DH Comet operated by WA Mining Company

[Jabawocky]

Does anyone have any information regarding a Comet operated in Western Australia by a mining company?

Any information is welcome, but in particular what became of it, location of any items, dates of service, registration and C/N.

J:ok:

Bloggs....you got it mounted on a pole as a letterbox?

[Wunwing]

I don't think that there was ever a Comet operation by a mining company, but I seem to remember a proposal to operate ex Mexicana Comets out of a "principality" in that part of the world. It didn't happen surprisingly.

Wunwing

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

G'Day oh great learned traveller, (NICE photos:ok::ok:)
I'm with 'Wunwing'........

I seem to recall RUMOURS of 'the good prince' wanting to create his own intl airport and do all manner of marvellous things....direct intl flights was to be part of his agenda....he was selling 'passports' at one time - maybe as 'souvenirs' - maybe the Comet was mentioned as they would have been very cheap to buy at around that time...but very expensive to operate I would imagine....:}r
Not to mention the NOISE and the BLACK SMOKE.....:}

Pipe dreams....:)

[Jabawocky]

Bloggsie...that looks more like your JetA Juice I reckon :}

Thanks guys I will pass it on. The question came from the fellow leading the restoration of a Comet for a Static Display here in Seattle, and he could not confirm if there was one or not....asked if we knew. I did not have a clue of course....but I knew you kind folk would be in the know.

Good work!:ok:

[CHAIRMAN]

Jaba, what was he restoring - the jet or the 1933 DeHavilland jobbie?

[Super Ord]

Theres one in bits....heading towards restoration at Croydon Aircraft Company, Mandaville, NZ....DH Comet that is.

DH.88 that is.

[tail wheel]

If you're talking the DH.106 Comet, it was never on the Australian aircraft register. Qantas took options but they were subsequently cancelled after the Comet 1 catastrophic failures. Only 114 Comets of all varients were built.

If you're talking the DH.88 Comet, I seriously doubt any were ever operated in Australia except during the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race. Only five were ever built.

[LAME2]

"I seem to recall RUMOURS of 'the good prince' wanting to create his own intl airport and do all manner of marvellous things....direct intl flights was to be part of his agenda....he was selling 'passports' at one time - maybe as 'souvenirs' - maybe the Comet was mentioned as they would have been very cheap to buy at around that time...but very expensive to operate I would imagine....http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/badteeth.gifr
Not to mention the NOISE and the BLACK SMOKE.....http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/badteeth.gif"

The good prince you talk about at Hutt River did desire an international airport and even his own airforce. He once inspected a flight line of Mirages. Very regal in front of the cameras. Any publicity is good. I've just dusted off my old passport. It would probably get me through the gate again.

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Many years ago I had dinner with a retired pilot who flew the Comet 4 for East African Airways. He had a very high opinion of that model - but I guess the type never recovered from the Comet 1 disasters.

Dr :8

[Jabawocky]

The ones flying did, the beefed up aircraft of the 4 and 4C I think it is were quite advanced for their day......like ABS brakes! Will post pics later!

J:ok:

[PLovett]

I recall being very pleasantly surprised by the performance of a fully loaded Comet 4C on a charter by Dan Air from Milan to Gatwick back in the mid-70s'. :ok:

Dunno' how they'd go over long distances with hot takeoff conditions though. :=

[Wunwing]

Comet 4s were operated to Sydney via Darwin and I think on to Auckland by BOAC in the 60s. I well remember working on them as an apprentice. I learnt quickly to aviod them if possible because the apprentice job was to hang upside down disconnecting things from the top of a wing when an engine change was required.
At one stage (I suspect prior to the arrival of the B707 138) Qantas wet leased at least one Comet. There is or used to be a B&W photo of it in the Qantas training school.
The interesting thing about this thread is that I suggested the WA story was about a proposal to use ex Mexicana Comets and if memory serves me right, the Seattle one is also ex Mexicana.

