WA FSU's
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Dora-9. Yes the memory bank is not up to speed any more, but I do recall seeing it in the hangar as had not seen one previously. Never saw it out of the hangar tho'.
Re CFI, I recall that Civil's did the major Maint for the RFDS, so u most likely had a loner whilst FDV was in the shed at JT (??)
Yes I saw PB in CNS a few yrs back when he was relieving for a bit. Have not seen JE for many yrs.
Voice, course 69, u mst be a young fella!!
Re CFI, I recall that Civil's did the major Maint for the RFDS, so u most likely had a loner whilst FDV was in the shed at JT (??)
Yes I saw PB in CNS a few yrs back when he was relieving for a bit. Have not seen JE for many yrs.
Voice, course 69, u mst be a young fella!!
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yep .. was in one of the last courses that went through, then the scourge of the aviation profession ripped my job of a lifetime away from underneath my feet within a few short years .. mind you it's led to a few other aviation related opportunities since then .. but I'm still a tad bitter and twisted about that ancient history .. as for the fella bit? depends in which context you refer 
Hi Voicey,
Nice to see ya still in 'the land of the living'....
And Mr D-9, YEP still 'ere....LUVLY time at Duxford etc....however, some of this is before my time even.....and the mammary banks are fading...a bit too much 'red' oi reckon...
HLC did have an 'Aeradio' Station in the looong ago, but I'm not sure of the dates of its era. No doubt, consolidated to Derby/Wyndham, and eventually to Kunners as the HF became more 'reliable' and the $'s were measured out...
In my flying time 'up there', 1970, PD had the Twr, and a FSC - Flight Service CENTRE...(Wow), for the surrounding few hundred miles, which were all fairly busy in those halcyon days.
Carnarvon was the next one down along the coast, and Meeka for the inland route.
Wittenoom had closed prior to that time, (as far as I can remember) so we were in HF comms with PD when servicing the railway construction sites down Tom Price and Paraburdoo - then called 'Camp 232' - way...
(232 miles in from the rail head at Dampier)
KA Ad was still called Dampier then, KA Town not yet built - and one called PD FS for service.
I used to fly into Broome, and HLC reasonably frequently on runs from PD, but can't remember who was 'wot - where'.
Worked with Dixie many years later in PH FSC - very nice man.
'Frank W' used to tell the story of the daily DC-3 service thru Wyndham, with the captain saying something like 'your VHF is a bit off freq'.
So Frank would get on the 'station bike' and, in 40Deg C, ride down to the transmitters at the other end of the ad., and with screwdriver, adjust 'the pot', then ride back, and say 'How's that'? NO, that's worse, was the response, and so,.....back on the bike to turn it the 'other' way... True Story!
Progress has been made folks!
I also did the mail run from PD to the Northern stations - that used to be either a DC-3 or a Dove service. I did it in a '206', or sometimes a
'182' when Murchison had the contract,...there's 'economy' for yas...remained on PD HF for all of that, except for the occasional 'sun-spot' activities of late 1970, when the good ole MMA (then) FK.28 at FL280 became a handy VHF relay station...Thanks guys, you know who you are.
'82 - '85, When serving at Derbs as an FSO, also did some 'charters', and KU was also quite busy. Had 2 x FK.28's daily then and the occnl third on a school special for the kids...those were the days...tarmac space was at a premium. HF was the ONLY comms for the Kimberley in those days.
Our VHF's were at DBY and BRM only. For some 'late SARTIMES' the only way to contact some pilots was via the ABC Radio with a broadcast 'item' following the 7 o'clock news! Much embarrasment as the whole of the Kimberley learned that 'so & so' had forgotten to CNL.....
Good ole 'Aunty'....
Not many phones out there even then.
The NW highway from PD had only JUST been sealed as far as Derbs, but from there on, was still bulldust.
BRM was worked as a remote AFIZ from Derbs 'no.2 console', and the 11am arrival FK.28's - one from PH direct, and the other the 'milk run' via PD, BRM used to arrive in the circuit at DBY AT the SAME time quite often - the rivalry was luvly. We used to 'score' the landings by holding up a huge number as they were taxying in - a '9' could very easily turn into a '6' when the CB's were over the top....the 'degree of difficulty' was never a factor.
