Aeropelican 40th anniversary (unofficial) Drinks

[Horatio Leafblower]

AEROPELICAN AIR SERVICES Pty Ltd:
1971-2011 and still going strong!

WHO: Everyone who has worked for the Duck.

An unofficial get-together for the Aeropelican Crew - 6 Different aircraft types, 5 owners, god only knows how many passengers over all those years :ok:

Where: Kent Hotel, Beaumont St Hamilton
When: Saturday 14th May, 1700-(very) late

RSVP: Emily (02) 4928-9600 or (preferably) [email protected]

[RENURPP]

Do you have any idea of how many people are planning on attending and which era they are from?

Im interested if many people pre - 1984 are attending.

[fencehopper]

A big hi to all the Otter Pilots that did the PJ ops, thanks for the great times and knowledge i picked up from you guys
"robes" (your friendly refueler and loadmaster.)

[Tmbstory]

I was one of the originals, who with the (Late) Keith Hilder, helped start the Airline. Our fleet at the beginning was one Cessna 402 VH-MWE and later on a second Cessna 402 VH-MWF.

I am unable to attend the get-together but have sent my thoughts and good wishes to Emily at the email she posted above.

It is without doubt that Aeropelican is a success story in Australian Aviation.

Tmb

[RENURPP]

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/skynews/25.jpg

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/skynews/22.jpg


Tmbstory,
Do you recognise any of the people in the photo?
Keith Hilder is on the far right, Stan Hone third from the left handing out the cig's, but I can't place the others?
Maybe Ces Redman next to Keith?

[Stationair8]

Okay guy's where's the ASIC cards and safety vests?

Congratulations on 40 years of service, go the duck!!!!

[Tmbstory]

RENURPP:

As you say I recognize Stan Hone and of course Keith Hilder..I have asked a friend who may know about the others and will advise in due course.

Tmb

[Jack Ranga]

I think I must have written about 12,000 flight strips for pelican when the twotters were doing pelican-sy. mmmmmmmm, one beer per 100 strips = :}

[Aye Ess]

I never worked for Aeropelican but I did get endorsed on VH-MWF at Belmont by Ralph Stewart in March 1980. The company I worked for in Syd,had an a/c in for a major,so,we cross hired the 402. It was very old & smelt awful.

http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/alan_spears/VH-MWFTRE.jpg?t=1305016836

[Jabawocky]

I think I must have written about 12,000 flight strips for pelican when the twotters were doing pelican-sy. mmmmmmmm, one beer per 100 strips = :}

I reckon I know a block who did the other 12000 strips.......and his ratio was more like 1/50 :}:}

[40Deg STH]

I must have been cleared by you 6000 times, THANKYOU:ok:
"My friend" was flying back to the Duck one saturday morning at "500" in formation with a Aquatic Beaver and Airforce Caribu in close formation, what a great picture that would make. DHC2,DHC6 and DHC4

[Tmbstory]

Renurpp:

I am unable to help with the names of the people in the old photo other than Keith Hilder and Stan Hone.

Some of the initials of the flight crew were JR, EN, NB.

We started with two return flights per day to Sydney and soon progressed to three and then four return flights, Monday to Friday. One flight each day on the weekends.

The Cessna 402's were limited to 7 passengers due to strip requirements and some interesting times were had when a large truck and /or bus would appear out of the trees on the Highway just as you would be on close final or when approaching from the other end you would need to keep an eye out for large yachts as you were on close final.

Tmb

[RENURPP]

16 return flights a day at the peak, one every fifteen minutes in the mornings until 0800 I think and then back to 1/2 hr then 1 - 1 1/2 hrs until the evening peak started again. 120,000 passengers a year.

Eric and Noel I know, but can't place JR, can you give me another hint? Ahh yes, John, Gateshead Drive in?
I know the three of them, are you one of them?

I hope these articles are of interest to ex Aeropelican guys.
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/skynews/Scan1.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/skynews/Scan2.jpg[/IMG]
This was Pelican, the suburb, prior to any airport development, any Novacastrian would recognise Swansea south at the top of the picture.
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/skynews/photo.jpg
This was Keith Hilder's vision of Aeropelican or East Lakes Airport as it was intended to be named back in 1959.
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/skynews/photo-1.jpg
Note the taxi way into the bay, that was intended to service float planes/amphibious.

[DaisyDuck]

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230524_10150178219596045_688581044_7050862_6982944_n.jpg
Aeropelican 'Class of 1980'

[DaisyDuck]

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225176_10150178222336045_688581044_7050881_365782_n.jpg

Aeropelican 'Class of 88'

[RENURPP]

Any chance of increasing the resolution of the class of 80?

[Hi LDL-Low HDL]

...is the Wazza in the middle? :ok:

...and is KJ in the 1988 pic? :suspect:

[DaisyDuck]

It's been scanned in and then reduced to the Pprune maximum of 640 x 480, is there another better way? I haven't posted a photo before.

