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Temora Aviation Museum News
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19 Jun ´08 | GREAT WEATHER & BRILLIANT AIRCRAFT AT JUNE FLYING WEEKEND & RELEASE OF NEW FLYING DAY DATES
What fantastic sunny weather we had at Temora over the June Flying Weekend! A great line-up of aircraft performed some stunning aerobatic routines and manoeuvres over the two days.
The action packed program included the Wirraway, Hudson, Boomerang, Spitfire Mk VIII, Spitfire Mk XVI, Vampire, Canberra, Meteor, Cessna O-2A and Dragonfly. Visiting aircraft that joined in the weekends’ flying displays involved Gordon Glynn’s Cessna O-1, which united with the Museum’s Cessna O-2 and the Dragonfly to create a Vietnam-themed display. Two Harvards, which belong to Doug Hamilton and David Salter joined with the Wirraway adding to the formation flying program with a three ship formation routine.
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) brought two Squirrel Helicopters to Temora Aviation Museum for the Flying Weekend. They performed a great display of synchronised manoeuvres, as did the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Roulette aerobatic team who performed many manoeuvres with names such as ripple rolls, snake loops and ‘the heart’.
We would like to express our thanks to the RAN and RAAF for contributing to the weekend’s entertainment. We look forward to hosting them again at future Flying Weekends.
At lunchtime on Saturday, a special graduation ceremony was conducted for a group of trainee pilots from the charity organisation Wheelies with Wings. Wheelies with Wings purpose is to offer physically disabled people the opportunity to gain a flying experience. Congratulations to those trainees who were awarded certificates.
Sunday’s flying display began with a presentation from the 335 Squadron Precision Drill Team Cadets from Williamtown. The team, which was made up of 16 Cadets from various stages of training and age groups, performed for the crowd once again in the lunch break. The routine that was displayed featured input from all cadets and some of the drill movements were also created by the cadets. We look forward to having the team visit again sometime.
The next Flying Weekend is only four weeks away on 19 & 20 July so start planning!
For pictures of the flying weekend please click on the following link.
www.aviationmuseum.com.au/news/JuneFlyingWeekend2008.cfm
NEW FLYING DATES
We are now able to release our flying dates for 2009. They are as follows:
• January 31 & February 1
• March 7 & 8
• April 25 & 26
• June 6 & 7
• July 25 & 26
• September 5 & 6
• October 24 & 25
• November 28 & 29
One date has been released for 2010:
• Jan 30 & 31
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05 Jun ´08 | THIS FLYING WEEKEND UPDATE
Unlike many other areas around Australia at the moment, the weather here at Temora is rather pleasant! Today we have a clear, but mild day and Saturday’s and Sunday’s weather are predicted to be sunny and cool, with tops of 17 and 16. So our visitors can expect fine weather for the entire June Flying Weekend!
A great line-up of aircraft will be adding to the excitement this weekend. The enthralling Royal Australia Air Force’s Roulette Aerobatic team have already begun arriving, along with the Royal Australian Navy’s Squirrel Helicopters. Both teams of visiting aircraft plan to perform some spectacular formation aerobatic displays over the weekend. Formation handling displays will also be executed by three visiting Harvards, who will join the busy flying schedule in the skies above the Museum. Other aircraft joining the Museum’s collection will be the Cessna O-1 and Tom Moon’s Extra 300s.
The Museum’s vintage collection plan to showcase the Wirraway, Hudson, Boomerang, Spitfire VIII and Spitfire XVI, Vampire, Meteor, Cessna O-2A and Dragonfly.
Remember to bring along a light fold-up chair (if you have one) and some warm clothes.
Gates open at 10.00 am. See you there!
For more information check the Flying Day Information page on our website:
http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/visit/FlyingDayInformation.cfm
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02 Jun ´08 | FLYING THIS WEEKEND
A huge Flying Weekend is taking place this weekend the 7th & 8th of June. Temora Aviation Museum has the privilege of hosting the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Roulette Aerobatic Team. The Roulettes have returned to the Museum for the first time in nearly two years to participate in this weekend of flying excellence. The Roulettes always perform a spectacular formation aerobatic display thrilling our visitors. The team will be available throughout both days to meet visitors and autograph commemorative posters.
Our friends from the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Albatross at Nowra will be bringing two Squirrel helicopters to perform an amazing formation routine during both of the flying days. The RAN Squirrels have visited the Museum before and we can promise that it is worth the trip just to see their display.
Joining our special guests will be a large variety of aircraft from the Museum collection taking to the skies over the weekend. Visitors can expect to see the Wirraway, Hudson, Boomerang, Spitfires, Vampire, Meteor, Cessna O-1, Cessna O-2, Dragonfly and Tom Moon’s Extra 300s. There will also be a formation display both days from visiting North American Aviation T-6 Harvard’s.
On Saturday our visitors will be treated to a very special Graduation Ceremony. Wheelies with Wings is a charity and a non profit organization whose purpose is to offer physically disabled people the opportunity to gain a flying experience thus allowing them to gain a sense of freedom and achievement. The most recent group trainee pilots will be presented with a Certificate in recognition of their achievements. For more information on Wheelies with Wings click on this link. http://www.wheelieswithwings.com.au
Visitors on Sunday will witness a very special Precision Drill Team display by 335 Squadron Cadets who parade at RAAF Williamtown with around 80 cadets and 10 Staff members. The Australian Air Force Cadets goal is to promote youth development and interest in aviation and the Royal Australian Air Force. Cadets are instructed in a range of subjects including Aviation, Field Craft, Service Knowledge, and Drill and Ceremonial. The 335SQN Precision Drill Team was raised in 2007 initially to train and compete in the 3 Wing competition. It was the first time in a decade that the Squadron had submitted a team to the competition and none of the members had competed before. The Precision Drill Team went on to win first place. Since then, the team has reinforced their position within the squadron and has become a permanent section, performing and competing in a range of events. The routine they will display has had input from all cadets and some of the drill movements utilised were created by the cadets. The Team is made up of 16 Cadets from various stages of training and different age groups.
Both Saturday and Sunday will be packed full of great flying, the smell of aviation fuel and the sounds of both piston and jet engines with the occasional turbo prop and rotor blade thrown in. The Museum will open at 10.00am both days with flying beginning at 11.00am. The flying will continue through until 3.00 pm when all aircraft will be roped off for Ramp Talk so that visitors can get a closer look and talk to the pilots, before the Museum closes at 4.00 pm.
We are expecting great weather with no rain but remember to pack some warm clothes for the cool June weather! See you there.
For more Flying Day information click on the following link:
http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/visit/FlyingDayInformation.cfm
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21 May ´08 | RAAF SABRE UPDATE NEWS
The RAAF Sabre being restored to flying condition by the Temora Aviation Museum has seen continual progress over the last eighteen months; however some big milestones have been achieved in recent weeks.
In November 2005 a significant commitment to preserving historical military aircraft was made when the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Shepherd signed an Agreement with the Temora Aviation Museum. Under the agreement, co-signed by the Founder and President of the Museum Mr David Lowy AM, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) loaned their Sabre to the Temora Aviation Museum (TAM) who will restore it to flying condition and operate the aircraft at flying weekends and RAAF events.
Restoration on the Sabre is progressing very well at Temora with recent focus on preparing the aircraft to be taken out to the tarmac where it could undergo tests to the fuel tanks. Firstly the engineers attached the wing centre section to the fuselage followed by each wing being bolted onto the wing centre section. Next they fitted the last of five fuel tanks followed by the installation of temporary wheels and brakes which enabled the towing of the Sabre out of the Restoration Hangar, down the taxiway and onto the tarmac for refuelling.
With the Temora Aviation Museum fuel truck in place along with all safety gear Engineers Lindsay, Marty and Ben began to fill the fuel tanks in a specific order. They filled the forward fuselage tank first followed by the centre wing tank, left hand and right hand fuel tanks and finishing with the aft fuselage tank. To ensure the tanks were completely full the aft tank was filled until the forward tank began to overflow. The engineers conducted an inspection of all seals and fuel tank interconnects. The meticulous work of Ben and Marty was evident in the absence of any leaks. Well Done Guys!
After the fuel tests the Sabre returned to the Restoration Hangar where it is undergoing the next phase of its restoration. The vertical stabiliser and aileron actuator fittings have been removed for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). The bolts and mounts of the vertical stabiliser have been sent to Melbourne for testing, and an NDT specialist will visit the Museum soon to conduct testing of the larger items on site.
Aircraft Engineer Ben’s next restoration task will be the to work on the wing’s electrical wiring installation, while Aircraft Engineer Marty will focus on cleaning up and inspecting the vertical stabiliser area on the aft fuselage.
A completion date for the Restoration is still too far off to advertise a specific date however we are working very hard to ensure that the Sabre will fly again in 2008!!
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30 Apr ´08 | RECORD VISITORS AT ANZAC WEEKEND FLYING DAYS
The Museum’s biggest Flying Day to date occurred on Saturday when visitors flocked to see two RAAF PC-9/A’s and 170 antique and classic aircraft belonging to members of the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia, as well as the Museum’s collection of historical airplanes.
Forward Air Control was the theme of the day on Saturday as we were joined by a large group of Forward Air Control pilots from the Vietnam era who were enjoying a week of reunion events including a visit to the Museum on Saturday. They were very excited to witness the Cessna O-2A, Cessna Dragonfly A37B, English Electric Canberra, T-28 Trojan and Cessna O-1 Birddog which re-created a Vietnam inspired Forward Air Control Mission. The RAAF PC-9/A’s that visited were from the Forward Air Control Development Unit based at Williamtown. The PC-9’s provided a modern Forward Air Control display which enhanced the Forward Air Control theme. One aircraft was displayed in the air while the other was on static display in the Display Hangar for visitors to enjoy.
The antique aeroplanes that joined us were both civil and military in type and were at the Museum to participate in the 32nd Annual Fly-In of the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia (AAAA). The AAAA’s are an organisation that are united in promoting the preservation, rebuilding and flying of old aeroplanes. They choose a different location every year for their Fly-In.
From the Museum aircraft collection visitors experienced the Wirraway, Spitfire Mk XVI, Spitfire Mk VIII, Boomerang, Vampire, Cessna O-2A, Dragonfly and Canberra as they flew over the skies of Temora. Joining the Museum aircraft in the sky were two Harvards, a Ryan, Austers, a Chipmunk, a Stearman, Lockheed 12A, a Kittyhawk, a Trojan, two Birddogs and Tom Moon’s Extra 300s.
Sunday’s Flying Day was rather trying as the weather was not on our side and rain limited the flying capabilities. However we were able to get through about 60% of our scheduled programme including the RAAF PC-9/A’s who displayed for the crowd and then departed back to Williamtown. We would like to thank all of our visitors that attended on Sunday and despite the inclement weather enjoyed the flying displays. Unfortunately weather is a difficult thing to predict, and although it didn’t benefit the Museum on Sunday, it was a welcome sight for our farming region which continues to endure drought.
ANZAC DAY NEWS
To participate in the remembrance of ANZAC Day the Museum aircraft conducted a flypast over the ANZAC Day Ceremony that was held at Temora’s Cenotaph. The Spitfire Mk VIII flown by Doug Hamilton and the Wirraway flown by Tom Moon were the two World War II aircraft which were involved in the flypast.
As a part of the ANZAC Day commemorations Seventeen Australian Forward Air Controllers received the United States Air Medal for their service in Vietnam at the Embassy of the United States of America in Canberra. This group of proud Australians have waited many years to receive the recognition for their efforts in Vietnam are we are immensely proud of all of them. Especially dear to our hearts are two of the medal recipients who are current Temora Historic Flight Club pilots, Bruce Wood and David Robson. Well done to you all and Thank You.
SABRE NEWS
Stay tuned for next week’s newsletter which will feature a full update of the progress that has been made with the RAAF Sabre which is being restored here at the Temora Aviation Museum.
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22 Apr ´08 | PLENTY OF AIRCRAFT AT ANZAC FLYING WEEKEND
A huge Flying Weekend is planned for this coming Saturday and Sunday. Mild weather is forecast and we are expecting over 150 antique and classic aeroplanes to visit with arrivals starting on Friday. Several of these aircraft will be participating in the flying programme on Saturday. The aircraft are of both civil and military status, and belong to members of a group named the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia (AAAA).
The “Antiquers” are a national organisation that takes pride in promoting the preservation, rebuilding and flying of old aeroplanes and will be visiting the Museum for their 32nd National Fly-in. Aircraft will be arriving Friday and departing throughout Sunday with most departures taking place before lunchtime.