Derbs FSO's were also the accreditted MET observers for Derby, and we were on a 24/7 roster for this purpose...remember 'that fog' episode with the FK.28?? I was in the Pilbara working 'elsewhere' when that occurred, but heard all about it.
I used to pass thru Forrest FSU around '68 thru '69, on ferry & training flights, and they were great at arranging anything from lunch, to fuel, to lights....that rotating beacon was visible from a 'fair waaaay' out...
And for a fee of 50c, one could park in the hangar!
One Butch D had a 'spot ht' of 4,000ft plus on the local WAC - marked as 'Bull**** Hill'...and demanded the students at the time note it for LSALT...
When at KAL, our FIA extended out to the WA/SA border, so we worked Forrest from there. Never did find that hill.
Albany also had a unit at one time. VHF only, and a 'one man' split shift to handle the morning / evening RPT. A VHF repeater later, and that was worked from Perth. Can't remember the era, it was prior to my working at Perth from SY. Mick W was still carrying out the whalespotting at Albany for the whaling industry in his 337. He was in constant contact with his ships but, due to 'requirements' still had to have a SARTIME with us...
Anyway enuf for now. All very remote comms now - more's the pity - as there ain't ANY 'local knowledge' these days....
Oddly enuf, some things don't change - I personally put in a submission to have a VHF repeater put on the top of Mt Bakewell, near York in WA - probably around '87 - '88, ALL 'other' infrastructure already in place as many other radio / TV stations etc utilise this site, and this would give tremendous coverage to the Wheatbelt and to Cunderdin - a heavily used navaid training ad.
67nm from Perth, and on the ground CUN is still a HF call....
The repeater was costed out at less than $10K...a drop in the ocean....
WA was very well served by FS in those days, as was the rest of AUS...
I can say that, both as a 'user' of the service, and, later as a 'provider' of same...
Best to all.
Happy Landings
Nice to see ya still in 'the land of the living'....
And Mr D-9, YEP still 'ere....LUVLY time at Duxford etc....however, some of this is before my time even.....and the mammary banks are fading...a bit too much 'red' oi reckon...
HLC did have an 'Aeradio' Station in the looong ago, but I'm not sure of the dates of its era. No doubt, consolidated to Derby/Wyndham, and eventually to Kunners as the HF became more 'reliable' and the $'s were measured out...
In my flying time 'up there', 1970, PD had the Twr, and a FSC - Flight Service CENTRE...(Wow), for the surrounding few hundred miles, which were all fairly busy in those halcyon days.
Carnarvon was the next one down along the coast, and Meeka for the inland route.
Wittenoom had closed prior to that time, (as far as I can remember) so we were in HF comms with PD when servicing the railway construction sites down Tom Price and Paraburdoo - then called 'Camp 232' - way...
(232 miles in from the rail head at Dampier)
KA Ad was still called Dampier then, KA Town not yet built - and one called PD FS for service.
I used to fly into Broome, and HLC reasonably frequently on runs from PD, but can't remember who was 'wot - where'.
Worked with Dixie many years later in PH FSC - very nice man.
'Frank W' used to tell the story of the daily DC-3 service thru Wyndham, with the captain saying something like 'your VHF is a bit off freq'.
So Frank would get on the 'station bike' and, in 40Deg C, ride down to the transmitters at the other end of the ad., and with screwdriver, adjust 'the pot', then ride back, and say 'How's that'? NO, that's worse, was the response, and so,.....back on the bike to turn it the 'other' way... True Story!
Progress has been made folks!
I also did the mail run from PD to the Northern stations - that used to be either a DC-3 or a Dove service. I did it in a '206', or sometimes a
'182' when Murchison had the contract,...there's 'economy' for yas...remained on PD HF for all of that, except for the occasional 'sun-spot' activities of late 1970, when the good ole MMA (then) FK.28 at FL280 became a handy VHF relay station...Thanks guys, you know who you are.
'82 - '85, When serving at Derbs as an FSO, also did some 'charters', and KU was also quite busy. Had 2 x FK.28's daily then and the occnl third on a school special for the kids...those were the days...tarmac space was at a premium. HF was the ONLY comms for the Kimberley in those days.
