLr\ fly WIDE Miles Mon^ri. Airportt of 0 ADELAIDE . dap 138 3 SB MILUCENT 05 i ... dap A 00 fly handsome 201 MILLICBNT...... arr A 3$ WARRNAMBOOL t.rr 10 4S ...... dop A Af ... dtp lU 452 ADELAIDE ...... arr A lO me’lbourme arr II SS Free rotd tram pore proYided to ind from COONAWARRA, RENO LA, KALANGADOO NAIMCWARR.Yf. TARPEENA ind NARACOORTE. FARES ind BAGGAGE: Set ovtrltif. 57 MELBOURNE—FLINDERS ISLAND—LAUNCESTON Titron. Flight No. 1621 1621 iHT Heron, fhtht No. 1420 1620 1&2P Mon, Tua, Milas Airports of Sat. A Thur. 0 MELBOURNE... dtp 8 00 ... 12 3S LAUNCESTON dtp 12*25 236 FLINDERS IS. .. arr 9 55 ... 2 10 FLINDERS IS... arr 1 IS 4 35 ., .. ...dap ... 9 50 2 25 between 344 LAUNCESTON irr ... 10 45 3 35 Melbourne::: trr \ io ... t » A Monday, Wadnitday, Fridiy and Saturday, B Monday. Wtdnifdiy and Fridiy. C Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. SYDNEY - MELBOURNE

FARES and BAG GAG E; Sea OYarlaaf. SYDNEY - ADELAIDE MELBOURNE—KERANG-esSWAN HILL 58 The Butler network embraces Heron /Don. fUgh i No. U14 HeronlDoYt, Flight Na. 1617 1&19 Miles Airports of A Airports of B Frl. ■40 districts in 4 States! 0 MELBOURNE...... dtp 3 45 ... SWAN HILL ...... dtp 7 30 5 35 H6 KERANG ...... arr 4 55 ... RERAN G ...... err 7 SO .. dap 5 05 181 SWAN HILL ...... irr 5 25 MELtOURNi:::::::::::jy IZ n. You’ll fly high in the Viscount — 25,000 feet up. well above the weather,■ fly wide In soft, foam-rubber adjustable seats; fly handsome at 320 miles per hour, en­ A Daily axctpc Saturday. B Daily axetpt Saturday and Sunday. joying delicious meals, wonderful service. Fly BUTLER VISCOUNT .... FARES and BAGGAGE; Sat ovtrlttf. see your travel agent!

The Officio/ Airline Guide. October 19Si SOUTHERN AIRLINES AIR TMANSRORT LTD. MELBOURNE—KING ISLAND—LAUNCESTON Butler 59 c E L E B R a T I n g H.rofi, flight No. Heron, Flight No, 1622 1622 1612 Tut, Mile Airports of A B Sat. Airports of Sun. C TKur. The OfTicial Airline Guide. October 19S8 ‘o MELBOURNE., dap 9I 20 ... 12 35 LAUNCESTON dtp ... 11 OS 12 2S 1M KING ISLAND arr 10 35 1 5® KING ISLAND arr ... 12 40 2 N ... 10 45 1 00 .. dap 10 -45 n SS 2 10 377 LAUNCESTON M*r .. 12 05 3 25 MELBOURNE... arr 12 nn 2 10 3 25 A Dally except Saturday. B Daily except Saturday and Sunday. C Monday, Wednesday. Friday and Saturday. “Fly High, Fly Wide, Fly Handsome” in the Butler Viscount.

Southern Airlines made a valiant attempt to establish a A fascinating chapter of Australian aviation history is secure place in Australia’s airline industry but failed and well recorded in Gordon’s which commenced in 1957 ceased services on November 1,1958. when Butler Air Transport Ltd. purchased three 49-seat A new inclusion in June 1956 was a Melbourne Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2 aircraft from British based airline, Southern Airlines Ltd. who commenced European Airways for operation on their major routes services throughout Victoria with two D.H. Dove within New South Wales and southern Queensland. aircraft. The publishers of Gordon’s strived to keep The first aircraft went into service during August 1957

70 AHSA Aviation Heritage

BUTLER AIR TRANSPORT 39A SYDNEY—DU BBO—PARKES C SYDNEY—COO NAMBLE—CARINDA/WALGETT/ 3 J BREWARRIMA/BOURKE-CUNNAMULLA/CHARLEVILLE Flipit Nf, 101«/15 10d« «t Oubbo wich road traniporc to and from CtLGANDRA, NAflRO- coonamble!!!!!!"!!!!!." arr Y 15 HINE and WELLINGTON. dap 9 30 is'ts;;; ;;; If? IS IS :: CARINDA...... I Cennactlsnt ara madt at Farkaa with road tramport to and from FORBES and FIAK HILL. dap v/av-gett;”;;”;;;””;';”; 1 ii ' ” i « FARES and BAGGAGE: IS i; ;;i ... dap COLLARENEBRI ... . is SYDNEY—BROKEN HILL—ADELAIDE IREWARRINA ...... trr 10 20 ...... 4 10 ...... 40 BOUR.KE ...... 3i; ::: IS!f?S ::: V/fcount, flicht No. 1088 1091 Viieount, flight Ne. 1087 1091 CU'nNEMULLA Mll« Arporu of Suii. A Airporu;^ Sun. s^s CHARLEVILLB ...... ::: ni...... 0 SYDNEY ...... dap IZ 01 1 10 AOELAIDB ...... dap 585 BROKEN HILL arr Zz 00 3 OS BROKEN HILL ... arr t 15 Fh'tht No. 1043 1019 1019 1 043 1009 1 041 1011 1037 1019 7 SO 0 3S DCS DCS DCS £ V DCS £ DCS DCS DCS 838 ADELAIDE ::: 115 SYDNEY...... :: 10 05 V 1»

^sVl* A Daily txcept Siturdty and Sunday. Airporti of ^ Toa. Thur. Sun..Wad. Sun^ Man. Fri. Sun. Tua. CHARLEVILLf . CUNNAMULLA BOUAKE ...... dap : IS brewarrina"; dap 10 30 4‘« COLLARENEBRI dtp Part of the Butler Timetables (above and left) published BURREN JUNCTION ii GO'ODOOGA . . in Gordon’s, December 1957 showing Viscount and WALCETT...... 3"S0 4'OS Elizabethan services. Elizabethan services were at their CARIMDA cooNAMBLi;;;; peak with the introduction of Butler’s summer Timetable. 2 48 BARADINE . 5 15 « OS To’bHAWEENAH. and returned to B.E.A. They were replaced by Ansett COOL AH ...... SYDNEY. >» IS 1 30 4 if 3 58 4 20 4 28 7 31 7 48 7 W Convair 340’s. The November 1957 issue of Gordon’s noted the E Etiiabcchan aircraft. V Viicount lircrifi. biggest re-arrangement in Australia’s airlines ever with

FARES and BAGGAGE: ovarUaf. the information: “ANSETT-A.N.A. This airline’s schedules now appear in the Guide as Tables 1 to The Official Airline Cuiife, Dtctmker 19S7 12 and are generally a composite of the services SYDNEY—FORSTER—KEMPSEY/ 37 COFFS HARBOUR—CASINO previously operated independently by Ansett Ffifht No. 1054 1044 1 054 1 044 Airways and Australian National Airlines (A.N.A.)” DCS C'bathon DCJ DCJ E'kttAan Sun. 8871 Sit WBd.Fri. Sun. Following the withdrawal of support for A.N.A. by it’s dap 7 00 7 30 10 00 10 35 a 88 ar“ 8 10 11 10 II 45 dap 12 shipping company owners and the decline by the 12 35 9'bs 3 35 Australian Government to buy the company from them dap 9 25 S IS CASINO...... 10 OS 4 15 and merge it with T.A.A., Ansett Transport Industries flight No. 1053 1043 1053 1061 cx:3 DC3 rbothar DCS E'hothe Sat. Limited made a £3.3m offer to acquire it which was Sun. ... YY^r*. Sun. dap 4 SI reluctantly accepted by the owners, becoming effective .. 5 3$ Z ;;; iii 5 $5 on October 4, 1957. To counter the popular T.A.A. dap a 25 II 25 SYDNEY,..::"!”!:”!;”::":::!: trr o 3^ ,2 j$ slogan, Ansett-A.N.A. soon introduced into their 1 bo 11 7 J8 ConnattioM ara made at Foruar with road tramport to and from TAREE and TUN CURRY' advertising: “You’re in good hands - all the way - at Kampiay with road tramport to and from BOWRAVILLI, MACKSVILLE and NAMBUCCA HEADS; at Con. Harbour with road tramport to and from BBLLfNGBN DORRIOO ind GRAFTON; md at Caiino with road crampon to »nd from iALLINA* when you fly ANSETT-A.N.A.” CORAKf. EVANS HEAD. LISMORE and WOODBURN, This acquisition put in train events which rapidly BUTLER AIR TRANSPORT MELBOURNE—COOMA-SYDNEY- changed Australian’s airline scene; the expanding COOLANGATT A—TOOWOOMBA 38 Ansett made a hostile acquisition of Butler Air 1070 iOdl 1070 1074 1024 v'coum Vcount £'bsan y*c>unt V'cttuni Vcoont Transport Ltd. during February 1958 after inheriting the Airporti of A Sat. ^^i"ri. ’ Sun. ■ Su« MELBOURNt..... dip majority of shares with their A.N.A. purchase. (See COOMA...... •rr dap 8 ZS ■■■ 1 ii ' sydmiy;:::::;:;:::::; arr 9 25 iii ,: i: Note 2) This acquisition also included the B.A.T. dap lo’ u» COOLANCATTA . . 12 85 S i? u's? 88 subsidiary, Queensland Airlines Pty Ltd. Contrary to TOOWOOMBA a?f 1 50 f/ifht No. 1073 1071 7059 1049 what had been promised during “hostilities” to keep the Vcount Vcount Vcount Vcount E'btihan DCS Mon, Wid, B A Sat. Sun. Sun, Fri. Fri. historic Butler name, the airline was renamed Airlines 2 10 3 CO of New South Wales as from December 18, 1959. No dap Ills 12 55 3 28 SYDNEY...... 2 15 2 45 5 30 dap 7 on 7 00 4 60 4 30 change was made to Q.A.L.’s name. cooma::::':!:::”' arr 8 10 8 10 5 ID 8 15 dap 8 25 meIbouwnb:::: arr 9 *0 The expansion of Ansett-A.N.A. was of concern to A Tuetday, Thuraday and Saturday. B Monday, Wadnoiday and Friday. At Coolanaatta a car service is provided to tht patsenitr's addren in SURFERS' PARADISE, T.A.A. who were lacking feeder traffic at main centers SOUTHFORT, M URWI LLU MBA H, or any incarmadiati town. FARES and BAGGAGE: Sea overltzf. except Brisbane and Sydney. At Brisbane, services Thr Officio.' Airline Guide. December 1957 connected with their own extensive internal Queensland services and in Sydney, East-West Airlines connected with T.A.A. trunk services. To as the Butler “Elizabethan”, a name used by B.E.A. in balance the equation, T.A.A. offered assistance to the U.K., with the remaining two following a few weeks Guinea Airways Ltd by making larger aircraft available later. Replacing DC-3 and some Viscount aircraft, the on favourable terms and soon T.A.A. DC-4 and Convair “Elizabethan” flew on routes from Sydney to: aircraft appeared on some Guinea Airways’ routes Coolangatta - Toowoomba / Dubbo - Parkes / Coffs along with their own DC-3s. Gordon’s faithfully records Flarbour - Casino and Coonamble - Bourke - Walgett these services, and at a later stage, the short lived -Cunnamulla. Following the subsequent control of the Guinea but T.A.A. operated Fokker F27 service company passing to Ansett Transport Industries Ltd., between Adelaide and Broken Hill. This arrangement these aircraft were withdrawn from service in July 1958 caused Ansett to acquire the public owned parent of

