TAA and the DC-9
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Location: Devonport Tasmania Australia
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From memory, what is left of it anyway TN556/557 did something like MEL-BNE-CNS-GOV-DRW-PHE-PER using the DC9.
This was late '70 - early '80s I think, as I was at TN WNY at the time.
Best all
EWL
This was late '70 - early '80s I think, as I was at TN WNY at the time.
Best all
EWL
My logbook indicates that I took this photo at Gove in January '86. You can see the "tower" in the background, but I cannot recall if it was manned or not. (By the looks of the trees surrounding it - probably not!) My last trip there was in May '89 in a 737-300. Each time, I can recall talking to someone on the radio on the way into Gove, but it would have been most likely Flt Service, because on one occasion that sticks in my mind, there was a bit of "VFR" traffic that we seemed to be talking to - to sort out separation ourselves (which actually worked very well) - as we carried out a DME arrival in very wet weather to the minima.
Last edited by Givelda; 9th Feb 2009 at 08:39.
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My logbook has an entry that I crewed DC9 VH-TJR BN-TL-CS-GV-DN on 19 Jan 1987. We overnighted DN then deadheaded home to BN the next day,so I don't know where the 9 continued on to. Gove was uncontrolled & it was a strange sight doing a walk around a DC9 at an airport with no other aeroplanes.
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I went CS GOV DN and DN GOV CS BN the next day in may 1979 in Ansett DC-9.
I Remember at some stage the MMA crews took the 9 down to Perh via PD I guess while we overnighted in DN.
I seem to remember lowered tire pressures too.
I Remember at some stage the MMA crews took the 9 down to Perh via PD I guess while we overnighted in DN.
I seem to remember lowered tire pressures too.
In a previous post I mentioned an Ansett 9 diverting into Groote after having issues with some dodgy weather in Gove. That would have been between May and October 1980. They were operating CNS-GV-DRW mid-morning and after a couple of goes in Gove had no gas for Darwin and popped down to Groote - for a couple of days.
Gove definitely didn't have a tower then only Flight Service (and what a top bunch of blokes they were.)
I believe, from memory this was the incident that led to Provisional TAF's and the requirement for an Alternate associated with them.
Gove definitely didn't have a tower then only Flight Service (and what a top bunch of blokes they were.)
I believe, from memory this was the incident that led to Provisional TAF's and the requirement for an Alternate associated with them.
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Not strictly DC-9 but someone mentioned Lancasters. Here’s a shot of one of your Oz WWII All Stars. Keith Schultz, second from left. Early ‘70s he flew me and other Bristow guys between Singapore and Sumatra in a SAATAS QueenAir. Keith had operated Lancasters out of RAF Waddington, my last station only three years earlier, and he never mentioned he’d picked up a DFC ………… and Bar. 
He died about 18 months ago.
He died about 18 months ago.
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Can any one remember what Australian DME was fitted to the -9. Was it the AWA Van 3?, with only distance readout. Great fun doing DME homings, no G/S readouts, all done by timing.
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DC-9 Training with Hawaiian.
Ahhh!! Sweet memories. Billeted in the Ilikai Hotel on the 32nd level with views of next-door Hilton Village and Waikiki beach stretching to Diamond Head. A thousand yachts tied up at the marina with the odd female body clad in bikini showering on the jetty. The resonance of deep-throated notes from conch shells as lamps were lit by lap-lap clad native Hawaiian employees running the gauntlet of strategically placed illuminators, announcing the commencement of a night of inestimable fun for the tourists, sadly excluding we students who were about to be introduced to the thrill of learning to operate a DC-9 on back-of-the-clock rostered training flights.
Who was it who said this performing fighter-like aircraft had to be handled with extreme caution immediately after take-off? With elongated fuselage and the increased power of later model engines compared to those operated back in Australia by TAA and Ansett, these wizened pros, the Hawaiian Airlines instructors, demonstrated the ease with which a 25-degree banked turn off the deck for noise abatement compliance, was handled with confidence-building ease.
Back-of-the-clock operations ensured a minimum of conflicting traffic to and from Honolulu International airport, making the introduction to this magnificent pilot's aircraft practically stress-free. While the eventual introduction of simulators put finish to such endorsements, the memories linger on, to the boredom of the ear-bashed younger generations.
