Our March newsletter is ready for download!

Mike Milln

You can download our March newsletter by clicking on the image at left, or go the Newsletters tab to browse past issues.

This month president David Byrne summarises SAAM’s contributions to the Epic Flight Centenary celebrations; we say goodbye to Honorary Member Chas Schaedel; Mike Milln puts in a plug for his presentations on the Epic Flight during History Month in May; Langdon Badger has more memories about Edinburgh Air Shows; David Leicester DFC & Bar, OAM, Legion d’Honneur (Fr) comes to visit; RAAF History tells us about the capture of Jericho and TAP-3B Orions in the RAAF fleet; Nigel Daw contributes a profile of Lawrence Matulich; and more!

SAAM Open Cockpit and Engine Runs Day – 28 April 2019!

Mike Milln

Our next Open Day is coming up on Sunday 28 April –  many new cockpits will be open to visitors including the AP-3C Orion and we will be running historic engines throughout the day including the Rolls Royce Merlin and Kestrel and the big rotary Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah. There’ll be lots for the kids too, and there’s loads of free parking, so put the date in your diaries and watch out for our program coming soon!

February newsletter ready for download!

Mike Milln

Just click on the front page at left to download our February newsletter.

Once again we have to bid farewell to a long-term member, this time Errol Hepworth; the President gives an update on our events and priorities over the next few months; there are the usual restoration updates; RAAF History contributes a history of RAAF Edinburgh to mark its establishment in January 1955, there’s a piece about Streaky Bay-born Lancaster pilot Clarrie Gardner; and History Group member and WWI expert Chas Schaedel contributes another profile in his “Brothers-in-Arms” series on The Smith and Larkin brothers.
Chas is battling severe emphysema and is very unwell, so please join us in wishing him well.

January newsletter ready for download!

Mike Milln

Our January newsletter is a big one – the president lays out the year ahead; we say goodbye to Dick Wright, whom we lost just before Christmas; Ron Fuller extols the operating characteristics of the Aero 145; Robert Zweck continues his pictorial history of his early flying days; Dean Robinson profiles 10Sqns’s war service… and more!

Click image to download.

No 10 Sqn RAAF in WWII History Group Profile ready for download!

Mike Milln

http://www.saam.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/SAAM-Profiles-NO.-10-SQUADRON-RAAF-IN-WWII.pdf

History Group member Dean Robinson has been researching and writing profiles of the most significant aircraft in Australia’s airline fleets. This time he has diverged from that path and written the story of 10Sqn RAAF in WWII. It makes good holiday reading – just click on the link above to download, or go the the History Group tab to browse the index of other profiles. Enjoy!

AP-3C Orion A9-756 officially handed over to SAAM!

Mike Milln
Guest and members at the official handover ceremony
WGCDR Colin Smith speaking at the official handover ceremony
Martin Ball speaking at the official handover ceremony

The Orion was officially handed over to SAAM by AIRCDRE John Meier of RAAF Heritage on 2 December 2018 at a ceremony beside the reassembled aircraft in SAAM’s Hangar 2. 

WGCDR Colin Smith, CO of 10Sqn; Martin Ball, VP-Fixed Wing Airbus Australia Pacific; and Jim Whalley, Nova Group Chairman and SAAM’s Patron were included in the official party and around 100 members and guests attended.

The disassembled Orion was delivered to SAAM on 10 December 2017 and has been reassembled by a team of SAAM volunteers. The aircraft is presently displayed without its starboard wing and vertical tail surfaces because of space constraints, but SAAM’s forward plans include expansion of the display space to allow completion of the assembly.

Our December/Christmas newsletter is now ready to download!

Mike Milln


It has been a busy month for SAAM with two squadron dinners, the Orion official handover ceremony, our members’ Christmas party and more … all reported in this issue with copious photos… plus interesting RAAF History articles, part 1 of Robert Zweck’s Connair experiences and Nigel Daw’s profile of F.27s in Airlines of SA service. Just click http://www.saam.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PM-Dec18.pdf to download, or go to the Newsletters tab to browse past issues.

New History Group Profile ready for download!

Mike Milln

History Group member Nigel Daw has written a detailed chronicle of the F.27’s service with Airlines of South Australia.

The profile includes 22 historic photographs, fleet and routes tables and three complete representative timetables.

Just click the image at left to download, or go to the History Group drop-down tab above to browse through the many other profiles available.

SAAM statement on calls to relocate Vickers Vimy G-EAOU

Mike Milln

It seems that nothing stirs controversy like the Vickers Vimy at Adelaide Airport – the latest being that it should be moved to the Eastern states.
Of course it should not be, especially since plans are already underway to relocate it to a much more accessible site as part of Adelaide Airport Ltd’s terminal expansion.
The South Australian Aviation Museum has been a long-term advocate of increasing the access of South Australians and visitors to this iconic aircraft.

We assisted Adelaide Airport Ltd (AAL) in planning the refurbishment of the existing memorial as an interim measure, and we strongly support AAL’s intention to relocate it.
We recognise that will take time and money, and we urge State and Commonwealth Governments to assist AAL with funding to effect the relocation as soon as possible.
In the meantime we will continue to support AAL’s demonstrated careful custodianship of this precious artefact and will provide whatever technical advice we can in the planning for its future.

 David Byrne (President) and Committee

South Australian Aviation Museum Inc