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Essendon Airport 1967

Old 25th Mar 2020, 03:17
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Fantastic stuff, I spent my early aviation years hanging around EN in the mid eighties.
VH-CAO, I recall that sporting a black and silver paint job many years after this pic was taken.
And regarding ML in the early days, my dad landed a 727 there before it was officially open when they arrived back from PH and EN was fogged in.
Love the pics and appreciate the time taken to upload them, thanks
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Old 25th Mar 2020, 04:09
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Around 60 Yrs ago during a public day at EN, cute kid -)

Late 70's, that's my 420 G Jag in the background!
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Old 25th Mar 2020, 05:22
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Fantastic, keep the pics coming. This old fart is loving remembering the good old days.
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Old 25th Mar 2020, 05:26
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Old 25th Mar 2020, 05:29
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Note the PBY in the background!
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Old 25th Mar 2020, 08:34
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From my wandering around EN early 1979:




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Old 25th Mar 2020, 10:28
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Ah VH TLJ, my fav was the 35 Lears, nice to fly, a gentlemans aeroplane -)
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Old 25th Mar 2020, 10:29
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Machtuck, I really enjoyed flying the Aerocommanders, even if their body would flex on rotation and the seat would run backwards on its rails!

Barely avoided an accident one day in Inverell, lucky the pax behind me gave me a shove to get back in reach of the controls.
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Old 25th Mar 2020, 10:40
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Originally Posted by Ascend Charlie
Machtuck, I really enjoyed flying the Aerocommanders, even if their body would flex on rotation and the seat would run backwards on its rails!

Barely avoided an accident one day in Inverell, lucky the pax behind me gave me a shove to get back in reach of the controls.
wow! You where lucky!
funny I used to overhaul the Lyc IO540 E1B5's on the AC500's in the 70's (the one in the photo I overhauled both engines, poor pilots...lolol) and years latter I ended up flying them -)
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Old 25th Mar 2020, 20:44
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machtuk, thanks for sharing the photo of the Mk31 Bristol "Frightener" which was either ADL or TBB. I spend thousands of hours working on those two aircraft albeit at Archerfield in the 60's.
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Old 26th Mar 2020, 09:27
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I was working in Essendon Tower then. I can see the rear end of my bronze Chrysler Centura in the car park.
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Old 26th Mar 2020, 10:48
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A brave concept by Avis. One of the pilots was a family friend

Was AVIS ahead of the times? Was this the first UberAir?
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Old 26th Mar 2020, 12:03
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The Bristol freighter is VH-ADL nicknamed 'Adolf' by the crews at the time(Ex Pakistan Airforce). In the background is the Survey Catalina VH-EXG. One of the Air Express Captains John Edwards flew both at various times. VH-TBB was one of the first Air Express freighters to reach fatigue life, by memory based on landings. It ended up on the fire dump at Tullamarine.
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Old 26th Mar 2020, 12:12
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I recall talking to the drivers of the PBY in the Kate 70's that looked like a flying clothes line! 😂 The drivers said that if they landed on the water it would sink!👍
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Old 26th Mar 2020, 14:17
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My family emigrated to Australia from the UK in September 1968, flying into Essendon from New Zealand.
Our flight arrived three hours late and customs and immigration had departed for the night, so a plane load of passengers simply disembarked and vanished into the Melbourne night without any record of our arrival, something which was to cause me considerable hassles in the early 1990s when I had to prove Australian residency to enrol at university!
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Old 26th Mar 2020, 14:52
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Ahhh... EXG. I did my endorsement with Wes Guy at Execs along with Stan Tayler. Did survey work in all states and there are lots of stories to tell of that time! Remember we were working out of Broken Hill when Gough got the sack in Nov 75. One had to keep your arms in and the windows shut during start as if the wind was right it was possible to get a cup full of oil in your lap from the lower cylinder. It had been modified for water bombing and the 1830's were replaced with Wright 2600's (2603 to be exact!) One arm out the same window could reach the prop tip, not that anyone tried...! Yes, it had many holes and would have sunk, but it was 'land only'. Will dig up some pics. Great thread
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Old 27th Mar 2020, 06:55
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PBY5 Super Canso VH-EXG, based at Essendon operated by Executive Air Services.



Departing Mt Isa
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Old 27th Mar 2020, 08:13
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Re 'EXG'...... Capt John Edwards was 'based at Kal for a period of a coupla months or so, early 80's, doing his surveys.

On one engine start one fine morning, there was a resounding 'THWAK' from the No 1 Engine just after 'start'.

Thankfully, John called on the radio with a 'simple request'......The prop wash had removed his cap when he opened the side window and leaned out to clean the windscreen,,,,,,
Thankfully there was no 'tissue' inside it.....and YEP...He did ask that we pick up his cap as it was his favorite...!

More like his 'favorite' favorite after that.....

Hope you're reading this John.

ALL the BEST!
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Old 27th Mar 2020, 21:07
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Worked on this aircraft briefly in Essendon before spending a lot of time on the C212 and Shorts Skyvan. Bill Mitchell was the engineer.
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