By Ian Badham of HARS Aviation Museum
Visitors will get a rare opportunity to watch some of the largest aircraft at HARS Aviation Museum in action with engine runs and flights at an impressive school holidays October Tarmac Days this coming weekend (Friday, October 10 to Sunday 12th).
While open daily for visitors at Shellharbour Airport, the monthly Tarmac Days allow HARS to showcase selected aircraft at their large Shellharbour hangars.
The Cold War submarine hunting Lockheed Neptunes 273 and 566 will be active on Saturday and Sunday.
HARS President and Chief Pilot Bob De La Hunty will operate the piston and jet engines on former French Marine Neptune 566 during Saturday and Sunday while also flying the former RAAF Neptune 273 on both days.
Developed in the USA during World War Two, the large Neptunes entered service with a number and countries as they were used during the 1960s to conduct submarine detecting and marine patrol flights.
HARS Aviation Museum volunteers are working hard to preserve their additional static Neptunes with repainting underway on 281 at Shellharbour Airport and also 272 and 302 at the museum’s Central West museum located at Parkes Airport.
Maintenance is almost complete to ensure the museum’s Lockheed Orion AC-P3 continues as Australia’s only airworthy example of the type which took over marine surveillance duties from the Neptune.
Vampire work continues
Visitors will see work underway to restore two De Havilland Vampire jet training aircraft at Shellharbour over the three Tarmac Days.
Significant progress has been made toward returning Vampire 637 to flying and, if conditions are suitable, this aircraft will undertake some more taxi runs on Saturday.
Huey flies in on Saturday
The distinctive and much-loved sound of Bell helicopters will add to the HARS Aviation Museum action on Saturday of the October Tarmac Days
Crews plan to fly former RAN Huey 898 from its base at Nowra to land at Shellharbour at about 10.30 am, subject to operational constraints.
The Iroquois UH-1B helicopter will be open for inspection for visitors outside Hangar 1 during the morning before conducting pilot training flights before departing by 3.30pm.
In addition, the owner of a privately owned and immaculately restored Kiowa helicopter plans to fly in on Saturday to support the arrival of Huey 898.
Legacy aircraft on show
To share the history maintained at HARS Aviation Museum, volunteer guides are on duty as visitors get up close to and can actually walk through some aircraft including the former Qantas record-setting Boeing 747-400.
Further, new display arrangements on immediately adjacent tarmac areas allow visitors to get up close to legacy aircraft including a Fokker Friendship F27 now in TAA livery, former RAAF Neptune 281 sub hunter, a DC-4 / C-54 that took part in the Berlin Airlift, former RAAF Dakota/C-47s, a De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou, a stunningly restored airworthy Victa Air Tourer plus, the outstanding replica of the Southern Cross Fokker trimotor used for Sir Charles Kingsford Smith’s defiant first crossing of the Pacific back in 1928.
“It’s true aviation history on show and up close to share with all visitors at HARS,” Mr De La Hunty said.
Visit the museum
Closed only on Christmas Day, HARS Aviation Museum offers a largely undercover and hands-on experience for visitors at its Shellharbour Airport hangars. HARS Aviation Museum is open from 9.30 to 3.30 daily for tours hosted by informative volunteer guides (last tour 2 pm) including a walk through the double record setting former Qantas Boeing 747-400.
It is located at Shellharbour Airport, off the old Princes Highway at Albion Park Rail and just a short walk from the railway station.
Visitors can make a meal of it when they drop into Café Connie (9.30 am to 2 pm) where the menu offers a great value selection of delicious home-made hot and cold foods plus excellent coffee.
Details of check-in at HARS Aviation Museum at www.hars.org.au
