YMMB

[Stationair8]

Celebrating some anniversary for Dehavilland aircraft, but plenty of DH prouducts including Heron, Dove, Chipmunks, Tiger Moths and a few other rare aircraft.

They organised another one at Managalore got a stream formation lead by Dash 8 of Southern Airlines, Airlines of Tasmania's Heron, Doves, Chipmunk, Tiger Moths and a Gypsy Moth.

[Stationair8]

Twin Bonanza CLN/CLM were operated by a guy called Stan Smith, who had business interests on King Island.

[zanzibar]

Isn't that what WTIWIW said in post no. 83?

He was answering your question in post no. 77!!!!

[Stationair8]

Anyone know what Ewan Jarvis is doing these days?

[gnomie]

When this thread was started I was away overseas so I missed it back then. Ewan Jarvis, I had forgotten that name and a lot of the others.

Worked at FIA as kid on the weekends, started formal flt training at Civils in 1970, never did an instructors rating but flew with a lot of the operators and some of the aircraft mentioned. What happened to John Williams, Ian Sharp, Gary Smythe, Ian Priestly, Bob Thorpe, Ken Rumble, Gordon Keyser, David McLean, John Burns, Graham Murphy, Doug Goss and Ian Grant to name a few.

gnomie

[Kulwin Park]

StationAir8 ... I think I saw him at Essendon Airport operating out of the flight school inside the terminal building. Unsure of the name - anyone? He has not been at YMMB for a while. His son Adrian I think has left aviation, and is working on turbine engine shutdowns in the mines.

Cheers, KP

[airspace alpha]

Garry Smythe- still instructing at Moorabbin Flying Services. Respected by everyone around YMMB. Apparently still a b*gg*r to get a pass on any test but as fair as they ever come. Just a really, really genuinely nice guy.

[Sunfish]

YMMB is now "Oxford Airport".

I came very close to aborting my arrival a few weeks ago, climbing from circuit altitude to 1500 overflying and asking the Tower to start me again from some place like Carrum.

I was arriving from Academy and reported at Sandown as requested and directed to join downwind for 35L, I was given traffic of about Four Oxford aircraft on crosswind or downwind, with another Two in the circuit and Two more arriving from GMH via Parkmore.

I had difficulty spotting all and getting sufficient situational awareness to the point where I was just about to call it off since I couldn't determine if I had sufficient separation as required by the Regs. It was not helped by rotten student English language skills.

To top it off, I couldn't clear the runway for a minute after landing because I was Third in a Queue of Oxford Cessnas, and the lead one didn't have the English to get his taxi request out and start moving forward. Eventually his instructor made the call for him.

We all were students once and have to make allowances, but this is getting ridiculous.

[jas24zzk]

The radio call "say again all after you pressed the button" frequently comes to mind.

[VH-XXX]

Sunny, maybe that's why they have the new call-signs now, Oxford 1, Oxford 5, etc, so the students struggling with English don't have to struggle with saying normal call-signs like everyone else.

I understand one of the motives for the new call-signs are to prepare the students for the airlines, in terms of Qantas 123.

[Bevan666]

Last I head Ewen Jarvis was CFI at National Aerospace Training at Essendon.

Learnt a lot from him I did.

[point76]

Only just came across this thread but with memories of Moorabin from the P51 parked in the pine trees days a few other names come to mind.
One is Campbell Hicks Airways and the ever present 'Uncle Bill'.Had some amazing instructors too with Doug Leckie and Roy Goon coming to mind.Apart from other things Roy was well known for his low level aerobatic displays in the Fuji FA200' AeroSubaru' including at the Moorabin Airshow in the early 70's.
Bill Campbell Hicks and Campbell Hicks Airways are long gone but live on as the Oxford flight Ops building.
A few other memories would be the Brain and Brown DC3's ( used to park near Superspread and was quite common for new wannabees to sneak inside and sit in the Captains seat for a bit -they weren't locked in those days).
All those other round engined machines parked near by too-the Beech 18's of F.I.A,the many Beaver cropdusters.Occassionly the B&B Avro Anson.
The noisiest aeroplane at the airport-DCA's AeroCommander 680 ( CAU I think ).
The first turbine powered machine-Bib Stillwell's KingAir 90.The whole airport used to stop to watch it taxy past.
The most immaculate Mustang ever seen-Don Busch's DBB.Sadly he was to eventually die at an airshow in this machine.
And Schutts with Arthur and Graeme proudly showing new buyers a selection of all the new models parked outside.
Ah yes,the good 'ol days.

[BULLDOG 248]

point76.....Now there is another new post that should be started.....Arthur Schutt.....If anyone has a copy of Arthur in "This is your life" please PM me.....Probably the first brick double story building to be built at YMMB...Anyone remember the 3DB???? Flying Tadpole that used to be hangarded there!!!!! Plus a whole lot of other older types before the JET AGE arrived!!!!!!

