Air Great lakes

[Critical Reynolds No]

Anyone know their history? Did they operate from Forster?
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/GA/Bandeirante%20110P1%20VH-WDI%20198101.jpg

[skipper1981]

I think they were taken over by Avdev Airlines,formerly Davey Airlines.They used to land at Forster(Wallis Lakes).

[Aye Ess]

From memory the aircraft were initially owned by Davey Airlines,hence the rego WDI (William Davey). They operated into Wallis Island and pax had to get a ferry to the mainland. This did cause some concern due to an RPT operating to an airfield that had no reasonable access to emergency vehicles. Can't remember how they got around that one.

[mostlytossas]

I used to fly into Wallis Lake back in the 80's as a super fund I belonged to had Holiday flats there that we used to stay at while our kids were young. While there was no RPT service there during my time I know there used to be at some time prior.
This I know for a fact as the old terminal blg was still there, and the bloke that used to come and collect us by boat(the only way to Forster) told me about it. He used to motor launch the passengers to/from the airport. I think he also told me Airlines of NSW used to service the island with Focker Friendships at some point.
Later the service was discontinued and passengers would be bussed over to Taree to join their flight.

[topdrop]

I thought it was East West used to go there in the Friendship - they had the rights to Taree which is where you were bussed from once they stopped going to Forster.
EastWestLoco should know.

[Aye Ess]

Indeed you are correct Topdrop,I only ever knew Taree as being an East West destination,however,mostlytossas is also correct,because I just asked great Uncle Google and the May 1964 timetable for Airlines of NSW had an F27 Sydney-Forster-Kempsey-Forster-Sydney.

[mostlytossas]

Well there you go! We might be old but at least the memory bank still works:O

[mostlytossas]

Can't remember that Dr,but you may well be right. What I can remember though is throughout the islands and coast around the lakes were large Goanna's.
I can very well remember hiring a boat for the day from a local boat shed ( from the same guy who used to run the ferry service) and heading off with wife and kids in tow to the many BBQ spots around the lakes,only to have them screaching at me as a goanna or two would wander into our spot looking for food.
The airport at that time was still in very good condition,and though unsealed the runway and taxiway was wide,long and flat. The apron was bitumen though,and had a house next to it for the once caretaker.
Googling past Air NSW timetables it appears it was in use for many years as DC3's serviced( direct flights some days) from Sydney in the 50's and later by Metro's and F27's. I am guessing the service was abandoned by Air NSW and perhaps for awhile taken over by East West until sometime in the late 70's which probably was when Great lakes took over for a brief period. Forster is yet another in a long line of country ports that no longer have a RPT service.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Forster is yet another in a long line of country ports that no longer have a RPT service.

.... :ugh:

[mostlytossas]

Thanks Leafy for explaining why many country routes are no more.
Who would have thought hey?
Mind you, some would say you are stating the "bleeding obvious".
Still it is good to hear the Wallis strip is still in good nick.

[Critical Reynolds No]

Thanks everyone.
Operated a few times out of there in the 90s. Don't remember the spiders. Do recall Pelicans after departure one time. Didn't want to hit them.:ok:

[pnolave]

As a kid I flew with my mum from SYD to Wallis Island on an Air Great Lakes PA31. The EMB110 came along later.

Mum hated the flight (I loved it), so she forfeited the return flight and we had to travel back by train.

[john_tullamarine]

I can still vaguely recall where the old strip at Tuncurry was prior to the Wallis Island scenario causing its shutdown. Anyone hazard a guess when that actually occurred ?

[RENURPP]

I have memories of going into Tuncurry in the early 80's.

[john_tullamarine]

I used to holiday at the camping ground over the way at Forster mid to late 60s ... all a tad vague now re the airfield ... must be getting Old Timer's Disease, I guess.

[capt.cynical]

The old Tuncurry air strip I believe is now the road leading into the golf course. Check it on Google Earth.

[DynaBolt]

Can anybody recall wether VH-WDI and WDF were the two aircraft that went on to serve Easterns in the 80s and 90s ?
Dynabolt

[evansb]

Interesting. FYI there were two Great Lakes Airlines in North America.

The U.S. based Great Lakes operated a near-new DC-6A in the mid-1950s.

In Canada, Great Lakes operated from 1958 to 1983. They last operated a fleet of Convair 580s.

[pnolave]

As a kid I flew with my mum from SYD to Wallis Island on an Air Great Lakes PA31. The EMB110 came along later.

Mum hated the flight (I loved it), so she forfeited the return flight and we had to travel back by train.

I also recall stopping in Scone to pick up 3 passengers......1 man, 1 woman and... ...a goat!

The goat was tethered at the back.

We have a photo of mum looking very uncomfortable, but sadly none of the aircraft (externally), nor of the goat.

[Bull at a Gate]

Air Great Lakes is welll known to students of contract law. In 1985 the NSW Court of Appeal handed down its decision in Air Great Lakes v KS Easter (Holdings) Pty Ltd which concerned the issue of when parties enter into a binding contractual agreement.

[Lookleft]

My first flight in an aeroplane was on a joyflight from Wallis Island in the early seventies. My brother got to sit in the front as he was destined to be the pilot. Turns out he can't stand small planes and gets motion sick!

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

Is the photo taken, near the old Flight Facilities terminal at Mascot?

I think WDI finished going to Airline of Tasmania, just prior to the 1989 airline dispute.