Saturday, January 12, 2008, 05:58 PM
After the last Air Show at Temora I had decided I wanted to experience what it must be like to fly in a warbird such as those seen from another Era.
I had wondered what it was like for the pilots of fighter aircraft such as the Spitfire to endure the rigors of aerobatic flying in war.
Luckily Alex von Mengersen is offering such an experience from Hangar 213 at Wagga Wagga Airport. The unitiated to this kind of flying in an ex Military aircraft can take just a joyflight or go on with full aerobatic manouvers in the Nanchang CJ-6A warbird with Alex obliging to any recipe one might wish to have.
Not only did I want to have this experience but I felt our 2 Sons would like to do this as well so when David flew in on a commercial flight from Sydney recently I had organised a little surprise for him at Hangar 213.
;)
Enter here now : www.waggawarbirds.com.au
My flight with Alex left me in a state of eurphoria from the Adrenalin Rush for several hours afterwards. I for one cannot get back quickly enough for more. The look on Davids face said it all but then again unlike me he did put a hand to the joy stick.
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( 3 / 1103 )Tuesday, January 8, 2008, 09:27 PM
This week is the Holiday time for Fuyue Jiang & What is a young woman to do who wants to go to the Gold Coast to be by the Ocean when heavy Seas pound the Coast ?. Much the same thing was happening on the South Coast of New South Wales with heavy Sea swells closing most beaches to the public.
The Answer was for Fuyue who works in a Sydney Hospital & who comes from Guilin City in China to take the 1 hour Flight to Wagga Wagga Beach unafected by this wild coastal weather.
Sight seeing in town was interesting but I'm sure this was not the kind of Beach Fuyue expected to find, however it was a scene familiar as Guilin has a river much the same passing through that City.
It was the first time Fuyue had been out into the countryside of rural Aus where strange animals awaited with some wanting to be hand fed.
On Sunday morning I arose & looked out the window & could hardly believe my eyes. The double imaging had narrowed to almost become one again. This was a moment when I realized many a prayer was being answered...Jenny said "What are you looking at?" & I said to her I think the Diplopia is leaving me. Later in the morning as the Three of us sat in Church I felt the most humbling of feelings & just thanked God over & over for the return of single vision. Today it is still with me & although my right eye hurts I find myself checking constantly the Diplopia is gone & it has.
Photo of Eastern Grey Kangaroo Mother & young Joey by Fuyue
Young Merino Sheep as seen by Fuyue
Fuyue even found herself having two first happenings this weekend ...One being to cut grass the other being the first driver of the new mower that arrived.
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( 3 / 1255 )Tuesday, January 1, 2008, 04:38 PM
As much as I tried this morning to calm my sheep they would not let me any closer...I still have my head wrapped in bandage so this unfamiliar Ian sounding person worried them.
Happy New Year Everyone ! This was dawn as the New Year Day arrived & I wanted to get a photo of twin lambs born yesterday. This then is the best I could do with the Mums being very "flighty"of my look.
Thank You & Blessings to each & everyone of you. The Operation lasted 6.5 hrs & was deemed by Neurosurgeon Charlie Teo as being very difficult. I have come through the ordeal very well with the Facial Nerve intact but at this point in time the Diplopia remains. The main objective of the Operation was achieved in removing the tumor, however some remains in another area which may necessitate going to America for Proton Beam treatment at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Centre Baltimore in Marylands.
Jenny & I returned home on Sunday the 30th where at present some side-effects of the Operation linger. It has been of great comfort for us to know so many caring wonderful people upheld the power of Gods praise & prayer for me at this time.
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( 3 / 1196 )Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 11:59 AM
Both Graham Elphick & myself have been to these Open Days at the Temora Aviation Museum before which I would say being not to big, is very sort of friendly. As it is always such an enjoyable day out I was quick to accept an invitation from Graham to accompany him to this one being the last for 2007.
I should say these scheduled flying events are held over 2 days of a weekend in most Months of the year. Besides being able to see the Aircraft at other week days up close in the theatrical lit Display Hangar, along with DVD Footage of the history of aircraft & Static Displays, we wanted to head off to nearby Temora to see these Aircraft flying.
Our departure was delayed on the Saturday morning when Graham phoned to say he had a new born calf that was not drinking from Mum & he wanted to give it some bottled milk as the day was forecast to be pretty warm. I then drove to his farm to save time
Jess greated me with all of the signs of intelligence a farm dog can muster & the desire to go about some farm animals while her Master was hastily making his way to the cattle yards. Graham who is a Bachelor always seems to have something happening around his place & spends a lot of time devoted to the care of his beloved stock.
When kneeling to take this photo Jess surprised me by sliding her head under my right arm to give me a smoochy look. After a short tussle with the calf the job was done & away we went being by this time about 1 hr late....Not to worry though as such is life on the farm.
Having arrived & making our way to the Public viewing area without walking into something from continually looking up, we stood at the fence & were treated to some fine fly overs as seen here with the Hudson Bomber & Aus Boomerang.