Our VHF's were at DBY and BRM only. For some 'late SARTIMES' the only way to contact some pilots was via the ABC Radio with a broadcast 'item' following the 7 o'clock news! Much embarrasment as the whole of the Kimberley learned that 'so & so' had forgotten to CNL.....
Good ole 'Aunty'....
Not many phones out there even then.
The NW highway from PD had only JUST been sealed as far as Derbs, but from there on, was still bulldust.
BRM was worked as a remote AFIZ from Derbs 'no.2 console', and the 11am arrival FK.28's - one from PH direct, and the other the 'milk run' via PD, BRM used to arrive in the circuit at DBY AT the SAME time quite often - the rivalry was luvly. We used to 'score' the landings by holding up a huge number as they were taxying in - a '9' could very easily turn into a '6' when the CB's were over the top....the 'degree of difficulty' was never a factor.
Derbs FSO's were also the accreditted MET observers for Derby, and we were on a 24/7 roster for this purpose...remember 'that fog' episode with the FK.28?? I was in the Pilbara working 'elsewhere' when that occurred, but heard all about it.
I used to pass thru Forrest FSU around '68 thru '69, on ferry & training flights, and they were great at arranging anything from lunch, to fuel, to lights....that rotating beacon was visible from a 'fair waaaay' out...
And for a fee of 50c, one could park in the hangar!
One Butch D had a 'spot ht' of 4,000ft plus on the local WAC - marked as 'Bull**** Hill'...and demanded the students at the time note it for LSALT...
When at KAL, our FIA extended out to the WA/SA border, so we worked Forrest from there. Never did find that hill.
Albany also had a unit at one time. VHF only, and a 'one man' split shift to handle the morning / evening RPT. A VHF repeater later, and that was worked from Perth. Can't remember the era, it was prior to my working at Perth from SY. Mick W was still carrying out the whalespotting at Albany for the whaling industry in his 337. He was in constant contact with his ships but, due to 'requirements' still had to have a SARTIME with us...
Anyway enuf for now. All very remote comms now - more's the pity - as there ain't ANY 'local knowledge' these days....
Oddly enuf, some things don't change - I personally put in a submission to have a VHF repeater put on the top of Mt Bakewell, near York in WA - probably around '87 - '88, ALL 'other' infrastructure already in place as many other radio / TV stations etc utilise this site, and this would give tremendous coverage to the Wheatbelt and to Cunderdin - a heavily used navaid training ad.
67nm from Perth, and on the ground CUN is still a HF call....
The repeater was costed out at less than $10K...a drop in the ocean....
WA was very well served by FS in those days, as was the rest of AUS...
I can say that, both as a 'user' of the service, and, later as a 'provider' of same...
Best to all.
Happy Landings
Last edited by Ex FSO GRIFFO; 27th Sep 2012 at 03:08.
Triadic:
MMA initially had the contact to crew/maintain the RFDS Queen Air. After PB, the MMA contract pilot, threw a huge wobbly because the RFDS wouldn't buy him a Riley Dove - getting a Beech 65 instead - and in revenge stuffed up the operation big time, plus also upsetting the MMA Station Engineer to the point that he (the engineer) was always looking for an excuse to ground the Queen Air), Civils got the contract. Which is how I got involved.
Normally FDV was ferried to Jandakot for the 100 hourly, and returned to DB a few days later, so I suspect something more was involved on this occasion as I had CFI up there for six weeks.
MMA initially had the contact to crew/maintain the RFDS Queen Air. After PB, the MMA contract pilot, threw a huge wobbly because the RFDS wouldn't buy him a Riley Dove - getting a Beech 65 instead - and in revenge stuffed up the operation big time, plus also upsetting the MMA Station Engineer to the point that he (the engineer) was always looking for an excuse to ground the Queen Air), Civils got the contract. Which is how I got involved.
Normally FDV was ferried to Jandakot for the 100 hourly, and returned to DB a few days later, so I suspect something more was involved on this occasion as I had CFI up there for six weeks.
