One For The Nostalgia Buffs

[Aye Ess]

And I flew VH-MWF in Aeropelican colours when the company I worked for in 1980 cross hired it for a few weeks.....I tell you that was the oldest,most tired aircraft I've ever flown.

[Dog One]

Executive Airlines at Essendon, Shrikes, 680FL's, 680FLP and 690. Also had a base in Launceston, as well as the Victorian Air Ambulance contract.

[Aye Ess]

Early to mid 70s,Burnett Airways operated 2 Trislanders & a navajo from Brisbane to regional centres in southern Qld. They were taken over by Bush Pilot Airlines.

[Wally Mk2]

'Dog One' I used to work for Exec's back in the good 'ole days. Was fun then, no security to speak of. People used to wander about the A/C almost unchallenged.
I recall we had the Aero commanders in various sizes. The 'Gomad' contract to make 'em fly properly Enstrom choppers new out of the box, funny looking Tabago's etc (funny way back then) also new out of the box. Steve Nott was a young skinny apprentice back then (may he RIP now). The times we made him sweep the floors & get our lunches
Vh-ALH, may that A/C RIP also, sad story there, ugly actually
Did I read a couple mention Vh-MWQ? Flew her today, well an old Beech with the rego of the old '3' & it still has round engines.

Does anyone recall the PBY that lived at EN late 70's to early 80's? Survey craft I believe & once heard that if it ever landed on water that would be it's final resting place, well at the bottom of the ocean that is!
And those Canberra Bombers up at the old EN Grave Yard................ahhhh you could almost smell aviation back then
I truly reckon that the youth of today keen on aviation missed out on a lot, oh well such is life, nothing is 4ever

Wmk2

[Stationair8]

Qantas were operating Boeing B707 and DC-4 for passenger flights and retained a DC-3 and the two Hawker-Siddely HS125 for crew training.

Found a nice shot of Flinders Island Airlines Beech 18 taken at Point Cook airshow in 1974 on Airliners.net

Anyone know what SAATAS did was it charter or RPT?

[Steam-Driven]

Early to mid 70s,Burnett Airways operated 2 Trislanders & a navajo from Brisbane to regional centres in southern Qld.

Stretching the memory a little, but I think the Tri(s) were BSP and BSG...
Navajo was PNK (ex PNG)...
Plus a pretty tired Aztec, MBX.

Roger, Bundy

[By George]

Wally, John Edwards was one of the pilots of the Catalina you mentioned and I flew with him at Air Express, a really nice bloke and many interesting stories. VH-EXG if I remember correctly. I often wonder what happened to all those people. MBX was one of Australian Air Charterers first Aztecs followed by MBU and that awful 'F' model MBQ. Ice would build up on the 'F's elevator horns and pump the stick back and forth, really horrible. MBU was an 'E' and quite nice for a 'Aztruck'. Ah, the good old days.

[frigatebird]

[Fantome]

Does anyone recall the PBY that lived at EN late 70's to early 80's?

The aforementioned EXG, operated by Geoterrex Surveys. Now in the RAAF museum, Point Cook, despite no RAAF service.

[tinpis]

Used to see the poor buggers stagger out of VH-EXG at Kununurra after a loooooong day low level survey around Kimberlys

[RENURPP]

Aye ess,

Aeropelican owned MWF and MWE (402's) well before Masling bought his share in the company, although they were ex Masling aircraft. MWG was never with Aeropelican

Aeropelican started with 7 402's (MWF, MWE, CKU, ROX, ELT, BOZ, EVF) and by the time Masling bought his share in Aeropelican they also had 3 x twatters. (MMY, TZL, TGY)

[tinpis]

Aero duck
The lady that came to grab the landing fee was known as "The Lone Haranguer"

[Hempy]

frigatebird,

classic, thanks for that

[triadic]

Does anyone recall the PBY that lived at EN late 70's to early 80's? Survey craft I believe & once heard that if it ever landed on water that would be it's final resting place, well at the bottom of the ocean that is!

Wally, John Edwards was one of the pilots of the Catalina you mentioned.....

Did about 600 hrs in EXG back in the '70's all over the country. Was in BHI when Whitlam got the sack! Some really interesting flying and no GPS then - all the nav visual from aerial photos that were taken in summer and u were then in winter! The noise was painful without a headset - you could actually reach out the window and touch the prop tip! The aeroplane was something else, it would actually talk to you and had personality plus. The work on survey was hard yakka - all at 400ft agl on line, but at the end of the day it was fun and a great experience. It had Wright 2600's installed for the water bombing role and went very well. The orig had 1830's I recall.

John Edwards was great to fly with - he was an ex croppy and could turn the Cat around better than anyone else at the time. He went on to fly a CASA 212 which picked up the same work for Geoterex after EXG ceased flying. It sat in the northern park at EN for a while then went to PCK and I understand went to Amberley for rebuild then back to PCK now.

Most of the guys at Execs got a gig on it at sometime back then. Back in the days of Wes Guy, Stan Tayler, Chris Moody, Bob Barnes and others I cant recall right now. (getting old!) Great times...

[RENURPP]

Tinpis, that was "Mrs Paul".

[tinpis]

To start a business in EN in those days all one needed was a tiny office, a potted rubber tree, phone, pictures on wall (Lear Jets) and a secretary with da bigga tits

[ozaggie]

With regard to Geoterrex crew, Bill Balmain was another. Middle of winter in Cootamundra, Standing on the wing in Green Shorts And brown boots.

[Stationair8]

Tinnpis, no different to the Essendon operaters today.

In the directory the first of the mighty Cessna C207's UBV and UBW appear.

[frothy]

tinpis and renurpp
That was indeed Mrs. Paul. One scary Lady(?) I was once told there was a bus stop out the front(bus No 348) get out and use it. Just finished a demo para drop on the Central Coast and couldn't get back to MND so dropped into PLX due summer storm. Tied the A/c down and wandered into the Pax lounge full of irate pax as the 402's couldn't get to SY at that stage to arrange a lift back to MND. She was not amused with me as they all saw this A/c land so why couldn't they t/o. Ignorance is bliss I s'pose.The Pilots Rig(emerg Parachute) I had over one shoulder probably did not amuse her. I've seen her actually chase A/c taxiing out to score them for a landing fee even though there was no one round at the time.Although something sticks in the brain. Wasn't there an honour box on the fence in the early days?

Frothy

[nevces]

No Maslings did not operate DC3s