DH Dragon Rapide

[Trojan1981]

A silver DH Dragon just flew over me in northern Sydney, I didn't think there were any left in Aus??? Does anyone know where it's from?

[Dogimed]

Trojan,


The Rapide belongs in the Aviary at Bankstown...

(Is it still called that?!)

Dog

[FAR CU]

There are two in Australia and a third in NZ being restored for her Perth WA owner. (This one used to be in the Joe Drage collection at Wodonga then Wang.) VH-UTV is Sydney based . . . as noted . . . and VH-UXZ Melbourne based.

vh-utv - Google Search (http://www.google.com.au/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=vh-utv&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&hl=en&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ei=p5EgUZCJLfGImQXN3YGICA&ved=0CCUQsAQ)


Coincidentally this landed only today. Maybe someone here reading this will know something of use to Mr Seznec.

Corentin Seznec <[email protected]>

To Whom It May Concern:

Kaye Caplin of the Connellan Airways Trust mentioned I should get in touch with you as I am currently researching information related to Connellan for a book that my family will publish in the US in the next several months.

The book is actually a travel chronicle written by my great uncle George Thackray "Bee" Weems, about a 1950 ferry flight of a de Havilland Dragon Rapide "VH-AIK" from England to EJ Connellan in Alice Springs for use on his outback air services.

With my uncle were three others - Captain PVH Weems, Lieutenant Commander Willie Eddins, and a British aircraft engineer, James William Henry "Smitty" Smith. We currently have very little information on the latter, aside from the fact that he was apparently leaving England to work for Connellan Airways.

If you have any biographical information at all about Smitty, including photos or any other documents, we would be most grateful if you could share them with us. He is currently the "unknown" in the story, so it would be most helpful!

You can reach us by email.. Many thanks!

Sincerely,
Cory Seznec


coryseznec.com

[peterc005]

There is another DH Dragon Rapide being restored at Moorabbin airport that is very close to completion.

It's silver and has the original ANA markings. The restoration has taken ages because the owner has been fastidious about the details.

It's in the Rolfe Aviation hangar and isn't far away from flying.

People get sick of hearing my joke that the DH Dragon Rapide is so old it has an outside toilet.

[FAR CU]

Not me Peter . . .. . . I like it. So to 'the aeroplane shirt'.

You lift the tail and see the hole plain.

Here is the service history of VH-UXZ -


RAPIDE VH-UXZ (2) -

c/n 6801 Toc as NR713 at 18 MU 1.11.44. To Technical Training Command Comm Flight, White
Waltham 8.9.45; to Wyton 29.10.45. To Halton Station Flight 24.8.46. To 5 MU 16.1.47. Sold
29.5.47 to Field Aircraft Services Ltd. Regd G-AJSL (CofR 11550) 8.5.47 to Field Aircraft
Services Ltd, Croydon. Regn cld as sold abroad 16.6.47; (sale untraced). Regd 17.1.48 to
same owners. Regd 29.9.49 to Trent Valley Aviation Ltd, Tollerton; named "Friar Tuck". CofA
9374 issued 26.10.49. Regd 8.9.50 to Eagle Aviation Ltd, Luton. CofA lapsed 25.10.50. Regd
24.12.51 to Air Charter Ltd, Croydon. CofA renewed 21.3.52 and regd 9.4.52 to Eagle Aviation
Ltd, Blackbushe. Regd 10.4.52 to Surrey Flying Services Ltd, Croydon [based Southend]. Regd
26.3.56 to Southern Flying Schools Ltd t/a Portsmouth Aero Club, Portsmouth. Regd 10.1.61 to
Portsmouth Aero Club Ltd. Regd 9.5.62 to Thomas Hutton Marshall, Christchurch (dd 3.62).
Regd 28.8.62 to PE Palmer Holdings Ltd, Hurn. Regd 2.5.63 to Shackleton Aviation Ltd. CofA
lapsed 19.6.63. Regd 5.10.64 to Airgeneers Ltd, Staverton. CofA renewed 28.7.65. Regd
18.10.66 to Major Michael R Heerey t/a Parachute Regiment Free Fall Club, Netheravon; named
"Pegasus". Nominal reregn 1.3.67 to Lt Richard CJ Brinton. Sold 31.1.68 and regd 30.5.68 to
Trent Valley Aviation Ltd, Castle Donington. Operated [mid 68] by Northern Parachute Centre,
Usworth. Damaged when nosed over Usworth 23.2.69 and stored on site. Sold (to unidentified
party) 25.3.70. Regn cld 17.12.70 as pwfu. Remained at Usworth until at least 8.76; to Baginton
2.77; reported to Biggin Hill .78. Sold [70s] to Sander Veenstra, Australia; then several more
owners. Exported to Australia [78/79]; to MH Rolfe and stored Essendon, near Melbourne
[4.82]. To Moorabbin (1.83). Regd VH-UXZ [2] 31.1.95 to MH Rolfe, Cheltenham,
Vic (based Moorabbin). Rebuild nearly complete [4.01].

[Scion]

Had a great Sunday afternoon in superb flying conditions in the Rapide. I was surprized there were so few flying from Bankstown and we departed at approx 4pm went up to Hornsby and then to Mona vale. Tracked to lion Island and hence up the Hawkesbury river to a small strip near Wisemans Ferry where we did a couple of approches without landing . Then direct back to Bankstown. A beautiful afternoon.

We were taking a friend , an Air Canada pilot to see Sydney, not from a Boeing.

We may hold a fly in soon at the Ferry so if you are interested please PM me.

[FAR CU]

My banned mate Fantome says that he and Mrs F are dead certs Scion

Checking out the website, sleeping under the wing or in a rude rudimentary houseboat might be the go.

[Trojan1981]

Had a great Sunday afternoon in superb flying conditions in the Rapide. I was surprized there were so few flying from Bankstown and we departed at approx 4pm went up to Hornsby and then to Mona vale. Tracked to lion Island and hence up the Hawkesbury river to a small strip near Wisemans Ferry where we did a couple of approches without landing . Then direct back to Bankstown. A beautiful afternoon.

We were taking a friend , an Air Canada pilot to see Sydney, not from a Boeing.

We may hold a fly in soon at the Ferry so if you are interested please PM me.

Looked great Scion :ok:

It was the sound that got me first, I could hear it for about a minute and a half before I could see it!

[Scion]

the sound is good but even better is the fine mist of oil distributed over the northern beaches

[FAR CU]

There is an alternative to such foul pollutants my good man -

http://www.1-stopmarket.com/Liqueur_Pictures_001---IrishMist.jpg

[bentleg]

up the Hawkesbury river to a small strip near Wisemans Ferry


That's interesting. I'd appreciate the co-ordinates or a Google Earth placemark please.

Or are we talking about Mangrove Mountain or Somersby?

[Scion]

At one stage we had a second aid kit installed which was a bottle of Port and 4 glasses on a rear bulkhead but we could not get a CAR 37 engineer to approve it.

It was used for celebration after a successful flight such as to AAAA fly ins.

I also saw in an earliar aeroplane , part of the Kings Flight, a rear toilet with a sign"not to be used over habitation".

There may be some areas in Sydney that such instructions become redundant - especially around Bankstown.