Junkers F13 – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB30/09/202319/11/2023

Aviation Heritage Vol. 54 No. 3 (September 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...

1942 The formation of number 75 (Fighter) Squadron RAAF. Order ACS-4, dated 4 March 1942, signed by Brigadier General Ralph Royce, Headquarters USAFIA Melbourne, authorised the USAAF Commanding Officers of three locations to issue a total of twenty-five P-40E aircraft to the RAAF to enable the formation of a RAAF fighter squadron at Townsville. They were seven repaired P-40Es held at Archerfield, eight (five newly assembled) P-40Es held at Amberley and ten aircraft held in reserve at Bankstown with the 7th Pursuit Squadron. Arrangements were made to have all aircraft to gather for ferry to Townsville at Archerfield. On the same day a number was allocated; 75 (F) Sqn RAAF. Establishment strength was to be sixteen Officers and 186 Airmen (including 28 pilots) along with eighteen Kittyhawks (composed of twelve aircraft immediate equipment and six in-use reserve aircraft) in two flying flights and a Headquarters Flight. Ground crew were drawn from 24 Squadron RAAF based in Townsville. Source: australianflying.com.au website

1948 Dating from 1935, the civil air ensign represents the Australian Government organisations responsible for civil aviation. This ensign can be seen flying from civil aviation buildings, boats, aircraft and airports. In 1947, the ensign’s six stars were changed from yellow to white, to make it more easily recognised from a distance. These changes were publicly notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (No 39) of 4 March 1948. Source: pmc.gov.au website

1993 On 4 March 1993 the management of Compass Airlines (Compass Mark II) asked for receivers to be appointed to administer the company. The airline operated three McDonnell Douglas MD82 and two McDonnell Douglas MD83 aircraft. Two further MD83 aircraft on order were not delivered following the final demise Compass Mark II. In 1997 company chairman Douglas Reid was convicted of theft and false accounting amounting to $10 million in relation to the collapse. He received a record 10-year jail sentence. Sources: The Canberra Times, Fri 5 Mar 1993, Page 25, A chronology of Compass Airlines; Australian Financial Review, 3 December 1997, Airline scam: Reid jailed for a decade

2017 Avid Mark IV 19-3205 crashed at Devonport Airport, Tasmania on 4 March 2017. The light aircraft crashed about 3.45pm, shortly after taking off from Devonport Airport at Wesley Vale. Ambulance Tasmania was called to the scene after reports of the crash and found the male pilot among the wreckage. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency services including Tasmania Police and four crews from Tasmania Fire Service were also called to the airport and remained onsite for several hours. Tasmania Police Inspector Richard Chugg said the plane was last seen “disappearing behind a large building beside the runway and was found shortly after”. Police confirmed there were no other passengers on-board the plane. They could not confirm where the man was travelling to and the cause of the crash was still unknown. “At this stage the investigation is still in its very early phases,” Inspector Chugg said. “What we can say is we believe the crash happened shortly after take-off and in an area beside the airport.” Weather conditions at the time of the incident were mild with 15-20km/h winds.There was 1 fatality and the aircraft was substantially damaged. Sources: aviation-safety.net website; The Examiner, 5 March 2017

2019 On 4 March 2019 the online auction of 28 ex ADF aircraft was closed. The period of the online auction was timed to match the Avalon International Air Show from 22 February to 4 March 2019. The auction was managed by Australian Frontline Machinery and was the first online auction of former ADF aircraft. The aircraft sold included 22 Bell Kiowa Helicopters; 5 Pilatus PC-9/A aircraft formerly of the RAAF “Roulettes” display team; and one Westland Scout Helicopter. An entire Hangar of aviation parts and equipment including Iriquois engines and parts, Kiowa engines and parts, Squirrel parts, and ground support equipment was also sold. Source: Grays Online Australia website

2021 On the morning of 4 March 2021, the crew of a Leonardo Helicopters Augusta-Westland AW139, registered VH-PVO and operated by the Victoria Police Air Wing, were re-assigned from an aerial search near Coldstream to a search and rescue task in Orbost, Victoria. Due to the cloud conditions, the pilot upgraded the flight from visual to instrument flight rules. While en route to Bairnsdale at their cruising altitude of 5,000 ft, the helicopter entered cloud and shortly after the enhanced ground proximity warning system activated with the alert ‘caution terrain’. The pilot initiated a climbing left turn to avoid Mount Baw Baw, which had a maximum elevation of 5,138 ft. Source: ATSB website