AEROPELICAN REUNION

[Rod Chapman]

AEROPELICAN REUNION !!
Recognise the Logo ??
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b559/RodChapman/th_IMG_3631a.jpg

http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b559/RodChapman/th_1920_416-1.jpg VH-MMY; 100 Series Twin Otter in original Ansett (MacRobertson Miller) livery.
MMY was the first turbo-prop aircraft in Australia to be introduced to a "Reg-203" operation, in I think, 1976.

http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b559/RodChapman/th_1920_106.jpg Three new, 300 Series introduced in 1983(?).
In new Aeropelican livery (Canadian Rego')

http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b559/RodChapman/th_VH-KZP.jpg VH-KZP

http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b559/RodChapman/th_TwinOtter.jpg VH-KZO, on the tarmac at "the Duck"

http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b559/RodChapman/th_1920_363.jpg VH-KZQ

http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b559/RodChapman/th_aeropelican.jpg Current Aeropelican Jetstream livery.

Hi to all past and present Aeropelican staff.....

I know this is an anonymous forum, however I have used my actual name as "user name" so that we can make contact with as many staff as possible.

We are organising a "GRANDE AEROPELICAN REUNION"

on Sat' 9th - Sun' 10th March 2013 ..

Preliminary details are;
For early "arrivals", drinks at the Pelican "RISSOLE" (RSL) on Friday evening...
A day at the airport with an evening BBQ in the Hangar on Saturday.....
Then finish with a "quiet recovery" at the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club from midday on Sunday.

We request your assistance in contacting as many former Flight Crew as possible, who are scattered all over the globe,
Any contacts you may have with former crew, please make them aware of the reunion and ask them to make their details known to us on the email address listed below.

We will be setting up a blog and together with conveying subsequent details of the reunion, will be listing the names of crew we have been unable to make contact with.
Also we are trying to get as many photos as possible of times at Aeropelican - (incriminating or otherwise !!), so if you have any please email them to us.

Look forward to meeting up again. :ok::ok:

Contact details; Rod Chapman - email [email protected]

[Ex Duck]

Rod, I, ll be there, hope Curley is too. Will organize Sutho and the HK crowd.

Bill G

[Rod Chapman]

G'day Bill,
Look forward to catching up. Yes Curly will be there - had his 80th Birthday party a year or so ago.
Thanks if you would, contact as many up there as possible, however I will be posting the thread on Fragrant Harbour and other sites.
Safe flying, Rod.

[fencehopper]

G'day Rod, Good to read some of the Pelican pilots are still around. Miss the days of flying around the country and jumping from the Otters.
Caught up with John Lauder on the weekend at NSPC, He is playing excellent music these days and living in Newie somewhere.
have a good reunion
Robes

[Rod Chapman]

Hi Robes, and I had a lot of fun flying you guys and gals to "the drop" - as much as you all tried, you could NEVER talk me into going out that door !
I just enjoyed the flying and seeing you all have a ball...and the parties - AAHHH the parties !!

Cheers, Rod.

[Mimpe]

I loved Aeropelican - wish the airport was open again to serve to people of Newcastle and perhaps with a few local GA aircraft as well, or an aero club. It was a great way to start off an international trip from Newcastle, and a lovely commute to Sydney.

[Bell_Flyer]

Mimpe said:-

I loved Aeropelican - wish the airport was open again to serve to people of Newcastle and perhaps with a few local GA aircraft as well, or an aero club. It was a great way to start off an international trip from Newcastle, and a lovely commute to Sydney.

Personally, I found Aeropelican operators to be unhelpful in 2 experiences I had with them.

In 2001 or 2002, Aeropelican was the only aerodrome in Australia that had an entry in its ERSA description that said something like, "No private pilot license holders allowed" or words to that effect. I held, at that time a PPL(H) license with 2000 hours rotary turbine experience, flown around Australia, USA and Canada, owned a factory new turbine rotary aircraft and had attended factory training. Due to a sudden and tragic bereavement, I had to pick up a relative flying from Sydney to Caves Beach (nearby suburb to Aeropelican) so I telephoned the airport and asked for permission to land there with my PPL. The answer was NO. No amount of reasoning sufficed. Due to the exigency of the situation I called back and offered $1,000 as a landing fee. The answer was again NO. At that time their landing charge was I think less than $5 a pop. This rule was bad for their business.

I was so annoyed I wrote a letter to AOPA after the funeral telling everyone how unfair I thought Aeropelican was. They replied with some innocuous reason about a fixed wing running off their runway flown by a PPL. I had explained I had no need for their runway, just a patch of grass big enuf for a helicopter. Later I consulted a large Sydney law firm to see if I could get them to find it discriminatory to prevent PPL's from using the aerodrome. I couldn't. I guess I could have just flown in and pleaded ignorance but I wanted to do the right thing.

So Mimpe, your comment on serving Newcastle GA enthusiasts is not really an accurate one.

[Horatio Leafblower]

There have always been private aircraft based at PEC and I think several still are based there.

It is, however, private property and not a public aerodrome. They don't have to give you permission any more than I have to let you land in my backyard. :ugh:

[Dick Smith]

Hope you don't think it is me!
I did my twin otter endorsement with Stewart Weston at Aeropelican before my vertical flight around the world and their engineers fitted the anti ice equipment to the aircraft.

Always found the workers and pilots really helpful.

It was a pity the Bosses were not friendly to itinerant aircraft.

[gerry111]

Hey Dick,

Hasn't Aeropelican just become yet another land bank for a developer? And in this case perhaps Mirvac?

Cheers, Mate.

[Tidbinbilla]

Thanks folks. Now let's stay on topic, please :)

Any more news on the reunion?

[Robert Piper]

One of my flying instructors in 1972 was Eric Newell. He also sent me solo that year in one of the Cessna 150s.

I think Eric Edward (Rick) Newell died aged 57 on 12 April 2002. There are notations to his passing in the Newcastle Herald on 14,15 and 16 April 2002.

A great bloke. I can still remember his check list for pre-takeoff which he made you learn by heart before going solo:

Hatches
Harnes
Trim, Mixture, Pitch
Fuel, Flaps, Instruments, Magnetos
Carb Heat
Controls - checked for full free and correct movement.

Keith Hilder, who then owned the drome, is recorded as owning Moth Minor VH-AAM in 1944. I am still fairly sure his cousin or brother flew Beaufighters during the war and was later a ship's captain (on "Bulolo" ?) to New Guinea. Keith and I discussed it one time.

Keith didn't like mixtures leaned on his 150s as pilots' had cooked too many of his engines doing it incorrectly.

I am sure both those fine men will be at the reunion in spirit.

Bob Piper.
MARS - Canberra.
[email protected]