25 September 2011: Photographers from the Aviation Association of WA Inc (AAWA) visited the Sport Aircraft Builders Club (SABC) airfield at Serpentine for their Annual Fly-In.
AAWA Vice President and Projects Coordinator Neville Murphy is a member of SABC, and arranged access to photography vantage points on the other side of the sealed runway 05/23. Members were also able to observe pilot testing on the grass runway 09/27. All of this was done at a safe distance.
As a pre-requisite for participation in the upcoming SAAA Langley Park Fly-In on 15-16 October 2011, pilots are required to complete test flights to and from the grass runway at Serpentine. They must ensure that their aircraft remain within specific take-off and landing run distance parameters, as well as being able to satisfactorily clear obstacles (when operating at Langley Park they need to be able to clear the trees on Victoria Avenue). Photos and details of this testing will be included on our website soon.
AAWA members obtained some excellent photos at Serpentine, enjoyed a great day out.
** AAWA would like to express our thanks to SABC for their ongoing support and for permitting the special access for our photographers. **
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VH-BQO Christen Eagle II (cn V81) Eagle Magic Pty Ltd Conducting a low-level, high-speed flypast. Photo © David Eyre |
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VH-PFM / 51-3555 /TO North American T-28D Trojan belonging to Anthony Mitchell.Conducting a low-level, high-speed flypast. The aircraft has nose art with name “Airborne Angel”, and Vietnam War camouflage. cn 174-126 This aircraft formerly served with the US Air Force in the Vietnam War. Sold to the Royal Lao Air Force in 1975, with whom it served until around 1977. It was then stored at Xieng Khouang airfield, until sold to Keith Death in Australia in 1988. The Trojan was dismantled, trucked to Savannakhet and then Bangkok, before being shipped to Sydney. Registration VH-WPA was not taken up in 1992, and it was registered to F. W. Pike, Bankstown, NSW, as VH-PFM on 30 September 93. Registered to Anthony Mitchell on 30 July 2008. Photo © Keith Anderson |
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VH-UXL Stinson SR-8C Reliant of Kevin Bailey. cn 9766 Built 1936 as an SR-8B. Registered VH-UXL 13/10/1936 to Vacuum Oil Co Pty Ltd. During World War Two, the aircraft was impressed into service with the RAAF on 24/02/1941, and allocated RAAF serial A38-1. Towards the end of the War, it was transferred to the Department of Civil Aviation on 04/05/1945. Registered VH-UXL 27/05/1948 as an SR-8C. Was on display at Air World, Wangaratta, VIC, until this closed in 2002. Registered to Penoak Pty Ltd 9/7/2003, and restored to flying condition by Kevin Bailey. He then reregistered the aircraft on 9/9/2004 as VH-UXL (its original registration). Photo © Keith Anderson |
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VH-YVK / 21 Aerostar Yak-52W of Gordon Johanson.cn 9111314
Built in 1991 in Romania by Aerostar (under licence from the Russian company Yakovlev). Ex 34 DOSAAF, N18CY. First registered in Australia 14.10.2009. The Yak-52 is an aerobatic primary trainer aircraft which first flew in 1976, derived from the single-seat aerobatic Yak-50. The Yak-52 was used as an aerobatic trainer by the Soviet DOSAAF training organisation. DOSAAF trained military pilots and civilian sports pilots. Aerostar of Bacau, Romania, produces the Yak-52 under a licence agreement within the Communist trade organisation, COMECON. Most of the 1,800+ Yak-52s produced have been exported to the west since the end of the Soviet Union. Photo © Keith Anderson |
