Captain Jack Ellis
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Captain Jack Ellis
Reading the YMMB thread reminded me of a "blast from the past"..... Captain Jack..... Is he still alive??
A man with a bit of a reputation!!! Operated alot of different aircraft types from Austers to Turbo Commander out of Geelong and near Tyabb. Had something to do with the old CAA Merlins and N.Z Convairs to name a few. Also had a son, I think, who was also involved in his company.
I'm sure there are some "older bolder pilots" out there with more info????
BD 248
A man with a bit of a reputation!!! Operated alot of different aircraft types from Austers to Turbo Commander out of Geelong and near Tyabb. Had something to do with the old CAA Merlins and N.Z Convairs to name a few. Also had a son, I think, who was also involved in his company.
I'm sure there are some "older bolder pilots" out there with more info????
BD 248
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One of the guys here is going home to dust off his log-books to find the rego's of the C-310 and Queenair he flew for Jack down to Tassie on frieght runs. Also has newspaper clips for when one run out of fuel on King Is.
RIP Captain Jack Ellis, another aviation legends goes to the big hangar in the sky.
Did he fly for Ansett in the 1960's?
He also wanted to import a Carvair or DC-4 for freight in the 1970's, but was stopped by two airline act.
Did he fly for Ansett in the 1960's?
He also wanted to import a Carvair or DC-4 for freight in the 1970's, but was stopped by two airline act.
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Sorry to hear R.R.
I was sitting on my last post while we were doing a logbook search when you posted. Only met the man twice, but have flown with a few of his old students. All knew how to fly.
RIP Jack
I was sitting on my last post while we were doing a logbook search when you posted. Only met the man twice, but have flown with a few of his old students. All knew how to fly.
RIP Jack
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I was one of his students and yes he knew how to make you do it right, a friend and a ex instructor may post as I have let him know this thread is running. He was very involved with Jack more than most. (sorry another would be in the same category but I would not like to mention names as they may not wish to post)
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My mates logbook is hard to read, but believes the Queenair was VH-CLG, which he said, died a slow death of corrosion of the spar. The C-310 was VH-P?? and was painted all white. Badpilot your right about the Fokker and the DC-3 which flew out of Avalon to Wynyard most nights of the week. The Twin Otter was a write-off after it ran out of fuel on the east side of King Island with the pilot surviving. I now remember talking to an Aeropelican CP, some years later, saying they brought what little was left for spares.
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Captain Jack may have been a difficult bloke to deal with and therefore his own worst enemy, however Jack's legacy to General Aviation remains to this day in the form of GA instrument ratings as well as REG 203 operations now known as supplemental airline operations both of which he pioneered. The GA industry need more characters like Captain Jack
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VH-BSS was the AC690 Jack used for Geelong Airlines run to YSSY or YSBK?? (My mates not sure which one) But only lasted about 1 year. Lovely Banks was going to be developed by the Girvan? Corporation into a mayor airport able to take mayor airlines and Jack's Convairs.
I reckon Jacks operation to Sydney was probably ended by Ansett and TAA,the operation was watched closely let it run for a while and then phone-calls were made and finance for the operation was no longer available.
Pretty close to the mark I reckon.
Captain Jack was probably a pain in the bum for DCA/DOT/CAA/Casa, but at least he put a fight for what he believed in.
The DC-3 and Queenair was also flown by another old-timer and very experienced DC-3 man in the late Captain Terry Burns ex Ansett and the founder of the original Air Tasmania in the 1970's.
VH-CLG would been ex Connellan Airlines from the NT.
I think also he considered running a Dove or Heron from Geelong up to the old aerodrome at Fishermans Bend at one stage in the mid 1960's
Pretty close to the mark I reckon.
Captain Jack was probably a pain in the bum for DCA/DOT/CAA/Casa, but at least he put a fight for what he believed in.
The DC-3 and Queenair was also flown by another old-timer and very experienced DC-3 man in the late Captain Terry Burns ex Ansett and the founder of the original Air Tasmania in the 1970's.
