Thirteen riders and seven car occupants travelled from the start to the venue, a distance of only approximately 14 kays. It was mostly through suburbia and a straight run so nothing much of interest there. However, what a smorgasbord of aviation history we were treated to as we wandered through the display hangers. I attend the point cook air show every year but because of the crowds I sometimes give the display hangers a miss. Since my last look in the hangers, displays of aircraft have just get better and bigger. I noticed the Douglas Boston light bomber that had been languishing outside for a few years, is now on display in the technology hanger. It is now fully restored and looks magnificent in squadron colors. I have a photo of my ’38 Chev under a wing of this particular Boston when it was outside and before it was restored. The A20C model Boston was built in the same era as the Chev.

Also of particular interest to me was an early Martin and Baker ejection seat on display. I was a bomb armourer in the RAF and part of my job was to arm, disarm and service M/B ejection seats.

Ejection seats are fired out of aircraft at around 60 feet per second by primary and intermediate explosive cartridges. These cartridges are fitted inside a gun barrel type tube, open at the base and built into the rear of the seat. When fired the seat becomes a high speed rocket.

They were fitted in all military jet aircraft from the Meteor and Vampire fighters on. Naturally working around these explosive ejection seats is quite dangerous work. You may have noticed a red triangle marked outside the cockpit of all aircraft fitted with ejection seats. Inside that triangle is marked DANGER EJECTION SEAT. That gives warning of a procedure that is vital to be done before a pilot can be rescued in an emergency or leaves his seat after any normal landing. That procedure is to insert the safety sear pin into the hole at the top of the spring loaded firing pin, located at the rear top of the seat. This must be done immediately the aircraft has parked. In an emergency a pilot can fire his seat by pulling on a looped handle above his head or another looped handle located between his legs near the floor. With the aircraft finally grounded and parked, the pilot must not exit from the cockpit until service personnel have fully inserted and locked the safety sear pin into the firing pin hole. Otherwise the pilot or anyone working around him could get snagged on the lower or upper loop handle and accidently fire the seat.

In 1956 an ejection seat was accidently fired from the cockpit of a Canberra bomber while inside a hanger with tragic results. It was at a very busy pilot training base, just a week before I was stationed there…………but that’s another story.

There were many other displays of interest to me, including none aircraft historical displays and information. It was relaxing that the museum wasn’t crowded out, as it always is during the air shows.

It was soon time to leave and after taking a few photos of some display aircraft and our bikes in the car park, we made our way up to Bills abode in Altona North for an enjoyable BBQ. Bill had the TV going under cover outside and we were able to keep half an eye on events at the motorcycle GP prior to the main event of which I was later able to catch up on from start to finish. Although missing out on this year’s championship, it was good to see Stoner creaming the field once again on the island. Thanks Bill for a very enjoyable day.

By the way, in 1913 the site for the Point Cook air training school was originally sited by English aviator Lieutenant Henry Petre on behalf of the Australian Government. He did it after travelling hundreds of miles…………. on a motorbike! Would love to know what that bike was!

Reg Hammond

PARTICIPANTS

Graham Boulter BMW R90/6 1975

Rod Blake Norton Dominator 1962

Peter Cullen BMW R60/5 1971

Ray Isles BMW R80 1995

Burger Drake Honda ST1100 1999

Richard Sommerville Yamaha 1975

Jack Ryan Honda VFR 750 2001

Doug McDonald Suzuki Hayabusa 1999

Eugen Schwarz BMWK 100 RS1985

Colin Sullivan Norton Commando 1972

Alan Kelly Velocette MSS 1955

Reg Hammond BSA Gold Flash 1957

Bill Weedon Honda ST1300 2003

In cars: Ed Sleightholm, Tom Myers, Don & Val Weedon, Adrian Nash, Keith & Belle Emmet