Another notable attraction this weekend will be two Royal Australian Air Force PC-9/As.These aircraft are modern-day Forward Air Control machines, used to train Australian Defence Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers who coordinate air support to troops on the ground. They are a welcome addition to Saturday’s flying programme in honour of the large retired Forward Air Controller (FAC) Reunion group that will attend Saturday’s Flying Day. Some of Saturday’s flying schedule will be dedicated to the FACs with a Vietnam-themed display showcasing aircraft that were once used to find enemy troops and coordinate air strikes during the Vietnam conflict. Look out for these aircraft, along with the majority of the Museum’s collection.
Visitors can expect to see the Tiger Moth, Wirraway, Hudson, Meteor, Vampire, O-2A, Canberra, Spitfires, Harvards, Lockheed 12, Dragonfly and Boomerang perform flying displays over both days. Our program is different on Saturday and Sunday as we simply have too much flying and too many aircraft to fit into one day!
Museum gates open at 10:00 am. Flying begins at 11:00 am and will continue through until after 3:00 pm. Museum closes at 4:00 pm. Food and refreshments are available on site and remember to bring along a light fold-up chair if you have one. The Temora branch of the NSW Fire Brigade operate the Mess Hall and all profits are donated to local charities.
ANZAC DAY HOURS
As a mark of respect for Anzac Day, Museum hours will alter on Friday 25 April. The Museum will open at 12.00 noon which will enable everyone to attend the morning’s ceremony. If you will be in Temora, and are able to attend the ANZAC ceremony, it will be held at Temora Cenotaph, Loftus Street at 10.30 am.
ANZAC Day is a national day of remembrance that marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and the soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs. The pride they took in that name remains to this day.
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07 Apr ´08 | PODIUM FINISH FOR TEMORA SUPERMARINES
A group of five Temora Aviation Museum Engineering team members, the Temora Supermarines, made their way to Sydney on the weekend to compete in the 1st Red Bull Flugtag event in Australia. The competition, which was organised by Red Bull, was the first to be held in Sydney and is reminiscent of the Birdman rally that is held in Victoria. It attracted a huge crowd of 60,000 spectators to Mrs Macquaries Point, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney. The program consisted of 35 teams who had created crazy manpowered flying machines, which were launched, by their team mates, off a 6 metre ramp into the water below.
The Supermarines came away a roaring success after securing a place on the podium to accept the MOST CREATIVE award in recognition of their craft’s artistic excellence. The craft’s design and artwork was based on the Museum’s Spitfire Mk VIII, and although the papier-maché contraption didn’t have a hope of ever flying, it did look quite similar to the real thing. The brave pilot, Pete Harper endured the flight relatively unscathed, although the same thing can’t be said for the aircraft which broke into several pieces.
It is reported that the Red Bull Flugtag Sydney will be televised however we are unsure when or what time at this stage. Further possible media attention involving the Supermarines with their Spitfire may appear on Channel 9’s Wide World of Sports and Channel 9’s The Footy Show. Keep your eye out for them.
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02 Apr ´08 | NEXT FLYING WEEKEND IS NOT TO BE MISSED!
Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia
Our next Museum Flying Weekend will be on 26 & 27 April and is set to be big. The Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia is a National organisation promoting the preservation, rebuilding, and above all, flying of old aeroplanes. “Old” includes Antique and Classic aeroplanes both Civil and Military. They will be here at Temora Aviation Museum for the 32nd AAAA National Fly-in on April 26 & 27. We are expecting over 100 Antique and Classic aircraft to fly-in to Temora over the weekend with several of them participating in the Museum’s flying programme – stay tuned for details.
Forward Air Controllers
Also joining us at the 26 & 27 April Flying Weekend is a large group of ex-Forward Air Controllers from around the world who are attending a reunion in Canberra and will travel to the Museum on Saturday. Part of the flying programme on Saturday will be dedicated to Forward Air Controllers and the role that they played in Vietnam. In addition the RAAF are bringing two current Forward Air Control PC-9 aircraft and are planning a demonstration for visitors.
1st Red Bull Flugtag Sydney
The craft that a group of Temora Aviation Museum team members have entered into the 1st Red Bull Flugtag Sydney Competition is now complete. Its design and artwork is based on the Museum’s Spitfire Mk VIII, and it is looking great (check out the photos). The Temora Supermarines, as the team is known, are all very excited about this event and are looking forward to the unique experience.
A uniquely loony competition, Red Bull Flugtag, involves manpowered flying machines and crazy pilots attempting to launch themselves off a 6m ramp and into the water below! Judged on the distance of their flight, the creativity of their flying machine and their pre-flight performance - the Red Bull Flugtag is most definitely the dream competition for showmen with a desire to take to the skies in a very unique way.
Red Bull Flugtag commences about 12 noon on Sunday, 6 April at Mrs Macquarie's Point, adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. It is a free event, so everyone is welcome to attend.
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18 Mar ´08 | MR MAGIC RETURNS TO THE SKY!
After a long break from flying, Tom Moon, also known as ‘Mr Magic', is back on our ranks as Temora Historic Flight Club’s most daring aerobatic display pilot. Tom’s Extra 300s is often the last aircraft to perform on a Flying Day, and it is always exciting to watch. The 300s is a purpose-designed competition aerobatic aircraft that Tom has used for national and international competitions over the years. It is truly recognisable due to its brilliant paint scheme to represent a wedge tail eagle. Look out for Tom’s display during each Flying Day!
Other aircraft that will be joining the Museum’s collection over the weekend are the Harvards, the Trojan and the beautiful Lockheed 12.
The vintage aircraft line-up from the Museum’s vintage collection will be the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Wirraway, Vampire, Spitfire Mk VIII on Saturday and Spitfire Mk XVI on Sunday, Boomerang, Hudson, Canberra, Meteor, Dragonfly and Cessna O-2A.
Come along to check out this weekend’s flying action. If you are looking for accommodation in town, or the surrounding area, visit our website for a list of phone numbers.
The Museum opens at 10.00 am, with flying continuing throughout the day from 11.00 am till around 3.00 pm. If you haven’t been before, food and refreshments are available on site and remember to bring along a light fold-up seat. It’s forecast to be good flying weather so we’ll see you here over the Easter Weekend!
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13 Mar ´08 | MARCH FLYING WEEKEND & OUR NEW CRAZY FLYING MACHINE
22nd & 23rd March are the dates for the next Flying Weekend, which is fast approaching! This Flying Weekend is a great time for travel, due to it being the Easter long weekend. The Museum will be closed for business on Good Friday (21st March) and will open again on the Saturday (22nd March), the first day of the Flying Weekend.
Many aircraft are expected to fly including the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Canberra, Boomerang, Meteor, Spitfires, Wirraway and Hudson. Tom ‘Mr Magic’ Moon will make his return to the skies above Temora in his aerobatic Extra 300S.
We look forward to you coming along to our March Flying Weekend. If you are looking for accommodation in town, or the surrounding area, visit our website for a list of phone numbers.
NEW ‘AIRCRAFT’
Temora Aviation Museum has a new aircraft! The only problem is that it will probably never fly, however it will attempt to at the Red Bull Flugtag event in Sydney on 6th April 2008. In this unique competition the pilots of homemade-manpowered flying machines launch themselves from a 6 metre ramp into the waters of Sydney Harbour.
The Museum Engineering Team have been working after hours to complete their craft and describe it is as being, “a spicy combination including British design, Australian ingenuity, topped with a splashing of the Orient and finished with a strong hint from our amigos in Mexico”. The design is a replica of the Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIII and is made up of many lightweight materials including bamboo, plastic piping, foam and paper mache. Work has been steady in constructing the ‘aircraft’ in time for it to participate in its finished glory at this first ever ‘Flugtag’ competition at Sydney, sponsored by Red Bull. The event will be similar to the Birdman Rally that has been going in Victoria since 1976. The judging criteria for all machines consist of distance of flight, creativity of the machine and the pre-flight performance.
Museum Team Member Pete Harper is the brave soul who will pilot the Spitfire from the ramp. His ‘crew’, aptly named ‘Temora Supermarines,’ that consist of Aircraft Engineers Ben Muller, Mitch Liebich, Jason Cockayne and Workshop Leading Hand Andrew Bishop, will join him. According to Pete he thinks he will have a pretty good chance of winning as, “We are entering a Spitfire and the Spitfire won the Battle of Britain”.
If you are interested in joining in the spectacle of watching our magnificent machine ‘fly’ into the harbour come along to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, NSW on 6th April 2008 beginning around 12 noon. It’s free to attend.
Check out our 'aircrafts' progression on the photo gallery page.
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21 Feb ´08 | TEMORA AVIATION MUSEUM AIRCRAFT AT POINT COOK
The RAAF Museum Air Pageant is on this Sunday, 24th February 2008, at the RAAF Museum on Point Cook Road, Point Cook Victoria. The RAAF Museum houses the biggest collection of Australian military aviation memorabilia in the world, and the largest collection of historic military aircraft in the Southern Hemisphere.
The home of the Royal Australian Air Force, Point Cook was established in March 1913 as the location for the Central Flying School, and was in continuous operation as a flying training base from 1914 until 1992. Additionally, Point Cook has also been home to officer training for the RAAF since 1947, as well as housing a wide range of other activities.
We are excited to announce that four of our aircraft will be partaking in the Air Pageant. They will be the Spitfire Mk VIII, which arrived in Point Cook on Thursday afternoon, the Hudson, Boomerang and Wirraway which will arrive later Saturday afternoon.
All four aircraft will be seen performing aerobatic and handling displays throughout the day on Sunday, along with many other aircraft including a C-130J Hercules, The Southern Knights Harvard aerobatic team, Winjeel, Sikorsky S-76, DC3, Yak 9, BAE Hawk, Trojan, Caribou and Mustangs, to name a few.
Admission into the event is FREE. Gates open at 9.00 am. Flying displays are between 1.00 pm and 4.00 pm.
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17 Feb ´08 | GREAT WEATHER AND EVEN BETTER FLYING AT FEB FLYING WEEKEND
Pleasant weather conditions and an extensive line-up of vintage aircraft created a successful combination for the first Flying Weekend for 2008.
Most of the Museum’s aircraft flew over the weekend, with the lineup involving the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Boomerang, Wirraway, Vampire, Spitfire Mk VIII and Mk XVI, Canberra, Meteor, Hudson and Dragonfly.
Quite a number of visiting aircraft joined the Museum aircraft to participate in aerobatic and handling displays including three Harvards owned by Doug Hamilton, Ian Silvester and David Salter; Trojan owned by Steve Death; Cessna Birddog owned by Gordon Glynn; Lars Larson’s Cessna 180 and a P-40 Kittyhawk owned by Allan Arthur.
NEW VAMPIRE PILOT
The Weekend also saw Temora Historic Flight Club member Alan Clements perform his first public flying display in the de Havilland Vampire T.35. Al has enthusiastically learned to fly the Vampire under the watchful eye of Bruce Wood and we plan for both of them to regularly operate this aircraft as part of our flying weekends.
NEW BOOMERANG PILOT
THFC pilot Doug Hamilton is now able to fly the Museum’s CA-13 Boomerang. Doug was first endorsed by the late Guido Zuccoli in his Boomerang 14 years ago, and undertook further training on the Friday prior to the Flying Weekend to get him up-to-speed with the machine. He is looking forward to being a back-up pilot in the Boomerang for future Flying Days.
On the 24th of February, Doug plans to display Temora Aviation Museum’s Boomerang at Point Cook Air Show. Look out for it there!
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08 Feb ´08 | FLYING WEEKEND WEATHER IN TEMORA IS GREAT
Although parts of the east coast of Australia are cloudy with rain, Temora weather is looking great for this weekend. Today is clear blue skies with a light breeze and mild temperatures. The current forecast for Temora is for mostly sunny skies with mild temperatures in the mid 20’s. There is NO RAIN FORECAST FOR TEMORA on either Saturday or Sunday.
Chief Executive Kenny Love said “Normally at this time of year, Temora experiences extremely hot conditions, however we are fortunate that this weekend is going to show us some beautiful springtime weather. Today we have Temora Historic Flight Club Pilots practicing in Harvards, Wirraway, Vampire and Kittyhawk preparing themselves for a big weekend of flying.”
We have an exciting program planned that includes the following aircraft:
Tiger Moth
Ryan
Boomerang
Wirraway
Harvards in formation
Vampire
Kittyhawk
Spitfire Mk VIII
Canberra
Meteor
Birddog
Cessna 180
T-28 Trojan
A37 Dragonfly
Hudson
Spitfire Mk XVI
We hope to see you all here over the weekend.
