Episode 94 – WOA – The Australian National Aviation Museum

Guests: Dave Sodastrom, Ewan McArthur and Ashley Briggs

Host: Dave Homewood and James Kightly

Recorded: 14th of November 2015, at Moorabbin, Australia

Duration: 1 hour 57 minutes 46 seconds

In this episode the “Wings Over Australia” co-hosts Dave Homewood and James Kightly visit The Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin Airport near Melbourne, in Australia. Here they’re given a guided tour by the enthusiastic team members Dave “Soda” Sodastrom, Ewan McArthur and Ashley Briggs around the museum. It’s a huge collection, well worth a visit, and some of the highlights featured in this episode are the Fairey Firefly, the Bristol Beaufighter, the Douglas C-50 Dakota, the Vickers Viscount and the General Dynamics F-111 cockpit.

The Museum Entrance (J. Kightly)

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The CAC Wirraway sitting out the front of the museum (Dave Homewood)

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Show Host Dave Homewood with the Wirraway, and sits in the cockpit (both photos James Kightly)
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Inside the Wirraway cockpit (Dave Homewood)

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The Boeing 737 Cockpit Section (Dave Homewood)

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The CAC Ceres (Dave Homewood)

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The CAC Winjeel RAAF trainer (Dave Homewood)

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The Mirage (Dave Homewood)

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The Percival Prentice and the Auster (Dave Homewood)

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The Fairey Firefly (Dave Homewood)

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WONZ Show host Dave Homewood in the Firefly cockpit interviewing Dave Sodastrom

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The Douglas Dakota (Dave Homewood)

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The museum’s DC-3 in service with Ansett Airlines. [Via ANAM]05MoorabbinDC-3

 

The Vickers Viscount, with Co-host James Kightly in the pilot’s seat (Dave Homewood)

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Dave ‘Soda’ Soderstrom in the Viscount cockpit, and James’s view of the floor (James Kightly)

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The Australian National Aviation Museum’s Vickers Viscount when loaned to a fun park ‘Wobbies World’. [Via ANAM]

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Dave and ‘Soda’ with the F-111 Cockpit (James Kightly)

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The famous F-111 ‘Dump & Burn’ as described in the podcast, here seen at the Airshows Down Under Avalon show of 2007. (James Kightly)

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The Beaufighter, including the interior (Dave Homewood, and James Kightly)

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Dave interviews Ewan McArthur about the Beaufighter; and a happy Ewan, museum secretary and publicist, on the Beaufighter wing. (James Kightly)

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James in the Beaufighter cockpit with Ewan on the wing during the recording (Dave Homewood)

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The view from the Beaufighter top hatch (Dave Homewood)

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The museum’s DAP Beaufighter as used in the children’s playground at the Lord Mayor’s Camp, Portsea, Victoria. [Via ANAM]

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The Tiger Moth (Dave Homewood)

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The museum’s Victa Airtourer with the Victa mower alongside. (James Kightly)

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The Bristol Beaufort cockpit and Mosquito tail (Dave Homewood, left,and James Kightly, right)

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The Sea Venom (Dave Homewood)

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The Bristol Freighter (Dave Homewood)

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A de Havilland Heron (left) and the Westland Wessex (Dave Homewood)

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The Fairey Gannet (left) and part of an Optica (Dave Homewood)

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Jet Fighters (Dave Homewood)

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CAC Sabre (left) and Gloster Meteor (Dave Homewood)

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Avro Lincoln fuselage (left) and a Catalina aft fuselage section (Dave Homewood)

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Douglas DC-2 (Dave Homewood)

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Another Heron project (Dave Homewood)

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A step back in time to the 1930’s with a Hornet Moth and Moth (Dave Homewood)

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A rare, genuine Fokker Dr.1 fuel tank, provenance mysterious but intriguing as discussed in the podcast. [Via ANAM]

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The museum’s project CAC Mustang A68-71 when in service. [Via ANAM]

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Some shots from a previous live day that James attended and mentions in the show:

The museum’s rare Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Ceres running at the recent Open Cockpit day. (James Kightly)

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A reunion of CAC workers with the oldest surviving CAC aircraft on its 75 birthday last year. (James Kightly)

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Dave ‘Soda’ cuts the cake for the CAC Wirraway’s 75 birthday on 6 September 2014. (James Kightly)

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The Wirraway refurbishment team give a cheer for a job well done. (James Kightly)

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Quick Links:

Australian National Aviation Museum Website

Australian National Aviation Museum Facebook Page

The music heard in this episode is “Diga Diga Doo”, by Bob Crosby and his Orchestra, provided by Matt Austin via his original 1930’s portable gramophone.

2 comments to Episode 94 – WOA – The Australian National Aviation Museum

  • dick winterburn.

    hello dave are u going to visit my Derelict aircraft museum at 325 glenview rd launching place victoria.

  • Dave Homewood

    Sorry Dick, I was not aware of your museum when I was in Aussie in November (when this was recorded). Maybe someday in the future though. What aircraft types do you have?

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