Bankstown History and Nostalgia
 

In the miscellaneous forums is a section on Luton Airport with reminiscences of its history and people. I thought rather than this forum degenerating into the usual slanging matches a section dedicated to humour, history and people over the years in Bankstown might lighten the mood

Over the next couple of days I'll dig out some pictures I have when I first leant to fly in 1974, especially Sid Marshalls hangar and the Me109 hanging from the roof. But feel free to post anytime.

Dhavillandpilot

DHP, if you've got any detailed photos of the 109, that'd be great. I've always been intrigued by the 109, ever since I found out when I was at highschool that one of my teachers flew them from early '42 until late '44.

With the DB605 pumping out just on 2,000HP at takeoff and the aircraft weighing 3.5 tons (in the later 109's), all wrapped up in an airframe almost exactly the same size as a Cherokee 6, it must've been one hell of a ride!!!

Aahh Bankstown..
.was there in '58 as a 'hangar rat' James Air Charter, who operated little Miles 'Gemini' light twins, 4 seaters. Had been re-engined with flat fours.
With shillings and pennies saved, continued with PPL training, from Tiger Moth to first solo in a Champion 7fc 'Tri-traveller', (and later back to finish PPL on Tigers RACSA Pararfield.

Visited the Marshall hangar many times to have 11 second daydreams, looking at DC 2s, 109, Spitfire, Oscar Dragon etc . Also had some trips in the Gemini with Mr James..

The circuit was full of all sorts of things av-wise, Gannets, Vampires( j u s t got over the fence on departure !) Mustangs and all manner of AeroClub and flying school things. Austers even.!
In one hangar was a Cierva Autogiro...very rare.

Parafield was pretty busy too, Edmund Schneider gliders, radio contolled Meteor from Woomera, Tigers, Chippies, Austers, Rapides and a wealth of others long forgotten.

That's more like it. Good on you dhpilot for a sensible thread....
I came into the Bankstown picture fairly late around 1990 after spending lots of time hanging out at Parafield dreaming about growing a pair of wings. I was the last commercial pilot graduating at the Royal Aero Club at Bankstown. The best hang out was the fully licensed club house overlooking the threshold of 11. Plenty schooners and games of pool after hours. The grass parking was littered with all sorts of historic machines, some has grown roots over the years. There was a little yellow Sia Marchetti in amongst the which was flown over from England by a friend of mine. He was kind enough to let me loose on it several times but after two forced landings I politely told him to stick it somewhere the sun don't shine and I stick to my American built muscle......a year later I bought one of the historic machines that has been growing roots on the field.....a Queenair.
Statistics say the birth rate has dropped dramatically under Bankstown airspace after I started flying it and ten years later returned to normal after I stopped......Funny about that....:}

Yes sid had some great stuff in that hzngar. I remember as a kid seeing them all in the hangar roof, then as a apprentice helping put the 109 in the container.

I had my first ever flight in Sid Marshall's De Havilland Dragon, with the Parramatta Air League in about 1960 or '61.
And over the years, about 5 joyflights in the Pussmoth. One drivers seat and two pax seats behind.
A great collection of historical aircraft.

This bloke is a legend.
So many photographs from that era all across Australia (and the world):

GEOFF GOODALL'S AVIATION HISTORY SITE

I was 19 when first learning to fly at the Kingsford Smith Flying School at Bankstown and after 8 hours of dual, did my first solo in a Tiger Moth VH-AUO on 26 May 1951 . Most dual flights were less than an hour. My instructors were: Stan Birtus (strong Eastern European accent impossible to clearly understand though the Gosport Tube intercom system), Jan Kingma (ditto difficult accent), Tas Dalton (he said SFA because he seemed bored fartless throughout the 35 minute flight) and Bill Burns (ex RAAF Hudsons and the perfect instructor who sent me solo). Bill Burns ARN was 1524. Pilots wore leather WW2 flying helmets, goggles and scarves. Black rubber stains around the cheeks and mouth was caused by the rubber of the Gosport Tubes.

