willedoo

I don't recall seeing that one around anywhere, it would be good to watch if it shows up. This History Channel doco on P-38's is good viewing, it must be a few years old going by the age of the veterans being interviewed. It's in three parts, Part 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9_-_W-KUlc Part 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRmrm2R5jHs Part 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcMLW9ZGIvo This is another interesting one, a 1943 P-38 flight training film, about 35 minutes in length. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilArlZzLW-U Cheers, Willie.

Need new glasses, myself. I missed that part about the turboprop, had to go back for another look. Cheers, Willie.

That might be this one , Darren, although the snow seems to be missing. It just seems unbelievable that they would do that. The strip would have a hard base, but looks like a lot of slop on top. It must keep the maintainence crew busy. Cheers, Willie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_z4X7nhZ74

A UTair An-24 taking off in the mud.

A few pics from Toowoomba. Cheers, Willie.

Found a photo of it with the same paint job as when it had the crash. [ATTACH=full]1414[/ATTACH] Cheers, Willie.

I played that short clip a few times, siz; pity it wasn't a higher resolution. First thing that looked suspicious, the country looks different. Plus the people on the beach also don't seemed to be dressed for Alaska, but I suppose places can still have warm days with snow still on the peaks. Googling around it all seems to point to a crash in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, during filming of a segment for 'Endless Summer ll'. Here's one forum reference to it, http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/print.main?id=2552917 If it's true, I'd guess the pilot, Hoot Gibson, wouldn't be the same one that flew space shuttles. Cheers, Willie. Edit: this looks like how they incorporated it into the movie. a bit more detail, http://grummangoosecentral.homestead.com/1184.html

Good one, Peter. Didn't win the 70 million on Tuesday, so it looks like I won't be buying one now. Guess Youtube will just have to do for a while. Cheers, Willie.

It would be good if someone shot some video of the Pearl Aviation Turbo Mallards operating out of Truscott in the Kimberleys. It's supposed to be a fairly busy airfield these days, between the pearls & the rigs. I guess those pods would have to be fuel, Geoff. Haven't seen photos of any others with them. Cheers, Willie.

Grumman Goose beaching at Crescent Lake, Alaska.

It was on the news tonight that Major General Alan Stretton passed away on friday night at the age of 90. He was one of the few Australians to rise from the ranks to become a general officer, having enlisted as a private in 1940. He went on to officer training and in 1945, fought at Balikpapan as a lieutenant in the 2/9th. Battalion, AIF. His appointments included Commanding Officer Australian Battalion, Malaya (1961-63); Chief of Staff, Australian Force, Vietnam (1969-70); and Member of the Australian National Intelligence Committee (1972-74). He was also Commander, Darwin Relief Operation, following Cyclone Tracy. I had the honour and pleasure of meeting Alan Stretton a few years ago in Brisbane at the final 2/9th. Battalion Association reunion, where he was the guest speaker. He was a very entertaining and dignified speaker, and a true gentleman. After the speeches, he went around to everyone in the room, one by one, introducing himself, shaking hands and having a bit of a yarn. I'd guess with his personality that he would have been well liked by those under his command, and with his appearance, height, and general manner, I couldn't help but notice the similarity to Weary Dunlop. He was a good man, and served his country in a long and distinguished career. Cheers, Willie. [ATTACH=full]1408[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]18277[/ATTACH]

A bit about Sikorsky's planned Raider S-97, a possible Kiowa replacement. http://www.popularmechanics.com/how-to/blog/sikorsky-to-build-superfast-military-grade-helo-14095743?click=pm_latest http://raider.sikorsky.com/

That's interesting, Peter, thanks. MS seem to do eye candy well. I can relate to it a bit, being an XP user myself. Cheers, Willie.

Link to an article with photos of the new Ilushin Il-76 MD-90A or Il-476. The article is in Russian, but there's some good construction photos at the bottom of the page, click on the thumbnails to expand. There's also some photos of the recent first flight test. http://www.aex.ru/docs/3/2012/10/17/1650/ It's basically the original airframe, but has a re-designed wing for better lift, new avionics and glass cockpit, and new high bypass PS-90 engines. These deliver better range, fuel economy, noise reduction, and meet all ICAO requirements. At least they should be able to fly into the countries that the old ones are banned from and we might even get to see them here eventually. It's the first time the Il-76 is being built in Russia, and production is well under way at the Aviastar-SP plant at Ulyanovsk, east of Moscow. It's the same plant that built some of the An-124's. Cheers, Willie. [ATTACH=full]1407[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]18276[/ATTACH]

Great video Peter, thanks for posting it. Nice sound, the 5 cylinder certainly has a sound of it's own. Interesting also to see the safety procedures with the bloke tightening the loose panel under the engine. You can just see someone else's arm behind him to make sure he doesn't go backwards into the prop. Cheers, Willie.

A very smokey attempted engine start on a Mi-1 helicopter undergoing restoration. The engine is a 575 HP seven cylinder radial Ivchenko Al-26 (M-26). It has an interesting lineage going back to the Wright Cyclone 9, license built in the Soviet Union as the Shvetsov M-25. This engine was improved as the Shvetsov ASh-62 (M-62), in the same 9 cylinder configuration and later developed into the 14 cylinder twin row ASh-82 (M-82). The M-82 powered many different aircraft, including the famous Lavochkin La-5 and La-7. The Al-26 is one, 7 cylinder row of the M-82 adapted to helicopter use. It was still being built in the 1960's in Poland as the PZL-3S. Apparently one Air Tractor was built with this engine as the AT-401A. [ATTACH=full]1394[/ATTACH] Cheers, Willie.

