Leopard Moth and Miles Falcon still at Lilydale?

[Centaurus]

For some years there has been a Leopard Moth and a Miles Falcon hangared at Lilydale aerodrome. They belong to Keith Hatfield. Neither aircraft have flown for years. I don't know if they have regular engine runs but probably not. Any Pprune readers know what plans there are for these two rare and probably valuable historic aircraft?

[Old Akro]

I remember being at Casey airfield when the Miles Falcon flew in!

[nitpicker330]

Speaking of the Colonel and Elsa. Are they still around? Have lost touch.

Thanks

[StallsandSpins]

Yes they are still there! and Colonel Hatfield is still alive and kicking too! There must be a few people from Casey floating around PPruneland. I posted some other berwick photos in the photos thread a while ago. Here are some photos of UUL and AAT i took recently.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9T6x1KqSNRg/T-qgm6SoA3I/AAAAAAAABjg/-BBG-HaYJpk/w1076-h807-no/2012-06-26+15.14.42.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jDLv6x685oc/T-qm94NLMAI/AAAAAAAABj4/rsu7DAZ2m2A/w1076-h807-no/2012-06-26+15.14.11.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aTa2jOlHbaY/T-qol2PFtVI/AAAAAAAABkA/gXOEHldEAk4/w1076-h807-no/2012-06-26+15.13.52.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0mxLB4yWFPQ/T-qqHGp6eLI/AAAAAAAABkQ/8LlaAyyWOLU/w1076-h807-no/2012-06-26+15.15.03.jpg

[StallsandSpins]

both Keith and Elsa are both doing well! Elsa was recently in the half time parade on the anzac day football match at the mcg.


old acro were you there when these pictures were taken? https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zYPZJIqHNrU/TsnzeFAMDsI/AAAAAAAABGs/yi3DEMGhEW4/w1144-h807-no/059-4.jpg

[emeritus]

Is that Arthur Schutt in the two top photos? If I recall correctly, Arthur bought AAT before the war and used it for charter. When I worked for Arthur from 58 to 61 it was sitting at the back of the maintenance hangar minus the port wing( I think it was the Port).

Emeritus.

[Old Akro]

There is some chance I'm the one that you can just see the top of a head on the bottom right photo. I was still at school then. As I recall the Miles Falcon was advertised in " The Age" which had a classified section for aircraft in Saturday's edition. I recall daydreaming about buying it. I think it sold for about the same amount of money I was planning to spend on a car. This might have been $500.

As I recall, it came to Berwick on a permit to fly and was in sad shape. I vaguely recall something about wood rot - possibly in a spar. I recall it being in the maintenance hangar for years and years, but it may have also spent some time tied down in the front row near the hangar. Alongside a couple of Fuji's if I remember right. This would have been 1974 - 1976??

Is that Dave Squirrell in the blue T shirt?

This was about the same time that Pete Murphy & Jacqui Walker flew a new Cessna 411 back from the states for Arlene Robb's father. I remember it beating up the airfield (sorry, I think it was a missed approach). Arlene soloed at 16 and got in the local paper. I soled the week after I turned 17 due to weather and didn't. Bill Campbell-Hicks was MC at the wings night that I got my Groupair wings. I had a flying lesson with him the next day and he looked less than perfect. Where have the old learned instructors gone?

My office now looks out over the threshold to runway 12 (is that correct?). I think I'm pretty much where the old dirt bike circuit was. There's not much traffic anymore. Just Gunter's chopper.

[StallsandSpins]

Emeritus,
Yes that is Arthur Schutt. the photos were taken sometime in 1978 a bit before i arrived at casey. My grand father had been mates with schutty since before the war when schutty used to do joyriding, "suckerbashing" as grandpa used to say at fairs and country race meetings around western Queensland. The miles falcon Arthur Schutt was most associated with and famous for was not AAT but AAS

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p4-FAs9MwaA/TsnrLUvxMbI/AAAAAAAAA-E/bw8MXIYv35M/w1022-h807-no/063-3.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1Xo-1_uTL0o/TsnrRcY1xeI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/mFp6t2oxTjM/w975-h807-no/064-2.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8qW949TqOnw/TsnrPj471lI/AAAAAAAAA-M/2dL3mruu890/w1060-h807-no/064-3.jpg

Some pictures of Arthur Schutt and AAS taken in 1938. The G. Hatfield standing next to him is my grandfathers older brother Garnet. AAT at the time was owned by the RQAC. AAS was damaged somewhere on landing (halls creek ??? i have the details but they are all boxed up in storage at the moment) bad enough that they couldn't fly it out. So they left the aircraft with the intention of recovering it. Meanwhile the local aborigines used to hunt by setting fire to the grass and unfortunately there wasn't much left of AAS when they returned to recover it a short time later.