71 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Guinea Airways Limited in October 1959, selling off the non-aviation assets at considerable profit and keeping PERTH-DALY WATERS G.A.L. which was renamed Airlines of South Australia (Via WEST COAST) Pty Ltd effective January 17, 1960. Ansett quickly Comfortable Lockheed airliners land you at your destination refreshed and Invigorated. It Pays to Fly! transferred two Convair 440 aircraft to Adelaide,

replacing the T.A.A. aircraft. PASSENGKKl SEE TABLtS rREIQHT <1 SI • N thlt GUINEA AIRWAYS ♦ I ADELAIDE-RADiUM H!LL~BROKEN HILL Chiru 65 suit flifht N®. 114-1/13 Aircraft fritridihip Tel«xr»ph ; 5»t. tu»,Thur. frl.Sun. Hilai C4M« AVIATION CO. LTD...... j-p 1t30 3r1J St3e renh.'* 215 HiLi.";:::;:;:::;: 4 SO 5 OS 156 ST. GEORGE'S TERRACE, PERTH 270 BROKEN HILL 9 20 5 30 7 a# ...... 4*p 9r30 9r*0 stso 7r4» ■ OOKINC AGENTS IN ALL CAPITAL CITIES AND IM TOWNS EN ROUTE 536 ADELAIDE ...... !!!.! irp 10 55 11 30 7 40 » 3t A D»ily «> >t S.turdty and Sund»y. ut Guinea Airways Adelaide - Broken Hill service flown by a T.A.A. F27 aircraft had a very short life as Ansett acquired Daylight flights both ways Guinea’s parent company just as the charter began! T.A.A. had supplied a Convair 240 which carried Guinea Darwin-Perth MMA have scheduled marks for a short period prior to the F27’s introduction. weekly, two daylight flights from Perth lo Darwin and three from Darwin to Perth. FligliLs depart Perth on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7 a.m. and arrive in Dar­ As 1959 closed and the new decade began, win at 6.15 p m. Perth-bound flights dcjiart Darwin on Sunday and Thursday at 7.30 a m., arriving in Perth at Gordon’s recorded the expansion and modernisation 3.15 p.m., Tuesday flights leave at 12 noon and arrive at 8.15 p.m. of regional services throughout Australia with all One night flight from Perth to Darwin, leaves Monday airlines introducing new generation Fokker F27 at 11.30 p.m., arriving Darwin at 10.55 a.m. Stop over at Kununnurra, Wyndham, Derby and Broome for no “Friendship” aircraft. The first being Trans-Australia extra flying cost. Book now with MMA, 194 St. George's Tee., Perth Airlines who introduced the first of nine in April 1959, causing Convair 240 aircraft to soon disappear from their Timetables. The second F27 operator was East- MAC.IHIBERTSOIImmax HILLER LIRLINES LIMITED West Airlines in August, followed in December by MacRobertson Miller Airlines in Western Australia who MacRobertson Miller Airlines progressed from scheduled their sole F27 on the long Perth to Darwin “Comfortable Lockheed airliners” in 1939 to Fokker route, the longest route to be operated by this type in F27 aircraft in the early 1960’s. the world. The round trip from Perth took around 20 hours flying, compared with over 28 hours by DC-3 The Perth based Woods Airways lost their claim of aircraft. operating the shortest air route 35 kms (22M) in Australia when a new Bankstown - Mascot 16 kms One initial recipient of the new F27 aircraft on the (10M) twice daily service commenced in July 1961. Darwin route shown in Gordon’s was Talgarno Operated by lllawarra Airways with single engined between Port Hedland and Broome - a name that Cessna aircraft, their Timetable appeared first in the doesn’t appear on current maps! (Talgarno was an August 1961 issue of Gordon’s and continued to be observation point where scientists measured various shown until the service ceased in 1964. aspects of travel by rockets fired from the Woomera ILLAWARRA AIRWAYS Rocket Range in northern South Australia as they passed overhead.) One of the more unusual notations bankstown—SYDNEY (KIngsford Smith Airport, Mascot) made in Gordon’s was in the May 1961 issue: ■ ^ (C«r*nd Aircrafi) ‘‘M.M.A.: A new service shown as Table 52 will in nii« Airparo Of Sac, 0 bankstown dtp 9 51 n IS 4 IS 10 MASCOT ...... mrr 16 10 12 30 4 30 future operate four times weekly in each direction Airporti of Sat mascot------^^ 4 43 between Wyndham and Kunnunurra. Kunnunurra BANKSTOWN 5 00 aerodrome is also intended to service Ivanhoe A D»ily ix««pv Saturdty and Sunday. Station at all times when the Ord River is crossable. FAAlii Suiilt.if; Riturn, £2 (SpacitI offSch*4ul« FJiihu; 63 par rttum fliiht). At other times (when the river is in flood) a special diversionary call will be made at Ivanhoe either on the forward or return flight when or if required. ” WOODS A1HWAYS The number of overseas airlines serving Australia PERTH-ROTTNEST ISLAND 54 (A/iian) was increasing with Gordon’s now recording the Mort,Tru«, w.d, Ml1« Airpoftj of Fri. fBKTH ...... dtp • 4 10 services of: 22 ROTTNBST island ... arr 7 55 10 15 4 SS i Mon,Tu». Wtd, Airport! of Thun/Frl. Sat.Sun. Sun. Ffi. Air- International s uo 4 }0 5 OO B IS 10 35 4 a S 15 Air New Zealand (renamed Tasman Empire A4d>tiooaJ iixhi* ar« madt at 40 mlnutaa Intarral whtn traffic damandi. Airways Ltd.) 1 FARES: f:i,i 5/4 (kttldanu of Rottn.it li, 41,’ll/-). British Overseas Airways Corporation Canadian Pacific Airlines Ltd The forced grounding of Avro Anson aircraft by Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd authorities permanently grounded Woods Airways K.L.M. Royal Dutch Airlines on Decmber 31, 1961, not long after loosing their title to Australia’s shortest air route. Pan American World Airways Inc

72 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Gordon’s recorded the commencement of shared DC- from Australia. Unlike other Ansett owned airlines, the 6B aircraft services between Australia and Papua New schedules of the renamed Ansett-M.A.L. didn’t appear Guinea by T.A.A. and Ansett-A.N.A. from July 1, 1960. in Gordon’s until late 1964 although there was an Both airlines replaced Qantas who had operated the advertisement in each monthly issue promoting “ F/y route from the end of the war after making a token ANSETT’M.A.L. Golden Orchid service DC-3 aircraft payment to the owners of W.R. Carpenter Airlines who specially fitted for first class passenger service in were prevented from re-commencing on the route after New Guinea. ” wars’ end by the Australian Government._ Gordon’s recorded the changing aircraft types over the years, Fokker F27 aircraft replacing numerous DC- 3 flights across Australia and New Zealand; Vickers I Viscounts replacing DC-4 aircraft and modern Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 aircraft becoming the main types operating long distance overseas flights although British Overseas Airways Corporation were the sole user of the De Flavilland Comet 4C jet aircraft and Canadian Pacific Airways used the large Bristol FASTEST Brittania on their flights between Canada and Australia until their DCS was Introduced in 1965. Flights to MOST ECONOMfCAL regional overseas destinations such as Hong Kong, CITY-COUNTRY TRAVEL ports In the Pacific became the domain of the From Sydney to almost Lockheed L188C Electra being flown by Qantas, any country centre in N.S.W., T.E.A.L. and Cathay Pacific Airways. Southern QMa.nd., and even as The year 1964 introduced a period of vast changes far as Adelaide, Butler air travel tarns hours for both T.A.A. and Ansett-A.N.A. when the first pure jet into minutes — costs less than travel by car. aircraft were Introduced into Australia. The Rcscrs'ations all recognised travel agents. new and expanding jet routes with faster flight times were recorded in Gordon’s while advertising pages carried the virtues of flying in the new Boeing 727. T.A.A. were claiming ‘T.A.A. whispering T-JETS are the quietest jets in the world.” and Ansett were advertising; ‘‘Fast, Frequent, Fantastic Fan Jets...” An expansion of Timetables to cover airlines in the Pacific region was foreshadowed in a late 1965 issue when basic details of new inclusions were given. These included the New Zealand airlines; Mt. Cook Airlines, South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand Ltd (SPANZ), Tht Offtctal Aififrx Culdt, Dece/rtcr 1959 Golden Coast Airlines of Nelson and West Coast Fokker F27 aircraft never appeared in Butler Air Transport Airlines of Hokitika. Timetables for Fiji Airways Ltd., marks. Three weeks after this advert appeared in the Polynesian Airlines Ltd and Port Moresby based December 1959 issue of Gordon’s, the airline had a name Papuan Airlines Transport Ltd were also change to Airlines of New South Wales Pty Ltd. foreshadowed. Indicated new overseas airline entries were Air India (re-entry), Lufthansa German Airlines The September 1960 issue noted: “Qantas: As and U.T.A.-Air France. None of these airlines were to from September 1, Qantas will relinquish its have their Timetables published within Gordon’s. services within Papua/New Guinea/Solomon Is. to Overseas airlines that had been earlier included were T.A.A. The services to be operated by T.A.A. will Alitalia - Italian Airlines, South African Airways and almost without exception be identical with Qantas’s Philippine Airlines. former services.” Along with the routes, T.A.A. 1966 was to be the last full year of publication of acquired DC-3 and D.H.C. Otter Amphibian aircraft. Gordon’s and after the January 1967 issue, the Shortly afterwards, TAA commenced a weekly F27 publication ceased without notice or comment. To the service between Cairns and Port Moresby and later end, the Index page always carried the two names: added a Catalina Flying Boat to allow an expansion of “The Official Airline Guide Australasian Monthly” services within Papua. The operation of this aircraft is and proudly, “Gordon’s Australasian Air Guide”. duly recorded In the December 1961 issue. During 30 years, Gordon’s had gone from the initial 36 The name Woods Airways Pty Ltd disappeared from pages to 248 pages an issue. The last issue. No. 355 Gordon’s when the Department of Civil Aviation (See Note 3) covered the full Timetables of these grounded all Avro Anson aircraft as from midnight of Australian and New Zealand domestic airlines with the December 31, 1961. These war surplus aircraft were types of aircraft being operated; used by this small airline on the Perth to Rottnest Ansett-A,N,A. Routes across Australia using Island route since commencing on March 6, 1948. Boeing 727, Lockheed Electra, , The airline scene within Australia remained fairly Fokker F27, Douglas DC-3, DC-4 and DC-6B aircraft. static over the next few years except In January 1961, As well, three individual routes were each operated Ansett Transport Industries Ltd acquired New Guinea with a dedicated aircraft type; Mackay - Proserpine based Mandated Airlines Ltd. from W.R. Carpenter Ltd was flown by a Piaggio P166A, this connecting with a who formed the internal New Guinea operator after Sikorsky S61 service to Hayman Island and further being banned from resuming W.R.C. Airlines flights