Cleared to take off and land was via light signals from the tower. Or maybe it was an ATC control Van, I don't remember. We certainly had ATC Controllers in a van in the RAAF. Bankstown was all over grass field in those days. Aircraft took off and landed in parallel "lanes." Anything up to five landing and take-off's at the same time. We sure learned to have our eyes swivelling in all directions. We kept a close eye on the tower or van on final in case you got a red light meaning go-around. After landing, you turned 90 degrees and stopped, and kept an eye on approaching aircraft on mid to short finals. You waited for a flashing green light from the ATC Aldis lamp to taxi. When the green light was aimed at you it was time to taxi like the clappers across the landing "lanes" to the tarmac before someone tried to land on top of you.

When you got to the tarmac there was usually someone to grab your wingtip to help you turn in the small space. (No brakes in the Tiger Moth only a tail skid that made sparks on tarmac). If no one was there, the instructor made you get out of your cockpit and he would taxi with you on the wing tip. if you were solo you stopped at the entrance, shut down the engine and then hopped out and go to the tail, lift it up and turn the aircraft around.

I sat in a Wackett Trainer on the tarmac and thought what a hugely complicated cockpit after the Tiger Moth. I thought the same thing a year later when going from a RAAF Tiger Moth to the Wirraway.

I used to walk the one mile from Bankstown railway station (or was it the bus station in those days?) to the aerodrome with a spring in my step and one hand in my pocket feeling the bank notes and cash I had saved up for each flight and a delicious anticipation I was going flying.:D If flying was cancelled due weather or no instructor available, it was a great disappointment as it could be another week or more before I got time off work to fly again. So with sadness I would hitch-hike back to the railway station to return to my bed and breakfast digs at Double Bay. It was just a village in those days, while now it is millionaires row.

Never mind, there was always dancing lessons at Phyllis Bates Dance "Academy" (a wooden hall) at Double Bay each Saturday night where this doughty lady would ensure we swains would be on one side of the hall gazing longingly at the virgins on the opposite side waiting for the music to start. The girls would knock you back scornfully after you had bravely crossed no-man's land to plead "may I have the pleasure of this dance, please?" Tall boys got the good-lookers while shorties like me missed out or only got a cross-eyed girl with glasses. Having been shamed by a giggling knock back, one would slink back to the safety of the other side of the hall until Phyllis Bates would crack the sh*ts with the choosey girls and order them in no uncertain terms to accept dance offers. I tell you, Phyllis Bates would have scared Donald Trump. There was one attractive girl called Judy Cheal. She was really friendly to everyone. She often wore a tight sweater and a pointy bra underneath. Man, she was stacked. She was sex appeal personified. Naturally the boys always rushed to ask her for a dance. One evening, Phyllis Bates told her off in no uncertain terms that she must never come to the dance hall in that outfit again and ordered her to go home. It was so cruel and unnecessary. I felt so sorry for Judy, as did most of us there. She left the room in tears and never came back again. Just think, if she is still alive today she would be 86 years old..

Thread drift - sorry.

Exciting memories? 1. Watching a Comper Swift land in the lane next to me. It was flown by former RAAF Squadron Leader "Titus" Oats DFC, who flew Mosquito fighter-bombers in WW2. The Comper Swift was a tiny high wing aeroplane with a Pobjoy engine and the cockpit was so small. The pilot had to continually weave the nose to check all clear ahead.
2. Battle of Britain Display with a large crowd watching a RAAF Mustang flashing over the middle of the aerodrome at 200 feet and releasing two drop tanks full of napalm (jellied petrol) that exploded in huge gouts of flame and roiling black smoke. That was indeed awesome in the true sense of the word.

At Parafield, on instructor, German? I think, had a difficult accent, too
But his, or your.. main problem was spitting over the side. You got warning if you heard him 'clear his throat'...but ..you had to watch him then because he used to lean from side to side before he let go..
Watch, wait and move right if he went left.
Get it wrong and you might cop a goozie on the goggles ! Once hit, forever shy !

The smell of cut grass on the all-over field, light signals, and eye balls dancing about to spot all the other traffic....
An abiding memory is a vertical view of PFD from 7000', when diving to turn the prop after an engine shut down. It was winter too, and my hands and feet were bleeden freezen.!

And by and by,.. a cloud took all away.

From the tone of these comments, can I assume Bankstown has closed ? Did time there myself a long time ago.