Here is a picture of a young LK Hatfield about to go flying in Miles Hawk AAH at Clermont 1937.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-s8aNGf_Zg1c/TsnrNteYJOI/AAAAAAAAA-I/sRZkfbSQBiM/w922-h807-no/063-2.jpg

[StallsandSpins]

AAT was Taken over by the RAAF during WW2 for communications use. It was purchased from disposals by Sam Hecker from Temora who then sold it on to Arthur Schutt who by that time had a large flying school/charter operation at YMMB. One of his pilots ground looped it and put it through the fence smashing the port wing i guess sometime around 1958 which is when you would have seen it in the back of the hangar at YMMB. Schutty sold it to a young engineer who rebuilt the wing and got it flying again.

Here is a picture of my grandfather inspecting the aircraft at Archerfield prior to purchase in 1977. The figure $4500 comes to mind but that was before my time. I think it had been sitting outside in the humid Queensland weather for a while and was in worse shape than it must have looked.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-udoALrR1GRM/Tsn3j-h9hVI/AAAAAAAABOM/uDPOsSwUZao/w1197-h807-no/058.jpg

They ferried the aircraft down to casey and my grandfather invited Schutty over from YMMB to come display it at an airshow that was being held at Casey, which was when the above photos were taken. It went into the workshop for an inspection on the following monday and didnt fly again until David Squirrel took it on a test flight after a complete rebuild in 1990. UUL and AAT were used in a abc mini series about the 1934 England to Australia air race, AAT was painted to represent Harold Brooks's Falcon G-ACTM and UUL was painted to represent VH UQO Jimmy Melrose's Puss Moth

[StallsandSpins]

As I recall, it came to Berwick on a permit to fly and was in sad shape. I vaguely recall something about wood rot - possibly in a spar. I recall it being in the maintenance hangar for years and years, but it may have also spent some time tied down in the front row near the hangar. Alongside a couple of Fuji's if I remember right. This would have been 1974 - 1976??

AAT arrived at casey in 78, your probably thinking of the proctor VH DUL.
The wood wasn't rotten but i think much of the glue had perished by this time. They pulled the structure to pieces and re glued everything. It turned into fairly large project spanning several engineers. I dont think he would have ever left it out side, certainly not in the time ive been around them.

Is that Dave Squirrell in the blue T shirt?

Most likely, i'm fairly certain that that's Elsa and Wendy standing in the foreground.

This was about the same time that Pete Murphy & Jacqui Walker flew a new Cessna 411 back from the states for Arlene Robb's father. I remember it beating up the airfield (sorry, I think it was a missed approach). Arlene soloed at 16 and got in the local paper. I soled the week after I turned 17 due to weather and didn't. Bill Campbell-Hicks was MC at the wings night that I got my Groupair wings. I had a flying lesson with him the next day and he looked less than perfect.

A bit before my time. Sometimes i feel i missed the golden era of GA in Australia ....Maybe i should start a Casey airfield thread??:O
Bill C-H had quit flying when i met him. He had had an extraordinary career as a pilot starting pre war when he ran away from home in canada age 16 to go fly tri motors in south america.

Where have the old learned instructors gone?

Indeed :sad: but i have been fortunate to have flown with some of them in the past. I guess it's a different world now.

My office now looks out over the threshold to runway 12 (is that correct?). I think I'm pretty much where the old dirt bike circuit was. There's not much traffic anymore. Just Gunter's chopper.
RWY 35/12 correct. Are you involved with Monash Uni? i believe there is a bit on the history of Casey airfield somewhere there on campus

[Kharon]

Guys – I don't mean to butt in. I just wanted to say how very much I enjoy this thread and how great it is to see there are some folk who still manage to find and delight in the spirit of Australian aviation. More please and tanks.

Back to my knitting – right......http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Got photos somewhere of AAT at Redo. I started going there in 1974 and the Miles was parked next to the toilet block then. John Young told me a bit of it's history...long forgotten:-(...One day around 1978 three old guys in overalls showed up, checked the oil, removed some rubbish, pulled the prop through a couple of times, started her up and flew off into the distance. After sitting in the weather for so long...thought they were pretty brave.

