Rescues in the Southern Ocean January 1997
 

With the recent passing of Tony Bullimore, it was reported in The West Australian that television pictures of the rescue were relayed from HMAS Adelaide at sea to the mainland via a "chartered twin-engined aircraft". This may have been cutting edge technology at the time. Does anyone know which aircraft was used? The author of the article does not know and Channel Seven in Perth can't help me.

It sounds like a long range operation but the aircraft may have needed to go only halfway if it was at high altitude. The RAAF Orions were not involved in this aspect of the operation. Any leads will be most welcome.

Rgds

Have you tried a Gin and Tonic? ;)

Fris B...while yr here ...and any others of historical bent...Any one know of...??

Looking for book about the Salvage Ketch NUJINCO by Allan Work/Worth " Diary of a Dumb Airman"
RAAF salvors collected downed aircraft off the Cape York beaches and mud-flats. during WW2.

Alas not all...time and tides have done 'em in.
Anybody heard of it..???

Sorry Bloggs. You've lost me there. I'm from Queensland.

Fris, try Geoff Thomas. He was probably around then, and is the font of all knowledge aviation, especially in The West.

Thanks Bloggs. I'll give him a go.

Folks,
One sideline of this rescue.

At the time, CASA had legislation mandating fixed ELT in all aircraft (more or less) despite the very poor in service record of such devices ---- plenty of false activations but a better than 90% failure rate when you needed them to work.

At the time, AOPA/AU was conducting a political campaign to allow portable ELT to meet the ELT requirement, thus saving huge amounts of money for fitting something virtually useless. CASA was blind and deaf to the failure figures produced by ATSB and AOPA/AU. Another example of refusing to do a benefit/cost analysis, despite government (then Labor) policy.

Bullimore lost his mandated fixed ELT in the capsize, 100% of ELTs do not broadcast underwater.

It was an additional portable ELT/PLB that broadcast, and was critical in him being found.

A cover of the AOPA magazine of the era had a picture of Bullimore sitting on the hull of his yacht in the southern ocean ---- to great political effect ---- and the Howard government legislated (John Sharp, Minister) for PLB, much to the disgust of those in CASA who supported mandated fixed ELT despite the proven failure rate in real world accidents.

Tootle pip!!

"A cover of the AOPA magazine of the era had a picture of Bullimore sitting on the hull of his yacht in the southern ocean"
Are you sure about this LS? I remember differently - TB was inside the upturned vessel and swam out when AUS navy crew banged on the hull. There was another rescue at the same time (was it Thierry Dubois?) - that skipper was standing on the upturned hull of his yacht, clinging to a rudder and knowing that if he fell asleep, he would die. I have seen a photo of that, many years ago.

Recidivist recalls correctly.

Fake news once again by LS.

LS may have been in error regarding the the Bullimore or was it Dubois photograph but he was spot on with his recall of the shambles that was CAsA and the fixed ELT saga.

CAsA proved at that time and have frequently since that they certainly are not an Authority on Safe Civil Aviation.

CC

Rec, Charlie,
Come to think of it, you are probably correct. But the facts at the time got through to even some of the most dense of the politicians of the day.

Squawk 7700,
FANTASTIC NEWS, FIXED ELT ONLY FAIL 85% OF THE TIME, INSTEAD OF 90%+ ???

Clearly we should revert to the original legislation and make fixed ELT mandatory.

Call it an obsession if you like, I just call it facts, (and certainly not fake news) and there have been at least two occasions since the mid-1990s, when "the usual suspects (latest generation of)" have started a move to once again mandate fixed ELT.
All in the name of ICAO compliance. There was huge pressure brought to bear on the person who did the post-implementation review of the original change (which only confirmed the failure rate) but he also stuck to the facts.

The "case" that CASA originally presented to justify the mandate was mindblowingly inaccurate, to the degree that it, in my opinion, it went beyond the usual level of incompetence. Then again, we have seen similar in more recent times, think of the grossly wrong benefit/cost analysis (both No.1 and No.2) for ADS-B.

What other piece of aeronautical "safety" equipment, with such a grotesque failure rate would allowed, even tolerated, much less mandated.

And, 7700, there is the little matter of those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it.

Only in recent weeks, a most earnest young instructor took it upon himself to tell me how much better a fixed ELT was --- as fitted to his company's several aircraft. That I declined to leave my GME PLB in the car more than surprised him. I trust now he understands a little more of the "true facts".

Tootle pip!!

Update
 

I am still trying to identify the aircraft that was used to relay the television pictures. I almost had it pegged as a Beech 200 but then I located someone who was on board and although he can't remember the type he does remember that it had a sliding door, which effectively rules out the Beech 200. He also recalls that it operated out of Albany. Does this ring any bells with anyone? We are talking January 1997.

(GT couldn't help me)

Was something like a 2,600nm round trip which I'd imagine rules out any GA aircraft. Bullimore mentions an aircraft overhead when rescued, reading the following would seem to suggest P-3 operating out of Perth International at war time weights.

https://qam.com.au/portfolio/lockheed-orion-brooke/

Megan
There was an Orion orbiting as Tony Bullimore was picked up (indeed it was A9-760) but the television pictures were relayed two days later on 11 Jan as HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Westralia were steaming back to Fremantle. It was definitely not an ADF aircraft.
Rgds

I seem to remember that Albany was a fuel stop both ways, I would check news owned or hired from Jandakot .

I believe that to be the case.

Please explain? (Remember, I'm from Qld!)