Starting the radial engined Kamov Ka-26 Hoodlum.

It was a good show, Dazza, worth watching. There must be a fairly big demand for Lake Eyre flights these days. I haven't been to William Creek in almost 30 years, things seem to have changed a bit with tourism since then.

Just finished watching Landline on the ABC. They had an interesting bit on women pilots, featuring charter operators from William Creek and Birdsville. It's up on their website as well. http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2012/s3605419.htm Cheers, Willie.

The Sydney service has been around probably for a couple of months now, with fairly solid bookings so I'm told. The fares are pretty good when you compare the 2 hrs.+ drive to Brisbane, parking fees etc. Not sure how long the flight is, but it would be the better alternative for sure. Certainly adds to the plane spotting experience here being in the flight path. We already have the Trojans and T6's flying formation overhead most weekends, plus all the flight training and recreational aircraft. Getting to watch the -8's on approach is a new bonus. Cheers, Willie.

Sounds good, Dazza. I'd guess Skytrans would do it. Cheers, Willie.

Russian Air Force commander, Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev has banned pilots from buzzing motorways after a video of a low flying Su-24 appeared on the internet. http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20120926/176244755.html The video: http://en.rian.ru/video/20120905/175783789.html Jeez, they're only having a bit of fun. Cheers, Willie.

Maybe we could pretend it's a little Merlin. Truly amazing, thanks Peter. Can't help but wonder what the tolerances are like. Cheers, Willie.

Formerly RAAF Explosives Reserve, Kowguran, manned by 3 Central Reserve, RAAF, Possum Park nowdays is a tourist accommodation park. Out of the original 20 underground bomb storage bunkers, 4 have been converted to self-contained motel units. Cabins and powered caravan sites are available as well as converted troop train carriages. Nice quiet place to chill out with a bit of history. Underground bunker/motel unit. The bunkers are strung out around the ring road and have a lot of privacy, peace and quiet as they are some distance from the main campground. Sitting outside around the barbeque at night, you could be forgiven for thinking you where the only people there. [ATTACH=full]1369[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1370[/ATTACH] One of the 16 bunkers not converted to accommodation. [ATTACH=full]1371[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1372[/ATTACH] Kowguran was a central reserve, not a replentishment centre. There was the usual debate about where to site it. Emerald was on the list, but when it was realised that work on Kowguran was already underway, the present site won out. [ATTACH=full]1373[/ATTACH] Some wartime photos. [ATTACH=full]1374[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1376[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1375[/ATTACH] Kowguran is sited on a hill with a ring road connecting the bunkers. The area which today houses the caravan park, campsite, cabins & other facilities was the original parade ground. Possum Park is 20klm. north of Miles on the Leichardt Highway. A couple of links, http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/ozatwar/possumpark.htm http://www.possumpark.com.au/ Cheers, Willie. [ATTACH]18270[/ATTACH]

Visited Miles Aerodrome, Western Downs, Qld. on the weekend. Formally Condamine Airfield, it was one of the strategic dispersal strips constructed on the Darling Downs. These were to be used by U.S. B-24 Liberator squadrons to fall back to in the event of Japanese invasion. It's a bit ironic in that Condamine was the only one of the four never used, but is the only one in use today. The airstrip is about 20klm. south of Mies on the Leichardt highway. It consisted of two main strips, 42 degrees( 7000' x 150') and 135 degrees ( 5000' x 150' ) magnetic. The 42 degrees strip is the current Miles Airport. [ATTACH=full]1359[/ATTACH] WW2 aerial photo shows the two main strips and 50' taxiways. What is now the Leichardt Highway, provided a long central north/south taxiway connecting the main strips and the two east/west taxiways. [ATTACH=full]1360[/ATTACH] Current satellite image shows Miles Aerodrome. The southernmost strip & taxiway are still visible, but like a lot of these, are very hard to see on the ground. [ATTACH=full]1361[/ATTACH] The airstrip looking east. Had to climb up a big pile of gravel to take the photo over the security fence. It's unsealed with a sealed patch each end. There's talk of an upgrade, extension & sealing to enable Origin FIFO operations. Maybe we'll see Dash 8's there. [ATTACH=full]1362[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1363[/ATTACH] This is the section where the southernmost strip joins the Leichardt Highway section of taxiway. Walking through the grass, the pea gravel surfacing is evident & it's still slightly formed above natural ground level. [ATTACH=full]1364[/ATTACH] The remains of the southern 135 degree strip looking west. [ATTACH=full]1366[/ATTACH] The lower of the two east/west taxiways, connecting the old southern strip to the highway. Fairly evident even after 70 years by the traces of forming & gravel, and a slight change in vegetation. [ATTACH=full]1365[/ATTACH] The section of the Leichardt Highway that was the main north/south taxiway. It was possibly just called the Miles/Condamine road back then and wasn't sealed. [ATTACH=full]1367[/ATTACH] Old Farm Road, which was the northernmost of the east/west taxiways. Complete with the ever present CSG rig. [ATTACH=full]1368[/ATTACH] After all this caper, it was off to Possum Park for the night to take in a bit more RAAF history. Cheers, Willie. [ATTACH]18268[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]18269[/ATTACH]