All those that flew for Discover (f)lying on the Penguin runs
"flying-spike' would have be interesting watching you squeeze your delicate little frame into a Dove cockpit.
Old Sandy at PID, used to do a few charters into there for car racing, always wanted the landing fee and fuel paid in cash and no receipt okay.
Mate did some work on the penguin express, new Navajo endorsement no ICUS and sent off to PID on ****ty south westerly night, likewise another night something went u/s and got sent of in a Seneca or Aztec that he hadn't flown for some time.
Old Sandy at PID, used to do a few charters into there for car racing, always wanted the landing fee and fuel paid in cash and no receipt okay.
Mate did some work on the penguin express, new Navajo endorsement no ICUS and sent off to PID on ****ty south westerly night, likewise another night something went u/s and got sent of in a Seneca or Aztec that he hadn't flown for some time.
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'yowie' am pretty sure it was an old ford XD (White) & yes Sandy did lend it to us to get F&C's when there was little else to feed our faces with!
I remember the F/F's in the Dove at T/off, they went off the scale ! 2X IO720's drinking juice as if it was free ! One rarely got the chance to read them close anyway as one was tap dancing on the rudder pedals trying to keep NBM in line until airlfow helped, ABM at least had the original fin/rudder & that being more effective.
'FS' remember draining the oil out of the pneumatics after a flight? That system was meant to be air only but mostly oil poored out with the rush of what air was left in the tank!
Still at the time I guess we where all 'learning', made real men out of boys those adventures did !
CW
I remember the F/F's in the Dove at T/off, they went off the scale ! 2X IO720's drinking juice as if it was free ! One rarely got the chance to read them close anyway as one was tap dancing on the rudder pedals trying to keep NBM in line until airlfow helped, ABM at least had the original fin/rudder & that being more effective.
'FS' remember draining the oil out of the pneumatics after a flight? That system was meant to be air only but mostly oil poored out with the rush of what air was left in the tank!
Still at the time I guess we where all 'learning', made real men out of boys those adventures did !
CW
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I remember the rat giving me a lecture about not leaving the u/c lock in prior to my first trip to Phillip Island in ABM only to overtake him in NBM with a bit of dayglo hanging out of his still-extended u/c!.
Also several a/c departing the island with no lights, using only the reflector tape on the old tyres around the u/s lights.
Who could forget the Phillip Island ILS.: Track to Churchill Island, turn right and follow the bridge and keep the street light on the left hand wingtip!
Also several a/c departing the island with no lights, using only the reflector tape on the old tyres around the u/s lights.
Who could forget the Phillip Island ILS.: Track to Churchill Island, turn right and follow the bridge and keep the street light on the left hand wingtip!
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God 'FS' am almost crying here with the memories
Stop it, my current work sounds so boring ! If you where lucky enough to get the U/C after T/off then you where an excellent pilot with not having to use the little air that those poor worn out compressors where delivering during taxi.
Was fun before they put the pwr lines under ground at the nth end of the main strip. A great delight of mine was to come over the Rd somewhat 'lowish' so the drivers could see the oil dripping off the cowls by the gallon !
Late at night upon arrival back at EN how wonderful it was to put those U/C locks in place when it was raining without looking like part of the B&W minstral show afterwards!
How many plovers & rabbits did you knock over 'FS' on a single T/off roll? at least 3 to 4 on average!
I've been back in there (PID)a couple of times in the B200 & i can almost feel the years slip back to 'the good 'ole days' !
CW
Stop it, my current work sounds so boring ! If you where lucky enough to get the U/C after T/off then you where an excellent pilot with not having to use the little air that those poor worn out compressors where delivering during taxi.Was fun before they put the pwr lines under ground at the nth end of the main strip. A great delight of mine was to come over the Rd somewhat 'lowish' so the drivers could see the oil dripping off the cowls by the gallon !
Late at night upon arrival back at EN how wonderful it was to put those U/C locks in place when it was raining without looking like part of the B&W minstral show afterwards!
How many plovers & rabbits did you knock over 'FS' on a single T/off roll? at least 3 to 4 on average!
I've been back in there (PID)a couple of times in the B200 & i can almost feel the years slip back to 'the good 'ole days' !
CW
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Plover eating Doves
Only ever got one that I know of and I hate plovers. Bloody thing took a dislike to ABM's left engine after start. Blood and feathers everywhere. Used to love doing the 26ILS in ABM, station passage over the PLE locator was indicated by the needle on the ADF swinging through 180 degrees forward of the aircraft to 180 degrees aft of the aircraft!
