Temora Museum, Aus, flying show & CAC Sabre return

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:43 am

This last weekend the Temora Aviation Museum (TAM) put on one of the six-weekly flying weekends, which this time included the first public display of the RAAF Museum's Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) 'Avon' Sabre; the only airworthy example of the type worldwide.

In the absence of better photographs from better photographers, here's a selection of mine from the weekend. Unusually I didn't need my pics, or report, for publication, so here it is.

As usual the show started with a Tiger Moth, one of the oldest in Australia and actually based at Temora when the Empire air Training Scheme was underway in W.W.II. It was accompanied by the Ryan STM. Scotty Taberner flew the Ryan on Saturday.

Next up was the 'native' CAC Wirraway, which displayed with two North American Harvards. On Sunday the Wirraway was flown by Scotty Taberner, the Harvards by Doug Hamilton and Steve Death.

TAM operates Australia's only two airworthy Spitfires, this one, a Mk.XVI restored in the UK, NZ based for many years and originally flown by an Australian Squadron in Europe. Here it was flown by TAM founder David Lowy.

Alan Arthur displayed his P-40, very well...

...and Matt Denning, the Boomerang while the Lockeed Hudson, the sole airworthy example of the type was flown on Saturday by Doug Hamilton, Sunday by Steve Death, both with Gordon Glynn as co-pilot.

The Lockeed Hudson has to be one of the most under-represented warbird types in preservation and in the air, considering how vital it was to most of the Allies in the early stages of W.W.II. At least we have one flyer.

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:45 am

Onto the jets, a strength of Temora.

First up is the two-seat DH Vampire trainer, flown in service by Bruce Wood, and flown here by the same man. It certainly is sparing with the fuel while inverted.

Gloster Meteor F-8; in the colours of George Hale, the last RAAF airman to claim an air to air kill, in his case over a MiG-15. This is the ex- British based Meteor ‘Winston’.

Then the Canberra. This is also an ex- Pom, but painted in the colours of an Aussie built DAP 2 Sqn RAAF Vietnam-era example – particularly timely, given the recent return of the last two Canberra crew’s bodies from Vietnam last week.

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:48 am

And the star of the show was the Temora restored RAF Museum owned CAC Sabre A94-983. It’s been a long time since this last flew – and longer since any other CAC Sabre flew, so it was a big draw on the weekend. I last saw it in the air in 1992. On Saturday it was flown by Paul Simmonds, on Sunday by expat Cannuck Darren Crabb.

With some modern wannabe classic.

Like a well ridden horse it was ‘glowing’ at the end of the display.

And popular…

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:49 am

That’s it, hope you like!

Temora details: http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/

Happy to try and answer any question, comments welcome.

Regards,

Andy in West Oz · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:54 am

Bloody hell, James, almost looks like we were standing in the same spot for some of those. Cool pics, btw.

Here's some of mine, which I've poisted elsewhere as well, that add to yours.

bootlegger · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 5:08 am

In was there for both days as well. Just an awsome weekend. I hadnt seen the Sabre fly since the show at Ricmond airbase (not sure of the year).

Stormin · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:29 am

Thanks James, Erik and I loved the pics. The CAC sabre shots were awesome to see.

aseanaero · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:04 am

Quote:

I hadnt seen the Sabre fly since the show at Ricmond airbase (not sure of the year).

1988 Bicentennial air show at Richmond Air Base was when I last saw it.

oz rb fan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:33 am **Posts:** 474

i was there both day(just waiting for dad to come home to see the pics he took)
the sabre was brilliant,nice to see her back where she belongs.
did anyone get pics of all the sabre guys in front of it on saturday?

tex-fan · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:34 am

i did not know that there was an airworthy Canberra anywhere. very cool, thanks for posting those fine pics.

croweater · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:57 pm

Any idea as to what the plan is for the rest of their Sabres?

TIA Croweater

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 11:23 pm

croweater wrote:

Any idea as to what the plan is for the rest of their Sabres?

Well, one fin is on show in the display area, as shown above, and here's three sets of wings:

Certainly '983 didn't return to flight without other airframes surrendering some parts. Getting the new configuration Martin Baker seat wasn't easy, and to do it again would still not be easy. Even getting one (seat and aircraft) in the air was a big ask.

On the other hand, as was pointed out, Temora's logo is 'correct' for the first time, as it's always depicted a Tiger Moth and a Sabre. So taking that idea, what's the missing aircraft in the collection shown on the mural? :twisted:

Getting that up would be a ~uh~ Miracle... :shock:

Andy in West Oz wrote:

Bloody heck, James, almost looks like we were standing in the same spot for some of those. Cool pics, btw.

Thanks! Yeah, there wasn't a lot of room on Sat, but people didn't seem to mind letting photographers through. Sunday we haunted the runway end.

Stormin wrote:

Thanks James, Erik and I loved the pics. The CAC sabre shots were awesome to see.

Glad you liked!

aseanaero wrote:

Quote:

I hadnt seen the Sabre fly since the show at Ricmond airbase (not sure of the year).

1988 Bicentennial air show at Richmond Air Base was when I last saw it.

It was still flying at the 1992 Avalon show, but was grounded mid- 1990s.

Your favourite aviation magazine/s will be covering the full story shortly, I'm sure.

oz rb fan wrote:

...did anyone get pics of all the sabre guys in front of it on saturday?

Emily of Temora did. See:

More good (better than mine!) shots by Glenn Alderton and Keith Webb among others here too:

http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/news/S ... eekend.cfm

tex-fan wrote:

i did not know that there was an airworthy Canberra anywhere. very cool, thanks for posting those fine pics.

There are still a couple of working RB-57s based in the USA, I understand, and a couple of potentially airworthy Canberras in the UK that don't currently fly through maintenance issues - I'd be interested if anyone can update that. There were a couple of Canberras flying in the US some years back, but I don't believe they still do. Certainly the GAF (Aussie) built one won't have an airworthy spar any more.

So I think this is the only currently airworthy Canberra. Happy for any more data though!

Cheers,

wardie · **Posted:** Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:18 am

James has seen these before

Avro 643 Cadet II

The Sabre surprised all of us at the North end with it's initial low fast pass.

Displaying with the Hornet

The Tiger Moth

Wardie

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:04 am

Any way you guys could post some more shots of the Hudson?

Ryan

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Sep 12, 2009 8:32 pm

RyanShort1 wrote:

Any way you guys could post some more shots of the Hudson?

I'll dig some out, Ryan, for a new thread. In the meantime: http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/aircraft/Hudson.cfm

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Temora Museum, Aus, flying show & CAC Sabre return

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