Not quite, but it's only a matter of time, what with the second RPT airport at Sydney being built (effectively requiring the removal of the BK/CN training area), ever-increasing usage charges, and greedy property developers who'd love to sell it all off to the highest bidder. :ugh:

Don't forget the Fairy Fireflies, Sea Furies, vintage helicopters, Bristol Freighters, Catalinas and for a short time the ex-French Navy Lancaster at de Havillands...

Re " the ex-French Navy Lancaster at de Havillands... "

Is this the one currently at the BBMF at RAF Coningsby, serial No PA474 ?

I do remember it sitting at Hawkers for quite some time in its French Navy Livery, having come in from Noumea, and one of my former instructors, Mr Arthur Kell, who flew them during WW2, was invited to go along on the ferry flight back to the UK.

Cheers :ok:

It's only a recent one, but lines of PA31s landing on all 3 runways stacked up out to prospect as the afternoon bank runs came in... I recall being in a stack of about 15 of them, lined up on all 3 runways. Late 90's was a busy time...

No, it is now called "Just Jane" and is returning to flight with a big rebuild...

Where is the second RPT airport at Sydney ?

IIRC the Lancaster on display at the RAAF Association museum in Bull Creek WA has some French naval history attached to it. The same machine i would've thought.

Isn't that the one that used to be the 'gatekeeper' at Perth Airport until the early 1970's or so... ?

Cheers :ok:

Badgerys Creek, if it ever happens.

Bankstown memories, from the 1970’s
1. Rex Aviation, all those new Cessnas,
2. Ansett General Aviation,
3. Jack Brabham Aviation,
4. Navair,
5. Row upon row of DHC Beavers parked on the grass after the super phosphate bounty was phased out,
6. The written off East West F27 parked over near Nationwide Wide Air Services Hangar,
7. The ME109 in the hangar,
8. The Royal Aero Club of NSW clubroom, bar etc,
9. Adams Aviation,
10. The Piaggio P166’s that we’re used on night freight,
11. The old control tower and briefing office.

From the mid 80’s,

1. Colin Johnson ground school,
2. Bank runner activity,
3 Clark Film Services Twin Pionair and Twin Comanches,
4. The Blimp that was based there on and off,
5. Airtex ATPL subjects with Gavin Selcombe,
6. The Avcentre charter company,
7. One or two quiet ales in the Aero club,

From the very early 90’s

1. Hawker Pacific for a PT6 ground school and that was the last time I have been to Bankstown.

I lived just over the hill towards Bankstown in the 60s and early 70s Our place adjoined the RAAF land where the bunker was. As a pre teenager I wandered all over the place airside and around hangars, no one ever raised an eyebrow :) Ahh for the good old days.

I did my first ever joy flight about 1967 in a C172 at Marshalls. I remember the Dove in the hangar an also if I remember rightly there was a Beech 18 there for quite a while as well as some strange little low wing single seater open cockpit aircraft that we were allowed to sit in and pretend to fly. Too bad it would be another nearly 30 years before I would start my aviation career.

Who remembers the canteen just across the road in the old WW2 timber building that sold the best meat pies ever?

Not aBeech 18. It was a Lockheed 10A VH UZO and was an original Ansett aircraft

It looked very sad with flat tyres and its nose to the fence.

Looks totally different now as it has been refurbished as one of the few examples remaining

Ahh thanks for that. Don't suppose you know what the little single seater was? I recall it being loaded onto the back of a truck with its wings off and being carted away.

