ww2 relics and pilots licence

[Guest flying high]

hi guys

 

im interested in getting my pilots licence im in qld australia can anyone tell me the easiest way to do this also i would like to meet people that already have a plane and licence to either tag along or get help so that i may fly soon too has anyone flown out of the island around qld ,s coast im looking for a map of all the small island but i can find one im a bit of an adventurist and would like to explore some of the small island around australia and the top end & ppng were the war ww2 ventured to as i think it would be cool to look at all the relics all the best rob

 

 

[Guest aircraft1]

The small island off the coast of Australia is called New Zealand, i am sure there are some maps around showing this place although not many people go there. Most of the people are relics

 

 

[planedriver]

The small island off the coast of Australia is called New Zealand, i am sure there are some maps around showing this place although not many people go there. Most of the people are relics

Except the nice one's who contribute to these forums, and those who are about to.

 

Sounds like you might be better off with a boat, as many of the Islands don't have airstrips, plus some of the natives might not be overly friendly.

 

Seriously though, I'd suggest you call into your local flying clubs for a coffee and a chat and take it from there. They would be able to advise you where the local pilot shops are, where you can buy the maps you require.

 

Good luck

 

 

[poteroo]

The big island North of you is PNG, and all of the accessible WW2 aircraft are long gone to museums and rebuilders around the world. It's also most inhospitable terrain, and a newly certificated RAAus pilot stooging around at low level, gawking at the scenery would be fairly risky. Finding WW2 wrecks wasn't easy in the 60's, and I guess it's harder now.

 

Besides, the PNG authorities are a bit choosy about who gets in there to fly around these days, and operational requirements are onerous. Personal security is a big concern in most parts too.

 

Think about it again after you've learned to fly, and have some decent experience, because those mountains in PNG are up to 7 times higher than the Blackall Ranges just inland of you.

 

happy days,

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Many aircraft were lost along the coast of far nth queensland dueing world war two.

 

most possibly ended up in the ocean, some just got lost and followed the coast line around the gulf and dissappeared, some are laying in the rainforests and hills. In the late nighties when i was in the Whitsundays, Rangers came across a B25 (with crew remains) just nth of Mackay, this got my interest up.

 

There are a few urban myths that pop up every few years like the underground bunker in Townsville that is supposed to have several B25's ready to go in there. i have my own theory on it's location. Another is Charlotte Bay several hundred K's nth of Cairns. if you do your research you will find that even tho all the easily located aircraft have been found there are still hundreds that have not been accounted for. If you do come across something remember it may be a war grave and should be treated with respect and not robbed. There are also a few sites scattered along the nth coast. One near Proserpine was a chemical warfare research centre. Bowen was the base for the Catalina "Blackcats" and i spent some time in the local museum and talking to a few older locals, you will find that just the hunt is a lot of fun. finding a scrap or two is a bonus.

 

Have fun

 

Ozzie

 

 

[Guest flying high]

ozzie you seem to have a real interest and a good knowledge of lost planes iv done a bit of research on american downed planes but the yanks "officialy" didnt keep records of many downed planes on australian or ppng teritory which is a shame does anyone know were to find better info on planes that went missing obviously planes that were reported missing no survivors are what your looking for im going to do my first search for a plane on the east coast anyone got any suggestions for a good first project to look for i reckon the exercise would be good walking threw the jungle anyway im getting a bit fat iv got a mate also who is a master diver so looking for not to deep off shore planes may be an option too i wont burn as much fat doing it but the thrill would be just as good just less chance of it being intact:thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

you will possibly have to cross match records. search for the missing aircrew then find were they operated from what aircraft they flew then use that info to locate the serial number of the aircraft if the information matches then you have a starting point. record keeping was pretty accuate thousands of aircraft and crew really needed to be kept track of. did that aircraft really go missing or did the crew just want out of the war. the british love this sort of thing and are experts with record keeping. now with the internet it information must be more accessable.

 

ozzie

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Flying High - Here is a possible very easy starter for you - don't even have to go out into the wilds.

 

How would you like a completely intact Walrus (assuming the wood has not rotted away)?

 

With the recent drought the dam levels of both Somerset and Wivenhoe became very low. Low enough for the water authorities to start talking about draining Somerset completely and doing maintenance on the dam wall - which has not been serviced since it was built.

 

A story immediately emerged in nearby Kilcoy that 'maybe they will find the Walrus'.

 

It is alleged that during the war a Walrus amphibian alighted on the dam quite normally but later sank at its moorings. They were never able to find it so just left it there - there was no crew on it and at most it would only have been carrying a single machine gun.

 

However we got some good rain and the dam refilled quickly so was never drained.

 

If in fact it is there then it will be about 60' down!

 

Happy Hunting.

 

Tony

 

 

[Guest flying high]

i have never heard that story i will have a look around on the internet for asomething about it but yeh thats a great place to start a couple of the guys have been talking about bunkers in townsville and lost planes in mackay this lake or dam did they say were it was moored on the dam iv got a mate who is a scuba diver very experienced too would you have to get government aproval do you reckon? thenx heaps for the info:thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Hmmm! Bear in mind this may be just an urban myth but I had not heard of it and it surfaced very rapidly with the unusually low dam levels.

 

 

The loss of a Walrus just by sinking would not have been a big deal in those days. Nobody would have been injured, it was not a crash, it was not even a ‘dramatic’ aircraft like a Cat or Sunderland – even though in itself it would have cost a lot. It was merely an Air Sea Rescue/Communications type. Something easily forgotten when so many were being lost in far more horrible circumstances.

 

 

From the tiny story that I got it went down close to the dam wall or in that area anyway – but there would have been no logic in anchoring it too far off shore if the crew anyway got off it?????

 

 

I doubt there are any internet stories to chase up about the alleged “Somerset Walrus†but there may be a lot there and that is part of finding lost aircraft – which I assume you are interested in?

 

 

The aircraft would have had to have been on an inventory somewhere and would have to have been SOC’d after its loss. That should be there and should be findable. That would confirm that the aircraft is there – if a location is given, as it should be – but would it?

 

 

That is a big part of the hunt. It is not tramping through jungles etc and stumbling across something then finding out what it is, but getting leads and following them up by good quality research – as Ozzie has indicated. Go talk to the locals who remember.

 

 

Is there a Walrus at the bottom of Somerset somewhere near the dam wall? I do not know – just passing on a lead. If there is then it went down totally serviceable and entirely intact. What is left of the canvas and wood main airframe is conjecture but there should be a lot of it left!

 

 

Permissions? Somerset is a recreational reserve under the charge of the Qld water authorities. Somerset itself permits recreation power boating, water skiing etc so I doubt that any form of scuba activity for exploration would be a problem.

 

 

However if you found it and wanted to lift it then that may be a different matter. But you can do anything if you want to!

 

 

Tony