Duigan Memorial Lecture – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB26/10/202526/10/2025

2025 Duigan Memorial Lecture – Michael Smith

The Aviation Historical Society of Australia is pleased to announce the 2025 Duigan Memorial Lecture, to be held at the Duigan Centre, Brighton Grammar...

DerekB30/12/202431/12/2024

Outlook AHSA Newsletter December 2024

The December 2024 edition of Outlook / AHSA News was distributed to members recently. This edition can be read online in the viewer below....

1920 The first aircraft to fly from England to Australia reached Melbourne on 25 February 1920. Vickers Vimy G-EAOU, piloted by brothers Ross and Keith Smith with mechanics James Bennett and Walter Shiers had landed in Darwin on 12 December 1919. The flight from Darwin to Melbourne saw landings at Warlock Ponds, Cobb’s Creek, Anthony’s Lagoon, Brunette Downs, Avon Downs, Cloncurry, Longreach, Charleville, Bourke, Narromine, Sydney, Cootamundra, Henty, and Melbourne. Source: Aviation Heritage vol 47 no 3 September 2016

1929 de Havilland DH.60 Moth A7-12 operated by 3 Sqn RAAF crashed at RAAF Richmond, NSW on 25 February 1929. The aircraft struck trees on takeoff. Both Fltlt C.T. Anderson (Pilot) and AC1 L.L. Colless survived the accident however Colless died the next day. Sources: adf-serials website and aviation-safety.net website

1941 Formation of the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force: On 25 February 1941 the Minister for Air, John McEwen, issued a press statement announcing the immediate enrolment of female wireless and teleprinter operators to fill RAAF ground staff vacancies. Proposals to raise a Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) had been before the War Cabinet since July 1940, but not until 4 February 1941 was approval given; the Advisory War Council agreed with the decision the next day. McEwen’s announcement made clear that the women were wanted only ‘until they could be replaced by qualified men’, and because legal doubts existed over whether women could be enlisted under the Air Force Act they were at first enrolled only as auxiliaries for renewable periods of 12 months. Nonetheless, the other Services quickly followed the RAAF in establishing women’s services for general war duty. The WAAAF grew to reach a strength of 18,664 in October 1944. Source: Queensland Air Museum

1943 A USAAF P-400 Airacobra of the 35th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Group piloted by 1st Lieutenant John R. Casey, Jr., went missing between Cooktown and Mareeba on 25 February 1943. Believed lost in the thick jungle between Cooktown and Mareeba. Source: Ozatwar.com website

1976 Piper PA28-180 VH-TPR operated by Darling, Collett & Co. crashed at Jerilderie, NSW on 25 February 1976. The aircraft crashed into a rice crop at high speed in a 30 deg nose down wings level attitude in fog. The cause was undertermined. There was 1 fatality and the aircraft was written off. Source: ATSB website and aviation-safety.net website

2009 Pitts Samson VH-EAB operated by Mr Pip Borrman crashed near Shepparton airport, Victoria on 25 February 2009. Whilst performing aerobatics practising for the Australian International Airshow at Avalon, Mr Borrman lost control when the aircraft suffered an engine failure, the aircraft crashing into a paddock near the airport. Mr Borrman lost his life and the aircraft was destroyed. Sources: aviation-safety.net website and Aeropedia website

2020 Minister for Defence, Hon Linda Reynolds CSC announced the opening of the F-35 Reprogramming Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, USA on 25 February 2020. The Australian and United Kingdom F-35 Reprogramming Laboratory is a joint partnership between Australia and the UK, enabling the the F-35 to be a “smart” aircraft. Reynolds explained “The Reprogramming Laboratory produces Mission Data Files (MDFs) for Australian and UK F-35s, which compile information about the operating environment and assets in an area, before being loaded onto the aircraft pre-flight using a portable hard drive. Combined with the aircraft’s advance sensor suite, this provides the pilot with a clearer battlespace picture." Both countries are co-funding and supporting the capability under a 50/50 funding arrangement. Source: Department of Defence media release