My time at Bankstown
 

My grandfather worked during WW2 at de Havilland's when they were producing the Mosquito.
I recall be taken to the airport as a child by my Uncle and checking out a Bristol Freighter and that memory sticks.
Personally I have worked on both sides of the airport putting in time at Hawker de Havilland, Jack Brabham Aviation and Nationwide AirServices.
Some of my memories are of watching in awe as the Illawarra target towing Mustangs where powering up and taking off. I also remember watching as attempts were made to start one of the Mustangs and seeing those lazy flames curling around the Merlin's exhaust stubs while the man in the cockpit could be seen furiously working to get the beast going properly!
Any time the Mustangs were brought out work stopped while all around went and watched!
I also recall Keith Whitbread's immaculate Mustang VH-IVI and watching as he did a promo flight for one of the TV channels for an Air Race and watching the included strip beat up whilst enjoying to that fabulous Merlin music
Also having Arnold Glass's Sea Fury in the Brabham Hanger - the rest of the hangar occupants were certainly dwarfed by this beast!
I recall hearing the crash sirens and every one rushing out of the hangars to check out what was happening!
I remember the Piper Cub floatplane which was still in Japanese markings after being used in "Spy Force" filming when the it was in the Brabham Hangar.
I recall the Piaggio's seemingly struggle over "Black Charlie's Hill" (probably not PC these days!) towards Bankstown.
Later memories include the disbelief at the demise of VH-IVI and Keith Whitbread.
The recovery of the East West F27 following the accident at Bathhurst and the repair of the Nomad prototype that had the landing incident after a dual engine flame out!
Doing a short course when the Crash Sirens went following the mid-air over Bass Hill and the shock as we had just heard the distinctive sound of our Beechcraft 56TC VH-SUV taking off immediately prior as we all knew it was doing a test flight following engine issues.
I recall the shock at the tragic loss of the other Nomad during test flight out of Avalon as we knew those involved!

Sadly I have observed the demise of Bankstown Airport over nearly 60 years, some from afar, to it's present state and lament the current state of General Aviation and the impotency of the regulator!

Probably the Parnall Penguin.

You probably haven't seen it lately. Poor Laurie would be rolling in his grave.

Ah Yes....Bankstown nostalgia........

Mid 1970's was my introduction to the place, having lived within the circuit area for over 15 years............watching all those aircraft fly overhead must of had an effect and following some advertising in the local newspaper (Bankstown Torch) I wandered out there one weekend and had a trial instructional flight at the Illawara Flying School. I was then hooked..........

Remember spending as much time out there as possible on weekends and eventually after a couple of months got a job washing and refuelling aircraft (in return for flying time)..........went solo before I even had my learners permit for a car.

Wandering through the back of the hangar at Illawara and musing over the Mustang there, along with the spare engines still in crates.........you could wander just about anywhere near the parking lines to admire any aircraft (and there were rows and rows of them, both on the hardstand and on the grass) and were not bothered by people checking out your motives.......you just wanted to absorb aviation as much as possible....those days have well and truly gone now........

I can still recall reporting inbound via 2FC...it wasn't known as 2RN at that time........I think it changed sometime in the late 80's................

The numbers of new aircraft arriving were spectacular............there was always a new aircraft somewhere on the field everytime I went out there..........as a brand new private pilot I can recall having 6 of the first 10 hours on a brand new PA-32 and a few more before the first 100 hourly was completed on a couple of C172's. Try doing that now..........

Still in the 1970's, the Royal Aero Club was the place to hang out, on Friday nights for a beer or three and catching up with friends and a meal......Sunday arvo was also a good time, with the Trap Club and its regular shooting events...........even won a competition shoot or two there in my time...........

The introduction of GAAP changed the place and I can still recall the commotion about the change....runway 29 left had left circuits......runway 29 right had right circuits.....what was going to happen with 29C - vertical circuits???? Always got a laugh at the time, but it was a change from what it had been and time shows that it worked.......and we had runway 18/36........short......but we still had it when needed.........

The 1980's really saw the place grow, with movements topping the 450,000 mark for the first time.......did my CPL training and Instructor Rating and was working as an instructor there by the mid 1980's and flew 886 hours in my first year........that was really working. There were some weekdays where you could count 7 or 8 aircraft in the southern circuit nearly all the time .......weekends were another matter with holding in the runup bays waiting for a light from the tower just so you could enter the circuit......nothing like that now I hear......

I remember a couple of spring weekends where ATC actually had to curtail circuit training and introduced geographic GAAP to handle the number of aircraft returning from flights around the state to Bankstown. 2FC arrivals to runway 29L and Prospect and Westmead inbound (yes there were 3 inbound points then) to runway 29R with 29C being used for any overflow......which there was. The school where I was working had no aircraft available to hire on a number of occasions.....they were either fully booked for training or had been hired to go away for the weekend........I think we had over 20 aircraft on line at that stage........