73 AHSA Aviation Heritage

south, Ansett Flying Boat Services operated East-West were reducing their DC-3 aircraft fleet in Sandringham flying boats between Sydney and Lord favour of more Fokker aircraft. Howe Island. Connellan Airways — This Northern Territory based airline operated 30 scheduled services weekly to over riFM/nN-; 130 destinations throughout the Territory and across state borders to north western Queensland centers and Iferon In. into the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Apart from a short period in the early 1960’s, aircraft types were not shown for this airline although various Cessna single engined types, two D.H. Heron and various model Beechcraft twin engined aircraft were used on QUCENSUANO their extensive scheduled and mail services. Qantas Empire Airways - The only Australian service operated by this airline was the Sydney - Norfolk Island service operated by DC-4 aircraft. DIBMNB. Lockhheed L188C Electra continued to be used on NEW SOUTH WALES regional routes and all long distance flights were flown '•k)RCE with Boeing 707 aircraft. New Zealand National Airways Corporation - Like the main Australian domestic airlines, N.Z.N.A.C. serving relied on Vickers Viscount, Fokker F27 and DC-3 the PEOPLE aircraft to operate their extensive route network ON THE throughout New Zealand. State ■ ■ ■ GO With the closing of Gordon’s no other publication j Wherever they go in FLY replaced It to offer such a comprehensive coverage of 1 Queensland, people on the GO I ike to get there 'ast-sr, Australian and New Zealand air services. It’s closing frestter, and enjoy more aETSTREAAf comrort and service on the way. That’s why they ended the permanent recording of Australasia’s airline f»y QAL Queensland Airlines history in a form that reflects what airlines do - IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO TRAVEL operating air services to Timetables. The Guide closed ! A DIVISION or ANSETT IRAN5P0FT INC'JSTHlES (OPERATIONS) RTV LTD, See Ovenliaf Tnt OfTxial AirUnn CUrfe. Oc«ml>«f too early to record the looming large changes in the route structures of all of Australia’s airlines following The last Queensland Airlines advert in Gordon’s, the Australian Government’s Introduction of “third level” December 1966 - the airline went out of existence on the licenses. This allowed small operators to fly scheduled 5*^ of the same month. Ansett-A.N.A. took over ail routes the following day. Two months later, Gordon’s had itself, services on minor or low-density routes with smaller gone out of existence. aircraft types. The first new operator, Adelaide based Opal Air Pty Ltd. commenced their services in South Australia on July I, 1967. This commenced the Ansett-M.A.L, - Operated the Ansett Group services “shedding” of numerous routes by all major airlines and within Papua New Guinea using a fleet of DC-3 and the proliferation of small optimistic airline companies Piaggio P166A aircraft, while advertisements throughout Australia. As events proved, the rapid announced “Fokker Friendship services changes within the ranks of these new airlines would commencing in March 1967” have tested the skill and tenacity of the publishers to Trans-Australia Airlines — Similar mainline routes keep abreast of their many changes had Gordon’s and aircraft to Ansett-A.N.A. The airline operated minor continued publication! specialized routes within Tasmania and coastal These changes to air services subsequently allowed northern Queensland with Beechcraft A80 Queenair the complete withdrawal of DC-3 aircraft by all airlines aircraft. In Papua New Guinea, T.A.A. operated and by co-incidence, they were being introduced Into throughout the region with Fokker F27, DC-3, Australia as Gordon’s Air Guide was foundered and Beechcraft A80 Queenair and Piper Aztec aircraft, their then they faced declining use as it ceased publication. Catalina having been withdrawn In January 1965. It is not known if a full set of Gordon’s Is in Airlines of N.S.W. — Operated numerous internal existence. Public Libraries, including the Mitchell routes within New South Wales and southern Library in Sydney appear to have only one copy from Queensland with Fokker F27 and DC-3 aircraft. each year of publication which is not sufficient for Airlines of South Australia - Operated throughout research purposes. The airline scene within Australia South Australia and to Broken Hill with Convair 440, changed rapidly from month to month, particularly up to Fokker F27 and DC-3 aircraft. the early 1960’s during the life of the publication. A full set of 356 issues would be the best record of MacRobertson-Miller Airlines - This now partly Australian airline history obtainable. Ansett owned airline operated the longest route network of any of the second level airlines In Australia Notes: with Fokker F27 and DC-3 aircraft. Note 1: Routes quoted are generally as they first East-West Airlines - This independent airline appeared in Gordon’s. Most airlines subsequently changed these route, either ceasing some, or adding operated internal routes within New South Wales and new ones. Also, some companies made minor changes Into southern Queensland with a fleet of Fokker F27 to their operating names; e.g. Curtis-Madsen Aircrafts and DC-3 aircraft. Like all the other Australian airlines.

74 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Pty Ltd. became Curtis-Madsen Airlines Pty Ltd in move, from the original A.M.P Building, they advertised October 1949. back-issues were available from their office at no cost. Note 2: A.N.A. held the majority of shares in the public I took up the opportunity to acquire some older Issues, company Butler Air Transport Ltd. However, under including a copy of the first issue. Unfortunately, and Butler company articles, a shareholder only was with regret, I was too embarrassed to take too many allowed one vote, regardless of the number of shares issues, particularly as they would not accept any held. The Chairman of A.N.A., Sir Ivan Holyman had payment for them. never used this shareholding against the Board of At later dates, after the publishers made their third Butler but had increasing concerns about Butler move to a modern office in the new P & O Building In switching their two Vickers Viscount aircraft from Hunter Street, Sydney, I visited them on numerous uneconomic internal N.S.W. routes to Intra-state routes occasions to look through all editions in their complete in competition with A.N.A. Butler had commenced “Library”. A large holding of back-issues continued to Sydney - Melbourne (via Cooma) and Sydney - be retained. The business was still a “husband and Adelaide (via Broken Hill) services as well as Sydney - wife” operation with a part-time female assistant. Coolangatta. Before the matter was resolved, A.N.A. When I noticed there was no February 1967 edition was sold to Ansett Transport Industries Ltd. The or later editions, I visited their office only to find It had Managing Director of Ansett, Reginald Ansett soon set been vacated without any notice on the door. Some about bringing Butler into the fold by requisiting a weeks went by and I searched the phone book to try special meeting of Butler shareholders. Ansett split and find the home phone number of Richard Geraint, their newly acquired shares amongst many of their but without success. After letting the matter rest for employees around Australia who were flown in to some months, I asked fellow A.H.S.A. member, Chris Sydney to vote in favor of the Ansett resolutions, thus O’Neill (who was an officer in the Land Title’s Office giving control of Butler’s Board to Ansett. and also a collector of Gordon’s) to do a search on the Note 3: In fact, Gordon’s published 356 issues as lease of the office in the P & O Building which revealed No. 281 was duplicated. the fact that the lessor was actually Richard Geraint References: Gardiner with an address In KIrrIbllli, Sydney. Contact 1. A range of Gordon’s from Issue 1 to Issue 356 held was made with Mrs. Gardiner who told how her by the author and Chris O’Neill. husband’s severe illness caused them to put the 2. Notes taken by the author from the Publisher’s business up for sale but after some months, it was not Library. sold and she couldn’t carry on alone so closed it down. 2. “Adelaide - West Beach Airport” - Nigel K. Daw. “What became of the large holding of back-issues?” Private Publication 1982. Mrs. Gardiner: “These were boxed up and they 3. Various newspaper cuttings from the Author’s filled the hall of our small unit here. I offered them collection. to Libraries and others who I thought would be Acknowledgement: Interested but no one was. Two weeks ago, I I would like to acknowledge the assistance of phoned the NSW Hospital’s waste paper collection A.H.S.A. Members, Chris O’Neill who like myself, holds service and they took them away. I have kept a a sizeable collection of Gordon’s Air Guides and Dr. copy from each year for a family record.” Howard Quinlan who, along with Chris, helped me The large steel hopper and heavy shredding jaws of acquire further copies to add to my own Library. Chris the waste paper depot In Pyrmont, Sydney destroyed made various company information available taken over 30 years of Australia’s written airline history In a from his own research notes. matter of seconds. Author's Note: In November 1962, when the publishers of Gordon’s were planning to make their first office

