Roy Goon – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB08/06/202027/12/2022

CAC Ceres – Australia’s Heavyweight Cropduster by Derek Buckmaster

The Ceres agricultural aircraft was produced by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) in Australia from 1959 to 1963. A total of only 20 airframes were...

1920 Ross Smith, his brother Keith and Sergeants Jim Bennett and Wally Shiers landed in Sydney on 14 February 1920 aboard their Vickers Vimy G-EAOU during their record setting flight from England to Australia. Source: The Age 16 February 1920

1945 Consolidated B-24L-15-CO Liberator A72-124 (44-41657) operated by 25 Squadron RAAF crashed on take-off and caught fire at Cunderin, WA on 14 February 1945. There were 5 fatalities and the aircraft was written off. Source: aviation-safety.net and adf-serials websites

1945 Bristol Beaufighters A19-21 and A19-48 operated by 5 OTU RAAF collided in flight 8 km north of Newcastle, New South Wales on 14 February 1945. A19-48 was in a polished natural metal finish and hit underneath A19-21 at 1,300 feet when about 5 miles from Williamtown. A19-48 overshot when the leader A19-21 pulled up sharply and was trying to slip back under the leader, instead striking it underneath the starboard engine. The port wing and part of the tail of A19-48 broke off and the aircraft rolled out of control and crashed. The crew of A19-48, pilot F/SGT Keith R Sharp and navigator SGT Geoffrey E Hocking were both killed. The damaged A19-21 made a forced landing on Stockton Beach near Newcastle NSW as the starboard engine was damaged causing excessive vibration and as fully feathering propellers were not fitted, the pilot, FLGOFF A.S. Burton was unable to maintain height. Source: Parnell & Boughton p.72 via ADF-Serials.com.au website

1946 Noorduyn Norseman A71-4 operated by 5 CU RAAF was reported missing after departing Cairns for Iron Range Camp on 14 February 1946. The aircraft stopped at Cooktown for fuel then encountered severe weather conditions near Iron Range. Radio contact was lost and the aircraft reported missing. An aerial search was mounted over the next four days by RAAF and civilian search planes. On 19 February a Catalina located the wreckage near the old Claudie bush strip 10 miles south of Iron Range. A RAAF Court of Enquiry determined that the aircraft crashed after it struck a tree at 1445 hrs when trying to land at Claudie strip in bad weather. The aircraft was destroyed and all three on board were killed. Access to crash site was impossible because of flood waters. Source: ADF-Serials.com.au website

1985 A British Airways Concorde jet shattered a 25-year-old speed record when it touched down at Sydney airport on 14 February 1985 after completing the 10,600-mile run from London in 17 hours, three minutes and 25 seconds. The Concorde flight time beat the old speed record set in 1960 by 3 hours, 41 minutes and one second. Several thousand people crammed vantage points around Sydney airport to watch the world's fastest passenger jet slice through gray, overcast clouds for a smooth touchdown at 4:15pm. The sleek, supersonic jetliner, on what was billed as a Valentine sweetheart flight, completed the London-Sydney run in 17 hours, three minutes and 25 seconds. The old record for civil aircraft, set by a Beechcraft twin-engine propeller-driven aircraft in 1960, was 49 hours, 44 minutes and 26 seconds. A British Airways spokesman said the Concorde's flight time was actually two minutes shorter than expected.... "We had anticipated an elapsed time of 17 hours and five minutes. Apart from leaving London 45 minutes late, we had no problems at all" the spokesman said. "That air speed record the mighty Concorde set on its London to Sydney run won't be challenged this century!" said pilot Captain Peter McMullen. It was the first commercial flight of the Concorde to Australia, chartered by the Cunard luxury cruise shipping line. One hundred passengers paid $3,328 to join the record-breaking run. They boarded the Cunard liner QE2 for the continuation of its world cruise. The Concorde later returned to London with passengers from the QE2 who terminated their Pacific cruise in Sydney. Source: I Grew Up in Mortdale 2223 Facebook

2003 The first post-restoration flight of CAC CA-13 Boomerang A46-122 (MH-R) took place at Toowoomba airport under the experienced hands of Wayne Milburn, Chief Engineer of Aerotec (Queensland) Pty Ltd on 14 February 2003. This was the first flight of the aircraft after a 27 year restoration effort by Matthew Denning which started in August 1976. The aircraft had not flown since being ferried to No.6 Aircraft Depot located at Oakey QLD from its No.83 Squadron home base at Menangle NSW on the 28th March 1945. The aircraft was placed into storage at Oakey then reduced to components in the late 1940s. Source: Matthew Denning via Facebook