[Old Akro]

I'm sure the Miles Falcon was advertised for less than $4,500. In 1978 I was a uni student and it sold for an amount I could ave raised. I'd be surprised if it was more than $1,500.

The Leopard Moth as green then and lived ( wings folded) in the maintenance hangar. I was struck by its polished wood in the interior. I think there were 3 Tigers on the airfield plus a Gyosy Moth. In Lady Casey's hanger was her Cessna 180 and, I think, a disassembled Percival Proctor. The fist Tiger I flew was Albert Mulhauser's red one. I also flew with Albert in his Pitts. He was a bit like the pinball wizard, he seemed to fly entirely by feel. He drove a fairlane that I'll swear didn't have a straight panel.

I recall Dragon's. but I can't recall if one was based there. The first Rapide I saw flew in for the air show and I thought it was one of the most elegant aircraft I had ever seen.

The heyday was the air show for the 60th anniversary of the Gypsy Moth ( I still have the T-shirt $ calendar) then the wonderful parties of he Royal and Ancient Berwick Aero Club. I believe that the core if that group still meet.

Cnl Hatfield had his office in the little glass fronted building an was an intimidating form to a school kid. I learned to fly with Bill Cambpbell Hicks, Pete Murphy, Reg Ross and Alan Baskett. I followed Alan to Essendon where he was one of the first schools to operate after it was opened up to GA. After that I went to Coldstream, where Tony Smith was a young grade 3 instructor.

I don't know if its just me, but there just don't seem to be many career instructors of this calibre any more.

[Old Akro]

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/w566/Doug_Gould/MothAirshow_zpsee71e986.jpg

[Old Akro]

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/w566/Doug_Gould/Mothairshowp2_zps9ba4add9.jpg

[Wanderin_dave]

Fantastic stuff, I really was born 30 years late :{

Yes they are still there! and Colonel Hatfield is still alive and kicking too! There must be a few people from Casey floating around PPruneland. I posted some other berwick photos in the photos thread a while ago. Here are some photos of UUL and AAT i took recently.

What are the other aircraft in the hangar, Stallsandspins? A Gipsy Moth? What's the blue tail attached to?

Looks like the kind of hangar I could spend quite a while crawling around! :)

[djpil]

#17 would've been John Day in his S-1C. That aeroplane is still going well.

I heard that Eric from Berwick is still around but in the USA.

[nitpicker330]

Yep, Eric from Berwick!!

What about Dave and Wendy?

[emeritus]

S n S...

Thanks for that info. Did not realise there were two Falcons and age does not help in matters of long ago.

Whilst learning to fly I worked at Schutts as general dogsbody. I was even junior to the apprentices.

One of my duties was making out the invoices and the forms had a logo of the Falcon showing the reg.

The a/c as I recall was purchased around 60/61 by a LAME from Tas who I presume made another wing.

When I got my CPL I started to do some flying in the 175 RFJ mainly "suckerbashing" as we called it. Quite lucrative...charter rates were 12 quid an hour or 2/6 per mile whereas joyriding would return up to 36 quid/ hour on occasions.

Operations were much more relaxed in those days. We enjoyed good relations with the ATC guys....Bob Oldfield,Charlie Stewart and Charlie Hyatt.

Anyone know if they are still around? Would be well and truly retired by now.


Did my CPL theory at RMIT with an Alan Hatfield....any relation?

Emeritus

[john_tullamarine]

Ah, fond memories ... I was in and out of Casey quite regularly during the early to mid 70s with parachuting at Pakenham .. the drop planes were left at Casey during the week. Did my initial twin endorsement there on the old Apache with HH.

Keith I got to know quite well .. lovely chap. Doubt he would recall me after all these years.

[Old Akro]

There was a tripacer that I think was owned by a skydiver that did some parachute dropping too. VH MOM if I recall correctly.

[aroa]

Scmick machine that Falcon.
What a fabulous "historic" thread. And the old photgraphs..tops.
Just goes to show what's out there..AND there should be a National Aviation Collection...where all the pictures scould be scanned, stored and displayed for posterity.

AS for the old ex wartime career instuctors..I can say "Thank you" as well. :ok:

[nitpicker330]

MOM was Bugsy's machine. He later converted it to a tail dragger...

