Cyclone Tracy 1974
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Lost an engine due to nacelle overheat going into Darwin. An engine change was required; but I was ordered off the airfield by Gpt capt Hitchins (an old 36 Sqn CO) and took off on three engines declaring a PAN on taxy.
Fris: was that PLTOFF John O'Meagher (aka Omega)?
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Sorry this has taken years to emerge! One of the messages we got after Dad died last year was from Geoff Kendall. It's on the Airman Aircrew site so I'm guessing it's OK to reproduce.. Geoff wrote "I think the last time I saw Dave, he was the OC Darwin, literally the day after Tracy hit the place, when I bowled in unannounced in a Bristol Freighter with a load of corrugated roofing, rolls of hessian and tar paper et al. He greeted me with his usual courtesy ("Kendall, what the hell are YOU doing here?") but he could have kissed me when he learned what I had brought in. As I say, lots of memories and all good ones."
That may answer your query about whether there was a Bristol Freighter there. There was!
That may answer your query about whether there was a Bristol Freighter there. There was!
Thread Starter
FlareArmed
The pax info sheet came from a passenger not one of the crew so I can't help you there.
Readers would be aware that AIRCDRE David Hitchins' daughter Jenny has joined this thread. Jenny has afforded me the honour and privilege of access to her father's papers. I have gleaned a lot of useful information from them and I have just uploaded a summary to my website.
The Hitchins Papers
The Main List
Thanks also Jenny for the lead on the Bristol Freighter. It turns out I knew Geoff Kendall when he was flying for Norfolk Island Airlines. Anyone have a current contact?
Rgds
The pax info sheet came from a passenger not one of the crew so I can't help you there.
Readers would be aware that AIRCDRE David Hitchins' daughter Jenny has joined this thread. Jenny has afforded me the honour and privilege of access to her father's papers. I have gleaned a lot of useful information from them and I have just uploaded a summary to my website.
The Hitchins Papers
The Main List
Thanks also Jenny for the lead on the Bristol Freighter. It turns out I knew Geoff Kendall when he was flying for Norfolk Island Airlines. Anyone have a current contact?
Rgds
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Well the bit about the airlines arriving is absolutely true. nobody had the faintest idea what was going on, and now I understand what Hichins was on about when after landing, he drove up in a jeep and asked me WTF do you want? Um, I said, I have to pick up ladies from the hospital who are about to give birth, he looked me up and down and said, "half your luck" I found out what he meant later. He told the bloke who was driving to take myself and the other pilot over to a hangar that was still standing and give us a cup of tea. I liked the bloke immediately, and we became firm friends in later years. Trying to cordinate the impossible was a big ask for Hitchens, especially as he had been overlooked for Stretton, which had to be political, but I don't think he took any notice just kept directing traffic, and probably did most of the work himself if the truth be known. The right man at the right time I imagine.
Thread Starter
Folks
Can we please spread the word that we need more input from Team Ansett.
An Ansett memo states that Ansett and MMA combined operated 27 relief flights out of Darwin in the period 26-29DEC.
An MMA memo states that MMA operated 13 flights in the same period.
This would indicate that Ansett operated 14 flights of which we have accounted for only 5 (6 if we include 1 Electra freighter). Hopefully the information is out there somewhere.
Rgds
Can we please spread the word that we need more input from Team Ansett.
An Ansett memo states that Ansett and MMA combined operated 27 relief flights out of Darwin in the period 26-29DEC.
An MMA memo states that MMA operated 13 flights in the same period.
This would indicate that Ansett operated 14 flights of which we have accounted for only 5 (6 if we include 1 Electra freighter). Hopefully the information is out there somewhere.
Rgds
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Answer for FlareArmed
FA, I think Trashies answer to your question was probably saying that his Co-Pilot was "Trackless" The Plt Off O'Meagher shown on the Pax Info sheet which was scanned would have been "Omega" John C O'Meagher. My first logged flight with John as a Captain was on 6thFeb1976 by which time he was a Flying Officer. The sectors were RIC-AMB-DN for a night stop before returning DN-AMB-RIC on 7thFeb1976. Don't know where John is now, last I knew he was a B747 Captain with Cathay.