Lest we forget!
Who was it who said this performing fighter-like aircraft had to be handled with extreme caution immediately after take-off? With elongated fuselage and the increased power of later model engines compared to those operated back in Australia by TAA and Ansett, these wizened pros, the Hawaiian Airlines instructors, demonstrated the ease with which a 25-degree banked turn off the deck for noise abatement compliance, was handled with confidence-building ease.
Back-of-the-clock operations ensured a minimum of conflicting traffic to and from Honolulu International airport, making the introduction to this magnificent pilot's aircraft practically stress-free. While the eventual introduction of simulators put finish to such endorsements, the memories linger on, to the boredom of the ear-bashed younger generations.
Lest we forget!
Last edited by glitchfield; 12th Feb 2009 at 21:05.
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Many have mentioned a book!
If PPRuNers are seriously interested in collating all these stories into a book I would be more than happy to put that book into production with a little help from a few of you.
To make it more interesting maybe we could have various chapters -
Various aircraft types
Various airlines
Interesting ground crew stories
etc, etc.
I've put several books together and this one sounds like lots of fun.
It's up to you guys/gals to provide enough material to make it interesting for all to read so if you think its a goer I'm in!
BSB
To make it more interesting maybe we could have various chapters -
Various aircraft types
Various airlines
Interesting ground crew stories
etc, etc.
I've put several books together and this one sounds like lots of fun.
It's up to you guys/gals to provide enough material to make it interesting for all to read so if you think its a goer I'm in!
BSB
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I was working for TN on Line Maint when this story was about:-
A9 departing Bris. a pax asked a FA if she could put some mubcrabs he had been given somewhere cool.
On finals into Tulla she remembered the mudcrabs, but forgot which pax gave them to her.
So she asked over the PA "Could the gentleman that gave me the crabs please see me after we land".
Apparently the cabin erupted.
A9 departing Bris. a pax asked a FA if she could put some mubcrabs he had been given somewhere cool.
On finals into Tulla she remembered the mudcrabs, but forgot which pax gave them to her.
So she asked over the PA "Could the gentleman that gave me the crabs please see me after we land".
Apparently the cabin erupted.
Gove Tower
GV Tower is still there. It was used for one day, to test it after it was commissioned and handed over. The decision not to man it had already been made, so after the first day everything was turned off and abandoned, and that was that !
Last edited by The Wawa Zone; 11th Feb 2009 at 11:51.
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Glitchfield1 I think the Ilakai was known as Menopause Manor by QF crews due to the nbr of well padded middle aged ladies who went there from stateside for their hols. Spent a couple of interesting evenings there with mates at the Top of the I, and knowing who you are Sir let me introduce a legend in TAA and a very well known fighter pilot in the Royal Australian Navy, no names no pack drill, but welcome Sir if any of us could fly as well as you or had your experience we would be honored.
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I will concur with teresa's comments re glitchfield. I was a bit concerned about his last know location and the weekend fires but I see he has relocated to a little bit of paradise.
Thanks everyone, reading your posts inspired me to sort through some of my Dad's collection of TAA stuff that he's hoarded in his shed over the years. Old Ollie worked in TAA "Aircraft Maintenance" from about 1959 to his retirement in 1985. He was an aircraft cleaner and windscreen washer but took his job so seriously that you would have thought that whenever he called in sick they would have had to ground the entire fleet until he came back!!! He, like all you others, loved his TAA, and even now, from his nursing home still talks about the good times of Aussie aviation. It wasn't just about business and shareholders, it had a soul and was a living, breathing family affair. I grew up in an era when you could come to work with your Dad and walk out on the tarmac no ASICs, no AFP or SNP security to hassle you, just smell the kero and avgas and talk to the people who flew and maintained the aircraft. It must have had an effect on me (my wife reckons "scarred for life"
) because I'm still out there airside sniffing the fumes
.
Who remembers the Super 30? What about the Super 80 that DC tried to flog us. Have a look at the article espousing the magic of brewing fresh coffee on the new DC9
I've quickly thrown together some images in a PDF file for those interested,(a 1.8Mb download).
http://users.tpg.com.au/nemtrans/TAA DC-9.pdf
BTW The DC9 on that cover of TransAir magazine was actually one of many scale replica models that in about 1966, TAA commissioned Ollie to build, and they used them for promotional displays.
