SAAM’s new display hangar officially opened by Senator David Fawcett..

Mike Milln

 

 

SAAM’s new display hangar, part funded through the Australian Government’s National Stronger Regions Fund, was officially opened on behalf of the Commonwealth by Senator for South Australia Senator David Fawcett on Wednesday 30th August.

About 90 members and invited guests were on hand to hear SAAM President Pieter van Dyk, Mayor Gary Johanson of the Port Adelaide Enfield Council and Senator Fawcett address them. Senator Fawcett unveiled a commemorative plaque to officially open the hangar, and then toured the new hangar and the museum’s just completed Caribou display with other guests. They were also able to see the partially assembled Kiowa received from Defence Disposals just two days earlier. Our guests then joined us for a light lunch.

Among the guests were Mayor Gary Johanson, Bob Ahrens, Air Commodore Vincent (Joe) Lervasi, Jim Whalley and Roger Lang – all good friends of the museum.

Pictured is SAAM’s President, Pieter van Dyk, introducing Senator Fawcett to assembled guests.

Kiowa A17-010 lands at SAAM…

Mike Milln

Kiowa A17/010 was loaded at Damascus Barracks on Friday and arrived safely at SAAM this afternoon (28 August).

SAAM volunteers unloaded the aircraft including tailboom, rotors and a case of parts, and it is now placed adjacent to Caribou A4-225 in our new display hangar.

Next – reassembly and restoration!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Kiowa A17-010 on its way to SAAM!

Mike Milln

Kiowa A17-010, courtesy of Defence Disposal’s excellent program to give museums opportunity to acquire and preserve defence heritage to display for present and future generations, was loaded at Damascus Barracks Brisbane today. As well as the fuselage, the main rotors and tail boom and various other parts are on the truck.

All going well, it will be available for viewing in its present dismantled state at our Official Opening on 30th August – see here for the program: http://www.saam.org.au/events/

We then have the job ahead of us to re-assemble the aircraft using the parts supplied, supplemented with other necessary parts we are sourcing from the Bell JetRanger shell we recently acquired and possibly from other museums in the network that received other Kiowa airframes.

A17-010 will be a great addition to our collection.