[By George]

There where two RC-3 Seabees at MB in the early seventies, a blue and gold one, VH-KNA, lived around the Schutt area. VH-MJO was the Radio 3DB aircraft and belonged to Bill Surh of Peninsula Airways. My first job, in 1971, was flying 3DB for Bill. The 3DB aircraft where, C172, KWN, C150, ROT and the Seabee. All had a black right hand underwing with red '3DB' painted in large letters and used for traffic spotting and beach patrol. The Seabee had a Franklin engine of 210hp with a ground adjustable prop, dual ignition, but one side was a magneto the other a car coil. Two hand pumps in the floor, one for the flaps, one for the gear and everything was 80 knots. Very weird aeroplane. I am not sure but I think 'KWN' was the one Phil Sutton stalled into the water near Mud Island. I had left by then but they found a large group of sharks and were going for a closer look. They ended up swiming with them but all survived what must have been a very exciting adventure. The aircraft was not recovered. If I remember correctly KNA was owned by a TAA pilot but didn't seem to fly much.

[Captain Dart]

My parents had 3DB blaring its cheesy music, advertising and horse racing through the house for most of the early seventies. I also remember the noise of the Seabee off Mornington, 3DB called it 'The Flying Tadpole' and occasionally aired broadcasts from its pilot who they called 'Snoopy' (very original). That wouldn't have been you, would it George?

As an aside, Richard Bach ('Jonathon Livingston Seagull' etc.) included a story on flying the Seabee in a collection of his short stories and articles.

[BULLDOG 248]

By George......I remember reading about the Mud Island ditching in an old Aviation Safety Digest and it showed the before and after photos of the sharks and then the plane in the water.

Anyone remember the rego of the Wackett?? I think G. Schutt owned and it's where abouts now days?????

[Al E. Vator]

From the excellent Ed Coates Collection:
Hope these photos bring back some memories.....

Google Images
This was the former VH-WWA acquired by K. E. Olsen of Camden 1965. He re-registered it with his wife's initials. It is seen above at Moorabbin in July 1975 in this nice shot by John Hopton display-ing a really gaudy colourscheme while operating shark patrols along Melbourne's beaches for radio station 3DB. Geoff Goodall's photo (below) was taken earlier in January 1967 when the aircraft was half way through a repaint. Olsen later sold the Seabee to Australian aviation adventurer Gregory R. Board when he returned to live in Sydney after 10 years in Asia and the USA flying military disposal heavy prop aircraft on clandestine ventures. Greg Board kept the Seabee moored at a jetty at his house in Church Point, and commuted in it to Camden where he established several new companies flying survey and charters with Norseman and Piaggio P166 equipment. In 1972 MJO was sold to Bill Suhr's Peninsula Air Services at Moorabbin and became a well known sight flying beach shark patrols in gaudy color schemes and named "The Flying Tadpole". Bill eventually sold it and several owners later it wound up with Pacific Air Services at Honiara, Solomon Islands as H4-HSD. Returning to Australia in 1999 it became VH-WET, residing at Mackay, although I believe it then had problems in getting a new CofA.

http://www.seabee.info/images/VH-WWA-01-740.jpg

[Al E. Vator]

From the Moorabbin Airport website, some overhead shots of the airport over the years. 1955, 1960, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1990 and 1996.

Look at the current Google Earth image to see the development that has taken place around the airport.

Is Runway 22 of any use anymore?

http://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/N...ortFeb1955.jpg

http://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/N...rtJune1960.jpg

http://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/N...rtXmas1962.jpg

http://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/N...August1967.jpg

http://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/N...tMarch1968.jpg

http://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/N...ortFeb1971.jpg

http://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/N...June1990UN.jpg

http://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/N...rtSept1996.jpg

[Al E. Vator]

Airport aerial view 1952:

http://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/N...irport1962.jpg

Air Museum 1960:

http://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov...icle/209_1.jpg

Somebody's gear-up landing in 1974:

http://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov...icle/209_3.jpg

Aerial view 1974:

http://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov...icle/209_5.jpg

DCA VH-CAX Aero Commander 18 Feb 1972 at Moorabbin:
http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/aircraf...2%20Mainka.jpg

[Al E. Vator]

From the Ed Coates collection:

Brain & Brown Anson: http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austb/vhbab.jpg

Flinders Island Airways:
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/VH-FIA.jpg
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac...cl/VH-FICa.jpg
Jan 1964: http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/VH-FID.jpg


http://images2.jetphotos.net/img/1/9...1225530589.jpg

Royal Vic Fleet 1963:
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac...0in%201963.jpg

PA28 1969:
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac...RVA%284%29.jpg

DHC Beavers:
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac...ta/VH-AAD5.jpg
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/VH-IDA.jpg