All those that flew for Discover (f)lying on the Penguin runs
what happened to old BPZoom
Dr
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Good god. Old BPZ. That was the 1st A/C I flew that had a WX Radar in it. Still remember the make...RCA. Not that it ever worked
Anyone know if it still flies.
I do remember the day sandy hit a tyre at YPHI which got picked up by 1 prop....bounced under the fuselage and into the other prop....He was not a happy man. Landing fees, cheese/crayfish/flying lesson prices all went up. And the soap in the dunny got watered down even more.
Anyone know if it still flies.I do remember the day sandy hit a tyre at YPHI which got picked up by 1 prop....bounced under the fuselage and into the other prop....He was not a happy man. Landing fees, cheese/crayfish/flying lesson prices all went up. And the soap in the dunny got watered down even more.
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'EC' do you mean Woody?
Good 'ole BPZ, I believe it had some 'self made' wing spar strap mods done to it, & I wonder who might have done that?
Still days gone by now & we can only rem about them.
Just a quicky here story wise:-)
One foggy/misty/damp night on the Is I taxied out in old STP (Sneca 2) with a load of japs on board & in typical Piper fashion tail down nose high whilst taxying (I started from outside the hangar) with all but zero in the way of landing lights to guide me to the rwy. With a foggy screen I poked the large torch I had out the storm vent window to keep an eye on the muddy edge of the taxyway. After what seemed like ages watching that edge with the torch beam like an eagle so as not to get bogged or lost I ended up right back where I had started from, done a complete circle back to outside the hangar!
Sheeeez i cursed a certain person who owned the airport for having those piddly little 12v taxi lights placed in upside down juice bottles doing zip in the way of guiding anybody. I made over 300 ldg's there at the Is over the years & not once did I bend a plane, killed a few of the native species tho!
memories, oh well like this thread they too will stop one day
CW
CW
Good 'ole BPZ, I believe it had some 'self made' wing spar strap mods done to it, & I wonder who might have done that?
Still days gone by now & we can only rem about them. Just a quicky here story wise:-)One foggy/misty/damp night on the Is I taxied out in old STP (Sneca 2) with a load of japs on board & in typical Piper fashion tail down nose high whilst taxying (I started from outside the hangar) with all but zero in the way of landing lights to guide me to the rwy. With a foggy screen I poked the large torch I had out the storm vent window to keep an eye on the muddy edge of the taxyway. After what seemed like ages watching that edge with the torch beam like an eagle so as not to get bogged or lost I ended up right back where I had started from, done a complete circle back to outside the hangar!
Sheeeez i cursed a certain person who owned the airport for having those piddly little 12v taxi lights placed in upside down juice bottles doing zip in the way of guiding anybody. I made over 300 ldg's there at the Is over the years & not once did I bend a plane, killed a few of the native species tho!memories, oh well like this thread they too will stop one day
CW
CW
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Pid Lights
I remember about 9 a/c departing using the reflector tape on the tyres for runway lights when the others refused to work. No responsible persons on the ground.....we were all in the aircraft!
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Good one CW. I remember departing there one night with waggle of all sorts: Navajo's, Chieftains, Seneca, Baron, C-310, C-402, PN-68, Aztec, Doves, Seminole and even a Nomad. If you were trying not to get bogged during winter, you still coudn't see out the window during summer because of the dust. Through good flying and in some cases good luck, everyone seemed to get home to YMMB and YMEN safely??? I'm sure there are some other stories there???
I heard second hand of a guy who on his 1st DUCK RUN ex YMMB departed YPHI to the south on dark overcast night and once airbourne was observed drifting way,way,way left of the rwy centre line, then made a left hand turn thru 180 degrees and proceeded towards Geelong. I dont know how far he got but his boss wasn't to happy with the EXTRA 30 min being clocked up on the AIRSWITCH
I heard second hand of a guy who on his 1st DUCK RUN ex YMMB departed YPHI to the south on dark overcast night and once airbourne was observed drifting way,way,way left of the rwy centre line, then made a left hand turn thru 180 degrees and proceeded towards Geelong. I dont know how far he got but his boss wasn't to happy with the EXTRA 30 min being clocked up on the AIRSWITCH
I did a couple of Penguin runs to PID from about 1985 to 90. Fun trip, damn black hole after T/O though ( as Capt Wally said above )
We used a PA31 or a C402.