[Stationair8]

Not getting confused with the Caravelles that used to operate into Brisbane from New Caledonia up until the early 1980's?

[Wunwing]

No confusion Staionair the aircraft that I'm talking about and the principality proposal were defininitely Comet 4.

We had Caravelles into Sydney as well. They were the beasts that popped their drogue shutes all over the active runway at peak morning rush when they thought they were running out of runway.Getting the shute into the van with a wind up while all the domestic operations were waiting was interesting to say the least.

As far as I remember the only Caravelles on regular service into Austrlia were French, (UTA, Air Caledonia and later Air Calin). Never saw a charter one although Sterling Philipines did operate a couple out of Manilla for a time but to the best of my knowledge not into Australia.

Wunwing

[Blue Sky Baron]

If my ageing memory is functioning correctly I recall the Comet proposal was floated by Captain Jack Ellis and it was to involve flights from "the Hutt" to Moorooduc in Vic. Obviously it never happenned.
BSB :ugh:

[planit]

Plovett , The Comets were over powered. I used to work for Dan Air and remember a conversation with a Comet pilot who had just returned to Gatwick from Tenerife where the temp was 51C (wind blowing in from Sahara) and we had a 707 stuck as it couldnt take off, but the Comet had not only taken off but pilot said he worked out that he could have got airbourne at 9000feet above sea level at that temp. Dan Air also asked the CAA for permission to shut down an engine in cruise to save fuel when the first oil crisis hit in 70's but were refused. Of course the Nimrod used to shut down engines for long term cruise but that was re-engined with Speys not the original Avons.

[PLovett]

planit, thanks for the information. No wonder it took off from Milan like a homesick angel. :ok:

[Capnikki]

Don't know whether this Gent has got the wrong end of the stick, but

1) de Havilland designed, built and named two Comets -

A) The DH twin engined monoplane which won the MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia in 1934 and was also the forerunner to the Mosquito'

B) the DH106 (first ever jet airliner, despite what Boeing may say) of the 1950s on.

I cannot find any other reference to the name of Comet painted on an aeroplane.

2) There is a "Comet" Gold mine located in close proximity to Marble Bar, in the Pilbara.

Gold was discovered in the area in the 1880s and the Mine opened in 1936 & closed in 1955.

This mine was served by Airlines (WA) Ltd, for some of those years.

As an aside, & as related in my Book "I FLEW FOR MMA'', MMA used to serve the Big Bell Gold Mine, out from Mt Magnet. The first couple of times after I joined in 1955 we landed there in the DC-3 & took on board the usual load of pure gold for the Perth Mint. We were then handed a Smith & Wesson revolver with which 'to protect the Bullion' .
The Captains (all wartime operational pilots), soon put a stop to that!

[Stationair8]

Another one of Captain Jack's schemes, that didn't get off the ground.

Welcome to Moorooduc International Airport.

[tinpis]

Rode one from Auk'a'lo'afa to Mascot in the '60's
Didn't know what to compare it with cos this dumb kiwi had never been in a Jet before
Oh.. you could'nt sink as many Steinies on the trip as you could with the Lockheed...

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

Yes, but it made the escape from sheep shagger land quicker!

Didn't have sheepskin seat covers in Y class?

[Horas]

Absolutely correct I used to be a FO on Comet IV's with Dan Air , great aircraft very reliable , very much overpowerd excellent hot and high performance, even losing an engine during take off was hardly noticable.
It could easily cruise on three engines at M.72 altghough not legal you could safely stretch the range by shutting down one engine.
I don't think the Comet IV was ever registered in Australia , it was the worlds first 4 engine jet airliner the B 707 came next . An unfortunate series of accidents with the Comet in its early days caused airlines to cancel orders and go for the B707 instead even though the early Comet problems were fixed.

[Blue Sky Baron]

"Moorooduc International Airport" now being turned into Peninsula Link as we speak!
BSB:ok: