Editorial:
by Mr Paul Harrison - Editor
Good evening everyone, and welcome to this December 2024 edition of FlyBy. You may well have noticed that a different name produced this edition, and yes, you are correct, I have put up my hand to step into the shoes of Marcus Peake so that he can pursue other interests within our organisation. Firstly, I ask you to bear with me as I learn the job. I’ve had just a week to try and get my head around the Desktop Publisher we use and I’m aware my efforts aren’t quite up to speed yet. I’m sure you’ll cut me some slack as I find out how it all works.
On that note, this will be a voyage of discovery for me, for any attempt by me to emulate the good work of Marcus is doomed to failure. I can say that his impressive contribution to keeping the flame of service alive is first among equals and he has been doing it for a very long time. Thank you Marcus, for your dedication and very long hours of work to produce FlyBy, and your encouragement and support of me as I step into your shoes.
I do not intend to be a new broom, for I’m a firm believer that change for the sake of change is worse
‘FlyBy’ Magazine
than no change at all, Having said that, I would encourage all our readers to take a strong part in the content of this periodical, for its entire raison d'être is to bring articles of interest to you as the readers, and by definition, you as the owners. It is immaterial in how you send me your content, even if it is written with ‘a thumbnail dipped in tar’, for it is in the content of a man’s character that his knowledge lives, not in how he goes about it.
I will provide a short history of myself in the following pages.As mentioned, this edition is a rush, so as not to break the lineage provided by Marcus. Please bear with me, as I proceed to my first solo flight.
Paul Harrison - Editor
Magazine Updates
By Marcus Peake FAAAANational Executive
It is hard to describe how delighted I am to be able to include this column in a brand new December edition of “FlyBy” . For a while it looked as if the magazine would disappear for lack of a suitable volunteer editor, but Paul Harrison has stepped up and we offer a million thanks for his support, energy and initiative.
Paul has said a little about his intent for FlyBy in his Editorial earlier in this edition, but I thought it worth adding a couple of observations, and also giving an update on where we are at with “Slipstream” magazine.
FlyBy
Firstly, you will notice that this inaugural (December 2024) edition of FlyBy under Paul
morph into its new look and feel as he finds his feet (he’s learning how to use the Desktop Publisher from scratch), and we look forward to that.
As always, a magazine is only as good as the support it gets and this is particularly true in its early days - so please, write to Paul to welcome him, offer your support and send letters, articles and snippets for him to use. You can reach him here.
Slipstream
We have been doubly fortunate insofar as we also have a new Slipstream editor. The first edition will hit the streets on time (think end of December 2024) and we anticipate further editions in the normal quarterly cycle.
The new editor will doubtless introduce herself but I’ll say a few words anyway. Carolyn Sands (Caz) lives in Hawaii so if that doesn’t support the notion of global connectivity then nothing will. She’s a mum with a young family so is no doubt busy, but she’s keen and committed and we look forward very much to working with her.
Caz has no aviation or technical background but offers a strong portfolio in graphic design, and her Dad, a FAAAAmember, will be her technical
Slipstream will only succeed if we all get behind it. Each Division has agreed to provide at least one article per month and we trust each of them will honour that commitmentbut we need much more. Slipstream content is so please - have a think about stories, dits, articles or subjects you think will interest readers and send them through to me
Membership Renewals
These are exciting times: not only have we secured the foreseeable future of BOTH of the Association’s periodicals, but they will have a fresh look and feel to them.
The addition of these two new team members brings us up to strength and we move into the New Year with great optimism. Stay with the Association and offer your support!
Most members’ subscriptions fall due at the end of the year but you can really help us by renewing early. If you are not sure how to pay or how much, simply email our Database Manager (Paul , and he’ll be pleased to help.
UPTO DATE
HMAS Parramatta (IV) buries her clipper bow into a heavy swell somewhere in the Pacific as she operates in support of Exercise Solania. The exercise is a maritime surveillance and patrol operation run by the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency. These partner operations aim to detect and deter illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing activity.
For some years now the United States Navy has been withdrawing from service their large cruiser force, the Ticonderoga class. Click here for more information, for without these fleet class cruisers the USN will lose a critical component of the Carrier Battle Group protective screen. Of interest also, is the imminent loss of the missile numbers carried by the Ticonderoga class.
Supporting Charlie Alpha Foxtrot
Vince and Tony Di Pietro, those intrepid ex-FAA aviators of yesteryear, are brushing up on their nav and packing their bags to fly to exotic places.
Setting off from Nowra in their Piper Cherokee PA28, they will head northwest to the metropolis of Yulara (pop 853-ish), where they will join the Great Outback Air Race (OAR).
The aim is to record the fastest air time to make their way to Carnarvon via Alice, Tennant Creek, Daly Waters, Katherine, Kunnanurra, Broome, Onslow and Exmouth: a distance of just over 2000 nm.
Vince and Tony are covering the cost of their trip, so every dollar raised for team Charlie Alpha Foxtrot will be donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which is organising the event.
The Team’s target is $20K, which doesn’t seem that much in support of such a great venture.
So will you get behind Team Charlie Alpha Foxtrot? It’s easy to do and every dollar counts. Simply click on the button to find out more and make your
contribution. The RFDS, that great Australian institution, will benefit and we, the FAA, will be getting behind our own to support this great adventure.
The Tale of 832
In November 1974 I had my first experience as an embarked birdie on board HMAS Stalwart during a deployment for Exercise Warm Waters to be held off Queensland in November of that year.
