Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome Heritage Aviation Assoc

[Head in the clouds]

After the long and constant battle that has been fought to keep some of the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome from being sold by the local Council to developers it's good to hear something positive about recent happenings there.

 

The Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome Heritage Aviation Association (EHMAHAA) has been very busy getting the new aviation museum and management committee up and running, ready for the delivery of F-111 A8-147 in August.

 

Although not associated with the battle for the Aerodrome, anything good and aviation related will also be a boost to the 'Save the Aerodrome' cause, of course, so EHMAHAA would very much appreciate any support and assistance that any of our members can offer.

 

Please see the latest President's Report reprinted in full below -

 

The last twelve months have seen significant activity and more importantly results. As of the 7th of April 2013, Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome Heritage Aviation Association have been formally endorsed by the Australian Government to display RAAF F-111 A8-147 at the Bellman Hangar, Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome. This is the final approval prior to the aircraft being delivered on the 5th Aug 2013. The restoration works on the Bellman hangar have commenced and the restoration team, Evans Head Air Park and Richmond Valley Council have finalised all the approvals including the very delicate yet necessary Heritage Restoration Plan. We have a lease on the Bellman Hangar to ensure that the F-111 has a home for the duration of our agreement, 20 years with options.

 

Whilst we have completed a considerable number of the documents required to achieve our current position including a very detailed Safety Management plan for our volunteers, a Governance Procedures manual and a detailed F-111 maintenance manual, we still have more to complete including day to day operating procedures so I will be calling for your support and assistance and if you believe you can help in any small way, please call us immediately.

 

We are working hard on finalising the business plan ideas and we have some outstanding suggestions rolling in, please keep them coming. Some of the better ones include building a static F-111 simulator along the lines of those currently used by RAAF recruiting based on the popular Flight Simulator software. Other viable ideas include "Dinners in the Hangar" and special Museum Tours and Photo Ops sitting in the cockpit. We are allowed to sit 1,500 people per year in the aircraft so we need to decide on a price for this Photo.. If we charged say $25ea for a photo this will only just cover our first years operating budget so we need more ideas. We really need corporate sponsorship so please go talk to all your friends and contacts. If anyone has someone they would like to introduce to us please call immediately, have we got a deal for them. We are planning to run a souvenir shop and if our museum is similar to other aviation museums we have visited recently we should generate around another $5,000 in souvenir revenue.

 

We are currently working on three Federal and State Government grants and hopefully, given the continued political support we have received to date, we will be successful and receive some much needed funds in the latter half of this year / early next year.

 

The election of office bearers was conducted at the AGM and I am pleased to report that all positions were eagerly filled with a couple of new faces coming on board. Contact details will be posted on the upcoming website atwww.ehmahaa.org.au due for release at the end of the month. Membership forms will also be available on the website however our Secretary Donella Kinnish ([email protected]) will be able to send you one at any time. The fees for the following year (due 01 Jul) have been set at $5 for individual member, $10 for family membership and $100 for life membership. Since the AGM we have received four Life Membership applications.

 

Members, given our current position, I am pleased to report that your association is in very good shape and has a very bright future based on the efforts and results of the last 18 months. I look forward to meeting with you and watching the amazing expression on your face when you take your first "flight" in our centre piece display, RAAF F-111 A8-147. We have suggested a grand opening date of the 25 Aug 2013, however this may change as circumstances and events unfold in the coming months.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to know anything or to just chat about the future and what's happening. We are at a very exciting time and with your continued support, I'm quite confident of our success in the coming years.

 

Best regards to all

 

Rod Kinnish

 

President

 

M) 0411378998 H) (02) 66828600 email) [email protected]

 

 

[bexrbetter]

That's good news because I see things such as the airport (which I was at 2 months ago) as a part of a town's character that shouldn't be lost.

 

Annoys me how many facilities are lost even though they have been there forever and people buy and build housing closer and closer knowing full bloody well that it's there then complian about it and make moves to get rid of it.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

That's good news because I see things such as the airport (which I was at 2 months ago) as a part of a town's character that shouldn't be lost.Annoys me how many facilities are lost even though they have been there forever and people buy and build housing closer and closer knowing full bloody well that it's there then complian about it and make moves to get rid of it.

In this case it's been more a case of the greedy Council wanting to sell it off to developers for retirement homes, rather than the general public complaining. They've sold some of it to RSL Lifecare as I understand it but the Resistance has been putting up a valiant fight to retain the the other half.

 

Time will tell, and it's going to need a lot more active support from us, the pilots, if we're to keep it for flying, the few who've kept the fight going for years are getting worn out ...

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Just an update -

 

Apparently the Bellman Hangar is all ready and F-III A8-147 is on track to arrive at Evans Head between 0730 to 0830 on Monday 5th August.

 

I've seen one of the others on a truck recently and it's a good Kodak moment for anyone who might be in the area (I assume it's been de-commissioned so won't be flying in).

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

The purchase agreement with the yanks for the F111's was quite specific about disposals. the aircraft had to be destroyed when the RAAF got rid of them. Therefore the RAAF wont be getting rid of A8-147 just a managed loan of the aircraft i imagine. There is simply no way that the aircraft can be serviceable when delivered to EH. In fact im pretty sure that in addition to being U/S it will have been modified so it can never be made serviceable again. I also imagine the dangerous and controlled materials will have been removed from the aircraft.

 

Its why the majority have been dug into landfill near ipswich after being similarly modified. And the display aircraft likely at some point in the far future will join them i imagine.