Photos of Bankstown Airport pre-1990

[old man emu]

I'm trying to get an idea of what Bankstown Airport was like prior to 1990. Does anyone have aerial photos of the airport fom way back when? I'm most interested in the section of the airport near the Milperra Rd/Henry Lawson Drive. That would take in the 18/36 runway and Chieftan Flying School areas.

 

I'd also be interested in photos that showed the extent of military buildings from the 1940s till they were demolished.

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[kevinfrost]

In 69 myself and two mates were learning to fly at Bankstown with a crowd called

 

Chieftain Aviation. I often wonder what happened to the mustang that was mounted on a pole outside the office. $16 an hr back then in a Cherokee. When we come back from overseas 12 months later it was $32. Only 18 at the time, got my priorities right, woman, booze and partying won out at the time.

 

 

[old man emu]

I started my training with Chieftain in 1970 in a C150. Was paying $17 per hour dual.

 

I'm sure the plane on the pole was a Vampire. There was a Mustang operating out of Illawarra. I think it was VH-BOY. There was another one hangared over on the Marions Street side of the airport, just can't think of its Rego.

 

OME

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

I worked out of chieftans hanger in 93. yep it was a vampire on the stick. could the mustang have been vh bob. my grandparents had a farm in riverside rd chipping norton when i was a toddler. i remember being woken up to vampires being run up. noisy things. there was also a midair between two of them almost overhead. I was at the front gate when it happened i can still remember the boom when one hit the ground across the road. when my parents house was built at Panania we used to catch the bus outside Chieftans club house It was a very active place in the 60's

 

When working on the airport i used to have tea at the Royal Aero Club on friday nights. they have a great collection of photos. I spent a lot of time looking at them. maybe they can help you out. Also try the museum near KFC.

 

Ozzie

 

 

[old man emu]

I'm told that when the Royal folded, its memorabilia was scattered to the Four Winds.

 

I'm looking for photos which show that south-western corner of the airport, and the Milperra Road boundary. I'm told that area was used for many years as a dump.

 

OME

 

 

[mechfx]

At the Wedderburn open day yesterday there was a book for sale on the history of Bankstown airport.

 

Anyone happen to buy it or know about it ? Maybe some pics in there ????

 

cheers

 

Art

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Get in touch with the Lands Department (or NSW equivalent) and get hold of the aerial photography for the date you want. Aerials are taken at about 5 year intervals at about 40,000 ft and are very useful for all sorts of things. I use them to track the migration and behaviour of rivers in my work.

 

Cheers, Qwerty

 

 

[waltinbundy]

hi all, wally horsman here. i have some old shots, if interested get in touch.

 

 

[bull]

I started my training with Chieftain in 1970 in a C150. Was paying $17 per hour dual.I'm sure the plane on the pole was a Vampire. There was a Mustang operating out of Illawarra. I think it was VH-BOY. There was another one hangared over on the Marions Street side of the airport, just can't think of its Rego.

 

OME

agreed Emu, the plane was a vampire, climbed all over it as akid. Also on the eastern side used to be several old dc3,sand a minibike track with the wreckage of two light aircraft that hadcollided in approach, and they just left the burnt out planes there

 

 

[Methusala]

I remember the Mustang that was used for towing target drones. Used to drive past occasionally. There was also a DC-2 parked in that corner. Identifiable by the 2 landing lights embedded in the nose. That was around '69 or '70. Don

 

 

[red750]

I flew with Chieftain between 1975 and 1978. Unless they changed it the gatekeeper was a Navy Sea Venom. I flew a Cherokee 140 , Grumman Tiger, Cherokee Arrow and C182.

 

I recall doing a BFR out towards Warragamba Dam in this very aircraft :

 

 

 

[flyhi]

I flew with Chieftain between 1975 and 1978. Unless they changed it the gatekeeper was a Navy Sea Venom. I flew a Cherokee 140 , Grumman Tiger, Cherokee Arrow and C182.I recall doing a BFR out towards Warragamba Dam in this very aircraft :

 

[ATTACH=full]46709[/ATTACH]

I did a check flight in VH-CUC late 1967. Chieftain had only just started then and the aircraft was brand new.

Did most of my flying then at Aircraft Rentals.

 

 

[Ron5335]

Ah the memories !!

 

Back in the 70's you had to book your lesson about a week ahead, then arrive and sit in the

 

lounge area and wait your turn.

 

It was more like a modern day medical clinic where multiple instructors would come and get

 

the next student.

 

Then there was the big Xmas party held in the adjacent hanger.

 

 

[JEM]

In the 70s? the mustang target towers were VH BOZ and BOY. The DC2 was CDZ, later a Sea Venom at Chieftain. On the highway corner in the 60s was the Marshall Airways (Sid Marshall) joy flights area with the Anson and DC2 flying. I took a ride in the Anson.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[old man emu]

I did my initial training with Chieftain starting in 1970. I trained on C150's and didn't get into a PA-28 until many years later.

 

The school really hummed back then. I was lucky to have been able to fly during the week, so I had the same instructor 90% of the time. The only time I can really remember flying with anyone else was when I was having trouble with crosswind landings. The CFI came up with me and I can still remember his patter:

 

You can drive a car, can't you?

 

Yes.

 

Well, use your rudder to keep the nose into wind, then steer the plane along the centreline with the yoke like you would steer a car along the road. My first landing using that technique was a greaser.

 

I remember the presentation nights when the school presented First Solo certificates and a set of cuff links to the fledglings. I've still got both.

 

The only thing I didn't like about the school was that it was lined with Western Red Cedar, and the smell of the oil made me nauseous. Not a big help to a person who was prone to air sickness.

 

OME

 

 

[red750]

My memory is a bit rusty, but I think I recall a pool table in the clubroom?

 

 

[GAFA]

My memory is a bit rusty, but I think I recall a pool table in the clubroom?

I learnt to fly at Illawarra Aviation (Chieftain's sister school on the other side of the airport) in the early 90's and then went on to Instruct at Illawarra. Yes there was a pool table in the clubroom.

 

 

[Darracq]

I'm told that when the Royal folded, its memorabilia was scattered to the Four Winds.

OME

Hi

When the RAeCNSW folded many of the items were given to the clubs historian. He donated all the records and related to the state library before he died. You may ant to look there.

 

The rest of his collection which centered on the clubs history were passed to his son who put some of the items up on eBay.

 

I have tried to buy as much as I could afford just to keep it togeather.

 

To me this is an important representation of Australia's golden age of aviation.

 

Cheers, Stephen.

 

 

[planedriver]

I learnt to fly at Illawarra Aviation (Chieftain's sister school on the other side of the airport) in the early 90's and then went on to Instruct at Illawarra. Yes there was a pool table in the clubroom.

You sound to me like Garry who used to serve me at the Shell servo in Baulko to earn a bit of extra money while going for your commercial?

If so, this is Eric's dad Alan. Thought you were in Tamworth.

 

 

[facthunter]

Eric Greathead flew the drogue towing mustang, for Illawarra I think.. I flew at Bankstown from about 61 on. It was an all over field mostly. There may have been a strip on one edge for De Hav's ( Down the Eastern side?) The Aero club was active then. Peter Lloyd etc Nev

 

 

[Oscar]

My brother flew his Auster J5G to De Hav's most days to work, from around 1988 -1990 plus. Tied it down usually on the helicopter test pad. Used a taxiway coming from the river mostly for landing..

 

 

[Howard1972]

Does anyone know what happened to NAVAIR Aviation at Bankstown? I did my PPL with them in 1996/97 and need to check on some documentation.

 

Cheers,

 

Howard Saunders