Post by Peter Lewis on Jul 4, 2016 1:50:37 GMT 12
We decided to get away from the NZ winter for a few weeks, and the hatpin fell on West Australia.
The direct flight Auckland to Perth takes seven and a half hours in one of ANZ's new Dreamliners, It is over water for virtually all of the trip, skirting around the bottom of the Australian mainland. A different route from the old British Airways 747 track.
This gave me the opportunity to admire some great cloud formations as seen from FL36 somewhere above Bass Strait
Our early morning view of the Swan River in Perth from the balcony of our digs. The most amazing feature of the WA weather seems to be the lack of wind. Most unusual, to a kiwi
The West Australian Aviation Museum is located at Bull Creek, not far out of town. It is actually part of a retirement estate set up by the ex-RAAF veterans association. A lot of the old boys live more or less onsite, and can spend their days mucking about with things with wings. A great job they have done, too.
The Spit-on-a-pole out front is one of the ex-NZ made fibreglass replicas, painted up as TB592.
After several years of exposure to the weather it was taken down and refinished. It returned to the site earlier this year, so it now looks quite resplendent.
The real thing inside is Spitfire PK481. Surrounded by other exhibits, it is hard to photograph. On the plus side, you can climb stairs on its port side to sccess the cockpit
As benefits any aviation museum of stature, there is an Auster. VH-KAV is ex-mining magnate Lang Hancock, who reputedly tried to stake out mining claims by throwing sharpened survey pegs out of the window of this aircraft!
This PBY-5A Catalina commemorates the RAAF Catalian crews, but actually has no RAAF history, being rescued from the USA for restoration to military configuration and display
The Lancaster is their most advertised display item. Like the MoTAT one, it was gifted by the French in 1962.
The whirly things on the two inner prop spinners are actually rotating light spirals - very effective.
One small corner gave coverage of the RAAF Sunderland operations.
Given the recent delivery of my own Sunderland turret to Classic Flyers, it was interesting to see this fully restored one.
As you can see, the focus of the musuem is mostly military as you would expect from the guys involved.
Quite a lot of aviation history in Perth - I have visited Langley Park, Pelican Point/Crawley/Matilda Bay and Jandakot. Hope to get to Maylands before we depart north to Broome and (eventually) Darwin.
The direct flight Auckland to Perth takes seven and a half hours in one of ANZ's new Dreamliners, It is over water for virtually all of the trip, skirting around the bottom of the Australian mainland. A different route from the old British Airways 747 track.
This gave me the opportunity to admire some great cloud formations as seen from FL36 somewhere above Bass Strait
Our early morning view of the Swan River in Perth from the balcony of our digs. The most amazing feature of the WA weather seems to be the lack of wind. Most unusual, to a kiwi
The West Australian Aviation Museum is located at Bull Creek, not far out of town. It is actually part of a retirement estate set up by the ex-RAAF veterans association. A lot of the old boys live more or less onsite, and can spend their days mucking about with things with wings. A great job they have done, too.
The Spit-on-a-pole out front is one of the ex-NZ made fibreglass replicas, painted up as TB592.
After several years of exposure to the weather it was taken down and refinished. It returned to the site earlier this year, so it now looks quite resplendent.
The real thing inside is Spitfire PK481. Surrounded by other exhibits, it is hard to photograph. On the plus side, you can climb stairs on its port side to sccess the cockpit
As benefits any aviation museum of stature, there is an Auster. VH-KAV is ex-mining magnate Lang Hancock, who reputedly tried to stake out mining claims by throwing sharpened survey pegs out of the window of this aircraft!
This PBY-5A Catalina commemorates the RAAF Catalian crews, but actually has no RAAF history, being rescued from the USA for restoration to military configuration and display
The Lancaster is their most advertised display item. Like the MoTAT one, it was gifted by the French in 1962.
The whirly things on the two inner prop spinners are actually rotating light spirals - very effective.
One small corner gave coverage of the RAAF Sunderland operations.
Given the recent delivery of my own Sunderland turret to Classic Flyers, it was interesting to see this fully restored one.
As you can see, the focus of the musuem is mostly military as you would expect from the guys involved.
Quite a lot of aviation history in Perth - I have visited Langley Park, Pelican Point/Crawley/Matilda Bay and Jandakot. Hope to get to Maylands before we depart north to Broome and (eventually) Darwin.