Happy Birthday TAA
 

Today is the 70th anniversary of the first flight of Trans Australia Airlines.

My father's cousin was non-other than the great Capt. Lester Joseph Brain....

{I meet him many times growing up [which I still haven't achieved!]}

A great airline worked there for 7 years,sadly missed today!!

Great airline.

Not a lot of people left alive who could remember this event as an adult. :)

At a time when TAA's first aeroplane, DC-3 VH-AES, has been taken into the care of HARS, it is timely to reflect on this aeroplane's remarkable story.

In 1971 the aircraft had to be withdrawn from service to be repainted in its original markings to operate a 25th anniversary re-enactment of TAA's first service.

After that it was immediately repainted in TAA's seventies livery and returned to service in PNG. When it was eventually retired, it was mounted in the open outside TAA's Tullamarine terminal. Not many aeroplanes survive such treatment but thankfully VH-AES came down off her perch and is flying again today. Truly remarkable :D

On that first restoration.... Memories of crawling through the aft section helping run and rig the cables for the elevator and rudder.
Still waiting for a flight in it........

My days working for TN were wonderful.
Still remember standing on the observation deck with my Dad watching Tango Juliet Alpha arrive for the 1st time.
My 1st flight ever was on TJA with Jimmy James at the helm.In those days stand by was just that - waiting at the rear airstairs until they checked the empty seats.

Without a doubt on any measure TAA was the best airline and aviation operation this country ever had.

Probably not surprisingly, there were only two full page ads for TAA during 1946 - both in the "Womans Weekly".

This one probably blew half the advertising budget for the year. Dated Oct 19, 1946.

Every other TAA ad, was either just a small B&W block ad, or just a paragraph in the classifieds.


http://oi68.tinypic.com/fdaecl.jpg

Here's the remainder of the TAA advertising budget for the year - Dec 7, 1946.

And the Hosties wore epaulettes, as well as caps, too! :)


http://oi66.tinypic.com/34pi5n7.jpg

"TAA, the friendly way"

...says it all.