Vale Ken Stredwick

[Stationair8]

Had a phonecall from a retired engineer to tell me that well known Tasmanian aircraft engineer Ken Stredwick passed away during the week.

Ken had operated an aircraft engineering business at Devonport Airport from the early 1960's until about 1990.

Ken always trained and employed a number off apprentices over the years, who have moved onto bigger and better things.

He had joined the RAF during WW2, and then worked for Huntings Aerospace before moving to Australia.

No more visits to ol' Streddies hangar.

[pithblot]

Ken was a top bloke

[DeRated]

'Streddie'.

He listened to pilots, and then went about fixing the problem. Knew him from the late seventies until I left Tasmania in '97.

Was also a personal friend. Everyday he pushed my aeroplane in and out of the hangar, until he retired.

The old school, paper aeroplanes - often an Auster or Tiger in the hangar for a recovering or woodwork job.

Initially sad reading the news, but then glad for having known a gentleman.

DeRated

[Dog One]

Sorry to hear about Streddie's passing, a very experienced engineer, in fact, I believe he did his apprenticeship at DeHavilands and part of their training was to work in all facets of aircraft construction and maintenance. That was in the boom time for UK aviation.

Read on Pprune that Dick Foster also passed away just a few months ago. Can't be many left of the early days at Devonport. Can remember names like Brian Raven, Kevin Swiggs, Barry Loosemore, Peter McGowan, Maurie Duff and Jim Bramich. Anyone see or here of these people these days, or have they all retired to fishing and gardening.

[Stredda]

Hi this is Chris, Ken's son. I was just doing a Google search when I came across this thread. Thanks for all the kind word about my father. Dad passed away on the 9/9/08 aged 83 he would have been 84 on the 22nd. He had fibrosis on the lungs and a lung cancer he was diagnosed about six months earlier after becoming short of breath.
Dad had fond memories of the days in the hanger and of the friends he made through his work.
After Dad retired from the aircraft business he couldn't just sit back and relax, he bought a cleaning buisiness in Devonport through which he became well know amongst the local bussinesses. Then after a year or so bought an old 100 year old cottage in Latrobe and completely restored it taking about 5 years to complete. After that he bought another even older house in Latrobe and started fixing that up, which my brother now lives in and is still working on it.
Dad always had about 20 jobs on the go and I think it is what kept him going for so long. Even in his last week he was still going down from his home at Moriarty into Latrobe to volunteer on his weekly shift at the information center.
I have so many happy memories of my Dad, the days at the hangar and even worked in the old hangar for a couple of years for Sureflight aviation myself.
Dad is sorely missed

Regards

Chris Stredwick

edit; I would be pleased to here about any of the stories about my father.

[Stredda]

I forgot to add that Ken, every Saturday morning for about five years helped good friend Ron Sushames rebuild a Piper 140 in Ron's tiny little shed (which I hope will fly in the not to distant future). Things aircraft related just kind of found him, it must have been in his blood.

Stredda

[Stationair8]

Got to do work experience in Streddies hangar, back in the early 1980's because the fun police decided that it was a safer option than going flying in aeroplanes.

Always seemed to have a hangar full of aeroplanes and in those days most of his work seemed to be the local GA operators including the mob that had the air ambulance contract in a Baron and the local fish spotting company that had two Piper Cubs and a Cessna C210.

I run into him a few years later and he had a laugh about the original Air Tasmania and how every hundred hourly he changed at least one cylinder due to the owners very aggressive leaning technique on their Chieftain VH-TXD.

I think he had an Auster in the back of the hangar that he was rebuilding for somebody a pranged Pawnee that he had recovered for the insurance company.

[Stredda]

The two piper cubs an Cessna 210 would have been Dick Ritchies and I wouldn't be surprised if the Pawnee was Fred Vanderoles (he was a crop duster pilot so always crashing).


Stredda

[Stredda]

Quote "Read on PPRuNe that Dick Foster also passed away just a few months ago. Can't be many left of the early days at Devonport. Can remember names like Brian Raven, Kevin Swiggs, Barry Loosemore, Peter McGowan, Maurie Duff and Jim Bramich. Anyone see or here of these people these days, or have they all retired to fishing and gardening."

Brian Raven retired and living in Wynyard, Kevin Swiggs home base I think is in Launceston and last known working in the NT. and his son is with the flying doctors in tassie, Peter McGowan is retired from an German airline, living in London and currently holidaying in south America with grandson.

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

What happened to the Richey Fishing company Piper Cubs?

[Stredda]

I am pretty sure that Ted Richey still has one of them the rego I cant remember but it is his mothers initials (DLR maybe), he also has a Cessna 206. I think the other one got sold a while back.

[Fizzer]

Kevin Swiggs is in Darwin, Captain E190. Apparently putting a keg on when he reaches 30000 hours soon.:D

[Stredda]

I was looking through a few old photo albums and found a few of my Dads aircraft related pics, thought I should post some up.
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/6853/img0003slg.th.jpg (http://img19.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0003slg.jpg)http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9192/img0002w.th.jpg (http://img205.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0002w.jpg)http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3682/img0010kxn.th.jpg (http://img7.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0010kxn.jpg)

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/4484/img0004bor.th.jpg (http://img27.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0004bor.jpg)http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/723/img0006x.th.jpg (http://img145.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0006x.jpg)http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/5735/img0013vcd.th.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0013vcd.jpg)


http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/4097/img0015.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0015.jpg)

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

Nice photo of a C337, PA-30 and C310 on the beach at Lake Pedder.

The poor old tree hugger's wouldn't like all that aircraft noise destroying their peace and quiet.

[B772]

Sorry for drift but I understand Kevin Swiggs holds the record in Tasmania for the most number of occupants in a C182.

[flywatcher]

I think I may hold the record for the most number in a Super Cub

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

B772, don't forget most Tasmanians have two heads. Also the rock apes that habitate King Island and Flinders Island likewise have two heads, hairy palms and grunt when spoken to.

[Stredda]

Here's a few more........

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/165/img0011h.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0011h.jpg)http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9252/img0012hrb.th.jpg (http://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0012hrb.jpg)http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4748/img0016z.th.jpg (http://img21.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0016z.jpg)


http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/8088/img0019pmy.th.jpg (http://img18.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0019pmy.jpg)http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2388/img0018cjr.th.jpg (http://img19.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0018cjr.jpg)http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/6831/img0005rph.th.jpg (http://img17.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0005rph.jpg)


http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6750/kenbackground.th.jpg (http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kenbackground.jpg)

[Stationair8]

Thanks for the photos junior Streddie.

Shouldn't the photo of your Dad, have him with a smoke in the corner of his mouth, glasses halfway down his nose and up to his armpits in an aeroplane, at least that's how I remember from the week of work experience.

What happened to Phil McNabb?

[Stredda]

Don't know about Phi Mcnabb haven't, heard anything for quite a while.