Goggles on, chocks away

THE RAAF Museum at Point Cook claims that it has Australia’s newest single-seat fighter pilot.

Flight Lieutenant Chris Tulk, the museum’s operations and executive officer, took to the sky on August 16 in the Museum’s replica 1916 vintage Sopwith Pup fighter aircraft.

Flight Lieutenant Tulk is a Roulettes pilot, who also has a private pilot’s licence to fly the Museum’s civilian-registered aircraft.

Museum Director David Gardner said that before flying the Pup, Flight Lieutenant Tulk had to carry out conversion training using Tiger Moth and Chipmunk aircraft.

“The Tiger Moth gives him experience in operating an aircraft with a tail drag wheel, while the Chipmunk is much more responsive, more like the Pup,” he said.

“This was necessary for conversion purposes, because the Pup is a single-seat aircraft. His first flight is also his first solo flight.”

Before he finally took off in the Pup, Flight Lieutenant Tulk was given some last minute instructions by Wing Commander Warren Madsen from Headquarters Training Command, who is the Museum’s other qualified Pup pilot.

“He did this in true 1914 style, by standing next to the cockpit and shouting above the roar of the ‘powerful’ 165 BHP radial engine,” he said.

With final pre-flights and instructions completed, it was a case of “Goggles on – chocks away” as Flight Lieutenant Tulk gunned the throttle and roared across Point Cook’s “Western Grass” strip for less than 100m. The aircraft was airborne at 75km/h.

He flew the Pup for 30 minutes, practising stalls, wingovers and circuits as he did so.
After landing, Flight Lieutenant Tulk emerged from the cockpit impressed with the little fighter’s handling qualities.

“It handles beautifully,” he said “It is so nice to fly, I really enjoyed that.

“Now, if only they’d give me the gun.”

Although the Pup originally was armed with a single .303 Vickers or Lewis machine gun, the museum aircraft is fitted and painted as a training aircraft, without a gun.

The Pup, a replica of a 1916 single-seat fighter, is one of the aircraft flown by the museum.

It has a number of flying aircraft, including a Winjeel, CT4 and the Pup. It has also recently acquired a Tiger Moth, which will join the flying team in October after a complete overhaul.

The museum conducts three interactive flying displays each week – beginning at 1pm every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, weather permitting – in which an aircraft is flown for the public.

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