Temora Aero Club Members and their Planes


Owners – Bob Blain & Lynne Dwyer
Location of Plane – Temora
Plane Make/Model – Bristell

Owners – Brian & Jo Croft
Location of Plane – Temora
Plane Make/Model – Jabiru 230D

Owners – Mike Cleavor
Location of Plane – Temora
Plane Make/Model –Auster J5F
Registration: VH-WKY
Built: 1952 at Rearsby, Leicestershire, England
Description: High-wing, 2-seat side-by-side, tailwheel, originally developed as a club trainer with aerobatic capabiliy
Engine: de Havilland Gipsy Major 1 F, 130 hp (with electric start) with fixed pitch Invincible 77×62 prop
Cruise speed: 88 kt / 100 mph
Originally registered G-AMTE and owned by the Airways Flying Club (part of the heritage of what is now British Airways), the aircraft was brought to Australia in 1978 and registered here.
It was flown on a ferry permit from a private strip near Melbourne to Kyneton in 1981 for an engine top overhaul, but passed through 2 other owners in the course of its restoration and did not fly until
2008, when I obtained another ferry permit to bring it from Condobolin to Narromine for radio work then on to Temora. A Certificate of Airworthiness was issued in 2009, in time to take it to Echuca for the Antique Aeroplane Association rally
where it was awarded a trophy. Most interesting flight to date was taking it to the 2012 Chipmunk Rally at Kevin & Vicki Bailey’s strip at Colwyn Park, Mundijong WA – 4 days there and 3 very long days back, 40 hours total flying time!

Owners – Mike Cleavor
Location of Plane – Temora
Plane Make/Model –Scout 8GCBC
Built: 1979 at Osceola, Wisconsin USA
Description: High-wing, 2-seat tandem, tailwheel, observation and glider-towing
Engine: Lycoming O-360 C1E, 180 hp with fixed-pitch Hoffman 78×44 prop
Cruise speed: 85 kt/97 mph
Spent most of its life towing gliders at Tocumwal, imported to Australia in 1980. Sold to the Hunter Valley Gliding Club in 2006, I bought it in 2008 to use as a relief tug and to train tow pilots at Temora.
Unlike the Citabria and decathlon from which it was developed (and a grandson of the Aeronca Champ), the Scout is not aerobatic. It was developed as a bush aeroplane with a longer-span flapped wing and larger 8.50 tyres.
The very fine-pitch prop makes it a useful towplane, but a slow cross-country machine.