Capt Wally, spare pads of flight plan sheets. And the best thing of all, when I was working as the relieving office girl/aeroplane washer/drinker of free XXXX proferred to underaged drinkers at RFS, Clients would ring up to see where an aeroplane was. A quick call to briefing over at AF would give me a last position and ETA for the field. Try doing that now!

I wonder if it was the same guys in the G 1000 that did the wheels up at MAG twice, never hear about that one much these days.
But most likely why they dont do much real flying anymore

hey 'airmed' I remember the 2 x wheels up ldg's by the Dept @ MNG in their shinny new G1000's, was comforting to know that even they where human !:)
I remember hearing somewhere that a certain small corporate jet nearly did the same thing at AV some years ago with a Dept driver onboard doing testing of some nature. I believe they both scratched their heads & wondered why the beast was coming in like a rocket with the pwr at flight idle!:) The result was a 'shortened' version of an antenna on the bottom of the plane, well something like that anyway !:bored:
'Bulldog 248' loved that story of the noisy buggers at the base of MB twr !:ok:

CW:)

AAAAH Moorabbin Memories.......
 

Yes good story Bulldog 248 on the noisy G1000, had a giggle with that one.

Learnt at Moorabbin back in the late 60's on the Victa Airtourer at Peninsula Air Services, the 115 was a great aircraft to fly but the
100 hp model not real good on a hot day! I think the hourly rate was $12 but seemed expensive then.
Had a great instructor in Ken Cooper, ex-MAF PNG pilot, probably passed on now. PAS was owned by Bill Suhr, a dentist by trade and he was killed flying an air ambulance out of Essendon some years later.

Yep, you could wander around the aerodrome at will checking out aircraft and hangars, great old days.

I remember once parking below the Twr and hadn't cancelled Sartime so the ATC fellow came out and yelled to me below about it so I cupped hands to mouth and screamed back "cancel SAR" and duly got the thumbs up.
You don't get service like that anymore.

Yes, it was certainly a busy time in aviation for......... THE SIGN-WRITERS (changing all Department offices front doors around Australia from DCA to CAA to DOT??? then CASA)....... THE PRINTERS (doing the same changes in name plus changing the FLT PLAN NOTICE FORMS ink from black to RED, so you couldn't read it at night, then back to black.)...........AND THE ENGINEERS(for crapping all the G1000's and Bonanzas off runways all over Australia)......

hadagutful, to settle a bet I had with a mate!!!! did PAS in Bills day have a base down at Tyabb???? I know they were at YMMB and YMEN????
Capt Wally and air med, I dont know if anyone will find out about the 2 wheels-up drivers at YMNG as a Restricted Area was soon set up after each event. As for the near one at YMAV, I think the safety officer down their still has part of an unidentified aerial mounted in his office!!!!!

DCA wheels up at YMAV
 

VH-CAO HS125 DCA pilots doing single engine circuits- only problem gear warning horn worked on the thrust lever not at idle. Hence only sounded on retardation at the flare- grinding noises!! Pilot thence forever known as "Wheels-up Mc........"
memories:-
-the pine planatation near Civil's always a P51 parked outside.
-Unmade road in from Centre Dandenong road flooded after decent rain
-access from Lower Dandenong Rd
-smoke puffs for change of runway/wind direction
-regular use of the Aldis Lamp
-Aerobatics at night in a DH82. ATC had a go because they could see nav lights going around so you switched them off. Still complained because they could hear the changing engine note
- Ansons collecting crays from FLI and KI
- hand refueling from drums with a hand pump
- Super Spread Beavers arriving back at Last Light
ah but a few................

Early Tyabb days
 

BULLDOG 248

If my faded memory remembers correctly I don't believe PAS was ever involved at Tyabb.

In the very early days, the 60's, even before my time there, there were 3 operators, Bill Vowell, Doug Thompson (prior to the Peninsula Aero Club) and Jack Ellis. The first two operators did not work well together with the third and following alleged threats, shots fired and an issue involving snakes Mr Ellis was asked to leave, he subsequently started ops at Moorooduc.

After the formation of PAC there was some form of arrangement with Schutt Aviation for some time. Arthur Schutt was made Patron of the club from those very early days and from memory remains on the Clubs honour board.

Bill Suhr also held a position or two on the PAC Committee, but I don't think he operated PAS from Tyabb.

I can't be absolutely sure of that at this time but will contact a friend who pre-dates my time at Tyabb (1973) and seek his recollections.
Just called him and his memory is as clouded as mine, sorry.

I've got the history of Tyabb somewhere, I'll see if I can find it.
It's called "Turbulence over Tyabb" and was written by Doug Thompson with assistance from a few club members, myself included. A fine read.

BSB :ok:

BULLDOG

I can't say for certain, too long ago but I have a feeling that Peninsula Air Services did have an operation down at Tyabb, but look, maybe BSB is right and Bill was just on the committee of PAC.
Probably need to check with one of the old hands from down there.

