ANSETT-ANA/COUNTRYAIR TERMINAL
 

I see on another board that work has commenced on the demolition/removal of the old terminal building in Rocky.
Guess lots of members have been through that building whilst in the hands of Don Millroy..remember his red GT Falcon hardtop!, his Comanche, Cherokee, Mooney and Waco fleet in the early days, then the twins. Any stories?

I was based in Rocky for a couple of years,not specifically with Countryair,but I always wondered why that building looked SO old. I too saw the photo of the demolition and only then read the history. Also the airport was known as Connor Park....but who knows who Connor was? Anyone?

From memory, it used to be a horse racing track/field, so guess Connor name was from that era/background, nothing to do with aviation.

Had four years in Rocky with Don Millroy..1974-1978..One memory comes to mind, after dodging massive CB's between Mackay & Rocky in a Cherokee 180 on the return from the ROK-MKY newspaper run in the afternoon, Don met the trembling Zlin as he staggered into the office with a double (triple) Scotch to calm my jangled nerves......Good old days, The Badger, Ken, John, John, Paul, Rob (RIP), Mel (RIP), Max, Norty and several more.....as I sit in Beijing this evening after an International 777 sector, it seems like light-years away now...

Hey Zlin, were you there when the floods were on Christmas-New Year '73-74 ? I remember we flew the coal miners out from South Blackwater for the Christmas break, and a fortnight later we shuttled them back again because the Dawson was still over the bridge. There were people trapped on the highway north of Rocky between two rivers (the Bruce Highway went up inland then) that I flew a TV cameraman up to film with the door off on the Cherokee 180. Most of my running with them then was to Brisbane in a Six to pick up the Telegraphs. Used to share a house at Pink Lily with Rob Favero and Jim Friend but left in about March to pursue other non-aviation family interests for about a year.

Frigatebird..I arrived in May '74, missed the floods...

As far as I know Don Millroy is still alive, remember Flights from Rok- GKI for TAA ,Cherokee Six being the main workhorse ,use to load 200 litre drums of bitumen for the strip on GKI into the Cherokee , not sure whether it was 1 or 2 ,the C of G must have been way out the back , it must have been a challenge to fly but it was managed somehow, Keith Thomson purchased Country Air ,not sure what year, don’t know where Thommo is now. Also remember a Country Air Piper had an engine failure over the Berserkers on way to GKI (No Pax), young pilot turned back towards Rocky and forced landed into the North Rocky High School sports ground and went through the goal posts taking off both tips of the wing, he survived and no injuries but remember CASA grilled the poor fellow over the incident, I think it had something to do with a force landing into a School ground!!What would you do given the circumstances??

PF should have some good yarns.

PF...Would that be PP.. Paul Phelan

That Comanche with the short wings was MCY, I have photos of it at the accident site.

I was based in Rocky at the time of VH-MCY forced landing. I have a recollection that another company pilot drove the poor young pilot back to the airport and made him get in another aircraft and go for a quick flight....a case of hopping straight back on the horse.

Does anyone know if that poor dude make a career out of aviation.

That last post rings true, I seem to remember that the pilot went on to fly PTA, the CQ Aerial Ambulance C-414, could be wrong. Actually, the goal posts took a fair bit more off than the "tips". He also saved the engine/prop, by rotating the prop to horizontal position, prior to the incident.

Ross Boneham was the pilot of VH-MCY at the time of its forced landing and did a dam good job of landing the aeroplane and walking away from it!! But I have no recollection of the pilot's subsequent aviation employment after this.

Yes, Don is alive and well and would love to hear more of your memories of the good old days.

Tin Man, I think "Thommo" is in the Sand Pit with Emirates.

Learnt to fly there and taught by the famous Jimmy "Capt Stubbie" Stewart.Started commercially with Country Air June 1973 and departed for Bushies June 1977.Had a great time,and have always been thankfull to Don for giving me my first aviation job.Spoke by phone to him about a year ago and he was as chirpy as ever.

Caroldon

Good to hear from you,maybe you could pass on some stories,is Ken Cupitt and Pete Badgery still around? I think from memory Peter use to own a Pitts Special when he was working at CA.

Are you still giving those big Cubans a workout?

There is a Keith Thompson at Casa Brisbane who is some sort of boss. I think it may be the same KT from CA

Thommo is at CASA BNE now and RB is on the 777 with EK.