Nice thread, brings back some good memories.
I took my family to the Penguin Parade about 2 years ago, nice setup now.
We used a PA31 or a C402.
Nice thread, brings back some good memories.
I took my family to the Penguin Parade about 2 years ago, nice setup now.
I worked for Sandy doing jolly's in his c172 WLY over the Summer of 94/95, and a bit longer... I was also refuelling and ground supporting BPZ on the RPT and selling crays in the shop. Approaching the end of my stint, Sandy started my C401/402 training in RZY(think that was the callsign), the C401 which was a nice gesture.
Anyway, I completed the engineering paper and we went through that etc. but unfortunately, the flap motor died halway through the 2nd endorsement flight and 'that was that'...
I myself was charged with the power of driving the mighty ford wagon around the bounds of the field, in search of those elusive beach visitors! A pleasant man to work for and fond memories, that's for sure. And always had a keen ear out listening and learning from the guys doing the Pengie runs!
The resident pussy was "Cessna" and he was good company too...
Cheers to those good unadulterated days and the guys and gals that were a part of them,
BR
Anyway, I completed the engineering paper and we went through that etc. but unfortunately, the flap motor died halway through the 2nd endorsement flight and 'that was that'...
I myself was charged with the power of driving the mighty ford wagon around the bounds of the field, in search of those elusive beach visitors! A pleasant man to work for and fond memories, that's for sure. And always had a keen ear out listening and learning from the guys doing the Pengie runs!
The resident pussy was "Cessna" and he was good company too...
Cheers to those good unadulterated days and the guys and gals that were a part of them,
BR
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geez 'BR' am all teary eyed now You took yr own life into yr hands driving that old sh*t heap (XD) anywhere mate! Although to the owners credit he did let us take it to the fish & chip shop at times
I remember 'Cessna', couldn't catch a mouse if it was handed to it in a cage !One lazy cat!
Fun times where we didn't seem to have a care in the world
CW
You took yr own life into yr hands driving that old sh*t heap (XD) anywhere mate! Although to the owners credit he did let us take it to the fish & chip shop at timesI remember 'Cessna', couldn't catch a mouse if it was handed to it in a cage !
One lazy cat!Fun times where we didn't seem to have a care in the world
CW
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Penguins and Grand Prix
Anybody posting here around when the road to the airport was blocked when a copper was run over after the Grand Prix('88). I did a few trips in the Chieftain on the day for Flinders Island and then backed up with the Dove ferrying the Channel 9 crew. Because we couldn't depart til the road cleared and our pax arrived we didn't depart until very late. Most busted flight and duty times. CAA didn't care just said get back to the smoke as best we could. Ended up in Tulla instead of Essendon after hosting a very tired and emotional channel 9 "celeb" (who wears a Dr Hook hat) while we waited in Sandy's waiting room. That was a long but fun day.
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I did a trip from YPHI to YWYY one day with a load of Japs in a PA-31-310 only to find my passengers laughing and pointing to the back luggage comp. about 1/2 way across Bass Straight. Here's Cessna in the back having a nice old sleep. 1000 pictures later, we dropped the passengers off and returned to YMMB via YPHI to drop off old Cessna. I think Sandy still tried to charge me a landing fee for returning his cat.
I heard later I was not the 1st to take Cessna for a fly.
I heard later I was not the 1st to take Cessna for a fly.
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NBM
was sold to a private collector/museum at Rupanyup. It left Wallan, on a truck,early 2007.
BTW Wallan is no longer an aerodrome. It is now "Wallara Waters" a new housing sub division.
BTW Wallan is no longer an aerodrome. It is now "Wallara Waters" a new housing sub division.
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The last time I walked thru NBM at Wallan 'uncle8' I saw a sad sight, deralict.
The last time I flew it wasn't that much different either!
Am not surprised Sir M (as he thought he was) is being chased by yet another maint organisation, he knew 'em all by default!