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04 Feb ´08 | FLYING THIS WEEKEND
AIRCRAFT LINEUP
The Museum will be flying most of its collection of warbird aircraft during the February 9 & 10 Flying Weekend. Taking to the skies you can expect to see the Spitfires, Tiger Moth, Wirraway, Canberra, Ryan, Meteor, Boomerang, Hudson and Vampire.
We are also expecting a visit from a WWII Stearman and several Harvards which will take part in a formation display. We will see you here at the first Temora Aviation Museum Flying Weekend for 2008 - 9 & 10 February.
Food and refreshments are available on site from our Mess Hall but don’t forget to bring a fold-up chair. Museum opens at 10.00 am with flying commencing at 11am..
TWO DAY PASSES
We are excited to announce the launch of a two day pass into the Museum Flying Days. These passes feature a discounted rate for visitors who intend to be at the Museum on two consecutive days.
The two-day pass prices are:
Adult - $22.50
Adult over 65 yrs - $15.00
Child (3-18 yrs) - $7.50
So if you intend visiting both days over the weekend, consider the two day pass!
NEW ITEMS IN GIFTSHOP
Valentines Day is not far away; the 14th of February for those who haven’t remembered! While you are visiting for the Flying Weekend, check out what is in stock at the Temora Aviation Museum Giftshop for your beloved.
If you are unable to make it to this Flying Weekend on 9 & 10 February, consider purchasing some of our stocked items on the Temora Aviation Museum Merchandise page on the website. There are now 12 different aircraft-themed caps in stock, as well as one beanie featuring the silhouette of the Spitfire. We have recently added two new caps to the range. They are the Boomerang and the Spitfire Mk VIII cap featuring the famous Grey Nurse teeth embroidered on the brim.
TEMORA GOLDEN GIFT
For those of you staying for the weekend in Temora who would like something to do on Saturday night, Temora will be holding its annual Telstra Countrywide Temora Golden Gift. This years Golden Gift is the 21st anniversary of the carnival and will be held Saturday 9 February at Nixon Park, Temora. The Gift is an athletics’ carnival with an evening session that begins around 5.45 pm. As a professional foot race, the Golden Gift carries a total prize pool of $15,000.
Get along to the Temora Golden Gift on Gallipoli Street to see what it’s all about after the Flying Day has finished.
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29 Jan ´08 | 2008 is off to a Busy Start
Now that the holiday break is over, everyone is getting back into the swing of aircraft maintenance and preparing for our next Flying Weekend, which is on Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th February 2008.
Visitors will be able to experience the Museum’s collection in action over that weekend, with displays anticipated by the Tiger Moth, Wirraway, Hudson, Dragonfly, Vampire, Meteor, Spitfires and Canberra.
BOOMERANG AND 0-2A ANNUAL INSPECTIONS
The Boomerang and Cessna 0-2A are currently undergoing their annual inspections.
The Boomerang’s engine cowlings have been removed to facilitate inspection of the engine including checking the spark plugs and the magneto timing. The aircraft will soon be placed on jacks so a thorough operational check of the undercarriage can be carried out.
The Boomerang’s red nose, or the spinner, as it is more accurately known has also been removed to inspect the propeller hub. Under the supervision of Aircraft Engineer Jason Cockayne, Apprentice Aircraft Engineer Mitch Liebich is currently concentrating on the wing attachment points, making sure they are secure and free from defects.
Cowls from around the front and rear of the Museum’s Cessna 0-2A have been removed so that the engines are accessible for the Engineers to carry out an annual inspection. The interior seats and lining have also all been removed to gain access to the control cables to check for any defects, and to ensure the undercarriage retract mechanism is working correctly. Further tasks in the 0-2’s inspection to be accomplished before it can fly again include an inspection of the flying controls and the wheels, tyres and brakes.
These aircraft should be ready to fly for the upcoming Flying Weekend on 9th & 10th February. Keep a look out for them!
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12 Dec ´07 | VALE COL PAY
Col Pay was born on 26 October 1932 and from an early age he developed an interest in flying and all things mechanical. He learned to fly at Narromine in western NSW using all he could afford from his wages to satisfy the passion that continued throughout his life. After gaining his licence he flew a variety of aircraft and later became an instructor at the Narromine Aero Club. His first aircraft was a De Havilland Tiger Moth and with this he established Pays Aerial Service which later became one of the largest and most successful aerial work companies in Australia.
Col was one of Australia’s pioneers of aerial topdressing, spraying and crop dusting and helped to develop many of the techniques now common practice in the industry. From his base in Scone, NSW the business expanded to include operations outside Australia and further diversified to include aerial fire fighting and aircraft sales.
Col’s passion for aviation led him into the realm of “warbird” operations before that term had even been coined. In partnership he owned an Australian built Mustang fighter that was kept at Narromine and later reluctantly sold to buy a washing machine. Today such a thought would not be contemplated, but in the 1950s and 1960s the warbird movement did not exist and few such aircraft were permitted to fly. Col again renewed his acquaintance with the Mustang when he purchased and restored the pillar box red VH-AUB at his Scone maintenance facility. With this aircraft repainted in its former RAAF markings Col became a regular performer at air shows throughout NSW.
Col expanded his interest in warbird aircraft with the purchase of a Spitfire Mk.VIII from the estate of the late Sid Marshall. This aircraft required a complete rebuild and many overseas commentators believed that the task could not be performed in this country. The aircraft’s first flight was the crowning achievement of the warbird movement in Australia up until that date, and its operation by Col between 1985 and 2000 brought this legend to thousands of enthusiasts and veterans alike. Col maintained his association with the Spitfire following its sale to the Temora Aviation Museum and flew it at Temora whenever the opportunity arose. Other wartime fighters and trainers became part of his collection including Australia’s first airworthy P-40 Kittyhawk which again emerged from his workshops as one of the best examples of its type anywhere in the world. At the time of the P-40’s first flight, Col’s collection boasted an example of each of the most significant fighter aircraft operated by the RAAF during the Second World War. Through Col’s efforts, Scone became a Mecca for aircraft enthusiasts and this was enhanced through the bi-annual “Warbirds over Scone” air shows that brought spectators from every state and overseas.
In addition to the aerial work operations, Col’s business expanded to include the acquisition and sale of a variety of ex-military aircraft. This greatly diversified the range of types flying in Australia and saved most from potential scrapping. With others he retrieved North American T-28s from Laos, Cessna O-1 Birdogs from Thailand and Vietnam and Cessna A-37 Dragonflys from Vietnam. Other types were also obtained from as far afield as Italy. It can truly be said that the nature and range of the Australian warbird movement as we see it today is due in no small part to the efforts of Col Pay.
Col was an astute businessman, hard bargainer and was both well liked and respected throughout the Australian aviation industry. He was a highly skilled and experienced pilot in a wide variety of aircraft types from the Wright Flyer replica to jets. He was a regular performer at Temora’s flying weekends bringing his Mustang or recently restored P-40, thrilling the crowds with his professional displays.
Col is survived by his wife Dianne, son Ross and daughters Jillian and Helen.
He shall be greatly missed by everyone at Temora and across the Australian aviation industry.
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10 Dec ´07 | CHRISTMAS GIFTS AND FREE BONUS
Do you still need to find the perfect gift for your special someone this Christmas?
Check out the Temora Aviation Museum’s online shop. We have recently added many new items to our unique range of online merchandise.
The Temora Aviation Museum online giftshop has a wide range of aviation related items ranging from books to clothing, hats to toys. The clothing section features our new Spitfire t-shirt and matching hooded sweat top. New hats include the Spitfire-inspired beanie and a Spitfire Mk XVI baseball cap.
You now have the opportunity to own a piece of aviation history with the purchase of the Canberra start cartridge and storage tin. These cartridges have been used to start the Museum’s Canberra bomber and make a fantastic and unique gift.
As a SPECIAL OFFER, all orders over $20 placed before Christmas Day 2007 will receive a FREE ANNUAL PASS to the Museum valued at $40.
All orders are shipped within 24 hours of receiving them and online payments are secure.
Have a look at the Temora Aviation Museum online shop, we have the gift you are looking for.
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21 Nov ´07 | GREAT END TO THE YEAR
It was fantastic to see such a large number of visitors join us for the final Flying Weekend for the year on November 17th and 18th. Despite the very warm weather, our visitors enjoyed viewing the comprehensive collection of aircraft that we had on display.
A total of ten visiting aircraft combined with the Museum aircraft to create an unforgettable show. A Kittyhawk owned by Allan Arthur, joined Col Pay’s Mustang, the Spitfires and Boomerang in a WWII aircraft formation. Doug Hamilton’s Harvard also flew along with his shiny ‘new’ Lockheed 12A, which made its debut appearance here at Temora. The Museum was also fortunate to exhibit Ian and Ellen Sylvester’s T28 Trojan. The final double of visiting aircraft were Gordon Glynn’s Birddog and Lars Larson’s Cessna 180, which is painted in its original Australian Army Scheme. The Museum’s Vietnam-era aircraft were joined by the Huey Helicopter which visited from the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Nowra. We are looking forward to having all these aircraft back again at a future Temora Aviation Museum Flying Weekend.
Museum-owned aircraft that contributed to the flying displays were the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Hudson, Boomerang, Wirraway, Spitfire Mk VIII, Spitfire Mk XVI, Vampire, Meteor, Canberra and Dragonfly. Tom Moon’s Extra flew on Sunday in an amazing flying display by Frank Versteegh. Frank is well known around the world for his participation in the Red Bull Air Race World Series and his expert aerobatics.
VOLUNTEER PRESENTATION AND WHEELIES WITH WINGS
Two official presentations were made over the weekend. Eleven Museum volunteers were presented with their latest volunteer hours certificates. These awards recognise the amount of hours contributed by each individual. Volunteers are a very important part of the way the Museum functions, and we appreciate every hour they are able to help.
Wheelies with Wings, is a group which aims to help people who are disabled learn to fly. They presented their latest achievement awards to several inspiring individuals who had achieved this dream through the organisation.
CANBERRA CITY BAND
Nothing beats live music, and the Canberra City Band, demonstrated their musical expertise during the breaks in Sunday’s flying program. We look forward to having them play again in the future.
The next Flying Weekend is on 9 & 10 February 2008. Begin planning your trip now!
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15 Nov ´07 | 2007 NSW Tourism Awards
At a Gala function in Sydney last night for the 2007 NSW Tourism Awards, Temora Aviation Museum received an Encouragement Award in the category of tourist attractions.
The Museum, which has been open to the public for the last six years, is honoured with this recognition from the industry. Established to collect and maintain in airworthy condition, historical military aircraft types flown by or in conjunction with Australian military forces, the Museum and Temora have become destinations for thousands of tourists. The benefits this creates for Temora and the Riverina Region has played a significant role in helping to weather these tough times.
Temora Aviation Museum is still growing and will continue to improve its facilities, operations and flying days.
The Museum is continuing its tradition of displaying historical aircraft this weekend when it holds its last flying days for 2007. Formations of World War II aircraft including the Spitfire, Boomerang, Hudson and Mustang will enthral yet another group of visitors who have made the pilgrimage to this small country town. While the power of the classic jet fighters will get hearts racing.
Our Congratulations go to the winners of our category the Pet Porpoise Pool at Coffs Harbour. We wish them success in the coming year.
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12 Nov ´07 | FLYING DISPLAYS THIS WEEKEND!
Join us for the last Flying Weekend of 2007. It is shaping up to be a big event with the inclusion of three visiting World War II aircraft. Col Pay will be bringing his P-40 Kittyhawk and P-51 Mustang. Allan Arthur will also bring along his P-40 Kittyhawk – don’t miss the two Kittyhawks at Temora! We also look forward to a special appearance from the Iroquois (Huey) helicopter from The Fleet Air Arm Museum at Nowra, NSW.
Bell Iroquois UH1-B, Serial Number: N9 - 882 (897) was bought from Bell helicopters in 1964 and served with 723 Squadron until 1987 when it was taken out of service and given to Australia’s Museum of Flight, Nowra NSW, as it was then known; (the Museum has since been renamed to The Fleet Air Arm Museum).