[DaisyDuck]

Yes it's Wazza in the middle, who the *** is KJ??

[Hi LDL-Low HDL]

Kranky Kenny Johnstone! :D

[DaisyDuck]

I think Ken Johnstone was with Singleton Air Services (or Yanda?) at that time, he started with AeroDuck about a year later.

[Tmbstory]

Renurpp:

I have sent you a PM.

Tmb

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

How many pilots were required to run the twotter operations at it's peak?

[RENURPP]

Daisy, I'm no expert, but it looks like you could crop the photos and get rid of the white area and keep the same resolution and I think that will enlarge the photo.


CLX, it was still single pilot during it's busiest time and I'm guessing from memory about 10-12 pilots. There was bugger all turn over, most of the captains in the 1988 photo were there for many years before 1988 back to the 402 days.

I only know two of the F/O's in that photo 2 shoes and JP, who's the guy in-between smithy and Scotty?
Thanks to 40DEG I think its jeff K or may start with C.

[DaisyDuck]

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/224214_10150178249141045_688581044_7050956_5417947_n.jpg
I think this is about as large as I can get it without the quality suffering. It was a very small photo to start with. You can PM me if you would like an email copy of the full size.

[RENURPP]

Thanks Daisy,
That did the trick. I recognize about 95% of the group, are you in the photo?

[DaisyDuck]

No, but a close relation of mine is. I am a daughter of one of the longer term employees. :) I am posting on behalf of a technically challenged Dad! I have tried to convince him to post under my nickname, but he would have to figure out where the reply button is and what it means ;)

[RENURPP]

That would be GS.

Haven't heard him on the radio for a while, has he retired?

[DaisyDuck]

Semi-retired might be a better term. :)

[40Deg STH]

Hi, no. Ken was later. He joined in about 93 from HVA

[Ejector]

Are there any Twotters left in Oz, or have they all gone to more advanced affordable countries as per the new ones being built in Canada?

[TAU MATAMATA]

I recall Keith Hilder at RNAC at Broadmeadow. He ran a photography business and used a Dragon Rapide for Aerial photography. I think he had a brother who was a Master with Burns Philp.

Stan Hone was an instructor there and Russ Evans the CFI.

[RENURPP]

tau-matamata, Keith had no brothers one sister, he had two children.

Here is a short history.



http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/skynews/Scan1-1.jpg
I have no idea what happened to this machine, i would love to know if anyone on here does.
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/skynews/photo-4.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff452/skynews/Scan2-1.jpg

[fencehopper]

The Otters were sold off into the UAE, read they where used as spare parts.

[Tmbstory]

Any good hangovers after the event? Hope it went well and many stories told.

Tmb

[Capt Fathom]

Post #15

4th from the left..... a European name? Jan?

ex PNG.

[RENURPP]

Hans Fleck, German.
Most of he early guys are ex PNG.

[Fantome]

In February 1967 Jack Masling was negotiating with Keith Hilder for
Maslings to operate for Aero Pelican the new commuter or Reg 203 ops that were then about to be approved by the Department of Civil Aviation. I was in a minor way privy to those discussions having just joined Maslings and with Jack and Tom Long flew into Pelican from Coota in C320 VH-FJW. Maslings did not end up going ahead with those proposals and instead launched their own service Sydney-Cessnock- West Maitland.

Much later Maslings bought out Aero Pelican, but in a matter of weeks
sold out to TNT for a sum many times the price they had paid for the business. This capital infusion enabled Maslings to expand its engineering business at Coota concentrating on turbine component overhauls and bow out from air service operations after many years
and many bases where Masling Aviation and then Masling Airlines flew its flag.

My memory is hazy on many counts. Tmbstory would have a better handle on the story.

[Tmbstory]

Hi, Fantome:

In February 1967 I was in Albury running the Flying School and Charter Buisness. I heard about the trip to Aeropelican in FJW to KH but had no part in it due to the above.

The first Commuter Service on the East Coast of Australia commenced on the 11th September 1967 in VH- MWD and the route was WLM - SY- CTM - TEM - CTM - SY - WLM.

In December 1968 my log book shows that we started the SY - CNK - SCONE (SCN) service. West Maitland does not show in my log book until the 1970's.

Regarding the the start of the Aeropelican service from Belmont to Sydney, we did a VIP flight on 31st May 1971, there was a verbal altercation on the Tarmac at Ansett with the Masling people. The next day, !st June 1971 we went back to Sydney and to the High Court where KH gave his affidavit and Judicial approval for the new commuter service was given and the service commenced on the 2nd June 1971.

I left Aeropelican in August 1972 to go to South East Asia on a VIP contract.

Regards

Tmb