I started flying at Moorabbin in 1967 at 17 and I can just remember a few years before that when the field was an all over grass airfield. No problem for the DH84's and Chippies. Don't know whether cross wind landings/circuits were ever done??
Also plenty of paddocks around to do a forced landing if necessary, you'd be in deep s...t now of course.

Just getting back to the wheels up job in the DoA/CAA/DoT ???
G1000, the only aviation emergency I have ever been involved in to this day and not even as a pilot was in one of the DoA's you beaut
G1000's.
We had left Canberra for Ess via Mallacoota and Launceston and on the climb out from Lornie had a fire warning light so they shut down the LHS engine for an assymetric approach and landing back at YMLT.
Nicely executed and after all that, the inspection confirmed it to be a faulty micro switch.
Best thing though was that HQ sent one of the F28's, VH -ATG down from Melbourne to pick the 3 of us up!

Good old days in the Department!

Okay what happened to my post about YMMB briefing officers yesterday?

Anyone remember the 1977 ATC strike, which closed Tulla and Essendon, but YMMB was still accepting aircraft, interesting and busy times for a week or so.

Goodness me, there's some great memories of my days at MB in this thread. I'm all misty-eyed!

I'm sure I can remember Bill operating out of Tyabb, although I'm not sure if that was under the PAS banner. Of course he also operated the Seabee that was being discussed earlier in the thread (or at least that's the way I remember it, but it was a long time ago!).

The best at Mb was when it was controlled by the Fed police and state police didnt patrol it.
Walk out of the house of Lies each night, partly tanked, jump in the car go home 5 kms, now days the boys are waiting for you down at the end of Grange road.
Did a few RVAC club comps, with a great babri afterwards, lot of fun doing streamer cutting over the bay in an old PA 28, also doing aero's or inverted on the way back from the training area.
Was there a Merlin a En that the wheels folded up in the hanger after a DOT/CASA FOI took his kids to have alook inside of the merlin and next thing sitting on its belly, quote me if I am wrong. I think one of the strangest happening was the TNT in the Cheyanne and blowing it to bits as with a heap of other planes in the hanger, what asight.

Now that makes me feel positively ancient. :{

Last trip out of YMMB was in C182 IEX in 1977.

Was it really that long ago? :{

Thanks, hadagutful,BSB and tiger28. My mate conceded defeat and left a box of green ones on my doorstep last night.
yarra...I had no idea DCA of the day flew HS125's. They sure did get around in a different types. Great story about the tigers doing aeros at night.
stationair8...I do remember a couple of ATC strikes around then. And of course the pilots strike when anyone with an AOC got very busy.
air med...Your probably right about the Merlin getting Belly Wacked.

We could start a new Thread named......DCA/DOT/DOT??/CAA/CASA BLOOPERS

Now that's one subject sure to crash the PPRuNe server ever quicker than all the Nigels did rabbiting on about the BA 777 at LHR.

tipsy:ok:

.......has the sever being going nuts or was it the 'shockwave' of that B777 crash?:bored:



CW

I wasn't a CASA FOI on exchange to BA that Belly Wacked the 777 was It??................................................Only joking:E

A few more from memory archives:
Examiners of Airmen from DCA days
Rick Taite,
John Lindsay,
Mark Perrot,
Ian Priestley,
Lindsay Ingram

Chief Flying Instructors
Peter Bini,
Steve Pearce,
Allan Gray,

Pilots
Jock Gardiner
John Williams
Bruce Northeast

In the Feb 1987 Australian Flying, Southern Air Services were advertising initial twin endorsements in a Seminole or Duchess for $979.00. Including 5 hours flying and all briefings.

Go back a few years to 1979/80 and the new Vic/TAS Cessna Dealer was Fliteway Cessna complete with a Cessna Pilot Centre, and a fleet of brand new Cessnas

So when did YMMB aerodrome actually open?
When did the runways get sealed?
What is the biggest aircraft to land at YMMB?

justapplhere......Been too busy being a "would be if I could be" to reply.....But please go ahead and make the time to substantiate my many errors and putdowns of CASA and FOI's!!!

Moorabbin Airport opened for business in 1949. Strip sealing started in the early 1960s. The largest aircraft I've ever seen at MB would be C130 and Super Constellation. Maybe someone else has other info.

Walrus

Walrus 7...Your C130 and Super Conn. beat my G4 or 5.
Other Examiners:
Peter Bryant
Gill Moore
Kevin Smith
Steve Scott???(now what really happened to him???)
Barry Diamond
Bob Greenwood

CFI's:
Pat Gould

Yes, who could forget Mr Steve Scott and his antics!