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Cyclone Tracy
Ask & ye shall receive!
NB. All this below, originated from a query to me about who was first into Darwin after Cyclone Tracy.
The quote in the book I FLEW FOR MMA"(P. 257-9), about the first Jet in being an MMA F.28, was given to me by:-
A) Captain Rodney Kralert "whose Flight it was".
B) Probably by Captain S.J. (Syd) Goddard, probably at a Retired Pilots Meeting which I annotated as 13-7-1994, when I was still writing/researching the book.
I contacted Rodney on 19-3-2000, and he looked up his Log Book for me.
He states that it was his and Lindsay Allen’s rostered flight ex Perth to Darwin, Flight 1492, VH-FKB, which left early (usually 0600W), on the 26th December 1974. Obviously, in view of what was about to happen, Captain Goddard joined them, to make it a three crew flight, and therefore a longer duty period (14 hours instead of 11), and also, as Flight Manager, to oversee the whole operation and be able to plan further operations.
The whole flight took around five hours flying, but "we battled all day to get there, as we were stuffed about at Kununurra, awaiting permission from Canberra to enter the disaster area". They were then ordered to offload all the passengers FOR Darwin in Kununurra, as any more people entering would only make the situation worse. (Apparently some of them owned fishing boats there and were most irate at being denied entry).
"Lindsay and I were sorting out all the paperwork and Syd was ringing MMA in Perth and MMA was trying to ring Canberra, and we couldn’t get a decision.
And all of a sudden we got an order to leave all passengers in Kununurra. There was an enormous push not to bring any passengers into Darwin, unless they were Salvation Army - and those sort of people.
The passengers were pestering us, and I said, "Look, we are in the worst time of the year (Xmas Day + the Cyclonic weather), all the heads of Departments are away and the number two or three didn’t want to make a decision - would rather say no, than make a decision and put his foot in it. Just like all Govt. Departments".
After this delay, they finally arrived in Darwin as Flight 1492.
"We were definitely the first MMA Flight in". Rodney cannot remember seeing any other aeroplanes when they got there - probably overwhelmed by the damage to our beautiful Port - but remembers seeing other crews there when they were leaving.
"From Darwin, we went as passengers to Kununurra, with Captain Ray Brindley and F/O Alex Henry crewing the southbound flight, and Lindsay Allen and I got off there and Syd Goddard continued on, back to Perth".
(This was probably Flt. 1493 - even numbers Northbound and odd numbers Southbound - with the ‘1' signifying a Schedule change) and Goddard, the Flight Manager, went straight back to Perth to report the situation to MMA Operations and co-ordinate the future rescue missions.)
(Brindley and Henry are mentioned on Page 258 and 259 of "IFFMMA"!)
Rodney "had a free day in Kununurra, then on the 28th, we went Kununurra-Darwin, Flt. 492, then Darwin-Kununurra-Newman-Perth, Flight No. 493, VH-FKB, with another load. We were heavily loaded, so had to land at Newman to refuel. At Newman all the Mums with babies got off the aeroplane and washed their babies bums on the lawn in front of the terminal. The Newman women were very helpful to the evacuees and brought out nappies for the mothers". - ( so many people on one aeroplane would have severely taxed the facility of the one small on board toilet!).
So, It looks as though the first a/c arrived in Darwin on Boxing Day, as the Eye went over Darwin early on Xmas Day, news didn’t leak out for a while, and Major-General Stretton reached Darwin by VIP jet that night, after which he ordered the evacuation.
The regular flight ex Perth, at say, 0600 WST, went via Pt Hedland-Broome-Derby-Kununurra to Darwin and took around 5.05 flying time.
+ 20 minutes on the ground at each Port, 4 x 20min = 1.20 = say 6 hrs 30 minutes.
0600 departure + 6.30 = 1230 WST +add 1.30 time change = 1400 CST arrival Darwin.
So they were obviously much later than that due to the delays (as above), at Kununurra.