The UH1B Iroquois is recognised by its iconic shape and its classic chopper sound. The ‘U’ stands for utility, as opposed to attack or cargo helicopters. The initial designation of the UH1 was HU-1 (helicopter utility), and this led to its nickname, Huey. The UH1B is best remembered for its extensive use in the Vietnam War throughout the 60's, and was assigned to 135th Assault Helicopter Company (part of US 214th Combat Aviation Battalion), before its return to Australia and HMAS Albatross.
Don’t miss all these visiting aircraft perform their flying displays both days during the weekend.
The Museum also has a long list of aircraft anticipated to perform in the weekend’s flying. They include the Canberra, Hudson, Meteor, both Spitfires, Vampire and many more…
CANBERRA CITY BAND
The Canberra City Band will be joining us on the Sunday of the Flying Weekend to provide entertainment at various times during the day. We look forward to their performance.
DON’T FORGET…
Remember to pack your sunscreen, a hat, and a light fold-up chair (if you have one) when visiting the Flying Weekend. The Museum will open at 10.00 am, with flying beginning at 11.00 am. The Museum closes at 4.00 pm. Food and refreshments are available on site.
We look forward to seeing you here on the weekend!
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05 Nov ´07 | Don't Miss the Spitfire Documentary on History Channel
Temora Aviation Museum is a proud supporter of "Spitfire Guardians" a new documentary film screening on The History Channel for Remembrance day November 11, premiering at 6.30pm QLD time, 7.30pm AEDST. Featuring narration by Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, rare WWII archive footage, and of course Temora's MKVIII Grey Nurse Spitfire.
The echoes of war rippled throughout the world in 1939, reaching the ears of young men eager to prove their worth in the coming battle. Engineers, bankers, farmers and schoolboys answered the call. Hundreds of thousands entered service for their country.
The Supermarine Spitfire was the pinnacle of fighter plane technology at that time, capturing the imagination of the people for its valiant defense of England in the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire fought in every major theater of war, from the deserts of the Middle East, the jungles of Burma, the scrub of Australia, the skies of England and France, and the islands of the Pacific and Mediterranean. The experiences of the pilots involved in the Battle of Britain are well documented, what is not well documented is the varied experiences of the Australian men who were trained then scattered to the far corners of the globe. Their only knowledge was of their job, their trust in their ground crew and the Spitfire fighter aircraft.
Spitfire Guardians has captured their essence, their pain, sorrow, joy and affection. Narrated by Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, their stories are from a time of uncertainty, their world a cockpit and gun sight. Even today the Spitfire still captures the imagination of generations, the men who flew and maintained it are part of a select few who understand its true charisma.
Australian Premiere 11 November 2007
Directed by Simon Van Der Spoel
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24 Oct ´07 | TAM AIRCRAFT AT EDINBURGH, SA AIR SHOW
The 2007 Defence Air Show is on this weekend, 27 and 28 October 2007, at Edinburgh, Adelaide, SA. There will be a variety of different aircraft on show including Royal Australian Air Force’s F-111s, Hornets, Hercules and the new C-17 Globemaster, as well as a display by the Roulette Aerobatic Team.
There will be aircraft from the Royal Australian Navy such as the Seahawk, Sea King helicopters and the Squirrel helicopters. There will be aircraft from the Australian Army, civilian sports aircraft, as well as historic warbirds such as the Neptune and Catalina.
Four of the Museum’s aircraft collection will be attending the event. They are the Hudson, Canberra, Cessna 0-2A and the Meteor. The Canberra and the Meteor will be performing displays over the weekend and are planning to arrive at Edinburgh around mid afternoon, Friday 26th October. The aircraft will stay for the whole weekend and then plan to leave Edinburgh again around midmorning on Monday 28th October. Make sure to keep your eye out for the Museum’s aircraft during the weekend!
MORE FLYING DATES
The Museum is releasing some more flying dates for 2008. They are:
19 & 20 July 2008
30 & 31 August 2008
11 & 12 October 2008
LUKE’S LAST DAY
Today is aircraft engineer Luke McCrae’s final day working at Temora Aviation Museum. Luke is one of the longest serving employees at the Museum. A Temora local, he started out as an apprentice aircraft engineer back in 2001, and progressed to become the skilled aircraft engineer that he is today.
Luke will be leaving the Museum to experience a sea-change, with a position in the marine industry. We wish Luke and his family all the best in their relocation!
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14 Oct ´07 | MUSEUM IS A FINALIST IN NSW TOURISM AWARDS
The Temora Aviation Museum is very excited to announce that it is a finalist in the New South Wales (NSW) Tourism Awards under the award category of Tourist Attractions.
NSW Tourism Awards recognise and celebrate the diverse range of tourism products throughout NSW and the outstanding individuals who promote and support the industry. The awards are held annually and are a submission and inspection-based competition.
To gain the chance to become a finalist in the awards, the Museum was required to submit a detailed 2007 Tourism Award submission for Business Excellence in the category of Tourist Attractions. The submission outlined areas within the Museum such as the overview/history, our product, our facilities, our business plans, marketing, our commitment to environmental sustainability and areas of business innovation within the Museum.
The aim of the NSW Tourism Awards is to encourage and celebrate creativity, professionalism and innovation within the industry, promote business planning amongst NSW tourism operators, provide a benchmark for best practice within the tourism industry and to reinforce the value of the tourism industry. The awards are also an opportunity for successful entrants to progress to the Australian Tourism Awards.
Winners of each category will be announced at the 2007 NSW Tourism Awards Gala Dinner, which will be held on Thursday 15 November 2007.
Keep you fingers crossed for us!
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18 Sep ´07 | LARGE CROWD AT SEPTEMBER FLYING WEEKEND
A very busy time was had by all at the Temora Aviation Museum over the September Flying Weekend (15 & 16), particularly with the notable appearance of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F/A-18 Hornets from Williamtown, NSW which were a big attraction! In total, three Hornets visited Temora for the Flying Weekend. One Hornet performed a flying display, a second Hornet was used for flying display backup and the third was on static display, manned by RAAF personnel for visitors to check out more closely.
The F/A-18 flying displays were performed by Flight Lieutenant Aaron Ward. It was a spectacular sight to watch the Hornet perform a full high energy low-level aerobatic display, including manoeuvres such as a ‘dirty pass’ which involved the flaps, gear, hook and speedbrake extended, a ‘square loop’, a ‘high alpha pass’ and a ‘vertical departure’ to 10,000 feet. On the Sunday afternoon, visitors that were still at the Museum around 4.00 pm were fortunate enough to see the three Hornets perform a couple of formation top-side passes and a bomb-burst on departure, which featured the centre Hornet soaring vertically into the sky. The RAAF Hornets, along with their personnel were made welcome at the Museum over the weekend, and we look forward to their attendance again for future TAM Flying Weekends.
As well as the Hornet’s involvement, the Museum also exhibited an extensive flying program, which saw other visiting aircraft such as Doug Hamilton’s Harvard, Steve Death’s Trojan, Allan Arthur’s Kittyhawk, Gordon Glynn’s Cessna O-1 and Lars Larson’s Cessna 180. The Museum’s aircraft that featured in the flying program were the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Wirraway, Boomerang, Spitfire Mk XVI, Vampire, Meteor, Canberra and Dragonfly.
Our final Flying Weekend for the year will fall on 17 and 18 November, so don’t miss it – start planning your trip now! For photos from the September Flying Weekend check out the photo gallery page.
MODEL JETS
The Model Jet Flyers Association of NSW will hold their Annual Model Jet Championships at the Museum this weekend – 22 and 23 September. The Model Jets Association have used the Museum as a venue for their championships over the past few years and we are happy to have them back again this weekend. Come along to see miniature versions of the F-16s, F-18s, BAE Hawks, Cougars, Panthers, Lightnings and many more sport aircraft compete for different titles. The Museum will be open both days from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, with flying occurring all day, both days. Cost is normal Museum admission; $10 for adults, $7.50 for people over 65 years and $5 for children. Food and refreshments will be available throughout the weekend for purchase through the Museum’s canteen, the ‘Mess Hall’.
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12 Sep ´07 | RAAF HORNETS AT THE MUSEUM THIS WEEKEND!
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will fly F/A-18 Hornets at Temora Aviation Museum on 15 and 16 of September to participate in the Museum’s Flying Weekend. It is extremely rare for a current front line fighter to participate in a regional flying display. The F/A-18’s presence at Temora Aviation Museum is a unique opportunity for Museum visitors to see the aircraft up close and meet the pilots and crew.
The F/A-18 Hornet is a multi role fighter designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and is one of the most potent fighter and accurate strike attack aircraft in the world. Manufactured by Boeing it incorporates two 7,258 kg thrust General Electric F404 turbo fan engines which allow the aircraft to reach speeds of Mach 1.8 (2,220 km/h) and reach altitudes above 45,000 feet. The Hornets participating at the Temora Aviation Museum’s Flying Days are from RAAF 2OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) based at RAAF Base Williamtown, NSW.
On both Saturday and Sunday one F/A-18 Hornet will be on static display inside the hangar allowing Museum visitors the rare opportunity to take an up-close look at this RAAF fighter aircraft. A second Hornet is scheduled to conduct a high energy, low level aerobatic display incorporating tactical and combat manoeuvres.
The weather is forecast to be brilliant for flying and we anticipate a huge weekend with the inclusion of Cessna Birddogs, T-28 Trojan, Harvards and Allan Arthur’s P-40 Kittyhawk (Saturday only). Visitors can also expect to see the Museum collection airborne including the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Wirraway, Boomerang, Canberra, Vampire, Meteor, Dragonfly and Spitfire.
Don’t miss out on this Flying Weekend. Museum doors open at 10.00 am, with flying beginning at 11.00 am. Museum closes at 4.00 pm. Don’t forget a light fold-up chair if you have one, and lots of sun protection. See you here!
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10 Sep ´07 | VALE GEORGE HALE
George Spaulding Hale was born in Hobart, Tasmania on 30th October 1930. He grew up in the suburb of Claremont and from an early age loved everything to do with aircraft and aviation.
On 26th February 1951 he joined the Royal Australian Air Force and undertook his flight training at No.1 Flying Training School at Point Cook, Victoria, the Home of the RAAF. Here he trained on Tiger Moths and Wirraways and was highly successful being named Dux of the No.7 Post War Course.
He transferred to Williamtown RAAF base and converted to jets while assigned to No.4 Operational Training Unit (Fighter), where he flew the De Havilland Vampire Mk.30. He later noted that his conversion to jets involved no dual instruction, no mach meters and no ejection seats, something that would not be considered in today’s modern fighter training programmes.
Having accumulated a total of 288 hours flight time and with the rank of Sergeant, he was assigned to No.77 Squadron and flew from Australia to Iwakuni, Japan aboard a QANTAS Douglas DC.4 At Iwakuni he converted to the Gloster Meteor F.8 fighter in 14 days with a series of battle formation practice, live ground rocketry and straffing and mock dogfights finally completing his conversion on 12th December 1952. He flew from Iwakuni to Seoul, Korea on 13th December 1952 and joined 77 Squadron at their base at Kimpo (K.14). He described his initial impressions of Korea as being cold and bleak with inhospitable terrain.
He flew his first mission of the Korean War on 14th December 1952 on an Area Reconnaissance over the East Coast of North Korea. He later stated that on this mission they were flying close to MiG Alley and were told repeatedly to “Keep our heads up and locked”. George quickly fitted in with the other squadron pilots and undertook many armed reconnaissance, road reconnaissance and ground attack missions. He named his first assigned Meteor “Halestorm and Snow” a partial reference to his elder brother who served with the army in Korea and had flown with George in one of the squadron’s two-seat Meteor trainers.
He was assigned a new Meteor F.8, A77-851, which he named “Halestorm”. Although flying close to MiG Alley George indicated that he had not been briefed regarding potential MiG engagements and there no specific squadron orders regarding such engagements.
On 27th March 1953 at approx 1420 hrs while on armed road reconnaissance, Hale, with Sgt David Irlam saw two MiG.15 fighters which they immediately engaged but at the same time were attacked by two more MiGs. Irlam was hit and took no further part in the engagement. Hale engaged one of these MiGs scoring hits and observed the Soviet fighter roll over and dive from 4000 to 5000 feet emitting dense black smoke. Hale was attacked by two more MiGs which he also engaged then a third MiG pair attacked him from behind. Hale scored hits on the lead MiG of this third group which emitted dense white smoke or fuel vapour that almost completely obscured the aircraft. Both MiGs commenced a steep near vertical climb and Hale started to attack the lead’s wingman when his cannons stopped firing, out of ammunition. The MiGs departed and Hale turned and headed for Kimpo at low level. Hale was credited with one MiG probably destroyed and one MiG damaged. Thus ended the last air to air combat operation in which the RAAF has been engaged to this date.