GORDON^S AND CENSORSHIP Roger McDonald

Not long after the outbreak of World War 2, Some of the correspondence Is copied below as it Australia media was subject to new Censorship laws illustrates well the era of war-time censorship rulings. covering anything that could have any possible benefit Letterform Richard Geraint: September 16, 1940 to the enemy. The authorities deemed that the To: The Commanding Officer, Victoria Barracks, publishing of airline Timetables, particularly for aircraft Paddington. N.S.W. flying to or from Australia to be sensitive information Dear Sir, that could be of benefit to the enemy. Therefore, late in Since the outbreak of war, we have been 1939, the publisher of Gordon’s Australasian Air prevented by the censorship from publishing in Guide was instructed by the Publicity Censorship GORDON’S AUSTRALASIAN AIR GUIDE any division of the Department of Defence to cease the particulars of departure or arrival times of overseas publication of Timetables for air services beyond air services, and in spite of the fact that various Darwin and Cooktown both of which connected with newspapers and periodicals have consistently the Empire route to London. printed information denied us as a result of which The instruction was of concern to the publisher who the Guide’s revenue has dropped alarmingly. made numerous representations to the authorities and One effect of the prohibition is that advertising queried why he was prevented to publish the and other support which we would otherwise have Information when newspapers and periodicals did so. received is no longer forthcoming, and you will

75 AHSA Aviation Heritage readily perceive that the Air Companies which Headquarters, Central Area, Point Piper, Sydney to the support the Guide, and also our advertisers and State Publicity Censor, Sydney who wrote: subscribers, must notice that while other CENSORSHIP-- GORDON^S AIR GUIDE publications may print at will information regarding It is advised that Gordons Official Air Guide departure and arrival times of overseas airliners the should not be permitted to publish the times of Guide is specially prevented from doing so. departure or arrival of external air services. If information on air schedules is not available to The Qantas Empire Airways’ timetable between the Guide it must of course fail, as it has no stock- Sydney and Darwin may be published, but the in-trade other than those schedules. To the Singapore - Darwin Section is not to be published. newspaper or general periodical, however, the Similarly the trans-Tasman timetable is not to be absence of an air schedule would not be noticed in published or the Cooktown-Rabaul Section of the mass of other information available to them. Carpenter’s Service from Sydney to Rabaul. Moreover, if anything is to be feared from ...... Group Captain, SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE publication of air schedules, the potentialities of STAFF OFFICER. widely circulated newspapers are much more to be feared than the Guide, with its comparatively small Richard Geraint, as publishers of “Gordon’s” and circumscribed coverage. continued to question why his publication appeared to We believe that every Air Company will agree be victimized when other publications such as that the Air Guide has been, in its small way, an newspapers printed airline times. The State Publicity excellent influence in the development of Censor, Mr. H.A. Rorke, in what appears to be commercial aviation, and we ourselves can vouch frustration when Richard Geraint made a direct for the fact that its publication during the three and approach to the Australian Chief Publicity Censor in half years of its existence has been far from Melbourne, wrote to the latter on March 6, 1941 stating profitable. in part.. In the circumstance, therefore, we feel sure that The Editor of Gordon’s Air Guide (Mr. Gardiner) you will permit us to sum up our present attitude as (See Note 1) has often approached me with regard follows: We are ready to do anything in our power to publication of matter in his time table. On all to further the “war effort”, and we should like to occasions I have refused to allow any time table to feel that the larger publishing organisations, such be published relating to Empire flying services as newspapers, are not receiving any greater outside Australia or any indication that such privileges, or suffering greater hardships, than services link up with the Australian services as far ourselves. In other words, we offer no complaint as Darwin or Cooktown, as the case may be. about the restrictions placed upon us if it is borne Instructions to this effect were issued when the equally by other papers, notwithstanding the fact Publicity Censorship was part of the Department of that while it cannot harm the larger publishers, it Defence, about September, 1939. may mean irreparable loss to our small business and staff. The matter did not rest and Richard Geraint Consequently, we shall appreciate it very much continued to question why his publication could not indeed if you will decide after consideration, how publish air times as newspapers were doing. much information on overseas air schedules we Correspondence did not cease for two years and at all might be enabled to print, and we shall be glad if times, the publication of what were regarded as you will advise your decision in due course either classified air times were refused. The publication of the direct or through the Censor’s office, which has December 1943 issue was delayed until the “proofs” of always treated us with every courtesy. The cuttings the Issue were checked by the State Publicity Censor herewith are representative of such matter on air who deleted references to services, including fares and schedules appearing in the daily papers, and they freight rates, north of Cooktown. As well, the route are taken at random from masses of such material. markings of services beyond Cooktown and terminal Similar references to overseas air schedules points of Port Moresby and Thursday Island were also appear in the newspapers and periodicals from day deleted from the insert map within Gordon’s. to day. This brought a terse letter from the Publisher on In conclusion I would like to emphasize that we December 7, 1943 when he stated in part:, the action do not question the competence of your Command had saddled us with an expenditure of money, time to decide, in the national interest, whether or not it and work which, in these days, is not easily is advisable to prohibit the publication of air borne... He continued: they themselves (airline schedules, and that we shall be very grateful companies; are able to continue to publish and to indeed for your consideration of the foregoing advertise and various newspapers and periodicals represen ta tions. are able to continue to print the very matter which Yours faithfully, RICHARD GERAINT. we are compelled to exclude from the Guide. May we add too, that while we have regretted the On October 21, 1940 the Publisher made a verbal necessity for Mr. Schwinghammer’s intervention in request to be able to recommence publishing departure this matter, we are grateful for the courtesy and and arrival times In “Gordon’s” but was refused consideration he showed us... pending an official reply. This duly came with Yours very truly, RICHARD GERAINT correspondence dated November 9, 1940 from a Senior Adminstrative Staff Officer, R.A.A.F. June 2.6, 1944 brought some relief for Richard Geraint when he was advised he could reinsert in

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Gordon’s, restricted information concerning the the times of departure and arrival of the Tasman Cairns-Thursday Island service. However, he again Empire Sydney-Auckland service. questioned the directive when he replied This censorship principle was recently confirmed For some time now, “The Daily Commercial News in an exchange of letters by Australia and New and Shipping List” has been publishing complete Zealand. Censorship will have no objection if you times of arrival and departure for this service, and publish times of arrival and departure in the Cairns- in the circumstances we feel justified in asking that Thursday Island service. ” we be granted the same privilege.” Yours faithfully, M.M. Mansell, State Publicity Censor, In further correspondence dated September 5, 1944, Richard Geraint wrote to the State Publicity Fourteen days later, on September 26, 1944, Censor: Richard Geraint wrote with some glee, to the State Attention Mr. Schwinphammer: Publicity Censor; May we request that you advise us whether your We have Just been advised by the Department of Department will permit the publication in Gordon’s Civil Aviation that the Department of Air has Australasian Air Guide of the times of departure notified the Chief Publicity Censor that it has no and arrival of Tasman Empire Airways’ Sydney- objection to the publication of times of arrival and Auckland service. In a letter dated August 11, departure for the Auckland-Sydney service, but as which can be produced if necessary, the Civil Tasman Empire Airways at present has operational Aviation Branch of the new Zealand Air Department reasons for wishing that such times should not be has advised us that publication of this information published they will not be inserted in the Guide for in the Guide has now been approved. the time being even though we received your formal advice that they may appear. The response was quick with a letter dated Yours faithfully, Richard Geraint. September 12, 1944 from the State Publicity Censor who wrote to the publisher: This brought to an end, five years of censorship Dear Sirs, rules which restricted certain times and references Censorship practice in Australia and New Zealand being published in Gordon’s. Ail these years, Richard is to allow publication of dates but not exact times Geraint protested against these unfair restrictions by of arrival and departures of trans-Tasman flying pointing out other freely available publications were boats. It is not possible, therefore, to permit the publishing this information. publication in Gordon’s Australasian Air Guide of ^ \ T.G. i2 L COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA^OSTMASTfR-GENIRAL'S DEFARTMENT. Ofhct Don Fundj fnoy be Quickly Sottly on

PRIORITY PRESCEN'SOR

SYDNEY

FC-1616 AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL AIRWAYS ADVERTISEMENT ANNOUNCING RESUMPTION CIVIL AIR SERVICES ALREADY PUBLISHED ONE STATE BUT REPEAT ADVERTISEMENTS MUST NOT CONTAIN ANY REFERENCE TO RESUMPTION OR FACT THAT EMERGENCY DEFENCE MEASURES CAUSED INTERRUPTION ... FEDCENSOR

The Australian Federal Censor was not pleased when Australian National Airways advertised the resumption of air services in October 1942.

Note 1: This was the first time the publisher’s correct References: National Archives Office Reference name of Richard Geraint Gardiner was used in SP106/1 “Gordon’s Air Guide’’ and SP106/1 “Aerial correspondence. Generally, correspondence continued Schedules, & Routes” generously made available by to be addressed to and from Richard Geraint. A.H.S.A. member, Chris O’Neill.

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PRE-WAR CIVIL AIRCRAFT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA By EDWARD FLETCHER DH 84 DRAGON