Re Of Captain Goddard - I contacted him recently (on 20-1- 2012) for his Log Book details.
Memory dim after some 37 years, but he did have the above details, such as crewing up with Rodney Kralert & Lindsay Allen in FKB on Flt 1492/3 with 5.00 hrs day and 4.55 night. (Perth - Darwin - Perth.)
He recalls that at Kununurra northbound "they were held on the ground for about two hours while they cleared the runway at Darwin before being given approval to proceed".
That's all he remembers!
Ansett historian Fred Niven, in his excellent DVD "Airlines & Aircraft of the Ansett Group 1921 - 2002, records:-
Quote:- Captain Harold Rowell. After Cyclone Tracy in 1974, he flew 96 passengers out of Darwin in a 60-seat Fokker F28 Mk.1000.
From 24 December, 1974, MacRobertson Miller Airline Services greatly assisted in the evacuation of Darwin, after Cyclone Tracy. One F28 carried 128 people, with most evacuation flights carrying around 80. MMA carried 1,250 people out of Darwin in 4 days. Unquote.
MMA's F.28s kept up a continuous shuttle to Kununurra, and Graham Hewitt with his F/O, Rob McMillan, went in on the 26th. He recalls that as all the Darwin Navaids were inoperative, they had to fly across from Kununurra to Katherine and then backtrack into Darwin on the Katherine navaids, also identifying the Darwin coastal area on the aircraft's radar. They had to let down through the continuing murk left over from the cyclone and broke visual at 800ft. He found thousands of people just milling around, totally confused, and realised it was a total crisis.
The evacuation was picking up speed and Graham took off with adults and children doubled up for a total of 115 people in a 60 seater, and 2000kgs overweight. "What amazed me" he relates, "was that the F.28 ripped off the ground just the same as always, flew like a dream and apart from adding a few knots to the bug speed at Kununurra, it handled no differently from normal". After slipping for the night at Kununurra, he took over an evacuee flight for Perth. Landing at Newman for fuel, he was amazed when "All the Ladies of Newman came out with cups of tea, coffee and sandwiches in the middle of the night - an unbelievable spread for these poor buggers who were still in a state of shock - they were absolutely marvellous".
NB. All this below, originated from a query to me about who was first into Darwin after Cyclone Tracy.
The quote in the book I FLEW FOR MMA"(P. 257-9), about the first Jet in being an MMA F.28, was given to me by:-
A) Captain Rodney Kralert "whose Flight it was".
B) Probably by Captain S.J. (Syd) Goddard, probably at a Retired Pilots Meeting which I annotated as 13-7-1994, when I was still writing/researching the book.
I contacted Rodney on 19-3-2000, and he looked up his Log Book for me.
He states that it was his and Lindsay Allen’s rostered flight ex Perth to Darwin, Flight 1492, VH-FKB, which left early (usually 0600W), on the 26th December 1974. Obviously, in view of what was about to happen, Captain Goddard joined them, to make it a three crew flight, and therefore a longer duty period (14 hours instead of 11), and also, as Flight Manager, to oversee the whole operation and be able to plan further operations.
The whole flight took around five hours flying, but "we battled all day to get there, as we were stuffed about at Kununurra, awaiting permission from Canberra to enter the disaster area". They were then ordered to offload all the passengers FOR Darwin in Kununurra, as any more people entering would only make the situation worse. (Apparently some of them owned fishing boats there and were most irate at being denied entry).
"Lindsay and I were sorting out all the paperwork and Syd was ringing MMA in Perth and MMA was trying to ring Canberra, and we couldn’t get a decision.
And all of a sudden we got an order to leave all passengers in Kununurra. There was an enormous push not to bring any passengers into Darwin, unless they were Salvation Army - and those sort of people.
The passengers were pestering us, and I said, "Look, we are in the worst time of the year (Xmas Day + the Cyclonic weather), all the heads of Departments are away and the number two or three didn’t want to make a decision - would rather say no, than make a decision and put his foot in it. Just like all Govt. Departments".
After this delay, they finally arrived in Darwin as Flight 1492.