Hale continued on operations with 77 Squadron in Korea until 14th June 1953 at which time he left for Australia having flown 131 combat missions including bomber escort, rocket strikes, road and rail armed reconnaissance, scrambles and combat air patrols.
Back in Australia he was transferred to 11 Squadron and converted to Neptune maritime reconnaissance aircraft operating at Pearce air base in Western Australia, attended the Australian Joint Anti-Submarine Warfare School at Nowra NSW and later qualified as a Neptune Captain. In 1954 he completed an Instructor’s Course at East Sale and again was Dux of the course later instructing on Wirraways at Point Cook where his RAAF career began. He joined the staff at the Central Flying School at East Sale and became an instructor and examiner on the Vampire trainer, Dakota, Lincoln, Wirraway, Winjeel and Neptune thereafter flying both the Mustang and single seat Vampire at the RAAF’s Air Armament School. He then was seconded to the De Havilland Company at Bankstown to check on the production of and to write the handling notes for the Vampire T.35A.
Hale left the RAAF on 21st March 1958 with the rank of Flying Officer.
He joined QANTAS and flew Dakotas, Lockheed Super Constellations, all models of the Boeing 707 and the Boeing 747 up to the 300 series. At QANTAS he was appointed Senior Check and Training Captain on both the 707 and 747 and finally retired on 28th February 1987. Despite his retirement he continued his association with QANTAS acting as a consultant for both pilot training and recruitment until 1992.
George Hale can easily be described as a “Man’s man”. His easy going nature made him an excellent instructor and his superb flying skills stood him in good stead both during his RAAF career and his subsequent professional life as an airline pilot.
He shall be remembered as the RAAF’s last air-to-air combat pilot, a consummate professional in all aspects of his flying career and a loving family man.
He is survived by his wife Helen, daughters Andrea and Jacqueline and son Robert.
George Hale became a Friend of the Temora Aviation Museum following the Museum’s acquisition of the world’s sole airworthy Meteor F.8. It was immediately decided that the most appropriate representative RAAF paint scheme for this aircraft would be that of George Hale’s “Halestorm”. Considerable effort was made to ensure that the work would accurately reflect his aircraft’s markings down to the minutest detail. The Museum was fortunate to have George visit on a number of occasions to watch his Meteor fly and to provide us with the details of his flying career.
We have prepared a special tribute page on our website to remember George Hale. You can find it in the section marked Photo Gallery.
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06 Sep ´07 | RAAF HORNETS AT SEPTEMBER FLYING WEEKEND
The Royal Australian Air Force will fly F/A-18 Hornets to Temora on Friday 14 September to exhibit at the next Temora Aviation Museum Flying Weekend on 15 and 16 September 2007. The Museum is very excited to host the Hornets here again. Their last visit was in August 2006 and they attracted a large crowd, keen to view their unusual presence in Temora.
At least one of the Hornets will have a scheduled slot in the Museum’s flying program, and will exhibit spectacular handling displays on both Saturday and Sunday, while the other aircraft will be available for visitors to view up close.
Start planning your trip to Temora for the September Flying Weekend.
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30 Aug ´07 | Avenger at August Flying Weekend
Low cloud threatened flying on Saturday’s Flying Day, but by 11.00 am the cloud had lifted and the show went ahead as scheduled. Visitors watched on as the Museum’s aircraft performed their aerial routines, which included the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Spitfire Mk XVI, Hudson, Boomerang, Wirraway, Meteor, Canberra, Vampire, 0-2 and Dragonfly and Steve Searle’s fabulous TBM-3 Avenger (VH-MML), which had the amazing capability of being able to fold the wings once the aircraft was on the ground. The Avenger was flown down from Coolangatta, Queensland by Temora Historic Flight Club pilot Tony Alder, and will surely visit again.
Sunday’s flying program went on as scheduled and the Museum was fortunate to get in all flying before a welcome downpour of rain at 3.00 pm that afternoon.
The next Flying Weekend is certainly close, to be held on 15 and 16 September. Come along to see the Museum’s vintage ex-military aircraft in action. There is also a surprise in store with the anticipated arrival of three RAAF F/A 18 Hornets!
For accommodation in the township of Temora and its surrounding towns, visit the Museum website.
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14 Aug ´07 | TBM-3 AVENGER AT AUGUST FLYING WEEKEND!
Temora Aviation Museum will be flying its Warbirds again this weekend, 18th and 19th of August. Flying Weekends are a great opportunity for visitors to experience the sights, sounds and smells of wartime vintage airplanes.
A welcome first-time addition to this upcoming weekend will be arrival of the TBM-3 Avenger (VH-MML). The Avenger is part of Steve Searle’s aircraft collection and will be visiting from Coolangatta, Queensland.
The Avenger was manufactured in the mid 1940’s by the Grumman Aircraft Company, which was based in Long Island, New York. Its main role during WWII was as a torpedo bomber. After their illustrious career as wartime bombers, many Avengers invariably ended up being heavily modified for operations as crop dusters and in a later development, as fire bombers. But as newer, more technically advanced aircraft types became available for fire bombing and farm work, the Avengers were once again facing redundancy.
Steve acquired his ex-fire bomber TBM in 2005, and proceeded with an extensive restoration of the machine to the glorious state it is in today, finishing in April 2006. The aircraft has been repainted to represent Avengers flown by Torpedo Squadron 84 from the Aircraft Carrier USS Bunker Hill circa 1944-45. It is distinguished by its US Navy Glossy Sea Blue fuselage and yellow nose ring.
Visit the Museum this weekend to watch the Avenger perform handling and aerobatic flying displays, along with other wartime aircraft from the Museum such as the Canberra, Meteor, Tiger Moth and Spitfire Mk XVI.
Flying action is on both Saturday and Sunday and Museum gates open at 10.00 am, with flying beginning at 11.00 am. Cost for adults is $15, adults over 65 yrs are $10.00 and children (3-18 yrs) $5. Children under 3 yrs are free. Food and refreshments are available on site, and don’t forget to bring along a light fold-up chair if you have one. Get along to the August Flying Weekend and check it out!
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01 Aug ´07 | SABRE UPDATE
The Sabre, on loan from the Royal Australian Air Force, continues to undergo restoration in the Museum’s Aircraft Restoration Hangar.
In the last six months Aircraft Engineers Martin Lancaster and Ben Muller have completed several maintenance tasks on the aircraft. This includes the completed inspection and testing of the wing’s leading edges, the replacement of fuel seals and the inspection and testing of the fuel transfer system.
The engineers are continuing to overhaul the hydraulic system components from the wings and fuselage. This involves cleaning and checking parts for wear, corrosion and damage. This process can be time consuming, as a damaged part will either require repair or the outsourcing of replacements. Once inspected, these components are re-assembled and tested on a hydraulic test bench to check they operate correctly before being refitted to the aircraft.
The Sabre’s fuselage is made up of two sections, the front and rear, these will soon be separated to access the internal components of the fuselage, such as hydraulics, engine controls, electrical wiring, flight controls and air conditioning components. All these sections will require extensive inspection and overhauling. The internal structure and the engine bay will also require inspection to check for fatigue cracks, damage and corrosion.
SPITFIRE ANNUAL INSPECTION
Meanwhile, in the Aircraft Engineering Hangar our Engineering Team are carrying out an annual inspection on the Spitfire Mk VIII. As part of the maintenance, the engine has been removed to allow inspections to be carried out to areas normally inaccessible when the engine is installed.
It is the first time in over 20 years that this procedure has been done, and it will allow the engineers full access to inspect the engine mount, firewall and spar carry through members etc. The installation of new canopy perspex and windscreen will also be carried out.
METEOR DROP TANKS
Regular Flying Weekend commentator Peter Anderson has also joined the Museum team for a few weeks to prepare the Meteor wing drop tanks so that they can be used for the aircraft’s flight to Edinburgh RAAF Base SA in October. The tanks are being disassembled, paint stripped and fitted with new seals and gaskets prior to being re-painted and flight tested.
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19 Jul ´07 | GHOSTS CALENDAR 2008 OUT NOW!
Phil Makanna is one of the world’s premier aviation photographers based in San Francisco, USA. Phil has been photographing aircraft around the world for around 30 years now, and focuses his lens on World War I and World War II airplanes. Phil fulfilled a boyhood dream by introducing the worlds first large format aviation calendar in the early 1980s and since that time has built GHOSTS into the worlds most desirable brand of vintage aircraft photos. Each month features a different aircraft and includes notable dates and events in history.
GHOSTS has recently released two new calendars for 2008, ‘GHOSTS – 2008; The Great War’ and ‘GHOSTS – 2008; A Time Remembered’. Three of the Museum’s aircraft are featured in GHOSTS; A Time Remembered, they are the Gloster Meteor, Lockheed Hudson and CAC Boomerang, which Phil shot back in March 2006. It is quite obvious from the photos, particularly the picture featuring the Boomerang, just how parched the Australian landscape was during this drought-stricken time.
Phil was asked of his thoughts of photographing aircraft in Temora and he said, “My days at Temora have been unforgettable… your aircraft are among the most unique and best maintained in the world. I look forward to our next moments in the air together.”
Every month of GHOSTS features a magnificent colour photograph, which are suitable for framing. Each page of the calendar is 50 x 35 cm and opens to 50 x 71cm. You can purchase a GHOSTS 2008 calendar from the Museum Gift Shop. Or phone the Museum for your copy: 02 69771088
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04 Jul ´07 | MORE FLYING DATES
An enthusiastic crowd turned up to see flying action over the 30 June and 1 July Flying Weekend despite the cool wintry weather. Flying displays continued throughout the weekend even though a bit of light rain dampened the day at one stage on Saturday. Sunday remained clear all day, with rain beginning to fall at 5.00 pm, fortunately all flying was finished by then.
Eleven of the Museum’s thirteen air-worthy aircraft took to the skies over the June/July weekend, including the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Wirraway, Boomerang, Spitfire Mk XVI, Hudson, Canberra, Vampire, Meteor, Dragonfly and Cessna 0-2A. The flying schedule also included the Cessna 0-1, belonging to Temora Historic Flight Club (THFC) pilot Gordon Glynn and the Harvard which is owned by THFC pilot Doug Hamilton.
Our next Flying Weekend will take place on the 18 & 19 August 2007. Start planning your trip now, as it is only six weeks away. For updated information regarding the August Flying Weekend keep checking the website closer to the event.
WORLD’S NEWEST VAMPIRE PILOT
Temora Historic Flight Club’s newest member is Group Captain Al Clements. Al became the world’s newest Vampire pilot on Friday 29 June 2007, after completing an endorsement under the instruction and close supervision of THFC pilot Bruce Wood. Al is an experienced ‘fast jet pilot’ flying F/A-18 Hornets for the RAAF. The addition of his skills means THFC has another Vampire pilot and Al is able to expand his passion – flying vintage jets.
Congratulations Al, we look forward to your first display in the Vampire.
NEW FLYING DATES
We are happy to release more flying dates for 2008. They are:
9th & 10th February
22nd & 23rd March
26th & 27th April
7th & 8th June
The dates for the last half of 2008 are yet to be confirmed.
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25 Jun ´07 | FLYING THIS WEEKEND!
Flying action will take place again this weekend at the Temora Aviation Museum. The anticipated list of vintage aircraft expected to fly in the weekend’s events include the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Wirraway, Boomerang, Spitfire Mk XVI, Hudson, Canberra, Vampire, Meteor, A37B Dragonfly and Cessnas 0-1 and 0-2. Temora Historic Flight Club member Doug Hamilton will also fly his historic Harvard both days over the weekend.
Doug’s Harvard is originally a New Zealand based military aircraft, built in 1941 and allocated to the New Zealand Air Force to serve mainly as an Advanced Trainer. This particular Harvard, Serial # 1024, spent all its life with the New Zealand Air Force, its last flight recorded in 1958. It was discharged from the Air Force in about 1975.
It later became part of the Air World Museum collection in Wangaratta, in North-East Victoria, Australia. It was from the Air World Museum that Doug purchased the Harvard with intentions to restore the then ground-ridden aircraft to flying condition. He spent a year refurbishing the aircraft back to its original condition, before flying it for the first time since 1958, on the 19th February 1991.
Since owning the aircraft, Doug has participated in numerous air events right across Australia, and considers Temora as a regular favourite destination.
Come along to this Flying Weekend to see Doug Hamilton’s Harvard and the rest of the Museum’s collection in the air performing their handling displays.