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Mr Voice
I was on course 58. We finished in Feb1983. Bill Ware was a funny bugger. He told me straight out that I would not pass Met. When I finished the final exam after about an hour and a half I handed the paper to Bill on the way out, I was first. He just shook his head. The next day he read the results and I topped the class! From memory we had to interpret 24 hours of observations across Victoria. My explanation was 180 degrees off course but I explained it so well he gave me top marks. I still have the course photo somewhere but lost the pretty Met certificate.
short flights long nights
I dont know when it closed, but Onslow had a FSU at one time. When I worked up there in the 80s the foundations of the building were still at the airport. Edited to say..I overnighted once in Forrest, long after the FSU had closed, but all the equipment was still there and there was even a "movie theatre" in the hangar!!!
Last edited by SOPS; 27th Sep 2012 at 09:10.
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Onslow
SOPS.... I think you are correct, but in those days it would have been Aeradio.
My guess is that it would have closed in the early 60's at the latest when PD was rebuilt.
When the service changed its name to FS, there were still many pilots for some years that would call "Derby Aeradio"......!
It was interesting that a number of FSUs were all built to much the same plan - Meeka, Derby, Broken Hill and Mildura were but four. One of the seniors in the then DCA was pro ATC and actually promoted the cultural difference between the two services. He had a number of the FSU buildings that had a wall of windows built so as they faced away from the aerodrome!! Derby was an exception, but many of the others above faced away from the activity!! Gave the back door a lot of use!
An interesting article appears at:
Mildura Flight Service Unit - c.mid 1970s
Paul LeG worked in MI for a few years and then in ML as a Network Super. Bob Amos stayed in MI and had a part time job supervising CASA exams.
The FSU later was occupied by Southern Australia Airlines (from the mid 90's) as their admin HQ until around 2003 when they were combined with Eastern, part of the building is now airport admin and the area in the picture is occupied by Hertz (or it was last time I was there). The Airways museum at Essendon has a lot of FS history including the old consol from MI.
My guess is that it would have closed in the early 60's at the latest when PD was rebuilt.
When the service changed its name to FS, there were still many pilots for some years that would call "Derby Aeradio"......!
It was interesting that a number of FSUs were all built to much the same plan - Meeka, Derby, Broken Hill and Mildura were but four. One of the seniors in the then DCA was pro ATC and actually promoted the cultural difference between the two services. He had a number of the FSU buildings that had a wall of windows built so as they faced away from the aerodrome!! Derby was an exception, but many of the others above faced away from the activity!! Gave the back door a lot of use!
An interesting article appears at:
Mildura Flight Service Unit - c.mid 1970s
Paul LeG worked in MI for a few years and then in ML as a Network Super. Bob Amos stayed in MI and had a part time job supervising CASA exams.
The FSU later was occupied by Southern Australia Airlines (from the mid 90's) as their admin HQ until around 2003 when they were combined with Eastern, part of the building is now airport admin and the area in the picture is occupied by Hertz (or it was last time I was there). The Airways museum at Essendon has a lot of FS history including the old consol from MI.
Last edited by triadic; 27th Sep 2012 at 11:49.
short flights long nights
This is a great thread..please keep up the history updates for the benifit of us oldies!!!!!
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67nm from Perth, and on the ground CUN is still a HF call....
Yes Mr 'NB',
At Perth FSC, if I remember correctly, we could maintain two way VHF comms with acft in the CIRA at CUN -
IF they were in a 'high circuit' ...yes
If they were in a 'normal / low circuit'...nope.
And, as far as I can remember, that VHF was at Parkerville.
The 120.7 'Flightwatch' freq is still there. (AS far as I know - now....its been a while...)
The RADAR head at KMD must have been in a better location....
The 'other two' Flightwatch freqs are those 'left over' - one at ARGYLE and the other at PD.
There's a whole LOT of WA in de middle.....
Anyway - its all 'academc' now....but, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Cheers
At Perth FSC, if I remember correctly, we could maintain two way VHF comms with acft in the CIRA at CUN -
IF they were in a 'high circuit' ...yes
If they were in a 'normal / low circuit'...nope.
And, as far as I can remember, that VHF was at Parkerville.
The 120.7 'Flightwatch' freq is still there. (AS far as I know - now....its been a while...)
The RADAR head at KMD must have been in a better location....
