Merry Christmasl, and a little gift from me!(pics)

[Ultralights]

just a small sampling of my favourite pics for all to share, for christmas. (large pics)

F4U

http://home.exetel.com.au/pamuva/Other%20stuff/webstuff/623147.jpg

747-400 12 O'Clock Low
http://home.exetel.com.au/pamuva/Other%20stuff/webstuff/599180.jpg

747 12 O'Clock High!

http://home.exetel.com.au/pamuva/Other%20stuff/webstuff/582602.jpg

JAL 747-400 departing LAX, view from Light aircraft lane!

http://home.exetel.com.au/pamuva/Other%20stuff/webstuff/647565.jpg

Intersting wing view, IMC lights!
http://home.exetel.com.au/pamuva/Other%20stuff/webstuff/720618.jpg

Difficult! IMC Formation, Skyhawks!
http://home.exetel.com.au/pamuva/Other%20stuff/webstuff/728275.jpg

warbird! P40
http://home.exetel.com.au/pamuva/Other%20stuff/webstuff/728230.jpg

Gear down (up?) first stage flap, Inverted http://home.exetel.com.au/pamuva/Other%20stuff/webstuff/image006.jpg

Last but not least! F27 heading home. (anyone know the story of this old girl?)
http://home.exetel.com.au/pamuva/Other%20stuff/webstuff/736670.jpg

just for fun!

http://home.exetel.com.au/pamuva/Other%20stuff/webstuff/flye.jpg

:ok: :cool:

[Kaptin M]

The F27 was the Cairns based charter aircraft that Bill Peach used to accompany around Oz, I believe.

Last time I had any knowledge of anything to do with it was back in the mid '90's, when one of the SQ A310 Aussie pilots was talking of taking a job there (G'day Greg!).

Does she still operate?

[DUXNUTZ]

She's still kicking round. Saw her in Tindal not long ago on a Syd- up north sight seeing tour......

[Kaptin M]

Is Greg Hart still steering her around?

[Crash & Burn]

F27 VH-NLS has recently been retired from Air Cruising Australia and was purchased by a musuem in the Netherlands as it was the first production F-27 ever built. (First flight was in 1958 I think)

It completed it's ferry to the Netherlands just over a week ago and I believe it will be kept in flying condition.

[prospector]

Go to http://www.ruudleeuw.com/ if you want to see a record of the delivery flight to Holland, crew, route etc.

A very interesting site covers a lot of Aviation History.

Prospector

[Kaptin M]

Thanks for that link, prospector - very interesting, and I note that it is only within the past week or so that the old girl - the oldest flying Fokker F.27 - finally returned to her birthplace.

One comment I found a little "misguided" from the site wasTo see it in such a pristine condition is a testimony to the successful design of the Fokker F.27 !I would have said it is a testimony to the EXCELLENT engineering care it received during its lifetime in New Zealand, and then Australia!

Steve Weatherstone was one of the ferry pilots, I note.
Steve (an ex-I.R. instructor of mine, from Nav Air days) must surely be one of the highest time F27 pilots in Australia, having joined East-West on the type, sometime in the early 1970's.

Nice to see the old girl will continue to lead an "active" life, rather than a "static" one!


Edited to give due credit to our Kiwi cousins (as per prospector's input.)

[prospector]

Kaptin M,
Come now, get it right. The second half of its life in Australia, NZ National Airways, Air New Zealand, from 1966 to 1985. Sent to Australia just like new, good to see it was treated in the way it had become accustomed to.

Prospector

[3 Holer]

Kap M - last I heard Harty was flying for EVA, MD11 fleet I think.