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News and Plane Paper 2009  Plane Paper Archived

Meetings held at 8.00 pm on the second Wednesday of each month.

Our new permanent meeting location will be at the Lockleys Bowling Clubrooms at 46 Rutland Ave. Lockleys.

Don Fraser, Editor. Website and Plane Paper.Ph. Home 83633920 (most evenings)

The Council has reluctantly accepted the current editor's wish to relinquish the post of website editor and so this news page will not be kept up to date until a replacement volunteer is found.

Instead members will receive news and other information by email.

Visit to Aviation Pathways Program, Port Pirie

The Sport Aircraft Club will be flying in to Port Pirie airfield for a few hours visit on Saturday, 15th August. This is a Workshop Visit.
The visitors will be taken to the school which is restoring, to display condition, an Aero 45 aircraft. This is an old and interesting aircraft which played an important role in SA when it was based at Port Lincoln. It worked in fish spotting and in servicing island lighthouses for many years. Retired in the mid 1970s, it now forms the major project of the Aviation Pathways program at the Mid North Christian College.

The College, at Port Pirie, has been running a unique program to introduce students to aviation.
The Aviation Pathways program is a SSABSA approved course which includes technical studies, science and some flying.
Each class has about 12 students, boys and girls, and runs for one week in each of the four school terms. Students come from all over South Australia, and the school runs two streams on successive weeks, each term.
The teacher in charge of the program, John Birrell is a member of the Sport Aircraft Club of SA and has built, and now flies, a Bush Caddy.
Also assisting in each course is Peter Shipp, an aircraft sheet metal expert from the SA Aviation Museum.
A further contact with our Club is that we have provided a perpetual trophy for aircraft engineering skills. Last Year’s winner was Rochelle Bowley.

Our planned fly-in visit is timed for the weekend between the two course streams, so some students from each stream plan to be there. The program is:

Arrive Port Pirie airfield at 11:00
Taken by school people to the school, which is about a 10 minute drive from the airfield.
We will be shown the aircraft they are restoring, and the facilities they have built to support the program.
Have lunch at the school (WE BRING OUR OWN LUNCH)
Return to the airfield, and fly home, around 2:00 – 3:00 pm.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Marama Fly In Aug 1st report by Mike Holtby

If the throaty cough of an old Pratt & Whitney radial engine firing up gives you a kick, then you certainly missed a treat last Saturday. Those who flew into Jeff and Christine Morgen’s Marama airfield on August 1st enjoyed the spectacle of both the engines running on his restoration project C-47 (Call it a Dakota, DC-3, Gooney bird or whatwillyou. C47 was the military designation.)

Some twenty two aircraft, and about seventy enthusiasts arrived for the demo. Three Yaks, several Jabirus, an Auster, Cessna 150, Lightwing, Lancair, Meta Sokol, RV 6 and 7 plus others graced the parking area. As usual there was plenty of peering into cockpits and ensuing chat.

David Gericke flew his Chipmunk up from Keith. David Lloyde brought his seldom seen little Karatoo in from Pinnaroo, which caused plenty of interest, and as always, Roger Stokes’ Spitfire was much admired. It certainly looked great when later positioned in front of the C-47 . You don’t often see two such differing mid thirties warbird designs together these days. (Yes, the original DC-3 didn’t start out as a warbird, but it sure became famous as one!)

Shortly after the lunchtime BBQ, and the fantastic array of home made cakes which followed, the crowd gathered around the DC-3 for the main event of the day.

‘Irene’ is a 1942 ex USAAF machine, one of nearly 11,000 built during WW II, and served in New Guinea for a while. The last of her kind on the Australian register, she flew for several airline companies until 1982, then became a McDonalds restaurant. Fortunately rescued by Jeff nine years ago, she is now being painstakingly restored to her wartime appearance, and as a photo of her cockpit shows, nothing is being spared to eventually bring her back to original standard.

Once the engines had settled down to a continuous smooth rumble, the onlookers just stared in admiration. The one or two ex Dakota pilots present must have felt memories flooding back. Doubtless it was even more moving for them, than for those of us who only flew as passengers.

How quiet it seemed after shut down. Groups sauntered back to the hangar for a chat and a last cup of coffee, shortly before thanking our hosts, and one by one departing for home. A well worth while visit, so maybe we can persuade Jeff to have an open day another year. Will she fly again? Who knows – anyone got a spare million to help out?

Thanks again Jeff, Christine and all your helpers.
.

Workshop visit to Mitcham and the Xenos.

Here is a collection of images to recall that event.