The 'other two' Flightwatch freqs are those 'left over' - one at ARGYLE and the other at PD.
There's a whole LOT of WA in de middle.....
Anyway - its all 'academc' now....but, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Cheers
Last edited by Ex FSO GRIFFO; 28th Sep 2012 at 11:24.
I was on 56. Bill Ware was a true gentleman, and the oracle of all things Met. Who could forget traipsing up to the roof of Henty House to peer around the ML skyline practicing obs. Brian Scherr was a funny bastard. Bob Amos at AMMI was my training officer during my field training there. i can still remember sitting around the kitchen table in the unit in Carlton I shared with two other trainees (one got the chop in the sim in the last week) trying to memorize the AFTN addresses for all the FSC/U's and other ATS units around the country. God, it was 30 years ago and seems like yesterday sometimes.
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The FS days were something to remember. We won't see it again in this country! Best things I learnt in FS was to touch type and how to say no to ATC!! We did morse in our course (that's ageing me...) Certainly gaining the knowledge of the ATS system was often an advantage as a pilot.
There are other places like CUN where there is no/poor VHF coverage, but good radar coverage! Often there is coverage, but not on the published freq for the area. Only local knowledge covers that. Pilots don't seem to be taught much about the ATS system these days, and it shows!
There were 12 starters on my course, with 9 passing out. I think the last member of that course retired not that long ago after holding an operational job in BN post FS.
There are other places like CUN where there is no/poor VHF coverage, but good radar coverage! Often there is coverage, but not on the published freq for the area. Only local knowledge covers that. Pilots don't seem to be taught much about the ATS system these days, and it shows!
There were 12 starters on my course, with 9 passing out. I think the last member of that course retired not that long ago after holding an operational job in BN post FS.
Last edited by triadic; 28th Sep 2012 at 15:53.
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Me and Jane working at PD 1981, with Neil Hood the FSCS:
Jane working the FISs combined on a Sunday, 1981, photo by Peter Mustoo:
Jane working the FISs combined on a Sunday, 1981, photo by Peter Mustoo:
Last edited by Knackers; 28th Sep 2012 at 22:57.
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Ex FSO GRIFFO - no flightwatch VHF any more, "the last remnants of the old republic have been swept away ..."
triadic - more embarrassing when the older local pilots know the frequency coverage better than the newer ATC's!
We gained radar and lost local knowledge and face to face contact with pilots. The beginning of the decline was when they stopped painting the cars DCA yellow, and rock bottom was when we lost the ensign.
PS looking at those pictures - I want my minilight back.
triadic - more embarrassing when the older local pilots know the frequency coverage better than the newer ATC's!
We gained radar and lost local knowledge and face to face contact with pilots. The beginning of the decline was when they stopped painting the cars DCA yellow, and rock bottom was when we lost the ensign.
PS looking at those pictures - I want my minilight back.
JEEZ!!!
Wonder wot all them pretty colored lights are for.....??
I never did find out.....
Wonder wot all them pretty colored lights are for.....??
I never did find out.....
Last edited by Ex FSO GRIFFO; 29th Sep 2012 at 06:22.
Old timer used to tell a story about a female FSO, that worked two jobs at one of the remote WA FSU's. Worked for DCA by day, and was involved in social work in her other job, if you know what I mean!!!. Apparently did very well out of the second job, plenty of spare cash was made while using the DCA provided house.
Knackers, I remember a couple of FSOs at Hedland going out beside the runway at 2am in "Car One" to shine its spotlight on the undercarriage of an RFDS aircraft with unsafe undercarriage indications... as it did some low passes. Apparently all looked okay and the aircraft landed safely.
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Not W.A. but western Qld.
I did my field training"out west" where the FS supervisor and one of the operators were married. They were both "vertically challenged". The joke was that they were going to buy a mini panel van and kit it out as a camper!
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You want Car 1? I'll give you Car 1!
This was the Crash Vehicle for on-aerodrome command comms.
Photo by Mark Webb, RIP mate:
I remember!
This was the Crash Vehicle for on-aerodrome command comms.
Photo by Mark Webb, RIP mate:
FS supervisor and one of the operators were married. They were both "vertically challenged"
Last edited by Knackers; 30th Sep 2012 at 01:05.