The * Brand New' MM A fleet outside their May lands hangar in September 1934 Photo: F Cole The de Havilland Dragon came into being by virtue of Before we look closely at the activities of the ten almost simultaneous requests from Hillman Airways in the pre-war Dragons to operate in WA, we should pause to UK and the Iraqi Air Force. Edward Hillman wanted an consider what was happening on the corporate and aircraft with more capacity, comfort and range than the political aviation scene, as the events which were to unfold Fox Moth he had used so successfully on British internal in 1934 were closely interlinked with the DH 84. air routes, while the Iraqis wanted a machine which could In July 1933, The Commonwealth Government called be used as a general purpose light bomber capable of for tenders to cover a complete re-organisation of the air defending itself. routes both within and outside Australia. One of these From these two widely differing requests, A E Hagg of routes was the north-west service in WA which had been de Havilland Ltd designed a twin-engined biplane with the operated by West Australian Airways (WAA) since 1921, typical plywood box fuselage that his company favoured, initially from Geraldton to Derby and later from Perth to powered by two Gipsy Major engines in neat nacelles Wyndham, but was now to be extended to Katherine to mounted in stub wings attached to the fuselage and with link up with the new Singapore-Brisbane service, due to Gipsy Moth wings outboard of these which could be commence in December 1934 folded. A feature of the new machine was the magnificent Brearley saw these tenders as his chance to become a view afforded the pilot in the single seat cockpit in the more widespread part of Australian aviation and entered nose. There must have been many sighs of relief from into negotiations with Hudson Fysh of Qantas and Charles hard-worked commercial pilots when they were able to Ulm of the first Australian National Airways to tender for exchange the helmets and flying suits needed for the Fox the Eastern States sectors. He intended to retain the Moth and the Giant Moth for the bare-headed, casual-clothed comfort of the Dragon. north-west service for himself and decided that his ageing fleet of DH50s and DH61s would need to be upgraded. He The prototype first flew on 24 November 1932 and was was also aware that the subsidised contract for the put Into service with Hillman Airways before the end of the Perth-Adelalde service would expire in March 1934. WAA year. It was an immediate success and a steady stream of had suffered considerable difficulties in the operation of orders soon had a production line in operation with the this service with Vickers Viastras and by 1934 had only 6000 block of constructor's numbers. The new model was one left which was occasionally operational. Knowing that assigned the company code DH84 and named the the tenders for the new north-west contract would close In Dragon. February 1934, and that the tender had been written UK production amounted to 115 machines of which 13 around the performance of the de Havilland Dragon, he were military models. From the 63rd aircraft onwards, the decided that this aircraft was the ideal machine to select windows were individually framed and the undercarriage for a complete re-equipment for both routes. WAA placed fitted with fairings so these improved machines were an order for a Dragon in April 1933, hoping it would be the dubbed the Dragon II, earlier machines perforce becoming forerunner of several more. then known as.the Dragon 1. Twenty five Dragons were However 1934 was to be a year when Brearley was to allotted Australian registration, but of these only 22 were discover that the path of aggressive one-upmanship that actually taken up for aircraft that operated in this country. he had followed in the past was to lead not to fame but to During World War 2, 11 of the English-built machines the end of his involvement in aviation. In March WAA lost were impressed for RAAF, and of these only four survived the subsidy for the Perth-Adelaide service and had to the war, while of the 11 non-impressed machines, only continue it on a contract with the PMG based on weight of three were still flying at the end of hostilities. No pre-war mall carried. The following month could be surely called Dragon is airworthy in Australia today. Black April for the Company. On the 17th a second DH84 arrived for them at Fremantle, on the 19th they were

78 AHSA Aviation Heritage advised that the tender for the north­ west service had been awarded to MacRobertson Miller Aviation and on 25th their first Dragon crashed and was seriously damaged. So this was the state of the West that heralded in the Dragon era. WAA operated two Dragons in WA-VH-URE and VH-URO DH 84 Dragon I VH-URE c/n 6029 This aircraft and another imported by Tasmanian Aerial Services were the first Dragons to be registered in Australia, both coming on to the register on 29 August 1933. Brearley was delighted with his new acquisition and told Captain E Johnston, the Controller of Civil Aviation .... It has given me a new zest for flying and I think it is the most VH-URE outside the WA Airways Canarvon hangar.now:.uianonHeraageMuseum wa.(ahm) delightful machine I have ever handled. One of the most and the passengers resumed their flight but not for long remarkable things about it is the view of the country ahead as, with Stan Brearley again at the controls, the DH61 of the machine which is given to the passengers from their blew a cylinder off shortly after leaving the airport and seats by looking past the pilot" force landed without damage in a paddock. WAA dragged out a DH66 Hercules and Harry Baker flew the large His enthusiasm to get the maximum use of the aircraft biplane to Geraldton to allow the now somewhat twitchy fell on deaf ears in Melbourne when he proposed to passengers to have another (and successful) go at getting convert it to a ten-seater. Johnston flatly refused to permit to Carnarvon. It was the only time a Hercules had flown on the conversion and Brearley entered into some a scheduled service on the north-west run. correspondence with him as to how the aircraft could be strengthened to cope with extra loading, but all to no avail. VH-URE was out of action until August 1934 and by The messages were coming over very clearly that the then WAA's involvement with the Perth-Wyndham run was Department were very disinterested in assisting the wily nearly at an end so the Dragon was alternated on the Major in any way and were obviously at the end of their route to Adelaide with a second Dragon that had been patience with his efforts to maximise profit by writing his acquired. With the development of the overseas service, own rules. the volume of mall from the UK to the Eastern States through Fremantle lessened and in December 1934, URE WAA put the aircraft to work mainly on the north-west was operating the transcontinental run alone as the other service where it performed well, but it was also used on DH84 had been sold, the Perth-Adelaide route when no other aircraft was available. On 25 April 1934 Stan Brearley was at the Brearley made one last effort to revive his failing controls on a flight from Geraldton to Carnarvon with four fortune. The Director's Report to the shareholders at the passengers aboard. The aircraft failed to rise, hit the November 1934 annual general meeting, noted that the perimeter fence and ground looped into a tomato farm. Company had ordered two DH89 Dragon Rapides from The port wing was badly damaged as was the port engine England to operate the Perth to Adelaide service but, in and both propellers while the undercarriage was reality, these were never taken up and WAA bought the demolished. Harry Baker flew a spare DH61 to Geraldton Rapide ZK-ACO which had competed in the Melbourne Centenary Air Race. When this aircraft entered service in July 1935 URE became a reserve aircraft for use when the DH89 was being serviced. In July 1936 the ownership of URE passed to Adelaide Airways and then to the newly formed Australian National Airways In November of the same year when WAA sold out. Now named Yanana, the Dragon soon had its first mishap in new hands on 19 November 1936 when, with AC Webb at the controls, it was caught in a 'willy willy' when landing at Renmark and the starboard wing struck the ground causing damage to the undercarriage, wing and engine. On 26 February 1938 it was registered to A rare record of WA Airways aircraft during the transition from the old to the new. DHSO's Airlines of Australia with whom It flew UEYf UEL, and UEMpose with DH61 utl (hidden behind UEY), while the new boy DH84 for almost exactly two years. During URE enjoys centre stage at Carnarvon in late 1934. nolo: Author that time it suffered a forced landing on a beach 10 miles north of Cardwell

79 AHSA Aviation Heritage

while flying from Cairns to Townsville. Neither the pilot, C would have had to revert to an all Hercules route -a E Moore, or the two passengers were Injured. However an reversion to the 1929 era! accident on 27 April 1939 at Mt Surprise Station had more serious consequences when the aircraft crashed heavily, The new aircraft was the mainstay of this service until the pilot, J J Connolly suffering a broken foot, lacerations the end of September 1934 when URE re-entered service and shock while two passengers broke ribs. The cause of and URO had a spell for maintenance. By now Woods had the accident was tragically simple. Connolly had been left WAA and the Perth to Adelaide route was in the flying Rapides whose petrol switches work the opposite capable hands of Len Diprose and Harry Baker. Woods way to those In the Dragon and the inevitable happened! had only one moment of alarm when on 22 May he had to force land 8 miles short of Forrest due to falling to take on In February 1940 the DH84 was sold to the Australian sufficient fuel at Kalgoorlle and DIprose also had a similar Aerial Medical Service (NSW Section), named the L M problem when a vapour lock in the fuel line to the Pattinson and stationed at Broken Hill. In July 1942, the starboard engine caused an unscheduled descent at AAMS became the Flying Doctor Service of Australia Zanthus on 4 December 1934. (NSW Section) and the ownership of the aircraft technically passed to that organisation. LIRE flew By now WAA was in disarray. The North West contract extensively in the NSW outback without incident until 31 had finished and the Company were starting to unload January 1943, when, on a flight to Wilcannia with Hugh every saleable aircraft that was no longer needed. It was Bond at the controls and three passengers aboard, URE decided that the East-West service could be maintained hit a fence during the landing roll causing some wing with one Dragon pending re-equipment with a new DH89 damage. Rapide and so URO was offered for sale as the more valuable of the two Dragons. DIprose flew it to Adelaide on In September 1948 the aircraft's registration was 19 December 1934 and nine days later it was taken over changed In to the FD block, becoming VH-FDB. Another by W R Carpenter and Company of Salamaua PNG. mishap at Innamincka aerodrome in South Australia on 27 March 1949 saw the Dragon quite badly damaged when it VH-URO left Parafield in January 1935 on a ferry flight ran off the strip during take off and was to suffer further to Its new home. The pilot was Colin Ferguson and his damaged during salvage operations. wife became the first woman to fly to Papua New Guinea when she accompanied him on the flight. It was to be a In November 1956 the Dragon, now 23 years old, was tragic change of scene for them as eight months later, on sold to the Darwin-based Muir Aviation and re-registered 30 September 1935, her husband took off from Salamaua by them into the DM block (for Douglas Muir) as VH-DMA. to fly to Wau and, flying too low while trying to get through The aircraft was flown on general aviation work in the "The Gap" near Black Cat Mine, hit some trees and was Northern Territory and, according to Doug Muir, was a thrown from the aircraft, dying from his injuries nine hours delightful aircraft to fly . On 11 December 1957, DMA was later. VH-URO was struck from the register the next day. engaged to fly a party from a strip four miles south of Katherine to a work site. The pilot made four attempts to In August 1933 an announcement was made to the take off and finally got the Dragon off the ground but lost press that a group of mining interests had formed a control while turning away from the strip, the aircraft consortium, to be called the Western Mining Corporation, crashing and being damaged beyond feasible repair. The for the purpose of carrying out the biggest aerial survey of official accident report cited the cause to be an engine gold-bearing country that had ever been attempted in failure Immediately after becoming airborne but further Australia. The core of the project would be the use of investigation by the owner revealed that the aircraft had aerial photography to map 88,000 square miles of inland been heavily overloaded with sheets of glass and a country in Western Australia as possible mining sites. A quantity of red lead paint and was nearly 1000 lbs over the team of distinguished experts were to head the enterprise, limit. The pilot attributed his take off difficulties to binding among them Lord Apsley, Vice Admiral H P Douglas and brakes! Wing Commander F V Laws. The latter had been in charge of the RAF School of Photography for many years By one of those strange coincidences that make life so and Douglas had behind him a solid career in mapping interesting, URE was the WAA's first Dragon and and navigation. outlasted all the other pre-war Imports, just as his first DH50, VH-UEL , had been the last of Its type to be The two aircraft chosen for the work were de Havllland destroyed. In May 1958 DMA was struck from the register DH84 Dragon Is which were to be built specially for the and the file closed on a venerable aircraft just short task, being equipped with Williamson "Eagle" cameras. of its 26th year. DH84 Dragon II VH-URO c/n 6068 When the SS Moreton Bay steamed into Fremantle harbour on 17 April 1934, it carried another new aircraft for WAA. The success achieved with their first Dragon prompted the Company to purchase a second machine of the same type. Its arrival was fortuitous as URE, which . had often been needed for the Perth to Adelaide service , was out of service a week later due to the crash described earlier. URO was immediately placed on the East-West run and a good indication of the aircraft shortage within the company can be seen as Jimmy Woods took off for Adelaide in URO only one week after it was unloaded in Fremantle. If it had not been for the Dragon's arrival the service VH-URO resplendent in the WA Airways dark blue and silver colour scheme. Photo; AHM

