Saw footage of Blackhawks during the earthquake rescue coverage. Did a double-take but put it down to archival news footage (which didn’t really make sense to use as I thought at the same time). Learn something new every day.

A couple running on the taxiable Kiwi Bristol Freighter and the chap who got those going has a trailer-mounted example that goes too.

If several were flying there would certainly be a small industry of new/rebuilt components to support them. The lack of flying/flyable airframes hamstrings the Hercules. We’d all love to see Varsitys, Freighters and Noratlas’ etc flying but perhaps our only chance is a Beaufighter … and that might be the only ‘popular’ Hercules-powered type that returns to the air.

That sucks, Gerry. Looking forward to your list and I’ll help if I can as I know how heartbroken I would be in such a circumstance.

Edit: a collection after my own heart. Was your copy of the McGlashan/Zupp Down To Earth a ‘special’ one?

PM sent re the Kiwis, Steve.

Been wondering what had happened to this after seeing a few shorts. It will be a toss-up as to who gets the most out of it, I reckon – us airheads or the kids. 😀

50 Tales of Flight by Owen Zupp. A pleasure to lose myself in so far.

Indeed. Bloody clever. One of the DX Facebook pages did something similar with old and recent photos recently. For someone who has only spent three days at DX (FL ’99), it was a wonderful reminder as to how much history has survived infrastructure-wise.

Thanks, chaps. I googled and found the same. Haven’t found any in Australia yet but the search is in its infancy!