Two Wessex 832 & 834, aircrew and maintenance personnel were provided from 725 Sqn for a period of approximately one month. This is setting the scene for was to become a memorable trip and a unique experience.
On the 12 Nov 832 crashed during a forced landing onto a beach in the Shoalwater Bay training area after experiencing loss of engine power at about 30 meters.
The following are my recollections of events following the crash and may be a little hazy considering this month is the 50th anniversary.
TheAircrew were fine, damage to the aircraft was significant, namely a caved in nose torn port oleo and the external fuel
tank and carrier left somewhere along the beach.
It became apparent to senior management that the only option of moving the aircraft from the beach would be for it to be lifted, the result being that a RAAF Chinook was dispatched from Shoalwater Bay.
In the meantime, 834 was sitting unserviceable inside Stalwart’s hangar. The part required to fix it was available in 832.Acouple of us maintenance pers were sent ashore in the ships RIB to remove the required part whilst it was still available on the beach. On the return trip and due to the surf we were required to wade out to the RIB carrying the aircraft part.
In due course the Chinook arrived, 832 was made ready for the lift after a couple of attempts it was pulled free from the sand it was on its way to Rockhampton airport; all this was viewed from Stalwarts flight deck.
Running parallel to this another Wessex was dispatched from Nowra to Queensland as a replacement for 832. In addition to a couple of additional maintainers also included was a Palouste to enable further starts during transit. In the meantime, 832 was being prepped for road transport to be taken from Rockhampton to Gladstone where the ship was to dock, about 110 kms.
832 was delivered to Rockhampton, it was loaded athwartship directly in front of the hangar for return to Sydney. This enabled one aircraft to still operate whilst the other was confined to the hangar.
Then we were on our way home!
MARK MORRIS
The Aircrew Perspective. Wessex 31B 832 Forced Landing-Stockyard (North) Beach-12 November 1974 by Geoff Ledger (copilot)
In late October 1974, two Wessex 31B helicopters from then HT 725 squadron embarked in HMAS Stalwart for a four weekArmy exercise in the Shoal Bay region Queensland. I’m not sure why the Wessex were selected, perhaps the Huey’s were grounded for some issue, anyway, it was an exciting and eventful training exercise for the embarked crew.
On this particular day the Flight Commander, LEUT John Leak and myself were flying a low level reconnaissance sortie just to the south of Shoal Bay along Stock Yard (North) beach adjacent to the Byfield National Park. This was about 50 KM from the closest town of Yeppoon. The many readers who have worked on Wessex engines would remember a small issue of the Inlet Guide Vanes ‘wandering’ – a pilots technical term. On this day at low level 100 knots and 100 feet, Wessex N7-222 suffered an engine surge and serious loss of power, which resulted in rapid descent and forced landing on the beach well below the high water mark.As you can see in the photo, the port oleo was smashed and some serious blade tip
Top. 832 being lifted back to Rocky by an obliging Chook. Lower. 832 serving aboard HMAS Success some time after the Shoalwater Bay accident.
damage also occurred.Due to our low level, there was no chance to transmit a distress call; this was done after the aircrew egressed the helicopter via our SARBE radio.
We needed to inform ‘Mother’ (HMAS Stalwart) of our predicament. I was detailed off to swim out through the surf to a passing small tinny about 300 metres off
Above. 832 survived any other aircrew attempts on its life and was retired in due course. Here it is being craned onto a low loader for its final journey to HARS, where it has been refurbished.
shore. Of all my physical attributes at that time, swimming was not high on my strength. Notwithstanding, I made it to the tinny much to the amusement of the two locals who had a reasonable catch of snapper and bream. I asked them to take me to the Stalwart which was about fifteen miles to the north around a couple of headlands. Off we went – a rough old ride and my old mate says half way there we might run out of fuel before we arrive.
Thankfully the tinny makes to the Stalwart, which was at anchor.Also, thankfully it had its ladder-way out, so I did a swan dive out of the tinny, and really struggled the last 5 metres to make it to the ladder-way landing as the ship was surging up and down, pushing me away. The POCD grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and dragged me onto the platform, whereby I scrambled up to the midships area where the skipper, Captain Burnside was waiting. He looked at me in amazement and asked where the bloody helicopter was. I nervously replied we had crashed on said beach some distance away. He rolled his eyes and said ‘f**** birdies’.
Stalwart provided some fuel for the tinny to get home. Luckily we had anATC Officerin
the detachment, Paul Shiels. He managed to contact RAAFAir Command that day and they authorised the first operational Chinook lift in theADF – fortunately there were two Chooks in the exercise area. The 725 maintenance crew removed 832’s blades and prepared the helicopter for the lift. The Chinook then lifted the old girl above the high water mark and plonked her down on some tea-tree scrub. It stayed there until the 15th whilst the RAAF formally determined the lifting capacity of theChinook, when it was lifted to Rockhampton.Areplacement Wessex (825) was flown up to Rockhampton two days after the accident.
Footnote.
832 was repaired and returned to service, including a spell as HMAS Success’s aircraft (see image). It was subsequently used as a training aid at the Air Technical training school at RAAF Wagga, before being sold to the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society in November 2018. It was moved to HARS’ Albion Park facility the following February and restored as a static display where it can be seen to this day.
Change is Inevitable...
For those of us who entered HMAS Leeuwin as boys and departed as men, this photo courtesy of Google Maps, may be the last time we see it as it was during our time there, before it is all torn down and replaced with million dollar condominiums. Change is inevitable, as it is for HMAS Leeuwin, and so it is for this publication.