Savage Air Beech 18

[Stationair8]

Anyone know anything about Savage Air and their Beech18's.

Looking on another website show photos of their Beech 18's at Bankstown, Bendigo and Ballarat.

They may have operated two or three Beech 18's and a Cessna C401 in the mid 1970's.

[lucille]

Flinders Island Airlines at YMMB. VH-FIC & VH-FID. Where did these two end up?

[Kagamuga]

Hmmm...

FIC was a PA-32-260 Cherokee Six

FID and FIE were the two Beech 18's at FIA. The CASA register will answer your question...

[aroa]

In my pic box I have some shots of Savage Air B 18 at Mackay Qld. If I remember correctly it had been in China, because the seat belt sign above the cockpit entry was in Chinese and etched in the metal on the wings the old no. and or Nationalist ‘roundel’
late 70s ?

[Mainframe]

Hi Aroa,
you;re on the money,

VH SAU, Beech D18S was operated by Alligator Airways, Kununurra in Western Australia for a number of years.

it was acquired by a group in Victoria and then was spirited away to USA even though it was an historic aircraft.

Yes, it was of Chinese origin, believed to be Chang Kai Check’s personal aircraft.

it did have bilingual safety signs in the cabin.

I had the pleasure of flying many trips in it the around the Kimberly and the Territory..

[Mainframe]

Hi Aroa,
you;re on the money,

VH SAU, Beech D18S was operated by Alligator Airways, Kununurra in Western Australia for a number of years.

it was acquired by a group in Victoria and then was spirited away to USA even though it was an historic aircraft.

Yes, it was of Chinese origin, believed to be Chang Kai Check’s personal aircraft.

it did have bilingual safety signs in the cabin.

I had the pleasure of flying many trips in it the Kimberly the Territory..

[Capt Fathom]

I remember seeing one frequenting Brisbane doing ‘night freight’ up the QLD coast. Early 80’s ? VH-SAU rings a bell, but it could have been anything really!

[Duck Pilot]

Is that you Blowie 😀😀😀

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1361/beech_18_vh_fie_e2be68aaa26af044b5c63706816cf094001a9d95.jpg
VH-FIE Mangalore (I think) early to mid 80's

[Stationair8]

When did Flinders Island Airlines stop operating the Beech 18?

What replaced the Beech 18’s in the FIA fleet?

[deja vu]

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1361/beech_18_vh_fie_e2be68aaa26af044b5c63706816cf094001a9d95.jpg
VH-FIE Mangalore (I think) early to mid 80's
What a great photo of a great aircraft.
In 1973 I paxed for a couple of days on an FIA B18 we hired to cover for our B50 which was u/s. 4 round trips to King Island, Kevin Riordan did the piloting.

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1429/lockheed_electra_vh_abh_1a0c1a55d067eb2c675c175200cddab1bac5 2808.jpg
Lockheed Electra VH-ABH same day same place. '84 Mangalore Airshow I reckon it was.

[pithblot]

As a kid about 1970 - 75, I remember seeing two B18 and two Beavers on wheels parked together at an airstrip in the Moss Vale/ Bowral/ Mittagong area. I never met Alan Savage, but I’m told they were his aircraft, used for a service to Sydney.

Years later I’d see SAU at Moorabbin when FIA were using it and later in Kununurra with Craig Muir.

Has anyone here flown both the Lockheed 10 and the Beech 18? How do they compare?

[megan]

Has anyone here flown both the Lockheed 10 and the Beech 18? How do they compareThe Lockheed pictured is a 12A, had a few rides in it when in the hands of Associated Airlines.

[e2_c]

The Beach 18 VH-SAU was in Townsville for a few years in the 80's. From memory it was with Crocodile Airways before it went to Alligator in Kununurra.

[CaptainMidnight]

I seem to remember an ATC or FSO at Albury owning one in the late 70's early 80's?

[septuganarian]

SAU based in Mackay on night freight ops.Flown by Geoff Wordsworth,ex RFDS Broken Hill. I was involved wit the maintenance while there an met Alan on its arrival Told interesting stories about its previous history and the delivery flight to Aus with Chinese national Co Pilot Ferried it to Melbourne for engine work with Geoff when it left Mackay Carrying out the emergency U/C test during a service is something not easily forgotten.

[septuganarian]

I worked on SAU and had some flights in it while based in Mackay. See Geoff Goodall Beech 18 production List Part 2 S/No A499 for a good history of this historically significant aircraft.

[By George]

That was John Love (not being fresh Captain, 'Love' was his surname). Sadly, a photographer managed an even closer picture of his aeroplane. Killed when hit by the undercarriage. Nice bloke John and a beautifully restored aeroplane.

[Kagamuga]

A photographer was taking pics at Pakenham one day when the Lockheed was doing parachute Ops,
Hit on the head, and resulted in damage to undercarriage screw jack from memory.
Photographer spent a few weeks in hospital, required minor surgery.

Still alive and kicking, retired now living down Frankston way.

Beech SAU was never operated by Flinders Island Airways.

For the complete Beech 18 story at FIA, I suggest reading "Nothing's Impossible" The Alan Rea story authored by Dan Ednie-Lockett. I have an authographed copy signed by Beverley Ednie (nee Rea) Alan's sister.

[By George]

I had no idea the photographer survived that accident. To be struck by an undercarriage at flying speed and survive is nothing short of a miracle. The prop arc couldn't have been very far from the argument either.

The early Lockheed twins and the Beech 18 were beautiful looking aeroplanes. Graceful with modern lines for their day. While great progress has been made in performance capabilities modern designs seem to lack the aesthetics of old. I guess the Beech King Air is passable, but the Beech 1900 and DA42 Diamond Twin Star look like they were made by Frankenstein to scare small children.

[roundsounds]

As a kid about 1970 - 75, I remember seeing two B18 and two Beavers on wheels parked together at an airstrip in the Moss Vale/ Bowral/ Mittagong area. I never met Alan Savage, but I’m told they were his aircraft, used for a service to Sydney.

Years later I’d see SAU at Moorabbin when FIA were using it and later in Kununurra with Craig Muir.

Has anyone here flown both the Lockheed 10 and the Beech 18? How do they compare?

I have endorsements on both the Beech 18 and Lockheed 10A. They may look similar, but are very different in handling. The Beech 18 has the great handling most of the Beech range and well designed operating systems. The Lockheed 10A is heavy in roll, the fuel system only allows you to run both engines from the same tank, the electrical system struggled to raise the gear and no differential braking. Having said that the 10A I flew (VH-UZO) was built in 1936, the same era the English were building DH Dragons.