[cac_sabre]

and it's great to see these photo's.. so its got me thinking about modelling one!

So the M3A was a 4 cylinder, the M4B was a 6 cylinder.. I presume the 4B was longer?.. I've checked the usual searches and haven't found an answer

[StallsandSpins]

Centaurus,

Seems somewhat out of character for my Grandfather i cant imagine him ever turning a potential customer away, even if they were only there for a coffee and a hamburger....Although my mother could be quite intimidating at times and she could certainly shout orders like a drill sergeant! she must have got it from somewhere :}

Anyway here is a photo of Ben Dannecker flying AAT out at point cook (with me in the back seat) this was on the cover of the Antique Aeroplane Association's Rag and tube magazine around the same time Mac Job checked yourself and Al Page out on them.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8EujHlR7WqI/UZdB2jOaq7I/AAAAAAAABqo/HCjaKlo74tU/w1000-h675-no/M3A1.jpg

[Fantome]

a lovely evocative shot to be sure. The overcast somehow contributes atmosphere . .. . the long distance aviator spanning the seas, flying half way round the world, adding character and mystique to perceptions of British light aircraft.

Who was the photographer?

[StallsandSpins]

Did my CPL theory at RMIT with an Alan Hatfield....any relation?

All the Hatfield's that were related to us lived in Queensland. My grandfather was originally from Clermont in western QLD and Elsa was born in Shanghai China. He spent the latter part of his army career in Victoria and preferred it to the hot humid Queensland climate.


Got photos somewhere of AAT at Redo. I started going there in 1974 and the Miles was parked next to the toilet block then. John Young told me a bit of it's history...long forgotten:-(...One day around 1978 three old guys in overalls showed up, checked the oil, removed some rubbish, pulled the prop through a couple of times, started her up and flew off into the distance. After sitting in the weather for so long...thought they were pretty brave.

HA Excellent! Two of them are probably the guys with the pink and yellow shirts standing in front of AAT in the old photo i posted before. I Think it was Pat Harrington who ferried it down from Queensland. He wrote an article about the trip for the sport aviation magazine in 78 It wasn't performing well on that flight!!:}:}

[StallsandSpins]

MOM was Bugsy's machine. He later converted it to a tail dragger...
And then he sold it...and bought another to restore:ok:


Fantome,
I can't recall, Ben emailed that pic to me recently. i'll have to look up the rag and tube issue to find out.

Cac Sabre,
From the photos i have seen of the falcon 6 that is flying in Spain, they are essentially the same aircraft except the falcon 6 has a larger fin and rudder. The engine bay with a gypsy major has heaps of room, i think it was originally designed for the gypsy 6 but these weren't available so they went with the major instead. They say its a tad under powered with the 4cyl engine. AAT has the pilots seat out of the facon 6 ABT that was destroyed by its owner in the late 60's because it had "oil seepage in the center section spar" :{:{. WE also had the engine and fuel tanks from this aircraft There wasnt much else left:{

[StallsandSpins]

Old Akro,
Thanks for posting that flyer!! i have heaps of Casey photos i scanned that i am happy to share with anyone who is interested. Some of them have captions a lot dont. Should i post them here? or the photo thread?

Im also interested in any photos that anyone might have of Casey or UUL and AAT to :):ok:

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Would that be the same Pat Harrington who worked at Aircraft Rentals, BK, owned by John Cougle, and 'Uncle' Ray was CFI?

Pat was also a musician, clarinet, trumpet, something like that.

[cac_sabre]

and post them pics! cheers
wally

[CHAIRMAN]

Pat ferried it down from Redcliffe to be precise. Pat has a maintenance outfit at Redcliffe still.
Don't know about the clarinet, but he does enjoy a cabernet:ok:

[6317alan]

Old Akro, Thanks you certainly bring back many pleasant memories! I had the priveledge of organising and running that Airshow and just to show the difference to today's situation the item 4 in the program was the then DCA DH125 Jet that DCA used for calibration work. Nothing was too much trouble for them in those days. From memory everything worked to the minute in the program. It was a terrific way to celebrate a beautiful handling make of aeroplanes! Good to see the photos of Keith and Arthur again!
Thanks again. Alan

[Old Akro]

Alan

It was an era when the DCA would help, not hinder and when you could put on an airshow with a bunch of friends aeroplanes. In the late eighties the Aerobatic club got the idea to build an airshow around the finals of the Victorian championship. That was relatively easy. Now just getting permits is nearly a full time job for 6 months before the Tyabb airshow.

