Historic outing

Darren Crabb with the Meteor that took part in the flypast as part of the Air Force Memorial dedication. Photo by CPL Mark Eaton

IT’S not often that aircraft from the Temora Aviation Museum venture far from home – staff at the museum prefer to let aviation buffs visit them at their headquarters in central western New South Wales.

So when five of the museum’s historical aircraft took to the skies for the 100 nautical mile journey to Canberra to participate in the Air Force Memorial dedication ceremony on Friday, November 1, it was an indication of the significance of the occasion.

Darren Crabb, the museum’s senior pilot, said, “We deemed it an event of significant public interest and we were happy to be a part of it.”

Crabb, a former Canadian Air Force pilot who came to Australia on exchange in the mid-1990s, flew the museum’s Meteor in the flypast.

Alongside the Meteor were four other aircraft from the museum’s collection, with four of the Temora Aviation Museum’s five pilots ex-military and all adept at taking part in airshows and aircraft displays.

A Wirraway piloted by museum chief executive Kenny Love, a Canberra Bomber flown by Phil Shaw and a Vampire flown by Bruce Wood all took part.

It was the first time a Canberra Bomber decked out in No. 2 Squadron colours from the Air Force’s involvement in Vietnam had been displayed to the public in Australia.

The Meteor, Vampire and Canberra Bomber are three of the oldest flying jets in the country.

The Temora Aviation Museum is one of Australia’s premier aviation attractions.

“The museum’s unique in that all our historical aircraft fly,” Crabb said.

• By Ben Caddaye
  

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