Chartair – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB06/03/202303/06/2023

Aviation Heritage Vol. 54 No. 1 (March 2023) Contents Listing

The latest quarterly edition (March 2023) of the AHSA journal – Aviation Heritage – has recently been posted to members. The full contents are...

1934 Fourth place in the Handicap category of the MacRobertson International Air Races was won by Squadron Leader David Edmund Stodart, D.S.O., D.F.C. and Sergeant Ken G. Stodart flying the Airspeed Courier G-ACJL, race number 14, when they crossed the finish line over Flemington Racecourse at 12:55am on 30 October 1934. Their actual flying time was 100 hours 24 mins 6 seconds which, less their Handicap allowance of 20 hours 51 mins 26 secs, gave them a handicap time of 79 hours, 32 mins 30 seconds, only a few minutes slower than Melrose who took third place. It was reported in “Aircraft” that “During the race the Stodarts met more than their share of bad weather which smashed a window and left much of the fabric surface in a soggy condition. On arrival in Melbourne the Courier was flown across to the civil aerodrome (Essendon) and new fabric was fitted on each wing extending from the wing roots to the inner edge of the ailerons.” Jimmy Melrose also arrived in Melbourne on 30 October, taking third place in the Handicap category. Although he arrived after the Stodarts, he placed higher due to the higher handicap of his slower aircraft, a de Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth VH-UQO. He was awarded the prize money for second place, since Scott and Black had entered both categories, but chose to take the prize money for the Speed category. Melrose was one of two solo pilots in the race (the other was Donald Campbell Shaw) and was the only Australian to win a prize. Source: Aviation Heritage Vol 24 Nos 1 & 2, 1984

1934 While competing in the Handicap category of the MacRobertson International Air Races in their Lambert Monocoupe NR501W "Baby Ruth", John H. Wright and John Polando, representing the U.S.A. withdrew from racing in Calcutta, India on 30 October 1934. They encountered weather problems over France (as did many other competitors) and also suffered from carburettor icing which caused further concern. They had reached Aleppo by October 22 which indicated that the speedy little machine was making good time, but it was recorded that there they suffered from “petrol feed trouble”. In fact, on the Rome-Athens leg they had only just made the Greek coast and had been forced to land in Southern Aetolia after a fuel pump failure over the Adriatic Sea. This problem was to plague them for some time, and it is presumed that it is what forced them down again in the Persian desert while they were on the Baghdad-Jask leg. Wright and Polando succeeded in struggling on as far as Calcutta, but there decided to withdraw from the race. Source: Aviation Heritage Vol 24 Nos 1 & 2, 1984

1990 The Commonwealth's formalised economic regulation of the domestic airline industry was eliminated with the abolition of the two-airline policy on 30 October 1990. However, operational and safety regulatory frameworks were retained and a number of the States continued to regulate intrastate services. In December, the operation of Compass Airlines started, to challenge the Australian/Qantas and Ansett airlines duopoly. Source: Transport and Telecommunications Reform Prime Ministerial Statement House Hansard 8 November 1990. via aph.gov.au website

1996 A large newspaper advertisement published at the end of October 1996 listed 512 names and requested the CASA board members to stand aside. It was later found to be sponsored by the Aircraft Owners' and Pilots' Association. It followed the publication of a letter by the CASA Chairman stating why the board should remain in full control despite Ministerial denigration. Meanwhile, CASA developed a program known as Airspace 2000 planned for introduction in 1998. The scheme aimed to achieve an ICAO standard with the use of systems safety, harmonisation and staged delivery. Source: Australian, 21, 23, 25 and 30 October 1996; Canberra Times, 23 and 31 October 1996. via aph.gov.au website