The Walcha Aero Club organised three excursions in 1960 using Tamworth’s East West Airlines and its DC3 aircraft VH-EWB. The photo shows the aircraft registered as VH-PWM after conversion for survey work in Indonesia and New Guinea.
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Twenty-nine people took part in the May trip to see the My Fair Lady stage show at the newly refurbished Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney’s Haymarket. One lady member of the group said it was an experience she would never forget.
“From the time we left Tamworth until our return everything went smoothly. After a chicken tea at Mascot we were all thrilled with the big, black hire cars that took us to and from the theatre where we enjoyed three hours of musical delight.”
A second excursion to My Fair Lady took place in September. The 31 participants departed Tamworth airport aboard VH-EWB at 4.50pm on Saturday afternoon and returned at 1am on Sunday morning. They were back in Walcha well before sunrise, courtesy of those members of the group who made their motorcars available for the round trip to Tamworth.
The third excursion was a November tour of the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme. The Snowy project was then still a work in progress despite portions having been put into service.
The late John Fenwicke reported on the tour: “We started off in bad weather and VH-EWB was definitely not as fit as it might have been. After a short delay at Tamworth we took off for Canberra, unfortunately leaving Mr and Mrs Clive Wall behind to follow in a Cessna.
“We were twenty minutes out of Canberra when one engine stopped so the pilot diverted to Mascot; the cameras immediately started clicking at the stationary propeller. The plane landed at Mascot without further incident.
“We travelled more than 300 miles in two days at the Snowy to see this wonderful scheme. The tour included a rather rough launch ride on Lake Eucumbene; some of the party were more concerned for their safety aboard the launch than they were when flying in a one-engine DC3.”