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??
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
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