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have anything from the Red Baron Balls at Casey. They were huge fun.

And do I need to even utter the word Elsaburger?

[6317alan]

The Leopard Moth was Keith Hafield's pride and joy, and I was surprised one day when he asked me if I would like to have a fly of it! Yes please! It was a beautiful "Gentleman's" aeroplane to fly. I was very privileged to have had the opportunity to have flown it! The other aeroplane that I did a lot of instructing on at Berwick was VH-TIG the Tiger Moth even basic training on it back in the mid 70s!
Very enjoyable way to make a living.
6317alan

[Fantome]

old mate had had his Auster there in the hangar for a year back in the 70s when there was Groupair and the Beagle agency. He did a rebagging and an engine change in that time. When all the work was finished he went to fix Keith up before departing . Not a brass razoo would he take. That says a thing or two about generosity and hospitality . Eh?

A partner in Groupair was Kerrison (?) . Was there not a terrible prang of a Beagle Pup round that time?

[6317alan]

Fantome,
The name was Ron Kerrison from memory and the Beagle Pup crash was either before but I think after my time at Berwick.
Alan

[StallsandSpins]

i'll post them in this thread i guess. here are a few in rough chronological order

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3k644o02OxY/TsjL9gcMPQI/AAAAAAAAAk8/zJAHcBttQKM/w964-h850-no/005.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-USWmcH9yQ8Y/TsjMAUERx6I/AAAAAAAAAlA/MmPjqB60T5g/w1100-h850-no/006.jpg

the hangar behind them is currently in the Moorabbin air museum.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZQhiNVuRLCc/TsjMEQLVteI/AAAAAAAAAlE/bn8wX7887V0/w1065-h850-no/009-1.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-U5DTRp3hW6I/TsjMGWvy2RI/AAAAAAAAAlI/fIrzhTqQZzo/w1091-h850-no/012.jpg

[StallsandSpins]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-za-L9FSwuh0/TsjJG2EsBaI/AAAAAAAAAhw/B0WEJUEwd18/w1208-h803-no/017.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4UUaN8WFr0s/TsjJD7J4mtI/AAAAAAAAAhs/sHefpJfr90o/w537-h850-no/042.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BXWMsskI4ME/TsjJQvDkIAI/AAAAAAAAAh8/1tMDpeX0S18/w514-h850-no/044.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yhAW6A6_iOI/TsjJJk_6zaI/AAAAAAAAAh0/j5C47m25xDg/w511-h850-no/041.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6I8ZDcNj108/TsjMouL9L7I/AAAAAAAAAmA/zcmYt5tYBCM/w525-h850-no/040.jpg

[StallsandSpins]

All the handwritten captions are my grandfathers (Keith Hatfield). i'll post some more in the next few days when i get the time!

[Kharon]

Dig deep – 1938 covered, 1968 covered; but where, oh where is '48, '58 ??. Probably in a damp box, in the shed at the bottom of someone's garden. Good work S&S......http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

[6317alan]

That sounds right to me,I went to Berwick for a couple of weeks to help Keith out to replace Peter Murphy as an Instructor while he was bringing the C411 out from the USA. He did not return as an instructor and I ended up staying for a couple of years. Worked out well for me! 6317alan

[Old Akro]

The C411 was flown out from USA by Pete Murphy and Bronwyn Hurst.


Absolutely! A name I had forgotten. She also followed Alan Baskett to Essendon.

And... to a 17 YO the 411 was the biggest, newest thing I had seen.

[sixtiesrelic]

Fantome, There are two Pat Harringtons.
Both were in TAA to confuse matters.
The one on the yellow T shirt. (I had one of them) they were 'The vintage aircraft section of the sports aircraft association.
That Pat is the owner of Vintage Aeroplane Servicse at Redcliffe. He was always chunky where as the other is thin.
Thin Pat was a Bushies pilot and I've heard a good musician.

[Fantome]

YEP . .. . when the SAAA held their annual get togethers at Mangalore , the stockier Pat, now at Redcliffe, was there in '82. One cool night he and I were the last still up approaching dawn, huddled round a camp fire, wondering how to replenish the nearly empty esky. A later "untouchabe" of nicholas aspro connections (TAA too) was there wearing a substantial fleecy lined suede coat that Pat and I had thoughts of commandeering. 'It was all so different before everything changed'.