2007 TEMORA BUSINESS AWARDS
The Temora Business Enterprise Group has introduced annual awards to the Temora community to recognise outstanding efforts by businesses within the Temora Shire. The gala presentation evening was held last Friday night and the Temora Aviation Museum is pleased to announce that it took out two categories, ‘Best in Hospitality and Tourism – 2007’ and overall ‘Best Business – 2007'. Thank you to TBEG for organising these awards, and to the people of Temora for being so supportive of all our endeavours here at the Museum.
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07 Jun ´07 | Hudson Harness Change
The Temora Aviation Museum Engineering staff have been carrying out preventative maintenance work on the Museum’s Lockheed Hudson. The procedure involves removing and replacing the ignition harness system in the right-hand Wright R1820 engine, due to the original harness deteriorating with age.
The new ignition harness was sourced by Temora Aviation Museum Engineering Chief Engineer Peter Pring-Shambler, from Texas USA. The harness was produced from scratch, using all new parts. The harness has two distributor blocks for the magnetos and eighteen ignition leads to attach to the two spark plugs per cylinder, of the nine cylinder radial engine.
The ignition harness change is anticipated to be complete by mid next week, ready for the Hudson to participate in the next Museum Flying Weekend on 30 June and 1 July.
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29 May ´07 | ABC’s 7:30 Report Focuses on the Museum
The 7.30 Report from ABC Television visited the Temora Aviation Museum a couple of weeks ago to film a story on the history of the Temora Aviation Museum. Filming at the Museum took place over four days including 19 & 20 May Flying Weekend.
Paul Lockyer will present the segment which will go to air tonight, 29 May 2007 on the 7.30 Report on ABC Television (at 7.30 pm). Don’t miss it!
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23 May ´07 | THE F-111 MADE ITS PRESENCE FELT
The May Flying Weekend was a successful event, with plenty of flying action over both days, and in the absence of rain, all flying displays went ahead as planned.
The show included the Ryan, Boomerang, Hudson, Spitfire Mk VIII and Mk XVI, Meteor, Vampire and Canberra, along with Doug Hamilton’s Harvard, Allan Arthur’s Kittyhawk and the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F-111’s.
The F-111 flew over the Museum crowd to perform several handling displays without actually landing. The aircraft then returned to RAAF Base Amberley Qld, and then flew back on Sunday to perform the routine again. The amazing displays ended in the aircraft’s famous ‘dump and burn’ manoeuvre, where jet fuel is released behind the aircraft and ignited by the massive twin engine afterburners. It disappeared into the cloud above, leaving an amazing red glow.
Thanks again to the RAAF for involving its F-111 and Allan Arthur for displaying the P-40 Kittyhawk in the May 2007 Flying Weekend displays, we hope to have your aircraft back here again for future Flying Days.
Thank you to all the visitors that attended the Flying Weekend as well - it was a great crowd. Our next Flying Weekend falls on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July, so start planning your visit now!
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15 May ´07 | RAAF F-111 AT TEMORA THIS WEEKEND!
Come and see the visiting RAAF F-111 this weekend at Temora Aviation Museum.
The General Dynamics F-111 is a two-seat long-range strike reconnaissance aircraft. It has a max speed of Mach 1.2 at sea level and a cruise speed of 780 km/h.
Highly controversial during its development, the F-111 is even better today than when it was introduced to the Air Force in June 1973. With numerous airframe, engine, weapons and avionics upgrades, the F-111 remains the fastest and longest ranging combat aircraft in the Asia-Pacific.
It is planned that the participating F-111 will conduct flying displays throughout the weekend and will be scheduled to fly on both Saturday and Sunday.
A special first time visitor to a Museum Flying Weekend will be Allan Arthur with his spectacular P-40 Kittyhawk. It is expected to fly on both Saturday and Sunday along with the Museum’s own historic collection with displays from the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Boomerang, 2 x Spitfires, Hudson, Meteor, Vampire and Canberra.
NEW ADMISSION TICKET BOOTHS
To make your visit more enjoyable are introducing a faster entry system this Flying Weekend, in addition to the Museum Guardhouse entrance there will be two additional outdoor ticketing booths. We are confident this will make your entry to the Museum faster and more efficient. The ticket booths will only accept cash or annual pass holders. If you need to pay by credit card please enter through the Gift Shop entrance.
This weekend is will be a spectacular event that everyone will enjoy. Bring the family and a fold up chair along to Temora Aviation Museum’s flying weekend on 19 and 20 May 2007. Museum opens at 10.00, flying begins at 11.00 am.
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03 May ´07 | AIR SHOW AT NOWRA, NSW
Three Temora Aviation Museum aircraft will travel to Nowra this weekend to participate in an Airshow being held at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross, Nowra, NSW on Sunday 6 May. The Museum’s Canberra, Meteor and Hudson will perform handling displays on Sunday with the objective of the Airshow - to celebrate the official opening of the Fleet Air Arm Museum.
Other aircraft involved in the flying displays on Sunday are reported to include the Seahawk, Sea King, Squirrel helicopters and the Super Constellation. Come and visit the Museum Team at Nowra.
On the subject of airshows, don’t forget Temora Aviation Museum’s next Flying Weekend is only two weeks away, on the 19th & 20th May. We predict it will be a weekend to remember with the inclusion of a Royal Australian Air Force F-111 in the flying programme. Don’t miss out, plan your visit today!
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22 Apr ´07 | ANZAC DAY HOURS & F-111 COMING SOON
Wednesday, 25 April marks the anniversary of Anzac Day. Anzac Day is an important commemorative day for Australians and New Zealanders to remember the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who landed at Gallipoli in Turkey in 1915, which resulted in the first major military battle fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during World War 1. ANZAC Day is also an opportunity to recognise the many others who have served in the Armed Forces, in peacetime, as well as times of conflict. Anzac Day is a public holiday in Australia, although the Temora Aviation Museum will be open from 12.00 noon and will close at 4.00 pm as usual.
F-111 AT TEMORA!
The Museum is excited to announce that we will have a visit from the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F-111 at our next Flying Weekend (19 & 20 May). It’ll be the first time an F-111 has visited a Temora Aviation Museum Flying Weekend and it is guaranteed to be a spectacular event.
The F-111 is a twin-engine swing-wing aircraft. It can take off and land at relatively low speeds with the wings swept forward, then fly at more than twice the speed of sound with its wings tucked back. It can fly close to the ground at supersonic speeds, following the terrain to avoid detection. It is affectionately known as the 'Pig' for its ability to hunt at night with its nose in the weeds, thanks to its terrain-following radar.
Visit the photo gallery page to view F-111 photos by Glenn Alderton.
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15 Apr ´07 | VALE BOBBY GIBBES
Wing Commander Robert Henry Maxwell “Bobby” Gibbes DSO, DFC and Bar, OAM was born in Young on 6 May 1916. Bobby grew up on a series of family owned sheep stations before their move to Manly, a suburb of Sydney, where one of his childhood friends was Roe Cutler, later Sir Roden Cutler, VC. On leaving school, he spent time on his uncle’s property “Tremearne” and became a Jackaroo.
Bobby had flown as a passenger in a number of aircraft as a child and teenager and in his autobiography stated that prior to the flight “… was terribly nervous… but after becoming airborne my fear evaporated and I found the experience both exciting and full of interest”. This was the start of his lifelong love of flying.
With war looming in Europe Bobby started private flying lessons and after enlistment reported to No.4 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF at Mascot on 5 February 1940 as an Air Cadet. He soloed on 13 February and on completion of his Primary Training was posted to 22 Squadron at Richmond, NSW, for Intermediate Training on the Australian built CAC Wirraway. This completed and to his horror he was transferred to Point Cook, Victoria for Advanced Training on the twin engined Avro Anson. He had set his sights on fighters and flew the Ansons as such during the course. His efforts succeeded and thankfully for the RAAF he was posted to 23 Squadron at Archerfield, Queensland which was equipped with Wirraways and Hudson bombers. Here he honed his skills and was assessed as an “Above average fighter and fighter bomber pilot”.
He was posted to Williamtown, NSW to become Adjutant of the newly created 450 Squadron with the rank of Flying Officer. After an intense period establishing the units command and support structure it embarked for Egypt where it arrived in May 1941. Three days later Gibbes was posted to 3 Squadron RAAF at Lydda. 3 Squadron was being re-equipped with P-40 Tomahawks and had been highly successful in its operations against the Germans and Italians with a score of over 60 combat victories.
On 9 June 1941, with a total of 6 hours flying Tomahawks, Gibbes participated in the squadron’s opening engagement of the Syrian campaign in an attack against the Vichy French Air Force Base at Rayak. This first mission nearly ended in disaster for him but the lessons of that first combat sortie were well learned.
His first combat victory took place on 10 July 1941 when he downed a Vichy Dewotine D.502 fighter, one of five that had attacked a formation of RAF Blenheim bombers. This was the start of his long and eventful air combat career that spanned two years with 3 Squadron in the see-sawing battles for the control of the North African desert. His honest and simply written combat reports over this period are brilliantly described in his autobiography “You Live But Once”. Here the tactics, the loss of friends, the frustration and fears of his air combat operations are clearly evident. Air to air combat with Luftwaffe Ace Hans-Joachim Marseille, the “Star of Africa”, a dogfight between 3, 112 Squadrons and Messerschmitt 109s that lasted over an hour, his bail out after being shot down by a Ju88, his later landing in a single seat P-40 190 miles behind enemy lines in December 1942 to rescue a downed fellow pilot, being shot down again and walking 70 miles back through enemy lines all attest to the mettle of Bobby Gibbes.
He rose to command 3 Squadron and finished his North Africa tour with 10 1/4 aircraft destroyed in air to air combat, 5 probably destroyed, 16 damaged and 2 destroyed on the ground.
With the North African campaign over and after a short sojourn in the UK where he tried unsuccessfully to be posted to a de Havilland Mosquito squadron, he returned to Australia where he was posted to 2 Operational Training Unit in January 1944. A quick operational mission to New Britain with 77 Squadron was followed by the busy and sometimes hair-raising task of operational training on P-40s, Spitfires, Boomerangs and Wirraways.
Transferred to 80 Wing flying Spitfire VIIIs from Darwin and now a Wing Commander, his aircraft suffered an engine failure that resulted in both a crash landing in which he suffered burns and meeting his future wife Jean who tended his injuries. In early 1945 Gibbes led 79 Squadron to Morotai in the Halmahera Islands. Here 79 Squadron joined with 452 and 457 Squadrons on straffing attacks on enemy troop and transport concentrations in what had become a virtual backwater of the war. Gibbes completed 44 operational missions from Morotai.
In July 1945 he was attached to RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne and remained there until his discharge in January 1946.
Maintaining his love of aviation and following a short period as a flying Stock and Station Agent in NSW, Gibbes went to New Guinea for what would be a long and eventful business and civil aviation career in which he pioneered scheduled air transport as Gibbes Sepik Airways flying a varied fleet of civil and ex-military machines that included the single engined Norseman and ex-Luftwaffe JU.52 trimotors that he had flown from Sweden to Australia. He and Jean also ventured into the operation of a coffee plantation and built a number of hotels in a pioneering New Guinea tourism venture.
He was an accomplished sailor and after the sale of their New Guinea interests he purchased and sailed a 42 foot catamaran “Billabong” from the UK through the Mediterranean and eventually to Australia arriving in July 1979. At age 65 he commenced construction of a twin engined homebuilt aircraft, the “Cri-cri” in his home completing the task some ten years later. On 20 May 1990, at age 74, he test flew the aircraft at Narromine, NSW. He flew it for a number of years as test pilot and continued to maintain his love of aviation throughout his later years.
An Aussie “larrikin”, a great pilot, leader and teacher, he lived a life to which no Hollywood scriptwriter could do justice.
Despite this, his autobiography honestly exposes his mistakes, his fears in combat, the elation of his aerial victories, his admiration of his comrades and sadness at their untimely deaths. It also aptly expresses his distain for those giving orders who had no experience of combat.
Bobby Gibbes is survived by his wife Jean without whom he stated “..he could never have lived such a fulfilling and happy life as a civilian” and their daughters Julie and Robyn.
The Temora Aviation Museum has had a long association with Bobby and in 2001 painted its Spitfire VIII in his personal markings. As a final tribute to Bobby's service to the RAAF, to Australia and to aviation, the Museum is undertaking a rare fly-past over his service at St Thomas' Anglican Church at North Sydney on Tuesday 17th April at 1.30pm. This is a rare event for the Museum as its aircraft are not flown over built up areas. However, in this one-off instance the Spitfire will provide a final tribute to this great Australian who continually risked his life in the skies over North Africa and the Pacific.
