Here's a bit of (my) history.

[red750]

Going through a box of slides, I came across this photo of me preflighting a Piper Cherokee with my brother looking totally disinterested. That brother is now a retired Police Detective Superintendent.

 

[red750]

Date on the slide - July 1970.

[Thruster88]

Do you have the reg on that pa28, always curious if the old ones are still flying.  

[red750]

If I ever find my logbook, I'll look it up.

[Yenn]

Back in those days who did you study the theory with?

A few years ago I did a BFR with an old CFI and we both used the College of Knowledge. He was the best instructor I have ever encountered and I put it down to that training.

[facthunter]

The ones with the RED covers?   You would send your work to them to be marked . Probably as good as anything since. Nev

[turboplanner]

16 hours ago, red750 said:

Going through a box of slides, I came across this photo of me preflighting a Piper Cherokee with my brother looking totally disinterested. That brother is now a retired Police Detective Superintendent.

 

Snappy dress there!

[red750]

Yep. Back in the days of sports jackets.

[red750]

Here's one even older. Dated 28/01/1960  When there was a stand of trees on Moorabbin Airport.

 

 

 

[red750]

2 hours ago, Yenn said:

Back in those days who did you study the theory with?

Don't recall their name. Classrooms on Glenferrie Road Glenferrie, near the old Hawthorn footy ground.

[Old Koreelah]

2 hours ago, red750 said:

Here's one even older. Dated 28/01/1960  When there was a stand of trees on Moorabbin Airport.

 

 

 

 

Red is that a special axle joining the main wheels?

[Thruster88]

History of that Mustang 

http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/VH-FCB.html

 

History of the Musketeer VH-CTV that can be seen in Reds first pic

http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/VH-CTV.html

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Thruster88

[red750]

2 hours ago, Old Koreelah said:

Red is that a special axle joining the main wheels?

No idea Old K, I as only a fresh-faced 16 y.o. with a camera, hadn't had my first flight at that stage. Knew nothing about aircaft.

[red750]

A few more in the box - Laverton air show, Canberra, Vulcan, Lightnings. Might be a couple of weeks before I can scan and digitise them. Also another one of the Mustang.

[facthunter]

That bar is probably used so you can tow the plane on the ground and move it around. easily. Nev

[Old Koreelah]

Yes Nev, that seems the obvious reason. Those long legs would have benefited from cross-bracing on bumpy ground.

 

[peterg]

45 minutes ago, facthunter said:

That bar is probably used so you can tow the plane on the ground and move it around. easily. Nev

Exactly what it was used for - I used to work in the hangar next door to Civil around that time. If I remember correctly that Mustang and another was flown by "Black Jack" McDonald and maybe Terry Brain (who ferried the Firefly in that now resides in the YMMB Museum).

Used to be a black Mustang too that Jack flew I think.

 

By far the best Mustang at YMMB was the one owned by Don Busch VH-DBB - sadly involved in an accident at YBDG in 1970. Don also owned a Chippie VH-DBS which was in beautiful condition.

 

 

[rgmwa]

I remember many years ago, around the late 50's or early 60's, there was a Mustang parked in front of a service station on the highway between Geelong and Melbourne. 

I was pretty young at the time but I think it was somewhere around Avalon on that side of the highway. Anyone know anything about it?

[red750]

This popped up on the Vintage Bonanzas Facebook page. I had that happen once, while doing circuits at Moorabbin.

 

[GraemeK]

Happened to me once in a Warrior on climb out. No biggie, just get things settled in cruise and then shut it properly! 

[GraemeK]

2 hours ago, rgmwa said:

I remember many years ago, around the late 50's or early 60's, there was a Mustang parked in front of a service station on the highway between Geelong and Melbourne. 

I was pretty young at the time but I think it was somewhere around Avalon on that side of the highway. Anyone know anything about it?

It was at the Shell servo at Laverton, but I don't know any of its history!

[rgmwa]

That's the one.  I have a vague recollection of being told that it was owned by the guy who owned the servo, but he'd lost his licence or maybe the plane was grounded but there was some reason he couldn't fly it, so he parked it out the front.

 

[facthunter]

At one stage they were not permitted to be flown in Australia.  Same with Sea Furies. I looked at buying one for 400 Pounds with 4 hours on it at Tocumwal in the 60's. (Think it was in Pounds. ). Arnold Glass (a race car driver ) had a red one it think. Illawarra used a crappy one for Banner towing. Eric Greathead flew that. It "dropped' into West Maitland a few times. Only had water as coolant. Hard to train on single seat . Jack MacDonald flew up from Essendon to Mudgee to put on an aerobatic show I attended in the 60's. HE had a bit of a collection of desirable aircraft and mucked about with Historic Racing motorbikes if I recall correctly. 

[rgmwa]

3 hours ago, facthunter said:

 I looked at buying one for 400 Pounds with 4 hours on it at Tocumwal in the 60's. (Think it was in Pounds. ). 

Based on 1960 values, that's about $12,500 in today's money according to Google. Bargain!!

[facthunter]

Equal to about fifteen Tiger Moths also. Nev