Studebaker Car Club Of New South Wales Inc.

6th May 2012

Wings Over Illawarra, Albion Park Rail

Organised by Steve L.

Many thanks to Scott for the report, and Steve K for the photo's.

As happens each year around this time, the HARS (Historic Aircraft Restoration Society) who are based at the Albion Park airfield hold their annual air show.

It is an easy and enjoyable drive south from Sydney, the road is good, the scenery is pure Illawarra and on average it is just a bit over an hours run, just enough to let our Studes blow out a few cob webs.

Meeting up with Steve King at the Macca’s Engadine at 7:00 am for the run south, I had fellow NSW member Ray Henman on board with me, Ray wanted to feel how my Champion performs after the upgrade I have made to her engine, and the Champion loved the run, and she ran beautifully.
 

The Wings air show is always an enjoyable event, I think this is the 3rd time I have attended the show, and they always have planes of all types on display and others under restoration, plus many fully restored planes in the air doing fly pasts down the runway, which is a real thrill.
 

Fly past’s included Catalina (you may be interested you to know, the Black Cat as she is called, run’s Studebaker built radial engines!) there were also C-47 Dakota, Caribou, Hewie Helicopter from Vietnam, WW11 fighters in the form of P51 Mustang, P40, Wirraway, Harvard, 3 Neptune Bombers, Avenger plus many others.
 

On the jet side of the agenda they had a Vampire as well as a Meteor doing their respective fly byes.
 

But of course the queen of the air at Albion Park is the famous “Connie” she is the only fully operational Super Constellation in the southern hemisphere, and to stand so close to the runway to see, hear and feel her take off is amazing!
 

Your whole body literally vibrates with this magic sound and power, it is fantastic, you just have to be there to experience it for your self.
 

I think that is about sums it all up from me for now, I wished more NSW members made the effort to attend this year, because you missed not only a lovely drive, but a great event!
 

Make it a promise to yourself to attend next year.
 

Make sure you put this event on your “things to do” for next year, you will not regret it.
 

Till next time.
Scott.

Click >here< to see a few photo's of the Black Cat doing 'touch and go' on the lake.