[StallsandSpins]

Dig deep – 1938 covered, 1968 covered; but where, oh where is '48, '58 ??. Probably in a damp box, in the shed at the bottom of someone's garden. Good work S&S......

Thanks! good to know people are interested! i have a fair few photos and i dunno where to start! i have quite a few aviation photos from pre war but they are not Casey related. There wasn't much going on at Casey from 1938 to when ever it was that the VMFG started operating out of there. Prior to to then it was just Lord Casey's private strip with one hangar. Anyway here is a great clip i found on youtube filmed in the 50's of the VMFG operating out of berwick in Color.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgE-vXjGWw0

[StallsandSpins]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g8g3ONOpc_E/TsnzQH4Va3I/AAAAAAAABGc/aaqpu5Tb-kk/w997-h791-no/003.jpg



https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ONkAct7ucCQ/Tsnz52CptDI/AAAAAAAABHY/v-a77Hwkh3s/w1208-h763-no/005-2.jpg

[StallsandSpins]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yU0KuHj0lEQ/Tsn2-ZmWt9I/AAAAAAAABM4/iS_vaE6AhR0/w1208-h740-no/036.jpg


https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LgXXXLlOWzA/Tsn37pRF3vI/AAAAAAAABPA/jlLjLxYR1N0/w773-h791-no/065-5.jpg


https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HPjpwLFilEU/Tsn28sY9frI/AAAAAAAABM0/BelyUVymbL4/w1208-h742-no/035-2.jpg

[StallsandSpins]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-y-gGucY0P4w/Tsn3CGZftMI/AAAAAAAABNA/YbS1ctiAnGE/w1208-h730-no/036-2.jpg


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c8B5ZgsTCOc/Tsn42awAQgI/AAAAAAAABQg/7w7T8oSHXeI/w1166-h791-no/083-1.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RwYtGgGUtv8/Tsn4jQ3-i3I/AAAAAAAABP0/6xdbH_kddNk/w734-h791-no/072-3.jpg

[5th officer]

Great thread, I have wonderful memories of Casey, Keith Hatfield and the crew in the 70's.
Flew in the Leopard with Keith when it was green and silver, quiet, no vibration and that lovely grey Wilton carpet. Proctor DUL was sitting out in all weathers, we used to start it once a week. The remains of a red and yellow Dessouter sat on the floor at the back of one of the hangers.
When flying Tiger TIG the rudder felt sloppy and after letting the workshop know he went down to the local hardware and came back with a "Cad Platted" bolt to replace a broken stem post bolt, those were the days.
Bill Campbell-Hicks lived on the field in a Caravan, always slept with a bottle of J/W.
Casey is what flying was all about in the 60's and 70's, atmospheric.
Cheers. :ok:

[StallsandSpins]

some photos from lilydale taken a few days ago


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N9ossNfoJPM/Uab1zeC2AkI/AAAAAAAABsc/pEQOYp7ctgM/w640-h480-no/972120_10151587778123213_354903872_n.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AM5j_p74ink/Uab1seam_HI/AAAAAAAABr8/xUbUfF_W3o8/w640-h480-no/375724_10151587783773213_157509806_n.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Hm6fY8Q97wc/Uab1tvHsK9I/AAAAAAAABsE/pPiapC8B1ow/w480-h640-no/390868_10151587788083213_1835531184_n.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i4VNvWC4WfM/Uab1u01hodI/AAAAAAAABsM/3cb2ZtHgXW4/w640-h480-no/575555_10151587780573213_537011408_n.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NVpfhN-qu68/Uab1rRWPIHI/AAAAAAAABr0/FaEd8HKs-hg/w640-h480-no/375075_10151587778993213_1042185228_n.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3ibqM0KqBik/Uab1wElPSFI/AAAAAAAABsU/npQNUWEAGes/w640-h480-no/581222_10151587781338213_526268650_n.jpg

Elsa with AAT

[StallsandSpins]

My grandparents were pleasantly surprised that people still remember them and were talking about Casey on the internet :ok::ok:

