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Post by davebasing on Jan 8, 2020 16:42:16 GMT
Although paling into insignificance when compared to the loss of life, habitat and property, the tragic fires have probably claimed a number of aircraft. One such is Grumman S2G Tracker N12.152334 which had sat for many years on a property in Gannet Road, a short distance from the Aviation Museum at Nowra NSW. I photographed her on the property back in 2006, courtesy of the owner's father. Ironically it had been scheduled to be moved to a museum in Victoria for preservation when the fires struck before it could be moved. It seems probable that the fire also consumed fellow S2G N12.153597 which (as you will see below) was stored close to its mate. In another irony, 9 Trackers were destroyed in a hangar fire at Nowra in December 1976 started deliberately by a 19 year old sailor who had also opened the fuel lines and disabled the sprinkler system. N12.152334 was one of the aircraft purchased in 1977 from the US Navy to replace those lost in that fire. It last flew in 1984. oz 743 by dave tompkins, on Flickr oz 745 by dave tompkins, on Flickr oz 746 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
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Post by davebasing on Jan 23, 2020 11:05:14 GMT
Far more tragic than the loss of the Tracker I previously mentioned is the crash early this morning of the Coulson fire fighting Hercules N134CG south of Canberra with sadly the loss of all 3 crew members. The aircraft was a former US Navy EC130Q 161496 which I photographed at the Naval Air Test Centre at Patuxent River, Maryland in 1991 and again in 2008 while stored in the Western International yard beside Davis Monthan after it had been retired following service with NASA. Hopefully Australia will honour the memory of the crew who had come a long way to help that country in its plight. It's the second loss of a former Navy Hercules in 6 weeks after Chile Air Force 990 (ex 160625) went down in the Drake Passage en route to Antarctica on 9 December. 91-am by dave tompkins, on Flickr US08 1237 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
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