I was in the air when ATC staged a stop work in the 1980's....we managed to keep flying around the circuit, with I think 6 aircraft in the circuit without a problem...........

Airshows were a regular event, with Harriers one year and NZ Skyhawks conducting a simulated ground attack on the airfield at another airshow a couple of years later........and lots and lots of other aircraft, both as static displays and others conducting flying displays...........nothing like that now.....they drew large crowds to the place and the numbers of people taking up flying boomed following them.......which flowed on to the other aviation businesses and kept up employment. At one stage the local council stated that the airport was the largest employer in the area............oh well.......that's history.

Military aircraft coming and going.......I have a picture somewhere of a Mirage III conducting a go around from short final on runway 29C.........another of a C130 offloading pax into a bus.........and then there were the regular visitors such as the Caribou's, Blackhawks and PC-9's which were either being constructed or overhauled at HdH.........the formation departures and the final acceptance flights were always something to watch and enjoy.

Warbirds started to appear in the late 1980's and 1990's and I can still recall the time that the first Mig 15 conducted its engine ground runs on the pad behind HdH. The whole place shook........

Aviation was 'booming' around Bankstown and I was lucky enough to be in the "right place at the right time" on a number of occasions and was given employment (albeit casual) without the need for CV's and interviews...........these jobs came with an endorsement onto what ever aircraft the job used (I ended up with 5 different twin endorsements) ....for this I am thankful and forever grateful. Unfortunately these types of events are very few and far between these days, if they happen at all.........

There are probably lots and lots more memories that I have not recalled.....just yet......

Bankstown.
 

I remember Marshall's, the 109 and DC2.
First ever flight for me was the Rapide - remember clearly the feeling as the A/C lifted off.
Also remember Mustangs and Ansons being parked on the grass nearby.
Went on to do my PPL with RAC NSW on the Chippie.

As an apprentice at de Havs I recall rows of AirspeedOxfords which were occasionally burnt for fire fighting practice.
The local sewage dump was where the Bunnings store is and itwas quite uncomfortable on a hot day with the breeze coming from that direction.
Sometimes Blackjack Walker would put on a bit of a show whentesting Vampires.
Around 1956 during a practice for an air show the RAAF senta Sabre to break the sound barrier. It rattled all the windows in de Havs andbroke many in the area. They didn’t repeat it at the air show.

Similar thing happened at Laverton in the late '60's early '70's. Someone in a Mirage (or was it an MD Phantom?) bought most of the the windows within a 5 mile radius for the RAAF when they had things cranked up a little too much!

I remember talking to the pilot one day, and he told me that after one sortie he couldn't wind the cable all the way in, and later, on inspection, found it had been nicked by one of the bullets aimed at the target ! Stuff that.

That above episode brought back a memory or two, but it was at Townsville, not Bankstown. In 1953 I was flying a target towing Mustang A68-113 in formation on a Lincoln about 100 yards out. The target was a canvas drogue attached to a long wire trailing a hundred yards behind the Mustang and attached to its starboard wing near the wing tip. The three gunners, nose, mid-upper and tail took turns in blasting away at the drogue. Each set of guns had their bullets tipped with various colours of paint and on landing you could count who had hit the drogue by the colour stain left by the bullets.

The mid-upper gunner, W/O Wally Mayo who was about to retire, asked me flying the Mustang to get in real close so he could get a final good gunnery score before leaving the RAAF. Due to the 100 yards length of the wire behind the Mustang, the pilot had to pull ahead of the Lincoln while holding a parallel course. The Lincoln pilot would call on R/T to the Mustang pilot when the drogue was fluttering dead abeam the Lincoln. Because of the drag caused by the drogue and wire being near the wing tip, the Mustang needed almost full rudder trim to keep in balanced flight.

The Lincoln pilot would then give clearance for his gunners to open fire at the drogue. Naturally the Mustang pilot would not feel the bullets going though the drogue so he would blissfully hold his Mustang on a steady speed and course although the Lincoln was out of his field of vision behind him.