CW
The last time I flew it wasn't that much different either!
Am not surprised Sir M (as he thought he was) is being chased by yet another maint organisation, he knew 'em all by default!
CW
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Hi Guys,
I know this is a long since dead thread but thought i would share these pick of the Penguin express as she stands today, very sad state indeed(though some might argue she hasnt changed 1 bit!)
-1.jpg)
I know this is a long since dead thread but thought i would share these pick of the Penguin express as she stands today, very sad state indeed(though some might argue she hasnt changed 1 bit!)
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one more
Cheers, Dan
DH.104 Dove Preservation Group
https://www.facebook.com/pages/DH104...23574834358937
Cheers, Dan
DH.104 Dove Preservation Group
https://www.facebook.com/pages/DH104...23574834358937
Gear position selector
Wally et al
Just wondering . . . how did the gear selector work in the Dove's (and Heron's)?
Looks like a 'push pull' arrangement. I understand the gear is pneumatic so selector must be some sort of valve??
Just wondering . . . how did the gear selector work in the Dove's (and Heron's)?
Looks like a 'push pull' arrangement. I understand the gear is pneumatic so selector must be some sort of valve??
Interesting read,
A couple of budding young pilots helped Sandy, unload, refuel & reload for several months at YWYY on his weekend flights, Come Grand Prix time we both flew a 172 each to YPHI, got charged landing fees & then for each POB,
For our assistance at YWYY, Sandy had offered us a bed, which turned out to be the YPHI hangar floor.
For some reason we didn't help Sandy out after that!
As mentioned by flying - spyke, the 88 Grand Prix was the the one where the policeman was run over,
Some more memories,
I walked to the local shop the first night for tea, it was dark, I heard a guy talking, I said, is that you Stretch & it was (Stretch acca Jeremy flew the Jetstar 787 to Australia recently).
On race day I said to my co 172 Aviator that I would meet him at 1:30pm beside a grandstand on the main straight, he was no where to be seen until I heard his voice from the grandstand, I said how did you get up there, his reply, just walked past the security, I said no way, just then the Roulette's started their display, I walked past the security as they watched the routine, perfect seats on the main straight for the G.P.
On the way out of the track walking back to the Airport I asked a guy driving a RAAF flat tray truck if we could get a lift back to the Airport, no worries was his reply, due to the traffic we stopped & started many times, by the time we got to the Airport the truck tray tray was full of guys, I decided to pass the hat around & emptied the money into the guys lap, he was happy.
It was a brilliant weekend, (not for the policeman)
One that will never be forgotten, and sleeping in the 172 wasn't fun!
Loved the story about the cat
R W
A couple of budding young pilots helped Sandy, unload, refuel & reload for several months at YWYY on his weekend flights, Come Grand Prix time we both flew a 172 each to YPHI, got charged landing fees & then for each POB,
For our assistance at YWYY, Sandy had offered us a bed, which turned out to be the YPHI hangar floor.
For some reason we didn't help Sandy out after that!
As mentioned by flying - spyke, the 88 Grand Prix was the the one where the policeman was run over,
Some more memories,
I walked to the local shop the first night for tea, it was dark, I heard a guy talking, I said, is that you Stretch & it was (Stretch acca Jeremy flew the Jetstar 787 to Australia recently).
On race day I said to my co 172 Aviator that I would meet him at 1:30pm beside a grandstand on the main straight, he was no where to be seen until I heard his voice from the grandstand, I said how did you get up there, his reply, just walked past the security, I said no way, just then the Roulette's started their display, I walked past the security as they watched the routine, perfect seats on the main straight for the G.P.
On the way out of the track walking back to the Airport I asked a guy driving a RAAF flat tray truck if we could get a lift back to the Airport, no worries was his reply, due to the traffic we stopped & started many times, by the time we got to the Airport the truck tray tray was full of guys, I decided to pass the hat around & emptied the money into the guys lap, he was happy.
It was a brilliant weekend, (not for the policeman)
One that will never be forgotten, and sleeping in the 172 wasn't fun!
Loved the story about the cat
R W
Last edited by Rotor Work; 8th Mar 2014 at 10:47. Reason: More information