For further information on Bobby Gibbes visit the Temora Aviation Museum’s Unsung Heroes database and click on ‘G’ for Gibbes.
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12 Apr ´07 | GREAT WEATHER AT EASTER FLYING WEEKEND
Extraordinary flying took place in Temora over the Easter weekend against a cloudless blue sky. Visitors to the Museum were lucky to witness the visiting aircraft from the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society participate in the weekend’s events. The impressive Neptune took part in the Flying Schedule both days, while the Catalina flew on the Saturday only, due to other commitments elsewhere.
The Lockheed Super Constellation, from the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, was a hit with more than 1000 visitors taking the opportunity to check out the vintage interior, which was once used to ferry military personnel around the world.
Within the vintage fleet of Museum aircraft, visitors were able to observe the Tiger Moth, Wirraway, Ryan, Hudson, Boomerang, Spitfire Mk VIII, Vampire and Meteor perform flying displays over the weekend. There was also appreciated involvement from Gordon Glynn’s Cessna 0-1, Steve Death’s Trojan, Doug Hamilton’s Harvard and Tom Moon’s Extra 300S.
We thank our visitors for coming along to see the spectacular aircraft displays and we ask that you start planning for the 19 & 20 May weekend, which is set to be big… watch this space…
Engineering
The Canberra Bomber’s fuel tank is being refitted after repairs. We are planning to fly the Canberra over the May Flying Weekend as part of the vintage trio of jets.
Check out the Canberra’s picture on the photo gallery page, along with recent photos from the April Flying Weekend.
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03 Apr ´07 | FLYING THIS WEEKEND
A host of Australian ex-military aircraft will take to the skies above Temora this Saturday and Sunday for Temora Aviation Museum’s Easter Flying Weekend, with Museum gates opening at 10.00 am.
Visiting aircraft for the weekend include the Neptune and Catalina from the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society collection. Both will fly during the weekend joined by most of the Museum's aircraft collection.
The flying display will finish with Ramp Talk, which offers visitors the opportunity to get close to the aircraft and to talk to the pilots about the aircraft on show.
HARS’ Lockheed Super Constellation VH-EAG, will also be visiting Temora this weekend. Unfortunately it will not participate in the flying display but will be open for visitors to look through. For more information on the Super Constellation and other HARS aircraft, visit their website at: www.hars.org.au
For our visitors coming from the Sydney and Canberra regions it is now even easier to drive to Temora. This week saw the new bypass road around the town of Bowning opened to vehicles. The new road will be quicker with fewer corners and a lot less potholes.
The weather forecast is looking good for the weekend with tops of 27 degrees and a sunny outlook, so bring your sunscreen and a hat to what promises to be a fantastic flying weekend. The flying begins at 11.00 am and continues until 3.00 pm, with Museum closure at 4.00 pm.
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22 Mar ´07 | EASTER FLYING WEEKEND
The Easter Flying Weekend is growing closer, and plans are in place to attract many visiting aircraft to the event on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th April.
From the Museum’s fleet, we expect to fly the Spitfires, Tiger Moth, Wirraway, Hudson, Ryan, Cessna 0-2A, Boomerang, Meteor and Vampire. We are also expecting aircraft to visit from the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS). They are bringing their Super Constellation (Connie) and Lockheed Neptune, with the possible inclusion of their PBY Catalina.
Visitors will be given the opportunity to explore the interior of Lockheed Super Constellation VH-EAG, while it is here in Temora. The Connie and Neptune will also have a slot in the flying programme on both Saturday and Sunday.
The aircraft has an interesting restoration history, which began back in 1991. HARS started the extensive restoration project on the Connie when it was based at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. Due to the Connie being overseas at this time, the restoration project proved to be a costly and time-consuming venture. All work was carried out by volunteers, who would travel to Tucson to systematically overhaul the aircraft. Five years later, on the 3rd of February 1996, the Constellation arrived in Sydney after an incident free crossing of the Pacific, taking 39.5 hours flying time. It’s amazing to note that 16,000 volunteered man-hours were expended on the Constellation restoration project, with $800,000 cash raised, and approximately $1.2 million being raised in sponsorship services to fund it.
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08 Mar ´07 | SPITFIRE MK VIII GETS X-RAYED
Preventative maintenance work was carried out on Spitfire Mk VIII (VH-HET) last week. The process involved replacing the cowling anti-chafe strips and an x-ray examination of the wing main spars. To do this, the Spitfire was placed on jacks and contractors from Non-Destructive Testing Specialists, Southern NDT were brought in. They carried out a comprehensive x-ray examination on the aircraft to detect any potential cracks and corrosion. X-rays are a favourable method, as it means the inspection is a lot less intrusive than manually inspecting the structure.
WINGS OVER THE ILLAWARRA
Temora Aviation Museum Chief Executive Kenny Love, Chief Pilot Darren Crabb, Engineering Supervisor Lindsay Jordan, Leading Hand Andrew Bishop and Historic Flight Club Pilot Guy Bourke travelled to Albion Park, NSW on the weekend of 24 February to participate in the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society’s (HARS) Open Day, Wings Over the Illawarra.
The Open Day attracted a large crowd with a lot of interest shown in the Museum’s Lockheed Hudson and Gloster Meteor, which were on static display for the Saturday.
OPEN DAY AT AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
On Saturday 10 March the Australian War Memorial will be holding an Open Day, which starts at 10.00 am. It is a free event that will involve an Opening Spectacular beginning at 11.00 am, followed by aircraft fly-bys, which begins at 1.00 pm, featuring a number of historical aircraft. Temora Aviation Museum will include its Hudson in a fly-by up Anzac Parade, Canberra, on the day.
Come along to the War Memorial to see the Hudson fly and to check out the other unique exhibits.
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21 Feb ´07 | 1ST FLYING WEEKEND A SUCCESS
The first Flying Weekend for 2007 began with clear, warm weather resulting in a large number of visitors who were interested to see the Museum’s aircraft fly, as well as observe visiting aircraft such as the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society’s (HARS) PBY Catalina and the Helicopter Transport Services (HTS) CH-54 Sky-crane helitanker named “Shania”.
Shania was a last minute, but welcome addition to the Museum’s line-up. The Sky-crane personnel notified the Museum of its presence in the district for Rural Fire Service (RFS) training just prior to the weekend, so we were privileged they could participate.
The Catalina Flying Boat provided lots of interest also. Since its last visit to Temora, HARS have repainted its weathered coat to a shinier black. The Catalina represents an important part of Australian Aviation history when flying boats were a normal part of military and civilian travel. The aircraft is maintained in airworthy condition as a tribute to the crews that flew and maintained them.
WINGS OVER THE ILLAWARRA
Temora Aviation Museum will be involving two of its aircraft in an Air Show Open Day this weekend, Saturday 24 February 2007 at the Illawarra Regional Airport at Albion Park, NSW. Anticipated to fly across will be the Museum’s Gloster Meteor F.8 and the Lockheed Hudson. The Museum’s aircraft will be on static display however HARS will be flying some aircraft from their collection including the Catalina, Connie and the RAAF Roulettes.
If you live in the Illawarra, it would be a great time to check out the Museum’s vintage aircraft. They will be on site from Friday 23 February until Saturday afternoon 24 February.
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13 Feb ´07 | SKY-CRANE “SHANIA” IN TEMORA THIS WEEKEND!
Temora Aviation Museum is eagerly anticipating a visit from the Sky-crane known as “SHANIA” at its flying days this weekend.
The CH-54 Sky-crane Helitanker is the most versatile, powerful, and cost effective aerial firefighter in the world. Since certification in 1992, the helitanker has seen worldwide service, fighting fires in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Borneo, Italy, Greece, France, Turkey, and Australia. The helitankers are leased worldwide to organisations, companies, and Federal Agencies for either short-term or longer term use in Fire Suppression, Civil Protection, Heavy Lift Construction, and Timber Harvesting. Australia has contracted Helitanker services during every fire season since November 1997.
The helitankers are heavy vertical lift helicopters fitted with high capacity belly tanks. The microprocessor controlled tank system is capable of delivering multiple drops. The belly tank doors offer a range of options for controlling coverage levels of the suppressant delivered to the ground. The tank is fitted with a fast self-fill snorkel that allows it to hover-fill from a variety of water sources. The helitankers are also fitted with a snorkel device that allows the helitanker to fill from salt-water sources during forward flight.
• The Sky-crane can be fitted with a 2,650-gallon (10,000 litres) fixed retardant tank to assist in the control of bushfires, and it has acquitted itself admirably in this role.
• It has a lift capacity of 25,000 lbs (12.5 tons) at sea level
• A flexible hose snorkel features a high pressure impeller and can draw water from any water source 18 inches (45 cm) or deeper.
• The patented ram scoop hydrofoil allows the Helitanker to refill from fresh water and sea water sources in less than 45 seconds.
• Water tank capacity is 7,500 litres
• Length: 27.23m
• Height 7.82m
“Shania” will arrive at the Museum on Saturday 17th February for display during the Museum flying day programme. A large crowd is expected to come out and see the magnificent machine up close. It will depart Temora on Sunday afternoon.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see a Sky-crane up close.
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11 Feb ´07 | Catalina Flying Boat At Temora This Weekend
The first Flying Weekend for 2007 begins Saturday 17th February. Most of the Museum’s aircraft will be flying over the weekend including appearances by the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Boomerang, Canberra, Vampire, Meteor and Hudson. The Spitfire Mk XVI will fly on Saturday and the Mk VIII will fly on Sunday.
The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) are planning to fly the PBY Catalina to Temora to participate in both Saturday and Sunday’s events. HARS’ Catalina is an imposing aircraft. It registers at 19.45 metres in length and has a wing span of 31.7 metres, and is able to carry up to 28 people. Due to the amount of people it was able to transport, Qantas purchased nineteen Catalinas between January and October 1941. They would convey important persons as passengers traveling overseas. Their most notable route was the 'Double Sunrise Service' direct from Perth to Ceylon, it was the only form of personnel transport between Australia, Europe and America during the war. The Catalina is actually termed an amphibian, as it is able to land on both land and water, hence the name, Catalina Flying Boat. It’s longest non-stop flight was recorded at 31 hrs and 45 minutes. We look forward to the Catalina attending. Unfortunately HARS are unable to bring their Super Constellation as it has gone in for maintenance. Look out for it at a future Temora Aviation Museum Flying Day.
If you are planning a visit to the Museum this weekend remember to bring appropriate clothing for your protection from the harsh Australian weather.
Bring the whole family along to witness at close range the Museum’s historic aircraft exhibit in the skies over the Museum. Gates open at 10.00 am with flying continuing until 3pm and gates closing at 4.00 pm.
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04 Feb ´07 | FEBRUARY FLYING WEEKEND & NEW FLYING DATES
It is only two weeks until the first Temora Aviation Museum Flying Weekend for 2007. The flying programme is taking shape with the exciting inclusion of the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society’s (HARS) Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina. The aircraft was built in 1945 by Consolidated at its New Orleans plant and was delivered to the US Navy. It was later sold as surplus to the Aircraft Instrument Corporation and placed on the US Civil Register as N9562C. The Catalina underwent several different missions before being acquired by HARS in 2002, from Portugal where it had been operated as a water bomber under Chilean registration. From there, it was flown to Australia in September 2003. HARS is in the process of restoring the Catalina as closely as possible to the configuration of the famous RAAF "Black cats" of World War II. The RAAF "Black Cats" were pure flying boats, enabling long range and maximum possible loads with extended water take offs.
The Catalina will fly on both the 17th and 18th of February along with most of the aircraft from the Museum collection. The two days will not be exactly the same, so for the full experience plan to spend the weekend here in Temora.
NEW FLYING DATES
More future flying dates have been decided upon for 2007 / 2008. They are as follows:
2007
17 & 18 February
7 & 8 April
19 & 20 May
30 June & 1 July
18 & 19 August
15 & 16 September
17 & 18 November
2008
9 & 10 February
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23 Jan ´07 | First Flying Weekend for 2007 is nearly here!
Temora Aviation Museum is currently organising our upcoming flying weekend on 17 & 18 February 2007. At this stage we are excited to announce that the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) will be bringing the Super Constellation and the PBY Catalina. The Connie will be open for our visitors to go on board for a tour of this magnificent machine. Most of the Museum’s aircraft are also expected to take to the air.