PS If my memory serves me right, The TAA DC-9s were registered VH-TJJ thru to TJU and they were assigned the names of famous old Aussies. A Chup-a-Chup to anyone who can correctly name all of them!! (answers in a couple of days if no one is up to it)
.
but took his job so seriously that you would have thought that whenever he called in sick they would have had to ground the entire fleet until he came back!!! He, like all you others, loved his TAA, and even now, from his nursing home still talks about the good times of Aussie aviation. It wasn't just about business and shareholders, it had a soul and was a living, breathing family affair. I grew up in an era when you could come to work with your Dad and walk out on the tarmac no ASICs, no AFP or SNP security to hassle you, just smell the kero and avgas and talk to the people who flew and maintained the aircraft. It must have had an effect on me (my wife reckons "scarred for life") because I'm still out there airside sniffing the fumes.Who remembers the Super 30? What about the Super 80 that DC tried to flog us. Have a look at the article espousing the magic of brewing fresh coffee on the new DC9
I've quickly thrown together some images in a PDF file for those interested,(a 1.8Mb download).
http://users.tpg.com.au/nemtrans/TAA DC-9.pdf
BTW The DC9 on that cover of TransAir magazine was actually one of many scale replica models that in about 1966, TAA commissioned Ollie to build, and they used them for promotional displays.
PS If my memory serves me right, The TAA DC-9s were registered VH-TJJ thru to TJU and they were assigned the names of famous old Aussies. A Chup-a-Chup to anyone who can correctly name all of them!! (answers in a couple of days if no one is up to it)
.
Last edited by RampDog; 12th Feb 2009 at 09:02.
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Ramp Doggie
The Super 30 tag was allowed by Douglas (or was is McD then) after TN upgraded the cabins and some avionics to the Super 80 specs making them much nicer for the SLF with enclosed roof lockers and engine synch to stop the oscillation in the rear of the cabin caused by the harmonic between the turbines.
One personal favourite with the '9 was when IPEC got the contract to fly 4 (or more) loads of Power Gel, or Gelegnite into DPO as ICI had screwed up the sea shipping arrangements.
Power Gel is very inert in the abscence of detonators, but even so I have never seen multiple arrivals of a DC9 anywhere greased on so gently. The crews were welcomed into the Eeenie Weenie back room and made at home, and even though the load was very safe they were very happy to be on the ground.
It was excellent to see IPA (or it may have been IPF - one was an Argosy, the other a DC9 - time dims the mind) departing on the return empty leg, as it was not hard to urge the crews into a full power departure and Oggie and the other FSU guys were happy to turn a blind eye while still enthusiastically watching.
For any of you who remember Oggie from the DPO FSU, you can find him behind the bar on Spirit of Tasmania and occasionally at the DPO RSL. I also catch up to Neil Fraser there some times and regularl make bookings for Bungy from the DPOKT fireies.
Best all and long live the TN 2 holer.
EWL
The Super 30 tag was allowed by Douglas (or was is McD then) after TN upgraded the cabins and some avionics to the Super 80 specs making them much nicer for the SLF with enclosed roof lockers and engine synch to stop the oscillation in the rear of the cabin caused by the harmonic between the turbines.
One personal favourite with the '9 was when IPEC got the contract to fly 4 (or more) loads of Power Gel, or Gelegnite into DPO as ICI had screwed up the sea shipping arrangements.
Power Gel is very inert in the abscence of detonators, but even so I have never seen multiple arrivals of a DC9 anywhere greased on so gently. The crews were welcomed into the Eeenie Weenie back room and made at home, and even though the load was very safe they were very happy to be on the ground.
It was excellent to see IPA (or it may have been IPF - one was an Argosy, the other a DC9 - time dims the mind) departing on the return empty leg, as it was not hard to urge the crews into a full power departure and Oggie and the other FSU guys were happy to turn a blind eye while still enthusiastically watching.
For any of you who remember Oggie from the DPO FSU, you can find him behind the bar on Spirit of Tasmania and occasionally at the DPO RSL. I also catch up to Neil Fraser there some times and regularl make bookings for Bungy from the DPOKT fireies.
Best all and long live the TN 2 holer.
EWL
Last edited by Eastwest Loco; 12th Feb 2009 at 10:41.
