Early Years in the Bureau
Introduction
My Early Years in the Bureau of Meteorology
The Formation of the Frosterley Club
Attachment A
Attachment B
Attachment C
Attachment D
Attachment E
Attachment F
Attachment G
Attachment H
Attachment I
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Another flew between Melbourne and Broken Hill, connecting with flights from Sydney in Mildura. The third flew Melbourne to Sydney via Narrandera. About the middle of 1938, one aircraft after flying very low over the Mount Lofty Ranges returned to Parafield with a bit of a tree top sticking through one wing. No other damage was caused. In the middle of the year Ansett acquired the first Lockheed 14, the Super-Electra, which during the wartime became the Hudson. There were a couple of short flights by ANA using DH84 aircraft. Adelaide to Port Lincoln and return, from Adelaide to Renmark and Broken Hill and return, a third from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island and return. My first familiarisation flight was from Parafield to Renmark, Broken Hill and return. It was on the Broken Hill flight that I had my first familiarisation flight on VH-UUO DH 84 (Dragon Rapide) on March 31 1938. On our way back to Adelaide from Renmark we ran into a very thick dust storm and had to climb to 13000 feet which was near the absolute ceiling for an unpressurised aircraft such as a DH 84. Eventually the pilot managed to spot the river Murray down through the dust and landed in a field on a farm near the town of Palmer. Fortunately the field was fairly clear and the surface was quite hard but there was a very strong wind at the time because an approaching front had not arrived. At a farmhouse near by I caused the lady of the house some consternation when I knocked at the door covered with dust and asked if I could borrow a bike to go to the town of Palmer to get some petrol for the aeroplane. She looked out and saw an aeroplane in her cow paddock. I think she wanted to slam the door in my face at first. Anyhow I managed to cycle into Palmer and the garage drove me back again with some petrol. We managed to replenish the two engines with enough petrol to get us back to Adelaide.
People in Bright Sparcs - Lillywhite, John Wilson
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© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
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