Anyone remember the Dehavilland Day in 1987.

good old shakey Bob, what a laugh.
Remember taking Kevin Smith for a ride in company PA31, with him on board about 80kgs over,he was more interested in the GPS.
What happened to the CASA guy that had to divert a shorts as it was very low on fuel????? I think he had blond hair small man.
Also remember Aus Air when they had a No mad, a certain now airline jock got in and accidently hit the fire bottles , Pete the CP nearly had a heart attack.
I remember one night at Moorabbin flying academy barbi when the safety offocer, not poor old Dave Nixon but another guy pulled the shotty out,and gave a few blast, Local cops called in, not to impressed.
Or the time Neil Boags tail shaft from his car Tied to the stop sign in grange road.He thought the tranny had blown up, got the car towed to get fixed, the jacked the car up and found the fault

I happen to know the culprit who instigated the whole tail shaft being tied to the stopsign incident:E. Thats not the only trick played on the poor guy.

Ah YMMB, thought this thread was dead!
I remember an 'Aman' Aviation turbo commander there dead as a do do ! Yep those where the days when some one almost unknown with no operational A/C at the time win a major Govt contract, what a joke !

Now what happened to VH ABM, the old DH-104 parked opp the fuel depot for years? seems the grass might have swallowed her up !


CW

The Dove was last seen at the back of Hangar nine about 18mths ago. May have ended up over at the Museum???

The Grass where the Dove sat for so long has now almost swallowed a 210B at last look!!!!

JS:ok:

Speaking of which, anyone remember the National Safety Council back in the late 80's? I recall seeing their KingAir B200 visiting MB on many occasions. Until now, I'm still mystified as to what their role in aviation were .. oh, and the apparent suicide of their chief is just as big a mystery as their whole operation.

MB Memories....
 

Someone some time back mentioned

Dear Old Uncle Mal -'Ya Silly Sausage'- Glover...."infamous" Met Man....of AUS AVIATION!

Wow! Ya got me ! Is Mal still with us?

'His Royal Highness In Met' was the 'Met' instr on numerous FSO courses - mine in '74 - and he had a 'soft spot' for CPL / Instr holders....except when I 'accidently' broke his Max/Min thermometer on the roof of the 'Training College'....Just after he had told us how much they cost...and how rare they were..

Loved the man.

Contact details?? Anybody??:D:D
Serious!! Griffo

ps there are still a few of us left who would love to 'Say Hello'....

last heard that mal had retired and is up coast somewhere, great guy.
Lets continue, the other good one was when Ronald Mcdonald statue was taken from the local Mc Donalds store in Warrigul rd, Then do be found at the base of the tower, apparently the store put out a reward for him.
I am sure there are plenty more to tell.

wasn't there a PA31 some years ago now that turned into a glider over MB & landed there or close by? Or was it an eng failure & he never quite made it back to the rwy?

I remember the 'macker's mascot (RR) ending up at MB, if done now he'd be shot on site for not wearing an ASIC !:E


CW

dont think it was a PA31 but a PA44 that went into the water pond at crowns old golf course.
Maybe one of the best one was the PA41 that was blown up.
Now that did cause a bit of a scare as not the jelly ignited, but made a mess of the hanger and the planes in it.
My PN 68 endorsement was at a 60.00 and hour.

A couple of PA-31/310 have come to grief at YMMB due to a shortage of fuel in the tanks;
VH-NNN was one in the late 90's coming back from a ski weekend up at Cooma,
and in the late 70's another one came out of maintenance and on a test flight run out fuel down near Carum that was flown by a well known MB identity.

tnxs "8" that sounds about right, I thought there was a PA31 that came to grief fuel wise on or near MB many moons ago!
I used to fly the old girl Vh-ABM, ahhh what a sweet airframe, the poms new how to build 'em not just make 'em user friendly:yuk:

hey 'airmed' how's the sick people business going up yr way?
We need some new airframes badly down here, the paint is so faded now I'm embarrassed to show up at a country airfield & rescue the silly ! Believe me there's a lot of silly people out there. Some of the stories I could tell would make you puke !:yuk:


CW

Hi there capt.
plenty of sick people up in our neck of the woods, but also some going for the free ride to YPPH.
I think all bases have been called out over the long weekend.

No its called "Full Moon Syndrome" and combine that with a loong weekend you will always be busy.

yeah well don't bring up the subject of a 'free ride' ! I wonder at the shear waste of resource when we go to retrieve a person with a split toe nail !, well maybe not quite that trivial but believe me (as i'm sure you would knoe airmed) one has to wonder the 'abuse' of the limited syetem. Really annoys me when we have to go pick up a self inflicted injury/wound. Drink driving, drink induced self abuse, drink induced fighting & drink induced anger towards the fairer sex.

Airmed you mainly on the PC12's?

Great service but like all things great it's open to abuse!:bored:

soz 4 the thread drift guys


CW

National Safety Council.
There is a good book floating around called codename Iago. written by john friedrich (the guy who ran the show) it was written prior to his suicide and is a strange but good read.
Billy Bell is another that evokes memories- did they ever find him? What a character!
great thread lets keep it going:ok:

Sadly every Easter falls on a full moon!:{

Pretty quiet up this way Wally, although we do still have one day to go...:eek: