Some Great Photos of the Spectacular Centenary Flypast at Canberra Celebrating 100 years of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)

On Wednesday 31 March, the skies above the nation's capital came alive as the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) spectacularly celebrated its 100th anniversary with a mass flypast over Canberra.

Defence image...

More than 60 past and present aircraft of the RAAF flew in waves over Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra.  They were also joined by helicopters of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Australian Army.

The latest Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters and Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighters loudly announced themselves before flying over Government House and Lake Burley Griffin.

RAAF transport aircraft including the massive Boeing C-17A Globemaster III rumbled overhead.

Along with the Airbus KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft.

The high-tech Boeing P-8A Poseidon and Boeing E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft also flew over.

The RAAF's World War II-era aircraft weren’t forgotten, with the iconic Spitfire and Kittyhawk fighters, a Catalina flying boat and a DC-3 Dakota transport also taking part in the flypast.

A 14-minute display by the RAAF's formation aerobatics team, the Roulettes, provided a spectacular finale to the aerial display.

Before the flypast, Governor-General General (retd) David Hurley presented Air Force with a new Queen’s Colour during a parade at Government House.

It replaced an older colour presented by the Queen in 1986.

The centenary commemorations began with a flag-raising ceremony by ADFA cadets at Commonwealth Place in Canberra, followed by another at Defence headquarters in Russell.

The birthday concluded with the Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial.

Sincere thanks to local aviation photographers Paul S for allowing us to share these spectacular images!

Photos taken by Paul Sadler  ©

Remembering the Victims of WWII Plane Crash at Canal Creek near Rockhampton

On the morning of 19 December 1943, a USSAF Douglas C-47 (DC-3) Dakota transport aircraft VH-CHR (S/N 43-30742) of the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron of the 374th Troop Carrier Group, crashed en-route from Garbutt Airfield in Townsville to Archerfield Airfield in Brisbane. It was scheduled to make a short stopover at Rockhampton (approx ½ way).

All 31 souls onboard perished in this incident. The ‘passenger’ complement was a mix of US and Australian personnel. A new memorial was unveiled this year to recognise and remember the victims of what is still today, Australia’s 2nd worst aviation disaster.

The disaster occurred six days before Christmas, where the troops on board were coming home.  It was just a routine flight, and their parents, their families, their wives, their girlfriends were waiting for them.

From substantial research undertaken by a Yeppoon historian, it would appear that this aircraft – a reasonably new one – suffered an engine fire while overflying an area of fairly rough terrain, some 60 kilometres North of Rockhampton. Rockhampton is approx 750 kilometres South of Townsville.

The location of the crash, on the remote and isolated Canal Creek Cattle Station, approximately 50 kilometres North of Rockhampton would suggest the pilot had selected a ‘clay pan’ in preparation for an emergency/forced landing. However witness reports indicate that while on descent, an explosion occurred, and the burning wing parted from the aircraft. The plane did reach the lightly treed flat plain – but was already doomed due to its uncontrollable, unflyable condition.

Also Calling into Longreach Airport over Recent Days

As well as the lovely Douglas C-47A (DC-3) VH-XUX visiting Longreach Airport during the week - see Blog Post below - there has been a nice selection of interesting light General Aviation (GA) aircraft and a nice bizjet to call into the Central West during the last few days.

File photo taken by Isaac Matthews  ©

On Tuesday 16 August, Gulf Coast Aviation Cessna 510 Citation Mustang bizjet VH-KXM was noted calling into Longreach Airport once again for fuel.  On this occasion, VH-KXM called in from Bankstown and later departed to Vanrook Station near Normanton.

Also on Tuesday 16 August, Darwin-based Vulcanair (Partenavia) P.68C VH-VMV passed through Longreach Airport while heading to Redcliffe from Mareeba.  I captured a photo of VH-VMV at the General Aviation (GA) area at Darwin Airport last week.

UPDATE!  On Wednesday 24 August, VH-VMV was re-registered to the Redcliffe Aero Club.

On Wednesday 17 August, Brescon (Toowoomba) Beech B200 VH-WXN visited from the Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport near Toowoomba.

UPDATE!  At the time of writing, VH-WXN was due to visit Longreach Airport again on Saturday 20 August, flying in from and later back to Brisbane.

On Thursday 18 August, McNab Aviation Cessna 414A VH-FKH visited from Toowoomba while New South Wales based Beech 95-B55 Baron VH-CEN arrived from Alice Springs.

And finally, last Saturday 13 August, Hawker Beechcraft C90GTi King Air VH-JJU touched down from Cloncurry.  After overnighting, it returned to Cloncurry.

Douglas C-47A (DC-3) Dakota VH-XUX Pops into Longreach‬ Airport Heading to China

A real treat for local aviation enthusiasts out in the Central West with Douglas C-47A (DC-3) Dakota VH-XUX arriving into Longreach Airport from Bathurst during the late afternoon on Monday 15 August.

After staying for the night, VH-XUX departed Longreach Airport for Darwin early on Tuesday 16 August.

VH-XUX a 1944 built C-47A-10-DK (c/n 12540) and only returned to the skies in late 2015 after some 37 years stuck on the ground undergoing restoration work.  Local plane spotter Bernie P was on hand at Bankstown Airport to capture to historic moment as shown in his wonderful photos in this post.

The Dakota has seen service with the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as 42-92709 and then with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as A65-41.  After wartime service the Aircraft was transferred to MacRobertson Miller Aviation Company (MMA) in Western Australia and put on the Australian civil register as VH-MMF. It then saw many years of service with different companies around Australia and in Papua New Guinea (PNG) before ending up at Bankstown Airport near Sydney in 2002 where it was to be restored to flying condition.

Sadly the news came out late in 2015 that the aircraft was destined to leave Australia and head to China.

What a great sight and sound it would have been!

Sincere thanks to Bernie P for allowing us share his wonderful photos of a wonderful old aircraft!

All photos taken by Bernie Proctor  ©

Restoration Project of Qantas Founders Museum Catalina VH-EAX Continues at Longreach Airport

From early November, the Qantas Foundation Memorial (QFM), which operates the Qantas Founders Outback Museum at Longreach Airport in Central Western Queensland, embarked on a project to prepare and re-paint its Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina, VH-EAX.  

The aircraft - delivered in a bright yellow colour scheme in September 2011, after a career as a water-bombing aircraft in Spain (registered EC-EVK) - has now been completely striped and sanded, primer applied, and the final painting completed now seeing the Catalina wearing distinctive Double Sunrise camouflage colours .

In late April, the Museum decided that the Catalina would be placed on what was known as the 'DC-3 Lawn', in front of the Main Museum building, in the museum precinct. Some photos have recently been added to the Museum's Facebook page showing the Museum staff swapping the Catalina for their lovely old DC-3 VH-EAP.

The museum planned to restore its Catalina as an exhibit for visitors to enjoy and learn about the Double Sunrise Flights. The museum's Catalina was purchased in Spain and is not an original Qantas Catalina. The five Catalinas Qantas used for these operations were destroyed in July 1945 under the "lend lease" scheme.

Interested enthusiasts can follow the on-going progress of the restoration of the Catalina on the Qantas Founders Museum Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/QantasFoundersMuseum