80 AHSA Aviation Heritage sophisticated radio direction finding and communicating chagrin by painting out the word "Gay" on URF. The equipment and special compasses. The aerial team was Company took the hint and substituted "Golden" thus to be joined on the ground by a fleet of vehicles able to giving rise to some confusion to later historians as to the process exposed film and provide full logistical support to aircraft's correct name. The Western Mining Company the personnel involved. English, American and Australian disposed of the two Dragons in November and December money was raised to finance the venture. 1934 to companies who were both desperate to acquire aircraft as we shall soon see. The two pilots selected were Captain C W Snook and Flight Lieutenant S C Campbell. Both were skilled pilots DH 84 Dragon I VH-URF c/n 6045 and had considerable experience of aerial photography, This Dragon had an uneventful life in the hands of the Snook in the first world war and Campbell in the RAAF. aerial survey team until Its work was finished in November Both were already in England to test the aircraft and 1934 and it was then laid up. This was music to the ears of Campbell had actually been working at the de Flavilland Florrie Miller, managing director of MacRobertson Miller factory while they were built. Airlines (MMA), as his newly-acquired North West service, The team assembled in Perth in the latter months of which had started up only a month before with three 1933 and the aircraft arrived on the SS Largs Bay on the Dragons and a Moth, had run into great difficulties with 14 November. They were quickly assembled at Maylands half his fleet out of action a month later. Western Mining and registered as VH-URF, The Gay Prospector, and were happy to make an Immediate sale to MMA to the VH-URG, The Golden West. Both had considerable extra great relief of Miller as Norman Brearley had proved right tankage to give them an endurance of eight hours and when he predicted that three aircraft were insufficient to understandably each was fitted with a toilet. The maintain the service and Miller doubtless expected the undercarriages were strengthened and fitted with fairings Department would get a serving of "I told you so" pie from while larger than standard tyres and thicker windows were the Major. Before the sale was effected, URF was stripped installed in the fuselage to lower the noise level. While of all its non-standard equipment which resulted in a built as Dragon Is they had effectively become a half way weight saving of 291 lbs and it was re-named The house between the Dragon I and the Dragon II. To house Kimberley. the machines a hangar was erected at Kalgoorlie The Dragon went into immediate service on the Perth aerodrome which was to be the expedition's home base to Daly Waters route and served the company well. By for the two years that the survey was expected to take. August 1938, this main route was being flown by the The departure for Kalgoorlie was an impressive sight. Company's DH86 airliners, shortly to be superseded by Both Dragons left in formation and on the ground a large convoy of new Ford trucks and cars set off for the Goldfields, with all personnel smartly turned out in dark shirts, khaki trousers and solar helmets. This was a very well organised and funded operation, the like of which had not been seen before in WA. Before the survey got under way, the firm of Hemming and Partners, who were the managing agents for the exercise, asked for one aircraft to be flown to Melbourne to demonstrate its capabilities to the RAAF, the Federal Government and private survey companies. On 1 January 1934, Snook left Kalgoorlie In VH-URG, arriving in Melbourne the next day. The February VH-URFj now the 'Dunbar Hooper //, bringing help to the badly-damaged VH-UVN at Needa Downs 1934 issue of Aircraft magazine Station in November 1929 Photo; Author gave a detailed account of the equipment of the aircraft two Lockheed 10A Electras and the Dragons were and the favourable impression It made on the viewers. available for other duties. URF was selected to replace the There were only two upsets in the exercise, neither of Fox Moth VH-UTF Dunbar Hooper which had been which involved mechanical failure of the aircraft. Snook stationed at Wyndham for some years operating the Injured a leg while folding the wing of one of the Dragons Wyndham-Ord River branch line and also serving as the and had to withdraw from the work for his injury to be ambulance aircraft for the Australian Aerial Medical treated In Perth. He was replaced by a Mr Townsend. Service (Victorian Section). In a ceremony at Wyndham in Rather more serious from the point of view of the staff was August 1938, the Dragon was re-named Dunbar Hooper II the fact that the aerial photography proceeded far more by John McEwen and was to be flown regularly by quickly than had been envisaged, and by the end of 1934 "Robbie" Robinson, a much-admired pilot in the North had been completed. This resulted in premature dismissal West. of ground crews and some bitterness resulted. After a This Dragon seemed to be fated to cause confusion rather fluid farewell wake In Kalgoorlie, some of the over aircraft names. Not only had it gone from Gay to employees went to the aerodrome and expressed their Golden and then to The Kimberley, but there was to arise

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some confusion as to which aircraft was the Dunbar Company In selecting the Dragon as the aircraft best Hooper. Several sources claim it was the name given to a suited for the work. Horrie Miller had decided that three later MMA-owned Dragon, VH-UVN, but that is incorrect. machines would be sufficient to provide a reliable weekly UVN was named Ashburton and, like URF, also served on service between Perth and Katherine while Norman AAMS work. Brearley, with a much greater knowledge of the conditions This good work continued until May 1941 when URF that prevailed on the route, had tendered on the basis of was impressed into the RAAF and was replaced at six machines with several alternatives at other prices. Wyndham by the Ashburton. The impressment report The contract was awarded to MMA, a decision that considered it to be in good condition and its value was gave rise to general astonishment in aviation circles and assessed at £2,000. It was given the service serial A34-9 resulted in considerable acrimony between Brearley and and allocated to No. 34 Squadron where it was engaged in the Controller of Civil Aviation for reasons too complex to general transport duties in the Northern Territory and discuss here. MMA placed an order for three Dragon lls Kimberley region. On 3 March 1942, a Japanese force which arrived in Fremantle in August 1934 In good time for attacked Wyndham on the same day that Broome was assembly and testing before the opening of the service on attacked by another group A34-9 was strafed on the 1 October. The aircraft were registered as VH-URW, ground and totally destroyed. DH84 Dragon I VH-URG c/n VH-URX and VFI-URY and were named The Pilbara, 6046 Gascoyne, and Murchison respectively. MMA were Like its hangar mate, URG was destined to have a fortunate that they had two months to settle the service trouble free life on the aerial survey and was also to down before the link with the overseas service started in rescue an airline from difficulties when It was December. They had stretched their resources to the decommissioned. Holymans Airways had lost the DH86 absolute limit to gain the contract and subsequent events Miss Hobart VH-URN in Bass Strait on 19 October 1934 were to expose their vulnerability to unplanned problems and urgently needed another aircraft. They successfully and to vindicate much of Brearley's criticism of the negotiated with Western Mining for the purchase of URG decision to award them the contract. MMA were able to which passed into their hands in December 1934. The effect a slight economy in the operation of the service by aircraft was re-registered to Australian National Airways in persuading the Government to allow the service to November 1936 and re-named Yuptana. terminate at Daly Waters, where there was an vacant It was to suffer far more Indignities than Its Western hangar, instead of Katherine. Arthur Affleck, Bert Flussey, Mining sister ship. On 18 February 1937 it forced landed George McCausland and Jimmy Woods were the pilots with engine failure at Skipton, Victoria while on a mail run selected by Miller for the service and of these, only Woods from Essendon to Parafield. Two months later, on 17 July and Affleck had North west flying experience. Woods was the ignition system failed due to water Ingress and the unavailable at the start of the service as he was engaged Dragon came down at Port Neill in South Australia. In in flying Miller's Lockheed Vega in the Centenary Air Race. June 1939, URG was sold to Airlines Of Australia but the The service started on time but was in trouble change of ownership did little to Improve its accident immediately. Bert Flussey was selected as the pilot for the avoidance factor. On 21 February 1940, the Dragon failed first flight, even though he had no experience of the to climb when taking off at Inverleigh in Queensland and conditions he was to encounter. Fie had developed a sank back into the trees at the edge of the field. Neither technique for taking off in a heavily loaded Dragon which the pilot, C Jones, or any of the three passengers were consisted of taxying very fast down wind to the airfield injured but the aircraft was badly damaged. perimeter and then swinging the aircraft rapidly though By 12 September 1940 URG was engaged on a 180 degrees for an Immediate take off. This worked for regular return run between Cairns and Cooktown and had him at Maylands which had a hard grass surface but when flown for 3575 hours since 1933. Two weeks later, while he attempted the same procedure on the sandy Onslow landing at Cairns, the pilot, W Hill, had to make a cross aerodrome, he succeeded in wiping off the aircraft's wind landing to avoid repair work that was being carried undercarriage. Affleck was immediately sent north in the out on the aerodrome. The Dragon swung and collided second Dragon to take an engineer and spares to the with a truck sustaining damage to the port wing. There damaged aircraft and then carry on the interrupted service were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers. There to Daly Waters. Hussey resigned shortly after this incident was more grief in store as on 17 February 1941, with the to take a position with Qantas. same pilot In control and three passengers, when a fuel On 23 October, McCausland failed to tie his aircraft blockage forced a landing at Bald Hill Station, north west down at Ord River while he took a meal break and a willy of Cooktown and URG was suffered landing gear damage willy blew the Dragon Into the stockyard fence, causing on the poor surface. some damage. Miller flew the relief flight north with an The final chapter in the series of accidents was played engineer to effect repairs, along with J C Miles, a pilot he out at Wenlock In Queensland. February was definitely an had employed to replace Hussey, Miles was to unlucky month for the DH84 as on 4 of that month In 1942 permanently operate the Ord River to Wyndham spur line It suffered its third and final accident. The port engine service In Gipsy Moth VH-UNX. failed on take off and the aircraft descended Into low scrub Troubles certainly came to MMA, not in threes but in and tree stumps. Both wheels were torn off and the port fours! On 7 November, McCausland was taking off from engine caught frre, the resulting conflagration spreading to the Halls Creek aerodrome with Jim Collopy, the the rest of the aircraft which was totally destroyed. A brisk Departmental Inspector and three other passengers, one exit by the pilot and four passengers meant there were no of whom was a young stockman, Mr C Rite. An engine casualties but VH-URG had ended its career in Australian failed on take off and the pilot had to put the aircraft down skies. in an area covered with metre-high stumps of trees that When MMA tendered for the North West mail service had been cut down to improve the approach to the In Western Australia and the Northern Territory, they aerodrome. When the dust settled, Collopy called to the followed the lead of WAA and the Western Mining pilot to see if he was injured. There was no reply and, to Collopy's astonishment., the cockpit was empty and