"We were definitely the first MMA Flight in". Rodney cannot remember seeing any other aeroplanes when they got there - probably overwhelmed by the damage to our beautiful Port - but remembers seeing other crews there when they were leaving.
"From Darwin, we went as passengers to Kununurra, with Captain Ray Brindley and F/O Alex Henry crewing the southbound flight, and Lindsay Allen and I got off there and Syd Goddard continued on, back to Perth".
(This was probably Flt. 1493 - even numbers Northbound and odd numbers Southbound - with the ‘1' signifying a Schedule change) and Goddard, the Flight Manager, went straight back to Perth to report the situation to MMA Operations and co-ordinate the future rescue missions.)
(Brindley and Henry are mentioned on Page 258 and 259 of "IFFMMA"!)
Rodney "had a free day in Kununurra, then on the 28th, we went Kununurra-Darwin, Flt. 492, then Darwin-Kununurra-Newman-Perth, Flight No. 493, VH-FKB, with another load. We were heavily loaded, so had to land at Newman to refuel. At Newman all the Mums with babies got off the aeroplane and washed their babies bums on the lawn in front of the terminal. The Newman women were very helpful to the evacuees and brought out nappies for the mothers". - ( so many people on one aeroplane would have severely taxed the facility of the one small on board toilet!).
So, It looks as though the first a/c arrived in Darwin on Boxing Day, as the Eye went over Darwin early on Xmas Day, news didn’t leak out for a while, and Major-General Stretton reached Darwin by VIP jet that night, after which he ordered the evacuation.
The regular flight ex Perth, at say, 0600 WST, went via Pt Hedland-Broome-Derby-Kununurra to Darwin and took around 5.05 flying time.
+ 20 minutes on the ground at each Port, 4 x 20min = 1.20 = say 6 hrs 30 minutes.
0600 departure + 6.30 = 1230 WST +add 1.30 time change = 1400 CST arrival Darwin.
So they were obviously much later than that due to the delays (as above), at Kununurra.
Re Of Captain Goddard - I contacted him recently (on 20-1- 2012) for his Log Book details.
Memory dim after some 37 years, but he did have the above details, such as crewing up with Rodney Kralert & Lindsay Allen in FKB on Flt 1492/3 with 5.00 hrs day and 4.55 night. (Perth - Darwin - Perth.)
He recalls that at Kununurra northbound "they were held on the ground for about two hours while they cleared the runway at Darwin before being given approval to proceed".
That's all he remembers!
Ansett historian Fred Niven, in his excellent DVD "Airlines & Aircraft of the Ansett Group 1921 - 2002, records:-
Quote:- Captain Harold Rowell. After Cyclone Tracy in 1974, he flew 96 passengers out of Darwin in a 60-seat Fokker F28 Mk.1000.
From 24 December, 1974, MacRobertson Miller Airline Services greatly assisted in the evacuation of Darwin, after Cyclone Tracy. One F28 carried 128 people, with most evacuation flights carrying around 80. MMA carried 1,250 people out of Darwin in 4 days. Unquote.
MMA's F.28s kept up a continuous shuttle to Kununurra, and Graham Hewitt with his F/O, Rob McMillan, went in on the 26th. He recalls that as all the Darwin Navaids were inoperative, they had to fly across from Kununurra to Katherine and then backtrack into Darwin on the Katherine navaids, also identifying the Darwin coastal area on the aircraft's radar. They had to let down through the continuing murk left over from the cyclone and broke visual at 800ft. He found thousands of people just milling around, totally confused, and realised it was a total crisis.
The evacuation was picking up speed and Graham took off with adults and children doubled up for a total of 115 people in a 60 seater, and 2000kgs overweight. "What amazed me" he relates, "was that the F.28 ripped off the ground just the same as always, flew like a dream and apart from adding a few knots to the bug speed at Kununurra, it handled no differently from normal". After slipping for the night at Kununurra, he took over an evacuee flight for Perth. Landing at Newman for fuel, he was amazed when "All the Ladies of Newman came out with cups of tea, coffee and sandwiches in the middle of the night - an unbelievable spread for these poor buggers who were still in a state of shock - they were absolutely marvellous".
