How airline incidents were reported in 1954. (Feminazis avert your gaze)
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How airline incidents were reported in 1954. (Feminazis avert your gaze)
Despite the fact that a Hudson is misreported as a Lodestar (a rose by any other name) this is how Brisbane's Courier-Mail reported an incident in 1954, even identifying the aeroplane by name and registration. It also reminds us of a time when it was considered chivalrous to compliment a lady.
Wheel Collapse in Landing
Pilot's skill averts injury
A pilot's skilful handling of his plane probably saved the lives of nine people at Brisbane Airport yesterday. A Lockheed Lodestar's (sic) starboard wheel assembly collapsed as it was landing about noon. The plane careered 50 yards with one wing dragging on the tarmac. It slewed across the runway, spun on to another runway and came to rest facing in the opposite direction to that in which it had been travelling.
Within two minutes the pretty, auburn-haired hostess, Miss Claire Bailey, had shepherded the plane's six passengers out of the cabin.
A Civil Aviation spokesman said that the pilot (Captain Ron Walesby) had done an excellent job in bringing the plane to rest. The plane, "Cathedral City" (VH-EWB), is owned by East-West Airlines, a company with headquarters in Tamworth. It had flown from Tamworth via Glen Innes and brought six passengers and a crew of three to Brisbane. Mr. J.D. Maclean, an eye-witness, said the wheel assembly seemed to collapse as the tail was beginning to drop.
Passengers did not know what had happened and were not alarmed. "I thought we had a flat tyre." one man said. The chairman of East-West Airlines (Mr. D. Shand) who was in Brisbane, said only superficial damage had been done to the plane. He refused to release the names of passengers and crew-members on the plane.
The plane, which was due in Brisbane at 10.55 am, was delayed by fog at Tamworth earlier in the morning. It was scheduled to take-off for Glen Innes at 11.25. It was replaced on the return run by a T.A.A. DC3 which took off at 3.7 pm.
A Civil Aviation spokesman said last night that a Lockheed Lodestar (sic) approached at about 90 knots, but at the end of its run would be doing about 30 knots.
(Source: The Courier-Mail of 21 July 1954)
Pilot's skill averts injury
A pilot's skilful handling of his plane probably saved the lives of nine people at Brisbane Airport yesterday. A Lockheed Lodestar's (sic) starboard wheel assembly collapsed as it was landing about noon. The plane careered 50 yards with one wing dragging on the tarmac. It slewed across the runway, spun on to another runway and came to rest facing in the opposite direction to that in which it had been travelling.
Within two minutes the pretty, auburn-haired hostess, Miss Claire Bailey, had shepherded the plane's six passengers out of the cabin.
A Civil Aviation spokesman said that the pilot (Captain Ron Walesby) had done an excellent job in bringing the plane to rest. The plane, "Cathedral City" (VH-EWB), is owned by East-West Airlines, a company with headquarters in Tamworth. It had flown from Tamworth via Glen Innes and brought six passengers and a crew of three to Brisbane. Mr. J.D. Maclean, an eye-witness, said the wheel assembly seemed to collapse as the tail was beginning to drop.
Passengers did not know what had happened and were not alarmed. "I thought we had a flat tyre." one man said. The chairman of East-West Airlines (Mr. D. Shand) who was in Brisbane, said only superficial damage had been done to the plane. He refused to release the names of passengers and crew-members on the plane.
The plane, which was due in Brisbane at 10.55 am, was delayed by fog at Tamworth earlier in the morning. It was scheduled to take-off for Glen Innes at 11.25. It was replaced on the return run by a T.A.A. DC3 which took off at 3.7 pm.
A Civil Aviation spokesman said last night that a Lockheed Lodestar (sic) approached at about 90 knots, but at the end of its run would be doing about 30 knots.
(Source: The Courier-Mail of 21 July 1954)
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Aw, cut it out, mate - a bit of gender bias there, I reckon.
What about a proper description of the heroic pilot?
"The handsome, strong-jawed, steely-eyed war hero manfully wrestled with the contols...." (just to add a bit of balance).
Mind you, they did say that he "did an excellent job bringing the plane to rest".
.
What about a proper description of the heroic pilot?
"The handsome, strong-jawed, steely-eyed war hero manfully wrestled with the contols...." (just to add a bit of balance).
Mind you, they did say that he "did an excellent job bringing the plane to rest".
.
Last edited by Stanwell; 12th Feb 2015 at 10:58.
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tipsy,
I wasn't having a go at Ron - just the reporting. Nothing much has changed in that regard to this day.
Those war-surplus Hudsons actually gave good service with EWA (with a couple of exceptions, of course).
I wasn't having a go at Ron - just the reporting. Nothing much has changed in that regard to this day.
Those war-surplus Hudsons actually gave good service with EWA (with a couple of exceptions, of course).
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Gotta love those past day Eenie Weenie pilots
And the same applies to TN, AN, Butler, MMA and all the other carriers with post war pilots.
With all due respect to current incumbents, we shall not see their like again.
Best all
EWL
And the same applies to TN, AN, Butler, MMA and all the other carriers with post war pilots.
With all due respect to current incumbents, we shall not see their like again.
Best all
EWL
.......and the calibre of passengers also, EWL
None 'Feared for their lives' or 'txt'd messages of love and regret' in the final moments'. Nor did they sell their story to 60 Minutes
Times change, **** still happens, go figure
None 'Feared for their lives' or 'txt'd messages of love and regret' in the final moments'. Nor did they sell their story to 60 Minutes
Times change, **** still happens, go figure
Thread Starter
Stanwell
East-West operated Hudsons for ten years and given the reputation of the Hudson, their safety record is remarkable. Apart from the incident under discussion, I am aware of only one other accident and that was during ground-running by engineers.
Those war-surplus Hudsons actually gave good service with EWA (with a couple of exceptions, of course).
Lodestars [L-18] are not Hudsons [L-14]....
{VH-EWB was a Hudson conversion}
One is a Lockheed Model 18 and the other a military version of the Lockheed Model 14...
The RAAF operated both types in WW2....
{VH-EWB was a Hudson conversion}One is a Lockheed Model 18 and the other a military version of the Lockheed Model 14...
The RAAF operated both types in WW2....
Thread Starter
VH-EWB has survived and is on display at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra
Slight thread drift but,
Met Malcolm Long in Darwin with Ossie and Guido. I was in and out of Milingimbi regularly and had been over to the Hudson wrecks a few times. Malcolm was looking for a gunners seat for the dorsal turret.
Met Malcolm Long in Darwin with Ossie and Guido. I was in and out of Milingimbi regularly and had been over to the Hudson wrecks a few times. Malcolm was looking for a gunners seat for the dorsal turret.
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Fris B,
Do you happen to know the provenance of the nose Malcolm Long used on his re-conversion of VH-EWB?
Two possibilities: One from a Kimberley wreck - and the other that it came from NZ.
Do you happen to know the provenance of the nose Malcolm Long used on his re-conversion of VH-EWB?
Two possibilities: One from a Kimberley wreck - and the other that it came from NZ.