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undamaged with windows closed. Then he noticed McCausland standing a few feet away in a dazed condition and unable to explain how he had got there. An examination of the aircraft revealed that the fuselage had split wide open on impact, the pilot had been thrown out and the split had closed again as the nose hit the ground, leaving only a faint hairline crack to explain the mystery. Miles was waiting at Ord River for the Dragon to arrive, and the company directed him to fly back to Halls Creek In the Moth and take the mall on to Daly Waters. When he arrived, Rite asked If he could continue his flight to Daly Waters with Miles as he was trying to get to Queensland as quickly as possible to see his sick father. It was an unfortunate request as Miles Look what can be done with a few tea chests! VH-Vrw with a rebuilt nose after the March 1935 crash. Photo; Author lost control of the Moth approaching 1935 that it suffered a serious accident. Landing on a Ord River and spun in, with Rite being killed in the ensuing waterlogged ground at Wyndham, the Dragon's wheels crash and Miles breaking an arm and suffering other minor ran into subsidence which developed after stumps were injuries. extracted, and turned over on to its back. Neither Affleck, Miller had remained at Halls Creek to repair the the pilot , nor the sole passenger were injured but the Dragon . He was the only one in the company with all the nearest sound landing ground for the relief aircraft was at necessary certificates to effect all the engine and airframe Ivanhoe Station, some 50 miles inland. Affleck had to repairs and could not spare two men to do the work. For make a agonising trip by horse with the mail to Ivanhoe the next few weeks he suffered dreadfully from the heat, where he took over the relief machine and Woods, who flies, sunstroke, bad water and general despair. He wrote was also no horseman, had to make an even more painful several bitter letters to the Controller of Civil Aviation nde back to Wyndham with tools and spares, berating the quality of British aircraft and the Woods repaired the Dragon, using Bushells tea chests incompetence and disloyalty of pilots. The Controller's for replacement of the damaged plywood, just has Miller replies were soothing and sympathetic but with a hint that had done at Halls Creek. In fact Miller had told the the Department was not impressed with the performance Controller that the quality of the plywood in the tea chests of the new service so far and a gentle suggestion to lift his was superior to that in the aircraft. He was definitely not a game. They could not really afford to get too visibly heavy de Havilland fan! After the repair Woods waited for the with Miller as some of the responsibility for the situation surface to dry out and then flew URW back to Maylands had to rest on their shoulders for letting the contract to a for a more lasting rebuild. firm so obviously unaware of the difficulties of operating in the North West. Four years later, MMA had acquired two Lockheed 10A Electras and two DH86 airliners and was ready to MMA was able to purchase VH-URF from Western phase out some of its fleet. URW was sold to W R Mining in December 1934 and from then on things Carpenter and Company in March 1939 and transferred to became easier. In May 1936, MMA purchased a second their Mandated Airlines operations in New Guinea. On 30 hand Dragon from England, which was registered as January 1940 R E Doyle made a misjudged approach to VH-UVN, bringing their fleet number to five, becoming Wau aerodrome and, while attempting to go round along with W R Carpenter, the biggest pre-war Dragon fleet in the country again, struck a hillside and both he and his two native passengers were killed. Doyle normally flew a De Havilland DH84 Dragon II VH-URW c/n 6080 "The DH86 and was probably caught out by the poor Pilbara" performance of the DH84 in such a situation. The This aircraft managed to keep out of the early wreckage was purchased by Kevin Parer, ostensibly for disasters suffered by MMA and it was not until 8 March spares for his Dragon VH-AEA. De Havilland DH84 Dragon II VH-URX c/n 6081 "Gascoyne" This Dragon only had one untoward incident in its life with MMA and that occurred soon after the service started. On 23 October 1934, George McCausland had flown into Ord River en route to Daly Waters and had failed to tie the aircraft down. A sudden willy willy caught it and blew it into the stockyard fence causing some considerable damage. Arthur Affleck, who had warned McCausland about this danger, has an amusing description of the incident in his autobiography in which he describes Bert Hussey and George McCausland desperately trying to hold the aircraft down in the mini VH-VRW inverted at Wyndham after hitting a ground hole. cyclone and being dragged at increasing speed across AHSA Aviation Heritage

strange noises from the direction of the beach. Led by Robert Forrest, they cautiously approached the water. In the sea was an RAAF Dragon upside down in four feet of water with no sign of the occupants. Robert Forrest souvenired the constructor’s plate and later mounted it on a coat hangar. The aircraft was A34-1 which had been en route from Maylands to Geraldton when the starboard engine failed and, unable to maintain height on one engine, the pilot, F/L Burdeau from 35 Squadron, had ditched In the sea. On board were a Group Captain, a Wing Commander and two the aerodrome until "Bert only touched the ground every Pilot Officers who were all only slightly shocked and twenty yards and George was stretched out like a bruised. How they made such a rapid disappearing act windsock" remains a mystery, but A34-1 was taken back to Pearce This incident seems to be the only recorded mishap and converted to components. De Havilland DH84 Dragon II VH-URY c/n 6082 "The Murchison" The accident suffered by DRY at Halls Creek on 7 November 1934 could well have caused MMA's entry into the north west service to collapse. The aircraft was very badly damaged and would normally have required extensive repair facilities to rebuild. MMA were operating at the limit of their resources and the only person in the company with all the necessary licences to certify the repair was Miller himself. He camped next to the damaged Dragon and over the next two

Photo; Author months single-handedly replaced a wing, rebuilt for UXY which flew in WA until September 1938 when the nose and the undercarriage, made new engine mounts MMA had no further need for the aircraft. Cyril Kleinig and fitted new propellers. The temperature was constantly flew the Dragon to Adelaide to join the Cessna C37, the between 38 and 41 degrees Celsius and he was only able and the Fox Moth at the South to work until noon when everything became too hot to Australian branch of the company. URX was flown handle. Hd had made no provision for proper supplies and extensively by Kleinig, mainly on the Adelalde-Whyalla, meals, suffered severely from drinking bore water and and Adelaide-Iron Knob service until late 1939. The finally collapsed with sunstroke. Luckily one of the local needs of the RAAF caught up with the DH84 and it was residents came out to see what progress had been made impressed in December 1939 to become became A34-1 On 14 June 1942 four army signalmen of the Western Command Signals Unit were camped in sandhills alongside the beach south of Dongara, WA. They were stationed there to report any suspicious activity in the area which had been completely cleared of civilians. Some time after dark, the four men heard an aircraft approach followed by a series of VH-URY, now in the service of Airlines (WA) Ltd in readiness for a Maylands departure in 1939. Photo, .iuthor

84 AHSA Aviation Heritage and took him back to the Mission hospital to recover. It On 20 October 1953 VH-URY crashed at Cheviot Hills was a heroic effort which could have cost him his life at a in Queensland and was damaged beyond repair. critical time in the company's development. But he got In February 1936 the Federal Government decided URY back into the air and ferried It back to Maylands for that the airmail service to the North West would be further rebuilding. increased to bi-weekly from June 1936 to tie in with similar The next four months were uneventful but on 5 April changes to other routes. MMA made enquiries about 1935, Jim Branch was taxying down wind at Port acquiring a fifth Dragon and were able to secure a Headland and, unable to check the speed of the aircraft, machine from W S Shackleton Ltd in the UK. It was a ran Into the perimeter fence damaging the lower starboard Dragon II which had been registered as G-AEFX in May extension wing. URW had crashed at Wyndham and was 1936 for sale In the UK but was shipped later that month cannibalised to get URY airworthy as quickly as possible. to arrive in Fremantle on 25 June 1936. It was registered as VH-UVN. On 21 November 1936 with C R Clarke at the controls, the Dragon's engines suffered a vapour lock In the DH84 Dragon II VH-UVN c/n 6106 "The Ashburton" extreme heat and the pilot had to put the aircraft down on The new aircraft was flight tested on 10 July and went rocky ground. The undercarriage and port wing suffered into service immediately on the main route where it was to damage and the port engine bearers were bent. The give trouble-free service for most of its life. In late 1939, damage, while considerable, fell far short of that described with the decline In use of the Dragons on the main route, in a Perth newspaper report which had the aircraft sliding UVN was allocated to Port Hedland to serve as the AAMS along the ground, tearing off the undercarriage and wings aircraft for that area, replacing the Fox Moth VH-USJ and damaging the fuselage. which went into reserve. The regular pilot on this work was On 13 August 1938, URY was sold to Airlines (WA) Ltd Max Campbell, a long-time MMA employee who who were experiencing some of the equipment problems possessed A,B,C,D and X ground licences in addition to that MMA itself had In their early years. URY flew on the his commercial flying licence. He rendered fine service to eastern goldfields service that Airline (WA) had pioneered. the company at Port Hedland, not only doing the flying but The first pilot to fly the new acquisition was Bob Hickson also able to service MMA aircraft which came through the who had never flown a twin before. He recalls his base and handling the Company's paper work as well. conversion on to the type very clearly. In late 1940 Campbell announced he was leaving to "Horrie Miller and I walked around the aircraft and he join the RAAF and Harold Dicks, who was the resident showed me what to pre-flight check. He than put me in the doctor at the base and had an "A" licence, offered to take pilot's seat and stood behind me in the cabin while I taxied over the flying duties. MMA would not agree to this out to the perimeter and gave me some advice on proposal as Dicks had never done a conversion on to asymmetric performance. I took off. made one circuit of twin-engined aircraft and W Freeland was appointed to fill Maylands, landed and taxied in. Horrie congratulated me the vacancy. He got off to an unfortunate start when he on gaining my endorsement to the type, got out, eight made an emergency landing at Neda Station in November passengers got in and off I went to the Goldfields". Bob 1940 to avoid bad weather but hit rough ground and gilds the lily slightly -it was the next day he flew to the severely damaged UVN. Goldfields! The Fox Moth was dragged out of retirement and this Airlines (WA) had good service from the Dragon until eased the pilot shortage as Dicks was qualified to fly it. July 1940 when the an impressment notice was issued In May 1941 URF, the Dragon stationed at Wyndham was and it was ferried to the Guinea Airways workshops at impressed as we have already seen, and the rebuilt Parafield by Charles Snook where it was converted for use UVN took its place to continue the AAMS work from that at an Air Observer's School. This work took some time and centre. when the DH84 was finally put into service as A34-6, the Less than a year later, on 7 January 1942, UVN was RAAF only got 155 hours use from It as on 20 August taking off from Broome en route for Maylands for a major 1941 it collided with a truck at Mount Gambler airport and suffered damage to both stub wings, engines and engine mounts. Repairs were protracted and the Dragon lay Idle at the scene of the accident for 19 months. In May 1943, the aircraft was sold to Qantas Empire Airways for use on the Flying Doctor routes based on Cloncurry. It was named John Flynn and served in this role until June 1949 when the Australian National Airlines Commission purchased it for use by Trans Australia Airlines, with whom it served for over four years.

