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Post by basicstall on Jun 7, 2010 12:07:02 GMT 12
Greetings all,
I`m quietly working on some research about the history of the Wellington Aero Club and was wondering if any forum members or visitors know of significant former (and present) members who have progressed to greater aviation achievements? I would welcome anyones thoughts/memories about the club...many thanks
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Post by thomarse on Jun 7, 2010 16:49:57 GMT 12
Why not start with OldFriends?
There's a few on there.
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Post by bazzaboeing on Jun 8, 2010 20:09:38 GMT 12
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Post by chinapilot on Jun 9, 2010 22:54:00 GMT 12
I was just thinking that the Victa/C180/Agricola etc threads are terrific but what about the guys/girls that flew them...
WAC is a great example..in the '60s through it's doors strode personalities like 'Gibby' Gibson, Tony Glowacki, Arthur Bradshaw in his Proctor not to mention the eclectic mixture of instructors that must have been unique in NZ at that time, Joe Sue, Noel Winiata, Robbie Hensen with Bill Coulter and Bruce James as CFIs at different times.
Keith Trillo and Brian Souter were regulars and became mentors to many before the term became known...this was a boom time for the club with many people getting their PPLs in those days.
Most of the part time instructors went on to fly with NAC and used to fly the 'Sports Post' run...this was to Blenheim and Nelson...the papers arrived late on the Saturday night and as a reward for loading them there was a ride the next day in what was then some sophisticated equipment - an Aztec and C205s.
The engineering was looked after by Ivan East along with Seth Bird, Doug Guthrie and Frank Johnston...Franks stories of flying in Papua New Guinea ignited the desire for me to go there which was in the early '70s.
Warren Harding was the Club captain for most of the '60s - a great guy who organised socials and got the bar up and going.
I was lucky enough as a teenager to fuel and clean the aircraft in return for flying. A friendly place typical of aero clubs at that time with others ready and willing with advice and encouragement.
My son just went through the process of the CPL/IR in the UK and I was surprised that there are no 'old boys' hanging around with sage advice anymore - just brisk business attitudes with no camaraderie...
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 11, 2010 13:39:32 GMT 12
Basicstall, you might find these Weekly News cuttings of interest from the 2nd of June 1937, especially in light of Bazza's sad post. Was this hangar re-roofed at some point? It was a different shape in 1937.
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Post by luke6745 on Jun 12, 2010 14:49:54 GMT 12
I think hangar pictured is now the RNZAF Air Movements terminal not the aero clubs
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 14, 2010 21:30:31 GMT 12
Hugh Gardiner's book Skyways of Maoriland published in 1934 will give you a look at the early days of the Wellington aero club in the years 1928 - 1931. It's a good read.
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Post by thomarse on Jun 21, 2010 10:49:45 GMT 12
I've got a copy if anyone would like to borrow it.
Could be wrong but I think that hangar would have been over the Eastern side near where the Terminal is. Don't know, but it might have been moved to the West.
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Post by clubcaptain on Oct 17, 2010 20:01:12 GMT 12
I'm also researching WAC's history. We still have some active members who have been there for years and years... Rhona Fraser, Brian Souter, Bernard Weinstein. email me sometime... I don't have a lot of time to research however happy to pass what I've found out so far on to you. wachistory@xtra.co.nz
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Post by clubcaptain on Oct 17, 2010 20:25:13 GMT 12
PS. Also working on a history places application form, so if anyone has any news articles or historical information, I'd love to hear from you - wachistory@xtra.co.nz
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Post by chinapilot on Oct 18, 2010 9:36:47 GMT 12
Heard that Brian has been made a Life Member and really good to hear that Rhonda Fraser is still around...
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 18, 2010 9:45:15 GMT 12
Is she related to "Scotty" Fraser?
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Post by propwash on Oct 26, 2010 11:05:33 GMT 12
A few photos of Wellington Aero Club aircraft in 1937. These are from the collection of the late Jim Dermody. In 1937 Jim did his ab initio flying training at the club along with Les Ransom and Dave Rankin. The three of them were RAF Short Service Commission candidates. After completing their ab initio training and gaining their Civil "A" Licences the three of them moved on to the FTS at Wigram in Nov 1937 where they joined up with 9 colleagues to form No 2 Pilots Course. Les Ransom, Jim Dermody and Dave Rankin at Rongotai 1937 Jim Dermody with DH60 Minor Les & Jim with Miles Hawk Jim Dermody with Miles Hawk Wellington Aero Club aircraft line-up Miles Hawk ZK-AFK ZK-ADP ZK-ADP Pat Battenberg with Moth ADP Les Ransom with Percival Proctor
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 26, 2010 18:15:34 GMT 12
Great photos there.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 26, 2010 20:19:49 GMT 12
Jim Dermody with DH60 Minor The aircraft is a DH60 Moth. Nothing to do with a DH94 Moth Minor (which was a monoplane). Note the upright engine, so it is not ZK-ADP which was a DH60G Moth Major, with the inverted engine (cylinders at the bottom).
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 26, 2010 20:23:58 GMT 12
Les Ransom with Percival Proctor If this photo is prewar, then thats not a Proctor. The Percival Proctor was a wartime/postwar aircraft. My guess would be that it is the Wellington Aero Club's Percival K.1 Vega Gull ZK-AFI, which was there prewar.
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Post by DragonflyDH90 on Oct 29, 2010 7:10:15 GMT 12
Gull for sure, note fixed pitch propellor also that points to Gull.
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Post by shorty on Oct 29, 2010 8:06:53 GMT 12
The Vega appears to have a roundel under the wing
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 29, 2010 10:00:37 GMT 12
Now that is interesting, and yes it does have a roundel. Does this mean the photo is from later (at the earliest September 1939) or does it mean that the Government owned Vega Gull wore roundels? It was indeed regularly flown by RNZAF pilots but also by PWD men (including some who were Territorial Air Foece men by the way).
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Post by propwash on Oct 29, 2010 10:33:28 GMT 12
Thanks for the various updates about the Wellington Aero Club aircraft.
I don't know too much about pre-war aircraft so have relied on handwritten notes on the back of the photos which are obviously not always accurate.
Re the Percival aircraft I am wondering if it is actually a wartime photograph because it does look like an Air Force roundel under the port wing. The notes on the photo definitely say 1937 but again this could be a mistake made when Jim sorted out his pre-war photos. I understand that Les Ransom did not take up his RAF Short Service Commission on completion of his pilots course but instead joined the RNZAF as a flying instructor so this could explain the photo of him with the Percival bearing a roundel??
Can anyone help with the identity of the radial engined biplane in the line up of Club aircraft?
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