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Aviation Historical Society of Australia
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Author: DerekB

I'm a mechanical engineer by training, and I've spent most of my career in materials - engineering plastics first, then composites (fibreglass and carbon fibre materials). My aviation interests are centred on the CAC Wirraway, Boomerang and Ceres. I've published a book about the Ceres and I'm working on a manuscript for a Wirraway book.
DerekB21/10/202006/12/2021

AHSA Monthly Meeting 21 October 2020 (Tony Wheeler: The Great Airline Bazaar / London to Melbourne In 22 Hops)

Tony Wheeler (co-founder of Lonely Planet guides) gave a presentation "The Great Airline Bazaar" covering his extraordinary 22-flight journey from London to Melbourne. The...
DerekB29/09/202027/12/2022

Australian-built Aircraft and the Industry (Vol 2) by Keith Meggs

The latest book released by author Keith Meggs Volume 2 of this encyclopaedic work (containing only one chapter, being chapter 15, spread across two...
DerekB16/09/202027/12/2022

AHSA Monthly Meeting 16 Sep 2020 (Derek Buckmaster: The Wirraway “Newspaper War”)

Derek Buckmaster gave a presentation on The Wirraway "Newspaper War". The AHSA September monthly meeting was held online via Zoom. A recording of the...
Cover image: Aviation Heritage Vol 51 No 3
DerekB01/09/202026/04/2021

Aviation Heritage Volume 51 Number 3 contents listing

The latest quarterly edition (September 2020) of the AHSA journal - Aviation Heritage - has recently been hosted to members. Full contents listing: Aviation...
DerekB19/08/202006/12/2021

AHSA Monthly Meeting 19 August 2020 (Phil Vabre: The Empire Air Mail Scheme In Operation 1938-39)

Phil Vabre gave a presentation on The Empire Air Mail Scheme In Operation 1938-39. The August 2020 monthly meeting of the AHSA was held...
DerekB15/07/202014/07/2022

AHSA Monthly Meeting 15 July 2020 (Roger McKay: Jet Fighter Evolution)

Squadron Leader Roger McKay gave a presentation on the evolution of jet fighter design, explaining the development from "first generation" to "fifth generation" designs....
DerekB30/06/202021/12/2021

Aviation Heritage Volume 51 Number 2 contents listing

The latest quarterly edition (June 2020) of the AHSA journal - Aviation Heritage - has been posted to members. Full contents listing: Aviation Heritage...
DerekB11/06/202006/12/2021

AHSA Monthly Meeting 11 June 2020 (Dr Ellen Stoddart: The Record-Setting Flights of the Perlan Glider)

Dr Ellen Stoddart gave a fascinating presentation covering the development and record-setting flights of the Perlan high-altitude glider. Ellen's son Morgan Sandercock is one...
Cover - CAC Ceres by Derek Buckmaster
DerekB08/06/202027/12/2022

CAC Ceres – Australia’s Heavyweight Cropduster by Derek Buckmaster

The Ceres agricultural aircraft was produced by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) in Australia from 1959 to 1963. A total of only 20 airframes were...
DerekB01/03/202021/12/2021

Aviation Heritage Volume 51 Number 1 contents listing

The latest quarterly edition (March 2020) of the AHSA journal - Aviation Heritage - has recently been posted to members. Full contents listing: Aviation...

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Welcome to the website of the Aviation Historical Society of Australia Inc.
The AHSA is dedicated to recording and promoting Australian aviation history. We find and tell the stories of how aviation (both civil and military) has contributed to the development of Australia and the experiences of Australian people.
To navigate around the site, select from the menu bar above, click on one of the updates below or choose one of the categories below.

On this day in Australian aviation history:

1920 Prime Minister W.M. Hughes presented the £10,000 prize to Sir Ross Smith on 27 February 1920 in Melbourne, following Smith's successful first flight from London to Melbourne along with his brother Sir Keith Smith and mechanics James Bennett and Walter Shiers. Ross decided that the prize should be shared equally among the four crew. Source: Aviation Heritage vol 47 no 3 September 2016
1942 CAC Wirraway A20-462 operated by the RAAF School of Army Co-operation crashed 5 miles South West of Bungendore on 27 February 1942 while on a map-reading exercise. There were 2 fatalities and the aircraft was written off. Source: NAA: A9186, 357
1943 Lockheed Hudson A16-212 operated by 13 Squadron RAAF crashed at Hughes Strip, NT at 1948 hrs on 27 February 1943. The aircraft was on a test flight by 1 RSU and crashed just off the runway threshold when making a dummy approach to the strip during bad weather and limited visibility. There were 4 fatalities and the aircraft was written off. Sources: ADF-Serials website and aviation-safety.net website
1944 Bristol Beaufighter Mk X A19-165 operated by 31 (City of Wagga Wagga) Squadron RAAF crashed at Coomalie, NT on 27 February 1944. A19-165 was the first Beaufighter received by 31 Sqn with feathering propellers. At 17.21 hours it took off from Coomalie NT on a test flight and circled the airstrip at low altitude when it suffered dual engine failure. The pilot attempted a belly landing but struck trees and burnt. There were 2 fatalities and the aircraft was w/o. Sources: ADF-Serials website and aviation-safety.net website
1986 Aero Commander 500S Shrike Commander VH-SDO operated by Aerodata/World Geoscience Corporation crashed 2km N of Canning Dam, Western Australia on 27 February 1986. There were 2 fatalities and the aircraft was written off. Source: aviation-safety.net website
2009 (Virgin) V-Australia received an air operator's certificate after undertaking proving flights for CASA. Boeing 777-300ER aircraft were to be used on the trans-Pacific route and the airline hoped to expand to South Africa. Source: V Australia, Australia's new international airline takes off: a new era for trans Pacific travel, media release, Sydney, 27 February 2009. via aph.gov.au website

Ansett Flying Boat Services Ballarat Beaufighter Bellanca 28/70 Bill Bedford Boeing Brinsmead Bronco CAC CAC Boomerang CAC Ceres CAC Mustang CAC Wackett Trainer CAC Wirraway CAC Woomera Chartair Cyclone Tracy DAP DC-3 DCA DH.50 DH60 Moth Duigan Memorial Lecture Eric Bonar Essington Lewis Eyre Peninsula Airways GAF Guinea Airways Halestorm JC Fitzmaurice Junkers F13 Lawrence Wackett Macchi Meteor Michael Smith Outlook Percival Proctor Qantas RAF 205 Squadron RFD Winged Target Roy Goon Sid Marshall Smithy (movie) Supermarine Southampton Target towing

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