We were devastated to lose Paul Daw, our long-serving member and collection manager, in the Rossair crash near Renmark on 30 May. We offer our sincere condolences to his wife Anne, daughters Emma and Rachel, Son Simon and brother Nigel; and to the loved ones of Stephen Guerin and Martin Scott, who also died in the crash.
Paul will leave a huge gap in our organisation and in our hearts. Vale Paul.
When we last posted we had moved the Caribou into our new display hangar and installed the horizontal tail surfaces and the engines.
We now have the props and cowlings installed, and on 3 June 2017 we installed the vertical tail fin. Next is the rudder!
Pieter was filmed by Aviation Now at our Open Cockpits and Family Fun Day last month. To view the video click here
We’ve put the props on the Caribou since then – the port wing and vertical tail surfaces come next!
Volunteer Week is an annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contributions of our Nation’s Volunteers…
Did you know SAAM has NO paid staff? We are entirely dependent on the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm of our volunteers, and we are very proud of them.
Here’s a good example – a hard-working group in our library, busy on a major re-organisation of the collection that’s underway. Ian Jones is on the left, who is a photographer and works on the video section; then Rod Kopp, who has the thankless job of Membership Officer on the Committee; Jean Kopp, who as well as library work and countless chores around the museum also produces the newsletter; Nigel Daw, our Librarian who leads the library staff; and Vern Kendall, who can be found every week helping in the library. There are many others who help out too.
There are many, many more volunteers busy on a huge range of activities that make SAAM such a good place to visit – some of whom we will be featuring and thanking on our Facebook page this week.
We are an accredited learning destination under the program, so bring the kids in with their passports over the school holidays. They’ll have fun with our questionnaires AND learn a lot AND earn passport credits – AND remember we are open every day over Easter!
SAAM was very happy to have been selected by the Australian Military Sales Office as preferred applicant for DHC-4 Caribou A4-225. This is one of five Caribous that were parked at Oakley Army Aviation Centre, and were subject to a recent disposal tender to Australian Historical Aviation Organisations.
The aircraft was disassembled for transport to the Museum and stored until it could be installed in our new display hangar. It is now inside with the engines and horizontal tail surfaces re-installed, and will be displayed with the starboard wing left in storage so that the aircraft can be positioned close to the hangar wall to conserve badly needed space. The port wing, vertical tail surfaces and propellers will be progressively re-installed.
A4-225 was delivered to the RAAF in June 1965, one of 29 Caribous ordered between 1963 and 1971. It gave 44 years of service before being retired in 2009. It served with 38 Sqn Detachment A in PNG, where it was used to qualify crews in difficult tropical and terrain conditions before their deployment to Vietnam. It also served in natural disaster relief work – for example, relief operations in Townsville after Cyclone Althea in 1971.
More Photos HERE.
The new hangar is now ready for occupancy! It has passed all inspections, we have painted the floor, installed a new concrete entrance ramp and extended the hardstand in front of it.
We have started the difficult task of installing aircraft exhibits in it, including the Caribou, Sea Venom, Canberra nose section and the Wessex helicopter.
We will be moving more aircraft and some exciting new acquisitions in over the coming weeks and months.
The project was carried out by Ahrens Construction and is 50% funded under the National Stronger Regions Fund.
 Some lucky Dads were given Tour Gift Certificates for Fathers’ Day, but really any occasion will do!
This two hour tour is a great way to get up close and personal with the iconic F-111. One of our guides will take you on your individual tour of this great aircraft’s exterior and cockpit and explain its many features. CLICK HERE for more information about the tour, how to purchase a Tour Gift Certificate and the booking procedure. |
South Australian Airmen of the Great War
(now available online!)
SAAM’s History Group produced this book with historian Chas Schaedel as an ANZAC Centenary project under the Australian Government’s Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
The book is now available on our website HERE. It is illustrated with a large number of photographs from Chas Schaedel’s collection, and identifies and details the service of over three hundred South Australians who served as airmen during the Great War.
Free copies of the book are available at the Museum for relatives of the airmen listed. Other visitors may purchase a copy in the Museum shop for $10 while stocks last, or you can order online from the publisher at www.avonmorebooks.com.
Our web site is being updated. Stay tuned for more.