[StallsandSpins]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-W5QE3umV6jU/Tsn8_zMLz7I/AAAAAAAABZA/CZCRj02RATs/w1383-h846-no/004.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-F7FDm_d5lis/Tsn9Dexh74I/AAAAAAAABZI/ljQG8XPgxbg/w810-h846-no/006-1.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rmA6MVfhI2Q/Tsn9F8MQZ8I/AAAAAAAABZM/IJUYbLRrEO4/w949-h846-no/007-1.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1cpmIo0EeME/Tsn9IdLmHxI/AAAAAAAABZQ/k1LH5Q_tV_g/w867-h846-no/008-1.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-veLhhnCnAcc/Tsn9J83nXDI/AAAAAAAABZU/jaXYTNeikeg/w1169-h846-no/009-1.jpg

[StallsandSpins]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MRV2Szc3IUo/Tsn8hDDjEII/AAAAAAAABYA/trtiBux1oQk/w526-h846-no/scan20-2.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AGOmt9V8zjs/Tsn8jSQkreI/AAAAAAAABYE/fDloec2F_IM/w520-h845-no/scan21-4.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5vXDz7GStwA/Tsn8l9UnbDI/AAAAAAAABYI/bKz67ld78Is/w519-h845-no/scan22-2.jpg

[mansion]

What a great thread!!
I can recall completing my Aztec endo at Casey with Bill C-H and also doing circuits in C411 BBV for endo there as well.

[Kharon]

I am much intrigued by the Falcon windscreen, whilst I expect it's no problem – operationally I wondered :- are any blind spots ?, what's it like wet or iced?, how hard it is to replace ?, what's it like to clean? , but most of all why it was designed in the way it was?. So of course, I went looking but came up dry. Can anyone scratch the curiosity itch.

During the search I found some interesting pictures, but nothing really worth bothering with, there is one showing a team of blokes 'lifting and turning' a Falcon from the Vic. State library which may ring a few bells. I did find out there are (or were) two other examples surviving;

In Spain an M.3C registered EC-ACB is also active. This aircraft participated in the Spanish Civil War. Just think about that for a second. Wow!!!. The Brits have managed to keep one airworthy – G-AEEG.

But for me, an unexpected highlight of the tour was 'Lady', a Peregrine falcon. Take five and enjoy a Friday fancy, bet a choccy frog you'll smile at the end....

200 KIAS – Easy.

[Dog One]

Remember AAT at Cambridge when Alan Hume was restoring it. Alan was the Chief Engineer for the Aero Club of Southern Tasmania. He entered it in several Navigation trials which the Aero Club use to run.

[StallsandSpins]

kharon,

the original prototype falcon G - ACTM, which was flown out to Australia in the 1934 Mac Robertson air race had a more conventional sloped back windscreen.

http://terrymaceconsultants.com/mar/images/stories/FA_31.jpg

I think FG Miles was at the the time heavily influenced by American designers such as Vultee and Northrop. The forward sloping windscreen was originally patented by vultee and used on the vultee V1 which preceeded the falcon by a year or two. i remember reading something about it reducing the reflections from instrument lighting at night.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Vultee_V-1A_Spcl_NC16099_VA_Avn_Msm_21.04.04R_edited-2.jpg

when miles changed the windscreen to the forward sloping one it was said that it increased the cruise speed by 5kts due to improved aerodynamics (which i am skeptical of);) Mostly i think it was styling to make sure people didn't confuse the Falcon with the Percival gull.
The windscreen itself is made of molded perspex and you have to be careful cleaning it! i am certain it would provide many a headache if it needed to be replaced:ouch: and i Dont plan on finding out how it's affected by icing either!:} Other wise the visibility is about what you would expect from a taildragger of this era.

EC-ACB has a gipsy 6 (200hp) im sure i saw a painting of it during the spanish civil war with racks and hand grenade size bombs attached to the wings!!

G-AEEG has a gipsy 10 with a generator and starter and AAT has the original gipsy major with no generator and starter provided by pilots arm:ok:

love the clip of the peregrine falcon! it's faster than the miles!:)

[Kharon]

S&S – Thank you. The curiosity cat has curled up in sunny spot, purring with satisfaction. What a great era that was, night flying in it's infancy and windscreens redesigned to get rid of the annoying reflections of the window. Back in the day when radar was not an item picking your way through a line of cells, or trying to 'see' a dimly lit threshold on a dark approach was 'high risk' (higher than now?). Those guys paved the way for 'modern' safety protocols and often paid dearly for the lessons routinely taught now to the new kids. Hats off Gents.