VH-CLG would been ex Connellan Airlines from the NT.
I think also he considered running a Dove or Heron from Geelong up to the old aerodrome at Fishermans Bend at one stage in the mid 1960's
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I do remember the Dove or Heron parked at Lovely Banks in the 70's but never saw it fly. Had no Idea about the Fishermans Bend run though. I'm trying to scan a photo from an article in a Geelong rag of Jack and 2 other old Captains infront of the 690 at what looks like YSBK on their 1st flight. Photo is vpoor, names and 3/4 of the article is missing. The old guy I got it from said the run to YSBK was only on a regular charter basis, as Jack didn't have Reg 203 app!!!!! He also said Jack did have airline experiance, but cannot recall who for??? He then went on and on and on about Jacks Carby Icing Theory but I had to leave and go to work, so that one is for another day.
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What year did GA instrument ratings start?
Tinny,
Can't recall all the detail .. when I was doing my PPL at Newcastle in the 60s, there was a local Commanche 400 owner who did the first of (it was either) the I/R or the night rating .. can remember some of the flights he did .. as best as I can recall Russ Evans came up to do his final check ride.
Captain Jack ... that takes us all back a year or 20 ...
Tinny,
Can't recall all the detail .. when I was doing my PPL at Newcastle in the 60s, there was a local Commanche 400 owner who did the first of (it was either) the I/R or the night rating .. can remember some of the flights he did .. as best as I can recall Russ Evans came up to do his final check ride.
Captain Jack ... that takes us all back a year or 20 ...
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The original concept of the Dove in about 1966 was to run 203 operations between city's such as Albury to Fishermens Bend, which was less congested and closer to the city ( as YMEN was the primary airport - Tulla was still being built). This proposal was before the evolution of exempt 203 operations, and was resisted strongly by the two majors. Fishermens Bend of course was due to disappear under the Westgate Bridge within a few years.
The Dove at Lovely Banks never flew again after a heavy landing, which the insurance company refused to pay out on, and I believe is in a museum some where.
Jack's ideas where ahead of the times in many cases, but finance was always his biggest problem. with investors pulling out when the promised returns didn't eventuate.
I can remember the Auster Aiglet trainers he had, which were the only Austers approved to spin. I also remember some of the Examiners at MB not being happy with doing licence tests in them in the winter.
The Dove at Lovely Banks never flew again after a heavy landing, which the insurance company refused to pay out on, and I believe is in a museum some where.
Jack's ideas where ahead of the times in many cases, but finance was always his biggest problem. with investors pulling out when the promised returns didn't eventuate.
I can remember the Auster Aiglet trainers he had, which were the only Austers approved to spin. I also remember some of the Examiners at MB not being happy with doing licence tests in them in the winter.
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Captain Jack
What a blast from the past?
Captain Jack operated GoldCrown Aviation (Turbo Commander) out of a strip just west of Tyabb (Mooroduc) for years along with some 172,s and the aerobatic bulldogs or pups or something. I remember flying one of his 172's once and we had to keep the doors closed with a bungy-cord across the machine inside from one door handle to the other!
Anyone who ever climbed up the strut to check the fuel (without using a ladder) immediately felt the rath of Captain Jack and boy; didn't you know about it!!!!
Captain Jack always reminded me of that other legend; Lesley Morris. Knew his stuff backwards and never took sh*t from no-one! RIP old mates!
Captain Jack operated GoldCrown Aviation (Turbo Commander) out of a strip just west of Tyabb (Mooroduc) for years along with some 172,s and the aerobatic bulldogs or pups or something. I remember flying one of his 172's once and we had to keep the doors closed with a bungy-cord across the machine inside from one door handle to the other!
Anyone who ever climbed up the strut to check the fuel (without using a ladder) immediately felt the rath of Captain Jack and boy; didn't you know about it!!!!
Captain Jack always reminded me of that other legend; Lesley Morris. Knew his stuff backwards and never took sh*t from no-one! RIP old mates!