Thread Starter
As information has dried up, it may be an appropriate time to draw a line under this project. Accordingly, all the files are now hosted on the website of the Queensland Air Museum
This has the added advantage that the QAM website is archived by the National Library of Aust which should ensure the survival of this research. Anyone using the old URL will be redirected to the QAM website. Thanks again to all who contributed. In the meantime I am still receptive to any new information.
Rgds
This has the added advantage that the QAM website is archived by the National Library of Aust which should ensure the survival of this research. Anyone using the old URL will be redirected to the QAM website. Thanks again to all who contributed. In the meantime I am still receptive to any new information.
Rgds
Thread Starter
Earlier in this thread there was speculation that a Bristol Freighter had participated in the relief operation. This has now been confirmed to have been the Air Express B170 Mk 31 VH-TBB. It also emerged that RAF Hercules XV199 operated relief flights and one of the RAF crew has provided this photo of VH-TBB at Darwin with the familiar water tower in the background.
Correspondence with the photographer, Arthur Osborne, has also brought to light details of an RAF Nimrod which evacuated 38 British subjects to Singapore.
Rgds
Correspondence with the photographer, Arthur Osborne, has also brought to light details of an RAF Nimrod which evacuated 38 British subjects to Singapore.
Rgds
Well done and deserved!
PPRUNERS will or should be delighted to know that Fris B Fairing in another guise has picked up a gong (OAM) in today's Queen's Birthday Honours. 
Thread Starter
Thanks Ken for your kind words. It is a matter of some amusement to me that I am being recognised for services to aviation, for it is tempting to imagine that the industry is expressing its gratitude that I never became a pilot! You don't have to fly 'em to love 'em.
Rgds
Rgds
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Good On Yer, Fris.
A virgin poster until now, but what better way to lose it than to say congrats on your OAM. You are a record keeper extraordinaire, and I thank you for the way you apply accuracy and detail to the record of this country's diverse aviation heritage. This Tracy thread is but one example of the way you turn a germ of an idea into an authoritative chapter. Hip, hip!
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I worked at Air Movements Amberley at the time. I was at home in a rather inebriated condition the night after it hit, when there was a knock at the door. Two rather large uniformed police officers advised that I was required back at base. I said sure, I'll just get my keys grab my car and be off....The bigger of the two looked at me and smiled and said, "Get your gear and get in the fvking car" They drove me back to base.
We worked for 10 days straight without much sleep. Loaded everything from a C141 on down. Remember clearly the Flt Lt at Air Movments at the time running smack into a set of tines on a forklift whilst we were playing volleyball in the hangar out the back during one of our rare breaks. Also recall "physically" escorting a member of the press, who took the liberty of walking behind our counter and helping himself to the phone, from the premises. MAC had a C141 being loaded with sheets of corregated iron. The iron slid off the K Loader and slammed into the bottom ramp. The USAF Pilot just said push it out of the way and I'll get another one. Walked inside picked up the phone and orderd a replacement aircraft.
Wish I could recall more finite details about aircraft, but a lot of cells have given their lives for a good cause since those days.
We worked for 10 days straight without much sleep. Loaded everything from a C141 on down. Remember clearly the Flt Lt at Air Movments at the time running smack into a set of tines on a forklift whilst we were playing volleyball in the hangar out the back during one of our rare breaks. Also recall "physically" escorting a member of the press, who took the liberty of walking behind our counter and helping himself to the phone, from the premises. MAC had a C141 being loaded with sheets of corregated iron. The iron slid off the K Loader and slammed into the bottom ramp. The USAF Pilot just said push it out of the way and I'll get another one. Walked inside picked up the phone and orderd a replacement aircraft.
Wish I could recall more finite details about aircraft, but a lot of cells have given their lives for a good cause since those days.
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cyclone tracy
I have only just come on board but the first aircraft out of Darwn was VH-EWE crewed by Larry Olajos & John Myers, both DC3captains with their families & others to Alice Springs via Tindal.