Glad you liked the "Lady" clip. (mutters) Lucky bugger.....:D..http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

[StallsandSpins]

some more miles photos

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-F7FDm_d5lis/Tsn9Dexh74I/AAAAAAAABZI/ljQG8XPgxbg/w810-h846-no/006-1.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-glQuS3Cr8V0/Tsn8sFvncpI/AAAAAAAABYU/AZ_go_SEMrY/w1275-h846-no/002.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hHMacAzhMZI/Tsn9VY_f0kI/AAAAAAAABZs/BZn1VV-SvTY/w824-h846-no/016.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-px5a0gAVg6Q/Tsn9bi6NgWI/AAAAAAAABZ4/L2vVoG66Mhc/w1006-h846-no/019.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Docc5wfqTOs/Tsn-maTu6nI/AAAAAAAABcQ/YVp07r4eHgY/w959-h683-no/103-3.jpg

[point76]

Great thread bringing back memories of Melbourne's more 'recent' aviation history that is rapidly fading in to the past. I did a lot of weekend flying with my private pilot Dad in those days with milkshake/ coffee stops at Berwick, Tyabb ,Lilydale, Colsstream,,Whittlesea ,Fogarty's field etc. Had a bit to do with people like Schutty ( Dad bought a couple of aeroplanes from him and went on to do several safaris both in Australia and the USA with Arthur. He also did several flights to places like Darwin with him after he moved to the Gold Coast in his final years ) & Bill Campbell-Hicks. ' Uncle Bill' as he was often known as is more associated with Moorabin I guess having been with the Royal VIC and later with his name used for Campbell- Hicks Airways ( later
SAS ,GFS and Oxford etc ). He moved to Berwick towards the end of his flying days and lived in a caravan at the field which my Dad supplied.I loved listening to his stories of the early days and even looking through his old logbooks which I was once able to do. Flying with Wily Post , Ford Tri- Motors in South America, Wellingtons in WW2, Ansons out of Condoblin after the war were some the highlights. And being sent on my first solo by Bill in a Victa at CH Airways!

[point76]

Apart from a flight as a passenger with Keith Hatfield in the Leopard Moth ( painted Green and a great old aeroplane! ) and a few hours in TIG a quick check of the logbook revealed a couple of interesting flights with BC-H ex- Berwick in the early 70's . These were a test flight in DH94 Moth Minor AIB and a flight logged as ' dual ' in C37 UZU to an Airshow at West Sale. This old Cessna had a 175 HP Warner Scarab radial from memory and was using so much oill that the flight was planned with a landing at Latrobe Valley both ways to top up the oil. interesting flight in a machine that probably was a bit less than airworthy.

[Ejector]

What a strange windscreen, any advantage of it?

[Old Akro]

Since this is (in part) a reminiscing about Casey Airfield thread. Today was Michael Carr's funeral.

[nitpicker330]

Michael Carr?? That name does sound familiar.......tell me more about him and it may jog my memory....

[Old Akro]

Michael learned to fly at the same time as me - mid seventies, also as a teenager. He hung around the airport a lot and fuelled aircraft, moved them around etc. I have a recollection of him having something to do with a Stitts of some sort then buying a Victa as a restoration projects. He had a career as a paramedic, living in Berwick.

[StallsandSpins]

Sorry to hear this. I'd like to pass on my condolences. In recent years Mike had an Auster and was in fairly regular contact with Keith and Elsa.

[Eric from Berwick]

Hi David
I just stumbled on this site yesterday and it was great to find so many entries of Casey and the people etc.
I have been living in the USA for a long time now - Montana and now in Arizona.
I have often wondered what happened to people that used to fly out of Casey and also the pilots and skydivers I was part of.
Would love to hear from you when you get time.

[StallsandSpins]

G'day Eric!

[StallsandSpins]

Hi all,

was just talking to a well known former Ag pilot/instructor/engineer who used to work at at Casey. He and some others are in the process of organizing the reunion for later in the year (sept - oct).the location at this stage has not been confirmed. i can confirm that there will Elsa burgers!

To facilitate a date and place that will enable everyone to attend They are looking to get together a list of email contacts of any one who is interested. Its open to people who used to work there, fly there or frequent the place in any other capacity.

If anyone is interested in attending or knows someone who isn't on the internet that used to frequent Casey Airfield and may be interested in attending please PM me your email/contact details and i will pass it on :ok::)