Safari 2009 Report by C. Malone
Participants
Andre and Harrison Mielke, David Hansen, Andrea and Chris Malone

Departure on Sat 4/7
We all met on the ground at Griffith and contemplated weather conditions. As it turned out by heading NW and following the Lachlan River valley we had no difficulty tracking to Narromine for the first overnight.
5/7
Uneventful to Roma via Coonamble and St George. Roma is noted for Oil and Gas exploration and has considerable history.
6/7
Short 45 min flight to Carnarvon Gorge to an exciting landing in long tussocky grass and fresh cow pats. Carnarvon Gorge is spectacular. Our first walk before lunch took in rock paintings and was enhanced by the appearance of Fred one the local indigenous guides. Fred had great rapport with young people and showed Harrison many things that normally would not be seen. After lunch we had a stroll up the Gorge. Ended up being about 10 km up hill, down ravines and many creek crossings
7/7
Retuned to strip find that the aircraft had had some attention from Brahman cattle (bulls?). We are wondering what David’s plane will produce in ten months time!!!
After much checking aircraft declared airworthy. Departed for Emerald and Shute Harbour. Arrival into Shute Harbour is interesting as you have to maintain 2500ft over Airlie Beach and then descend fairly quickly. Shute Harbour Airport is not visible until you turn final. Airport is very nicely laid out and ground service is superb.
8/7 and 9/7
Sailing, snorkeling and rest day.
10/7
Departed Shute Harbour for Innisfail via Townville. ATC at Townsville were very cooperative and allowed David to accompany Andre through their airspace at 6500ft directly over Townsville. From Townsville the coast was spectacular as we tracked overhead the Hornibrook Channel and Dunk Island among others. On arrival at Innisfail discovered the town was closed for the local show, an attraction for Harrison. Innisfail has many art deco buildings.
11/7
Departed for Cooktown .Andre and David up the coast overhead Cairns and then coastal to Cooktown via Port Douglas, Daintree and Cape Tribulation. Refrained from pointing out to David the strip at Cow Bay!!. Andrea and I tracked inland over the Atherton Tableland . Just after take off we had Mt Bartle Freer ( 5300 Ft) a few miles to our right. We then tracked coastal from north of Port Douglas.
11/7 and 12/7
At Cooktown
13/7
Departed Cooktown for Undara Lava Tubes via Chillagoe and Sheba’s Breasts. Took the afternoon tour of a lava tube under the expert guidance of Bram Collins ( 5th generation settler) who grew up on the property.
14/7
After a bush breakfast departed for Hughenden where Andre ,Harrison and David viewed the excellent dinosaur exhibition. Then continued onto Barcaldine to the amazing hospitality of Julie Herring’ parents ( Shirley and Les King )
14/7 and 15/7
While Andre and Harrison went to Longreach to Qantas Museum and Stockman’ Hall of Fame, the wrinklies had an easy day in Barci. Visited the small but very good museum and looked at the Tree Of Knowledge.
16/7
Departed Barcladine for Birdsville via a lunch stop at Windorah
17/7
Departed Birdsville for William Creek via Lake Eyre. Goyder’s Lagoon was an area of great contrast with the dunes of the Simpson Desert on one side and likewise those of the Strezleki Desert on the other side. From green vegetation to desert in a matter of metres!
18/7
Departed William Creek for home

Skypark May 2009

Mick and Di Hart hosted yet another great weekend at their Pt Lincoln private aviator's idea of a perfect holiday airfield that has everything except maybe perfect weather every day.

Over forty aircraft from a Yak 18 and a Pawnee Brave to a Drifter and a gyrocopter arrived to enliven the day. Mick's light weight superbly rebuilt Super Cub spent more time in the air than on the ground as did an RV6 and a DR107. In between the aforementioned activity many other aircraft took to the air over the three local private airfields that adjoin Skypark.

Local clubs supplied the tea, coffee, fruit, cakes and sandwiches during the day and a roast dinner in the evening. Once again the entertainment performed by six fellows in dark disguise, was outrageously imaginative, loud and very funny. Must be something in the water.

It is a biennial event not to be missed. I took few shots of aircraft we dont see very often

Membership

Subs have been set at $50.00 for the 2009 year. (copy the renewal form)

Some are able to pay via the net. In that case the Club's account is: National Australia Bank,
BSB 085-005, A/c 20-509-7256

Let Trevor Chapman know that you have paid by this method and by using the space on the payment transfer page, identify who and what for, - otherwise the treasurer will have monies turning up in the a/c without knowing who has paid for what.

Please send your remittance to :-
The Membership Officer
Sport Aircraft Club of S A Inc.
16 Allen Street
Old Noarlunga SA 5168

Please remember to provide updates of your address, phone and email

The Club has some funds available to add to our assets which are available to club members. They include a test meter to check airframe electrical bonding, a set of calibrated weighing scales and most recently a Carbon Monoxide meter. In addition we now have a lap top and projector for club presentations. Our hangar at Murray Bridge has available space from time to time.

Suggestions for the purchase of useful assets will be welcomed by Council.
Updated Calendar of Events for 2009