After a while I noticed Graham helping an elderly chap who was battling to take a photo with his mobile phone. The bright day making the screen very hard to see as well as some serious head scratching on how to make the thing work. Being deaf in one ear & with a half paralysed voice I decided it better to let Graham continue as the Good Samaratin. Some minutes later Graham announces to me that this chap was a Spitfire pilot from WWII & I said "Well you better get him over the fence"...Meaning to make it known to the Aviation Museum people of his presense. It was only then I noticed this chap was wearing a name badge that looked to have some sort of officialdom to it.
I decided to take some photos of this chance meeting with Lyne Skinner & was able to reach around a gentleman beside me with the camera in one hand to do it. Lyne had come to Temora on a Charter flight from Murray Bridge in South Australia with Howard James-Martin another WWII pilot, his Son Peter & good friend Dr Graham Norton. Graham Norton was brought up in Temora where his Mother & Sister still live.
It was Graham who organised the weekend for the ex RAAF pilots.
What it was that Lyne was wanting to photograph was a Supermarine Mark XVI Spitfire now readying for take off.
Lyne had flown one of these in Photo Recognaissance (PR) in the Mediterranean Theatre or WWII which saw him carry out 33 Operations from Egypt to Italy, Malta, & up to the Front Lines at Ferrara & Trevisa in Russia. These (PR) Spitfires were defenceless as all armaments were removed to allow for extra fuel to be carried in the wings to undertake these missions.
This very aircraft still painted in its war time colours saw action towards the later part of the war over Germany where it was piloted by Russell Leith who lives today in Perth West Aus. Leith with this Spitfire flew missions with the RAAF 453 Squadron to attack V2 Rocket Installations. Now it is piloted at Temora as seen here by Guy Bourke from Melbourne.
Graham then set about finding some officials from the Aviation Museum to see if Lyne could be re-aquainted with a Mark XVI. Not only was this achieved but both Lyne & Howard were taken in for a recorded interview of their war time flying experiences ....I hope in the near future visitors to the Aviation Museum Website that I will give later may be able to view these interviews in the Unsung Heroes segment.
These two photos were taken with 35mm Prints so have an older look.
Guy Bourke with Lyne back in the cockpit after 62 years...Check out the grin !
Howard James-Martin seen here chatting to Graham did not on the day have the luxury of being re-united with a Vultee Vengeance. Howard piloted a Vengeance during WWII as a Dive Bomber with the RAAF against advancing Japanese Forces in New Guinea at Nadzab, from where the Squadron raided places such as Hansa Bay. Howard also saw action in Kittyhawks in Borneo.
Howard together with his CO did the longest raiding mission of the war in a Kittyhawk from Labuan to Kuching.
Towards the end of the day in Meet the Pilots where the public can go out onto the Tarmac to the various aircraft I intended to get a photo of Howard with the Wirraway an aircraft well known by him from his training days but lost sight of his white hat in the crowd.
Of course being a kid at an Air Show sometimes other things take more of a precedent.
"Gee I'm glad I'm with Grandad...He knows just where to point so I can see the planes !"
"Grandad Do you have enough money to buy a drink or an ice-cream ?"
"Bet that Paddle Pop tastes better than this hat"
"Thank's Grandad_Burp! Your the Best!"
The Show Goes On
Tribute to the Loss of Australian Aviation Icon Col Pay
In ending this Entry concerning the Aviation Museum at Temora I wish to close with a few photos of Col Pay taken on that day as a Tribute to a man known by so many here & overseas not only for the enjoyment he brought people at Air Shows but for the preservation of many Aus "warbirds".
The Australian Aviation Industry suffered a great loss when Col Pay tragically lost his life in a flying accident on 07 December.
Col Pay 26/10/1932 - 07/12/07
For more Information on the Temora Aviation Museum please see :
www.aviationmuseum.com.au
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( 3 / 1276 )Monday, December 3, 2007, 11:20 PM
Sunset Storm at Old Junee 25/11/07
I have for a little while now been wanting to ask for your prayers. This seems to have been made more difficult in that I have discovered it is easier to ask for prayers for others than one self.
I have at this time the re-emergence of a brain tumor resulting in Diplopia or Double Vision brought about by the tumor effecting the lateral movement of one eye so it is not able to focus on the same object as the other eye.
An Operation is scheduled for the 27th of Dec in the Prince of Wales Private Hospital Randwick Sydney by Neurosurgeon Charlie Teo, Surgeon Thomas Kertesz & their team.
Please pray for the skill & guidance of the Surgeons to remove the tumor so that intended radiation treatment can be undertaken.
Please pray normal vision will be restored as Dr Teos prognosis of this happening is remote. He has likened this part of the Operation to a strand of hair passing through the flesh of a green peach...One must cut that away without damaging the strand of hair being the nerve to the eye lateral movement.
Please pray for Gods guidence for me to at this time to deal with this strange new mixed up world of Diplopia
Please pray for my Spiritual & Mental Growth
I wish to thank Eric Schumacher from the Wagga Wagga Baptist Church for his help on his recent & being very timely sermon on Prayer. In this sermon Eric pointed out : THE KEY TO ALL PRAYER FOR HEALING IS THE GLORY OF GOD is our greatest concern, then all prayer for healing will submit to that higher purpose. That really is the key.
Ephesians 3:14-19
Phillippians 1:9-11
Operation Date Confirmed
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