Navy to the rescue
2 posters
Navy to the rescue
|450|Devil Fri Oct 09, 2015 8:00 pm
Found this item when looking up the "on this day" in the RAAF's air power website
30 August 1955
Rogue aircraft embarrassed RAAF
On this day, the RAAF was greatly embarrassed when it failed to shoot down an unmanned civilian light aircraft that had been drifting out of control over Sydney. The two-seat Auster had got away from its pilot when he restarted the engine on the ground at Bankstown airport shortly before 9 am, and crossed the city before passing out to sea. A RAAF Wirraway trainer from Richmond tried to shoot the Auster down using a hand-held Bren gun from the rear cockpit, but this fire appeared to have no effect. A Meteor jet fighter arrived from Williamtown, but its cannons jammed after only a few rounds. Two more Meteors were then called in, but they were beaten to it by a pair of Sea Furies from 805 Naval Air Squadron at Nowra at about 11.35 am. The episode raised questions about the RAAF’s capacity to provide control of the air.
Apparently the luckless pilot had only recently got his solo license and was doing touch and go's when the engine stopped on the ground, He got out and hand spun the prop and the plane was so well trimmed it just took of by itself.
30 August 1955
Rogue aircraft embarrassed RAAF
On this day, the RAAF was greatly embarrassed when it failed to shoot down an unmanned civilian light aircraft that had been drifting out of control over Sydney. The two-seat Auster had got away from its pilot when he restarted the engine on the ground at Bankstown airport shortly before 9 am, and crossed the city before passing out to sea. A RAAF Wirraway trainer from Richmond tried to shoot the Auster down using a hand-held Bren gun from the rear cockpit, but this fire appeared to have no effect. A Meteor jet fighter arrived from Williamtown, but its cannons jammed after only a few rounds. Two more Meteors were then called in, but they were beaten to it by a pair of Sea Furies from 805 Naval Air Squadron at Nowra at about 11.35 am. The episode raised questions about the RAAF’s capacity to provide control of the air.
Apparently the luckless pilot had only recently got his solo license and was doing touch and go's when the engine stopped on the ground, He got out and hand spun the prop and the plane was so well trimmed it just took of by itself.
|450|Devil- Posts : 497
Join date : 2013-01-28
Age : 71
Location : Lovely Banks, Victoria, Australia
Re: Navy to the rescue
Wolverine Fri Oct 09, 2015 9:02 pm
That's an amazing story! Taking fire with a bren gun from rear cockpit is WWI stuff!
Wolverine- Squadron Leader
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