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Try a twin loc app for rwy 26 !!!!! it doen't exist, never has but I've heard a few over the years coming back from the Island asking for that exact appr! The only instruments you had in a dove was a clock (wind up version) a compass that pointed Nth only when the engines where off & a 'stick-on' ADF cut out from some flight Mag that M glued to the panel !, was the lattest type mind you
ILS in a Dove??? ILS = I'll Land Sometime
CW
The only instruments you had in a dove was a clock (wind up version) a compass that pointed Nth only when the engines where off & a 'stick-on' ADF cut out from some flight Mag that M glued to the panel !, was the lattest type mind youILS in a Dove??? ILS = I'll Land Sometime
CW
When did the penguin runs stop early 90's.
They were certainly in force when did my IFR rating in the late 80's.
Captain Wally did the Dove have a glass cockpit?
They were certainly in force when did my IFR rating in the late 80's.
Captain Wally did the Dove have a glass cockpit?
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stationair8 I'm not too sure when the duck runs stopped, I left about 10 yrs ago now but I did hear it slowly faded out some time after that.
............Captain Wally did the Dove have a glass cockpit? oh yes mate glass everywhere, even on the front of the steam driven guages !
Of all the planes I've had a drive of the DH104 was probably the most challenging from start up to parking the big beast after a flight, was fun now that I can go back in my mind to days when pilots probably learnt the most
CW
............Captain Wally did the Dove have a glass cockpit? oh yes mate glass everywhere, even on the front of the steam driven guages !
Of all the planes I've had a drive of the DH104 was probably the most challenging from start up to parking the big beast after a flight, was fun now that I can go back in my mind to days when pilots probably learnt the most
CW
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I'll second that. No toe brakes, just differential pedal and the brake lever on the column. Even the different "Riley" configurations presented hassles with switches in different spotsand being a pommy plane modded by the yanks half the switches were up for on and the others were down for on. That is a problem when some of them you have to feel for (landing light, taxi light?). But loved flying them anyway. They made you earn M's measly bucks.
By the sounds of it he employed the finest pilots money could by, treated you like his own children, let you fly his aeroplanes and then you shoot through at the first opportunity. No loyalty or respect from pilots.
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I just came across this, it is so sad!
While I never got to fly the old girl, she was always part of life at Essendon when I was training and for many years after...
While I never got to fly the old girl, she was always part of life at Essendon when I was training and for many years after...
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Oh boy 'HH' I am almost crying here to see the old girl up for sale at a price that would be around 10000000000000 times more than she's worth!
If the price had have been more realistic I might have thought about buying my old steed & making a cubby house out of it but then again small children wouldn't be safe in it even with the wings off !
Many fond memories in ABM, RIP both ABM & NBM.
Now they where real planes!
Tnxs 'HH' for bring a tear to me eye
CW
If the price had have been more realistic I might have thought about buying my old steed & making a cubby house out of it but then again small children wouldn't be safe in it even with the wings off !
Many fond memories in ABM, RIP both ABM & NBM.
Now they where real planes!
Tnxs 'HH' for bring a tear to me eye
CW
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It is actually ABM, which was the first I think!
Perhaps we should all chip in, buy it, put it back together then stick it on a pole at the entrance to EN!
Perhaps we should all chip in, buy it, put it back together then stick it on a pole at the entrance to EN!
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geeez 'HH' putting ABM up on a pole would mean certain danger, I was lucky to keep it & NBM airborne with both engines running never lone stand under it engines stopped up on a pole mate!
'Yowie' last I saw of NBM was up at Wallan (now closed) I took some pix of it in a very sad state. Out of the two NBM was the worst (if that was possible) The modified tail was awful. DTZ? well not too sure what happened to that old C310 either. The owner of DTZ whom I shall not mention here is a great guy, he got 'used' like a lot of others did. Of all the planes I've ever flown the DH104's where the sweetest handling, shame the Eg's I actually flew where the worst known to mankind maint wise
CW
'Yowie' last I saw of NBM was up at Wallan (now closed) I took some pix of it in a very sad state. Out of the two NBM was the worst (if that was possible) The modified tail was awful. DTZ? well not too sure what happened to that old C310 either. The owner of DTZ whom I shall not mention here is a great guy, he got 'used' like a lot of others did. Of all the planes I've ever flown the DH104's where the sweetest handling, shame the Eg's I actually flew where the worst known to mankind maint wise
CW