Without warning the Mustang suddenly skidded and rolled and my first thought was someone had shot at the tail of the Mustang. I pulled up and away from the Lincoln and demanded to know what was going on as I had to wind off yards of rudder trim that had been needed for balanced flight.

The Lincoln pilot reported that the cable holding the drogue had been cut by a cannon shell from the mid-upper 20mm cannons fired by Wally Mayo and the drogue and rest of the cable had fallen into the sea near Rattle Snake Island our gunnery range. Today we worry about fish swallowing plastic bags. I wonder if a shark got a mouthful of drogue because it was never found.

Wally Mayo was really upset because there was no proof of the number of hits he made on the drogue and that meant he couldn't collect on the bets he had made at the Sergeants Mess that he would beat the squadron record.

Normally on return to land at Townsville the Mustang would fly low and slow along the runway to release the drogue which would then be checked for coloured spots to indicate which gunner had hit it. As it turned out, that was to be the last drogue sortie flown by the Mustang as there were no more drogues left in the store. It was good fun for me (the Mustang pilot) while it lasted.
Now back to Bankstown memories again:ok:

I also have fond memories of Bankstown in the late 70.s
Qualifying on PA28 VH-IAL with Sterling Preston at Chieftain.
I flew sister ship VH-SVW. (both Cruisers} Endorsed also on
a couple of Grumman models, and a Cessna 172 borrowed
from Illawarra flying school through Chieftain. I remember an
almost fatal approach in the C172 when being hit by a freak
crosswind when passing the 'piano keys'. The aircraft was
blown over the grass, but after putting full power on at 70ft.,
the C172 recovered, and I was able to make a "Go-around".
I remember on an earlier occasion, the starboard door became
unlocked on climb out on the same a/c. Would like to know
the registration of the Cessna, if anyone can remember it ??
Sterling was a wonderful instructor, and licenced me. I had
demons whilst learning, having witnessed two fatal crashes
in Britain. G-ASBD Druine Turbulent at Shoreham, and G-AVJA
Viscount of British Midland Airways at Manchester. Stalling was
always a fear for me, which Sterling helped me overcome.
I remember him hitting me hard on the leg when I let my speed
drop on finals, and saying "You can kill me because of your
decision, but I won't be killed through some ones indecision".
Sterling went on the fly for East West, and Ansett.


Lance Shippey.

YPJP and Frisby
The single engine aircraft was and is a Comper Swift. Along with another it now lives and flies from a hanger to the east of the old Marshall hangar.
Not a pretty aircraft and I'm told a handfull to fly.

I grew up just to the north of the airport so I knew the hangar well.

Wunwing

Bankstown has special memories for me too. I applied to join the RAAF in early 1951 and missed out. Thought if I learned to fly the RAAF interview board might give me another chance.

Hadn't a clue about which flying school at Bankstown to go to. Saw the name Kingsford Smith Flying School on a shed and took a punt. First two or three instructors on the Tiger Moths were nice blokes but their Polish accents were too thick for me to understand as they shouted down the Gosport Tube intercomms.
Then struck the jackpot when an Australian instructor by the name of Bill Burns flew with me. He was ex RAAF and was then a Qantas flight safety manager. First class instructor. Went solo after total of eight hours dual which was considered normal then. Bankstown was an all-over field in those days and ATC was by light signals. Change of landing direction notified by observing the signal square in front of the control tower.

Re-applied to the RAAF and flashed my new log book at the interview board. Got a telegram a few weeks later saying I was successful this time around. I reckon that was all due to Bill Burns for his good instruction. The senior officer on the interview board was Squadron Leader Paul Metzler. He had been a Catalina pilot when the Japs hit Pearl Harbour. A few days later his Catalina was shot down into the sea by several Zero fighters to the NW of Rabaul. Most of the crew were killed but Metzler survived and was captured by a Jap destroyer. He was repatriated after the war. He was my first Commanding Offiocer at Point Cook in October 1951.

See: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1005997
.

1747...Can I rephrase yr last line ? ,,,re "the current state of GA and the omnipotency of the regulator ...and the disgusting lack of oversight and governace of CAsA by Goverments."

A " Must See" at YSBK is the Fawcett 120!

Mate! what a friggin monster!

Oh yeah and also the Chilli beef up at the Cafe there..