Halestorm – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB30/11/202327/12/2023

Outlook AHSA Newsletter November 2023

The November 2023 edition of Outlook / AHSA News was distributed to members recently. This edition can be read online in the viewer below....

1943 On 5 June 1943, a flight of RAAF Wirraways from 24 Squadron, led by FLGOFF Geoffrey Stevenson in Wirraway A20-525, was carrying out a leaflet drop over George, Castlereagh, Elizabeth and Pitt Streets in Sydney. As they approached the drop area, Stevenson decided to take a slight detour under the Sydney Harbour bridge. The rest of the flight followed him, but at the last moment, one pilot changed his mind and started to climb up over the bridge rather than fly under it. With difficulty his Wirraway just managed to clear the top of the bridge. They returned to Bankstown airfield where Commanding Officer Barton-Honey had found out about their jaunt. Fortunately for Stevenson and the other pilots there were no serious ramifications from the hierarchy. They all continued to fly. Sources: Visit Sydney website; NAA: A9186, 51, RAAF Unit History sheets (Form A50) [Operations Record Book - Forms A50 and A51] Number 24 Squadron Jun 40 - Dec 60

1946 An ex-RAF Gloster Meteor F.3 (EE427) took off from Laverton, Victoria, on 5 June 1946, making the first test flight of a jet aircraft in Australia. The aircraft was flown by SQNLDR Derek 'Jell' Cuming, who earlier that year became the first RAAF officer to complete the Empire Test Pilots course. The Meteor had been received at No 1 Aircraft Depot the previous month and was provided on loan by the British War Ministry to enable the RAAF to gain experience in operating a radical new type. Two days later the aircraft was taken on RAAF strength with the tail number A77-1 and allotted to No 1 Aircraft Performance Unit for trials. The RAAF eventually acquired the Meteor for squadron service, but only in 1951. By that time the de Havilland Vampire had already become, in 1949, the first jet acquired in numbers for the RAAF. Source: airforce2021.airforce.gov.au