VH-UVN ready for a load ofpassengers to the North West. Ifioio: AHM

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service when a engine failed and the aircraft crashed three was given a G category on arrival and spent the next five miles from the aerodrome. The pilot and three passengers months awaiting repair. In October it was allotted to MMA escaped unscathed but the engine caught fire and the at Maylands but repair work was very slow due to shortage aircraft was totally destroyed in the ensuing conflagration. of spare parts. It was not until May 1943 that the Dragon was ready to fly and it was then transferred back to the Two more pre-war Dragons were destined to come to Civil Aviation Department so it could be loaned to MMA for the West after the war had started, albeit for very brief a period not to exceed 3 months to relieve the shortage of stays. They were both Dragon Ms and were registered aircraft In that company. During this period the civil VH-ABK and VH-UZZ. registration of VH-ABK was renewed. DH84 Dragon II VH-ABK c/n 6062 In September 1943 the Dragon, once again A34-4, This aircraft, the first of the Dragon Ms, started Its life in returned to 35 Squadron at Pearce and was allocated for the UK in January 1934 when it was registered G-ACMO the exclusive use of the Allied Works Council, but two to Jersey AlnA/ays, flying with them until July 1935 when it months later It was back at No. 7 Conversion Unit where It was purchased by Northern and Scottish Airways. In remained until March 1944 when MMA were given the job March 1938 It was struck from the British register, having of assessing its likelyhood of economical repair. The been exported to Australia to fly with Southern answer was fairly predictable given Its general condition Queensland Airways. Arthur Russell Penfold of that over the last two years, and six months later approval was company, requested the registration letters VH-ARP but given for it to be converted into components. the Department refused, saying it was too far ahead of current Issue and allotted VH-ABK Instead. The last of the pre-war Dragons to technically come to the West was VH-UZZ/A34-3 but there is some doubt in By mid 1940, Southern Queensland Airways were the author's mind that the entire aircraft ever arrived. about to cease operating and had lined up a sale of ABK with their 180 degree counterpart. Northern Queensland Airways, the old TH McDonald company which had been DH84 Dragon II G-ADDJA/H-UZZ/A34-3 c/n 6097 absorbed into Airlines of Australia in October 1938 just as This aircraft firstflew in May 1935 with Railway Air that company Itself was being purchased by Australian Services Ltd, based at Eastleigh In the UK and it was National Airways. ABK was saved the difficulty of named City of Plymouth . In March 1937 the Dragon was wondering just who owned it as the RAAF decided to sold to Aircrafts Pty Ltd in Queensland and received the impress it and the sale fell through. name Riada and the last registration in the "U" block, VH-UZZ. The DH84 was flown to the DCA at Archerfield in July 1940 and then to Essendon in the same month. Once In January 1940 the aircraft was impressed into the there, an inspection by the Department revealed the RAAF and allotted the serial A34-3, spending just over two aircraft was In a deplorable state requiring a complete years flying with the No.1 and No.2 Air Observers Schools. rebuild of the fuselage and recovering of all external In March 1942 it was issued to No. 34 Squadron at surfaces. There were 97 defects listed on the inspection Parafleld and six months later to No. 36 Squadron at sheet and the Department wrote to the Officer in Charge Essendon but crashed one month later at Musgrave at Archerfield pointing out that as the Certificate of Station near Cooktown In Queensland and was described Airworthiness had only just been renewed, would they as damaged beyond economical repair. care to discuss the matter with the engineer responsible However, A34-3 was retained for nearly three years, for the renewal! finally being struck off charge in June 1945 so there must ABK was issued to ANA for repairs which were have been some faint hope in someone's breast that it completed by September 1940, serlalled A34-4 and issued could be restored to flying condition. Perhaps Airlines to No.1 Aircraft Depot at Laverton for installation of radio (WA) Ltd thought so as they bought the Dragon at the end equipment. The Dragon was shuffled around between of June, but as there is no record of It ever flying again it No.1 and No.2 Air Observer's Schools until February 1942 may have been acquired as a source of spares. If so. It is spending considerable periods in a low degree of unlikely that the entire aircraft would have come to WA as serviceability but by then the Pacific war was well under the company no longer had a Dragon in their fleet. way and A34-4 went back to ANA for conversion to an air Possibly only the engines were of Interest to them along ambulance. with some minor items such as instruments and controls or components that could be used In their Dragonfly or In May 1942 the DH84 was Issued to 35 Squadron and their two Rapides. flew to the RAAF base at Pearce In WA. The cross country trip must have exacted a severe toll on the aircraft as it

References

De Havilland DH-84 Dragon Series John Hopton Unpublished research document 1999 De Haviiland Aircraft Since 1909 A J Jackson Putnam 1987 The Historic Civil Aircraft Register of Australia (PreWar) Bert CooksonAustAir Data Out of the Blue H C Miller unpublished work The West Australian Newspaper various issues 1933 to 1939 Austraiian Registers of Civil Aircraft 193310 1939 LogBooks Jimmy Woods, Cyril Kleinig, Rob Hickson, Charles Snook, Harry Baker, Western Airways Leigh Edmonds PhD thesis Murdock University 1991 The Royal Flying Doctor Story Michael Page Rigby 1977 The R(^al Flying Doctor Service of Australia John Brunt et al Sydney1961 The Wandering Years Arthur Affleck Melbourne 1964 Australian Aviator Sir Norman Brearley Rigby 1974 Personal communications Merv Prime, Bob Hickson, Brian Hernan, Frank Colquhoun

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RETURN TO DARWIN SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOMBING OF DARWIN, FEBRUARY 19, 1942 On this day Australia was subjected to an enemy Tuesday the 19th was, of course the focal point of the attack for the first time in its history. The first wave of 166 whole week. A Commemorative Service was held at the bombers and fighters attacked the town, aerodrome and Cenotaph, attended by many hundreds of veterans and ships in the harbour. A second wave two hours later by 54 Darwinians. At precisely 10.56 am a volley of anti-aircraft bombers destroyed the RAAF base and most of its aircraft guns shook the city to replicate to a degree the sound that and the oil tanks. Many lives were lost. By the end of 1942 would have been heard on that fateful day sixty years ago. Darwin and the area around had received a total of 64 air After the service concluded we were entertained at raids. But the response was quick and effective. Spitfires, Parliament House for an official Reception hosted by Chief Beaufighters, Hudsons and Liberators were soon Minister Claire Martin. operating from various airstrips and the war was taken to An early start on Wednesday saw us en route to the enemy. At the same time Army and Navy units Adelaide River War Cemetery for another Memorial reinforced our defences. The expected Japanese landing never took place. Service passing numerous wartime airstrips and camp areas, bringing back memories to many veterans. Morning More than one thousand veterans and their spouses, tea at the historic .Adelaide River railway station was carers and family members have just come back from an followed by lunch at Batchelor for the majority, but for 31 emotional return to the places where they served in the Squadron It was a detour to our old home base, Coomalie armed forces or civilian services for the commemoration Creek Airstrip where a wonderful welcome awaited us. of this important date. The RAAF Band had come back from Adelaide River The Northern Territory Government, Darwin City together with a Guard of Honour and Catafalque Party for Council and Coomalie Community Council with the our own special service of remembrance. Australian Defence Force and Department of Veterans Then we were invited to unveil a new sign marking the Affairs all contributed to the success of the various significance of the airstrip, which is ultimately to be Commemorative Services and other events to make a erected by Coomalie Community Council on the Stuart truly memorable visit to Darwin. Highway, on a special by-pass in the vicinity. The Army On Sunday, 17th, an Ecumenical Service was held in kindly erected a shelter and provided seating for us oldies, St. Mary's Star of the Sea Cathedral, which was filled to its and a barbeque lunch served by the Council. Children capacity of one thousand people. The final Intercessory from Batchelor Area School sang some Australian songs Prayer encapsulates the theme of the service. to us, adding to the emotion of the day. "We pray for Darwin. May we be a community that The week was capped off by our final dinner at the values its multi-cultural richness and is a bridge-builder to Darwin RSL Club, where we were able to thank some of all nations of our region." the people and organisations who had extended In the evening we attended a most enjoyable Concert, marvellous hospitality to us. This was an important event featuring a combined Army and RAAF Band, together with in the lives of the citizens of Darwin, and many of them items by very talented local singers, dancers and actors. went out of their way to make our brief visit as enjoyable as possible. On returning to our hotel we were given Next morning we were treated to a tour of World War II copies of letters of thanks written to us by the children of Historic Sites in the Darwin vicinity, including the original Nightcliff Primary School. Here Is just one sample: "Dear Qantas Hangar from 1939 and various defence sites Veterans, Thank you for saving us and Darwin's people of around the city which have been preserved, these were Australia. I want to say we love you and thank you for well recognised by former veterans who served in those saving Darwin. Richard." We are truly humbled by this places. wonderful gesture from our children! My own group of 31 Beaufighter Squadron, RAAF, The Return to Darwin and the annual commemorative members and other RAAF veterans were taken to the services around the country are the result of the efforts of Aviation Heritage Museum for the unveiling of a new Darwin Defenders Inc., an association of Army, Navy, presentation of WW II photos and memorabilia. The RAAF units and civilians who served in the area during dominant exhibit here is a huge USAF B52 bomber but World War II. Darwin Defenders hope that Australians will many others are of great Interest, including an excellent not forget this important milestone in our history. Certainly full size replica of the Spitfire fighter, a reminder of the Darwin will never forget it. sterling work of the fighter Squadrons who protected Darwin from 1942. This visit was followed by a pleasant Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Neal McDonald, DFC, Reunion Function for all veterans at the Wharf Passenger RAAF (ret'd) Frankston, Vic. February 26, 2002. Terminal, courtesy of Darwin City Council. p£ar ^ fhanKi oa fo-r ilia- ' t- D Da7'uj-un H dwe. 1 llC^L ucar i Torn 0 7^ / U CO''<2; Qed, o' u

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