A Klausman – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB03/06/202306/06/2023

Aviation Heritage Vol. 54 No. 2 (June 2023) Contents Listing

The latest quarterly AHSA journal - Aviation Heritage - has recently been posted to members. The contents of all articles are listed below: Aviation...

1958 The first RAAF C-130A Hercules Aircraft arrived at RAAF Richmond on 13 December 1958. After World War 2, the RAAF transport fleet was largely based around the aging Dakota aircraft. By the early 1950’s, the RAAF was looking for a replacement transport aircraft with greater cargo capacity and range as part of its major fleet replacement. The RAAF evaluated the Blackburn Beverley (a British aircraft) and the American C-123 Provider and C-130 Hercules before selecting on the C-130A Hercules aircraft in 1955. In 1957, a decision was made to purchase 12 C-130A Hercules aircraft with a contract signed in October. The aircraft were produced at the Lockheed plant at Marietta, Georgia. Between December 1958 and January 1959, the RAAF ferried the new RAAF Hercules aircraft from the co-located Dobbins Air Force Base at Marietta to Australia. On 13 December 1958, the first RAAF C-130A Hercules arrived at RAAF Base Richmond in Australia to much fanfare. In receiving its first Hercules aircraft just after the US Air Force accepted its first C-130 aircraft, the RAAF became the first international operator of the Hercules. Source: airforce.gov.AU

1981 Beechcraft 35-C33 A VH-FBM crashed 15km north-east of Cassilis, NSW on 13 December 1981. The pilot and passengers were on the return leg of a flight begun earlier that day, flying from Coolangatta, Queensland to Canberra, ACT. The weather forecast the pilot had obtained included reference to a frontal passage, which would be followed by low cloud, rain and thunderstorm activity. The flight evidently proceeded normally for about two hours, by which time the aircraft was to the south-west of Tamworth. At this point, the pilot reported that he was returning to Tamworth, however, this transmission finished abruptly and nothing further was heard from the aircraft. The wreckage was subsequently located two days later, close to the planned track. The aircraft had struck a ridge 2200 feet above mean sea level, while banked steeply to the right and descending. No defect was subsequently found with the aircraft which might have contributed to the development of the occurrence. At the time of the accident weather conditions in the area were poor, with layers of thick cloud and an embedded cumulo nimbus or large cumulus present. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating, and had only limited experience on the type and on relatively high performance aircraft in general. It was probable that the aircraft was cruising between cloud layers when the pilot noticed deteriorating conditions ahead. While attempting to turn away from these conditions, the pilot probably inadvertently entered the cloud. Control of the aircraft was then lost when the pilot was confronted with a lack of visual reference in turbulent conditions. Sources: ATSB investigation report 198101502; aviation-safety.net website