Meanwhile, in the Engineering Hangar, the Temora Aviation Museum engineers have been working on the Hudson and Dragonfly VH-XVA. The Hudson has just undergone an airworthiness directive, which entails pulling the propellers apart and inspecting the blades for corrosion. Once the inspection is complete the blades are reassembled into the hubs and the propellers are installed onto the engines.
Dragonfly VH-XVA is in the final stages of its annual inspection, which has included an eight-year structural integrity program inspection. This program was developed in Australia as part of the ageing aircraft programs that are currently carried out on many aircraft worldwide. The program helps to ensure the continued airworthiness for the Museum’s Dragonflys now that they are no longer in mainstream service. As part of the inspection, the Dragonfly had its left-hand engine removed for repair, which will be refitted next week. It is planned that the aircraft will be ready to fly on our February Flying Weekend.
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21 Dec ´06 | SEASON'S GREETINGS FOR 2006
It’s been a big year for Temora Aviation Museum with visits here from RAAF F/A-18 Hornets, the RAAF Roulettes and many friends with their warbird aircraft. The most notable event was the attendance of the Australian Prime Minister and the acquisition and loan of more historic aircraft. Staff, Volunteers and Crew from the Temora Aviation Museum would like to thank everyone that visited the Museum throughout the year. Your support is always appreciated as it helps to keep our vintage aircraft flying.
Opening hours throughout the holiday period remain 10 am to 4 pm daily, except for closure on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December 2006), Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December 2006 ) and New Years Day (Monday 1 January 2007). We will be doing some flying on December 27th, 28th & and 29th. These days are not our normal flying days and we will not have a published programme. They are merely days for some of our pilots to do some additional training and currency flying. If you are travelling through the Riverina over the holiday season check out the Museum’s collection of historic aircraft. Our team of Volunteers will be here to show visitors through and offer insight into their background.
The Temora Aviation Museum would like to wish all our newsletter subscribers a fabulous Christmas and a very safe and happy new year. Due to administration staff taking holidays, newsletters will cease temporarily until late January.
The next flying weekend for Temora Aviation Museum will be February 17 and 18, 2007. We look forward to seeing you there!
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06 Dec ´06 | HORNET VISITS DECEMBER FLYING WEEKEND
Visitors that attended the final Flying Weekend for 2006 were thrilled with a surprise visit from an F/A-18 Hornet. The Hornet appeared in the sky around midday on Saturday and performed several passes for the crowd before landing. The aircraft and its pilot remained in Temora until Sunday afternoon when it once again showed its dexterity on Sunday afternoon with a few passes, before departing for its home base at 77 Squadron Williamtown, NSW. It is a great idea to attend all of our flying days as you never know what surprise guests we may have.
Along with the Hornet, visitors viewed aerobatic and handling displays by Museum aircraft including the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Wirraway, Boomerang, Spitfires Mk VIII & Mk XVI, Vampire, Canberra, Meteor, Dragonfly, Cessnas 01, 02 & A37B, and Tom Moon’s aerobatic aircraft - the Extra 300s.
Do you still need to purchase Christmas Gifts for that special someone? Our website contains an online gift shop of aviation gifts and museum. We ship orders out within 24 hours of receiving them and payments are secure.
We are busy planning our flying programmes for next year to make them new and exciting. The next Flying Weekend is on the 17 & 18 February, so start planning your visit to Temora Aviation Museum’s Flying Days now!
The Win the Flight of your Life Raffle was drawn on the Sunday December 3rd. The raffle has been raising money over the past eight months for Temora local resident Charlie McCrae. Charlie was seriously injured in a horse-riding accident in November 2005, and ever since, hardworking volunteers have endeavoured to make his rehabilitation a little easier by helping fund a wheelchair accessible home for him to live in. We thank everyone that has contributed towards the raffle.
The winners for the raffle were:
1st prize flight in the A37B Dragonfly: Mark Welke
2nd prize flight in the Extra 300L: Graham Mulchachy
3rd prize flight in the Trojan: David Patton
Congratulations to the winners!
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28 Nov ´06 | FINAL FLYING WEEKEND FOR 2006
The last chance to see our aircraft fly in 2006 is this weekend December 2nd and 3rd. We are looking forward to a big weekend filled with plenty of excitement.
Aerobatic and handling displays will be performed by the Museum’s aircraft including the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Wirraway, Boomerang, Spitfire Mk VIII, Spitfire Mk XVI, Canberra, Vampire, Meteor, Tom Moons Extra, and more.
Visitors on Saturday who purchase the Temora Aviation Museum Warbirds DVD receive an entry into a draw to win a ride in the Museum’s Wirraway. Even if you already own a copy of the DVD, it is sure to make a great Christmas present.
On Sunday we are planning to fly both of our Spitfires – Mk XVI and Mk VIII together. This is a rare event and something you will never forget.
Keep the Museum’s Online Merchandise in mind while you are shopping this Christmas. We stock a large range of aviation-themed gifts for people of all ages. Place your order online and we will ship within 48hrs direct to you – no crowded stores or full parking lots.
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23 Nov ´06 | ANNUAL INSPECTION OF THE BOOMERANG
The annual inspection of the Museum¹s newly acquired Boomerang is nearing completion. The Temora Aviation Museum Engineering team have been working on this aircraft for the past week to ensure that it is ready to fly on December 2nd and 3rd.
An inspection of the Boomerang is made up of many different elements. These include checking the airframe eg. Making sure all grease points on the undercarriage system are lubricated; checking the fuselage and internal structure for damage and corrosion and checking that the cable systems are functioning correctly; the tail unit is inspected for signs of cracks, wear and security of its attachment points, with similar inspections carried out on the wings; looking over the cockpit eg. checking correct operation of the canopy and rudder pedal; checking flight controls for free movement; inspecting the fuel system for signs of leakage; checking instruments for correct operation and inspecting the electrical systems to make sure batteries, circuit breakers and switches are working correctly.
The engine is given an oil change, the spark plugs are removed and cleaned and the whole engine is inspected for damage and corrosion. It is given a full power run on the ground to make sure it is operating correctly.
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09 Nov ´06 | Flying & New Employee
The November Flying Weekend was a success with great weather and superb flying displays.
The Flying displays involved most of the Museum’s aircraft including the Tiger Moth, Ryan, Wirraway, Boomerang, Hudson, Spitfires Mk VIII & Mk XVI, Canberra, Meteor, Vampire, Dragonfly, O2-A and Tom Moon’s Extra 300s. Unfortunately, the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society’s Lockheed Neptune and C-47 Dakota were unable to visit Temora due to unsavoury weather at Albion Park, where they are situated. They plan on scheduling another visit sometime in the near future.
The Canberra City Band made an appearance on the Sunday, and played their lively music to the visitors that day. Thanks again to the band for supporting our event.
The last Flying Weekend for the year is only 3 weeks away. It falls on the 2nd and 3rd of December. So start organising your visit to Temora now!
NEW EMPLOYEE
The Museum is pleased to announce that its most recent addition to staff is Mitchell Liebich. Mitch will undertake an apprenticeship in the area of aircraft engineering. We look forward to Mitch’s help and wish him well in his chosen career.
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30 Oct ´06 | FLYING THIS WEEKEND!
Museum aircraft flying displays will take place this Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th November, commencing at 11.00 am and continuing until approximately 3.00 pm on both days. The Museum opens at 10.00 am and closes again at 4.00 pm.
The majority of the Museum’s collection is expected to fly this weekend, including aircraft such as the Spitfire, Meteor, Hudson, Wirraway, Tiger Moth, Dragonfly, Boomerang, Canberra and Vampire.
We are also anticipating a first-time visit to the Museum from the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society’s (HARS) Lockheed Neptune P2V-7 A89-273. The Neptune is a long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. This particular aircraft was built at Lockheed’s Burbank plant in California, USA at a cost of $818,452.33. It arrived in Townsville, NT Australia on the 10th March 1962, where it was allocated to No. 10 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force. During its years of service it logged a total of 5476 flying hours. It is 28 metres in length, with a 37.7 metre wing span, making it an imposing machine. It can reach a maximum speed of 664 km/h. Neptune A89-273 is the only former RAAF Lockheed Neptune flying in Australia and is maintained, operated and crewed by members of HARS.
HARS will also bring their C-47 Dakota to Temora, and this aircraft, along with the Neptune will be displayed on Saturday only. HARS’ members will be happy to show visitors through the aircraft and ask for a gold coin donation in return.
CANBERRA CITY BAND
The leading community band organisation from Canberra, ACT, Canberra City Band, will make themselves heard on Sunday 5th November of the Flying Weekend, where they will perform for visitors at the Museum.
The Canberra City Band have performed at many major functions including Australia Day ceremonies, Anzac Day Parades and the Floriade Flower Show, as well as visiting the Museum last year, where they were a huge hit with our visitors.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The entry admission for a Flying Weekend is $15 for adults, $10 for persons aged over 65 yrs and $5 for children (3-18 years). Food and drinks are available for purchase over the weekend, although visitors are welcome to bring their own.
Visitors will find picnic tables and some grandstand seating available, although this seating can be limited, so we advise to bring along a light fold-up chair if you have one. Alternatively, chairs are available for purchase at the Museum’s giftshop.
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18 Oct ´06 | Four Museum Aircraft at Richmond this weekend
Four of the Museum’s aircraft will fly to Richmond, NSW this Friday (20th) to participate in the Defence Force Air Show to be held over Saturday and Sunday, 21 and 22 October 2006.
The Air Show will be held at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Richmond in NSW and will feature a variety of exhibitions and ground displays. The flying program will feature some of Australia’s best vintage warbirds through to jets and helicopters in service with the Australian Defence Force.
The Air Show will be celebrating 90 years of flying from RAAF Base Richmond and 85 years since the establishment of the Royal Australian Air Force. It will be the biggest Air Show to be held at Richmond since the Bicentennial in 1988.
Aircraft that will be attending from the Museum’s collection are the Vampire, Meteor, Canberra and Spitfire Mk VIII. It is a rare opportunity to get these four vintage aircraft together at an air show away from Temora Aviation Museum. So come along and bring the family to witness the unique event.
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05 Oct ´06 | Model Jets Weekend & New Flying Dates for 2007
This weekend will see the Model Jet Flyers Association of NSW visit the Temora Aviation Museum again to hold their Annual Model Jet Championships. Friday 6 October will consist of set-up and pilot registration, along with general flying practice going throughout the day.
Saturday and Sunday 7 & 8 October will consist of general flying with a few competitions thrown in throughout the day. Examples of the categories for entering the competitions will include:
Target speed which involves reaching either 200 km/h or 250 km/h without the use of remote to know how fast the aircraft is going;
Best of Show – the best crowd pleaser;
Best Sport and Best Scale jet – judged on appearance; and
Best Landing.
The weather is predicted to be quite warm over the weekend, so as you plan your visit to the Museum remember to bring along sun protection. The Museum opens at 10 am and closes at 4 pm both days, with flying being consistent throughout those times. Admission is $10 for adults, $7.50 for adults aged over 65 yrs and $5.00 for children (3-18 yrs). Food and refreshments will also be available from the Museum’s canteen, the ‘Mess Hall’.
So come along to check out some amazing miniature jet action over the coming weekend!
NEW FLYING DATES FOR 2007
Four Flying Weekends have been released for 2007. They are:
February 17 & 18
April 7 & 8 (Easter)
May 19 & 20
June 30 & July 1
The rest of 2007’s flying dates will be released soon.
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26 Sep ´06 | Historical Day for the Temora Aviation Museum
September 16 2006 will go down in the history of Temora Aviation Museum as the day the Prime Minister of Australia The Honorable John Howard MP attended a Flying Day and officiated at a ceremony to celebrate the Museum’s achievements during its first five years and open the new 05/23 runway.
The Prime Minister arrived at 10.45am and was given a personal tour of the Museum taking time to say hello to many visitors along the way. The Prime Minister spoke with many WWII Veterans and gathered with them for photos in front of the Spitfire. The weather was perfect, allowing the ceremony to take place out on the Museum tarmac with a magical backdrop including the Lockheed Hudson, Mk XVI Spitfire, Boomerang, Tigermoth and Wirraway. A choir of children made up of students from the five Temora Shire schools performed the National Anthem followed by speeches by Temora Shire Council Mayor Nigel Judd, Museum President and Founder David Lowy AM and The Prime Minister of Australia, The Honorable John Howard MP.
In his speech David shared with everyone:
“The Temora Avia | | | |
