Hars Aviation Museum - Albion Park

WE LOVE WEDDINGS AT HARS
Today Luke and Veronica got married at HARS.
Our immaculate DC3 Hawdon stood as backdrop to this joyful occasion with family and friends watching on.
... We can help make your special occasion memorable with our facilities. Simply call our normal number and our Events Manager "Sherryl Sherson" can call you back and discuss your needs.
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His dad bought him his first flight suit at the Imperial air Museum at Duxford, Cambridgeshire. Flynn Elsworthy wore the flight suit, and really looked the part when he, and his family visited HARS on Sunday August 27th.....

THE BEST OF BRITISH AT HARS
Today we had a large group of visitors who are passionate about British cars. Particularly those built by Ford.
And our visitors were delighted to see some of the best of British aircraft......our English Electric Canberra bomber... our DeHavilland Vampire trainer/fighters....our DeHavilland Tiger Moth.
... And not forgetting our various British aircraft engines on display including our 27 Litre Rolls Royce Merlin V12 piston engine, the axial flow Avon jet and hanging off our 747 in the photo the huge RB211.
You too can see all these and the rest of our vast collection.
We are open everyday come and visit us.
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TO DREAM OF FLYING
This young man came for a visit to HARS today. His parents let us use his photo but not his name
He wants to be a pilot one day.
... We were privileged to help him come a little closer to his dream as he looked wide eyed and could actually touch some of the aircraft he has read about ....our 747....our DC3....our F111.
HARS is full of dreamers. People who dream of keeping classic aircraft flying so others like this young men can see and touch in wonder.
Come a pay us a visit we are open every day.
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ANOTHER WEEKEND AT HARS#2
The 2nd oldest surviving CAC27 Sabre A94-901 and the very 1st in RAAF service was given some spring touchups today by the paint team.

ANOTHER WEEKEND AT HARS #1
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FORMER RAAF BOMBER PILOT REUNITED WITH HIS PLANE
Mr Martin Huet paid HARS a visit yesterday and took the opportunity to reacquaint himself with one of the great loves in his life, the mighty RAAF F111.
In a former life Martin was at the pointy end of Australia's defence as an F111 pilot and flew our very own A8-109 on many occasions. As you can see he was delighted.
... You too can be part of the exclusive club of people who have sat in our F111. Simply ask your tour guide when you visit HARS.
We are open everyday. www.hars.org.au
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GLORIOUS SOUND OF HAWDON TAXIING BACK IN
During our Tarmac Day our DC3 Hawdon was test flown. Here we see her taxiing back in to HARS after the test flight.

TAA DC-3 Hawdon warming up pre flight during the August 2018 tarmac weekend.....

TARMAC DAY AUGUST 2018.
Visitors to HARS on tarmac weekend were given the rare sight of Lockheed Neptune 566 given an engine run combined with a taxi around the museums precinct. 566 was with the French Maritime and operating in the Pacific during the atom bomb tests in the 80's. HARS bought it from the French in 1989.

TAA TAKES TO THE SKIES AGAIN
Trans Australia Airlines (TAA ) very 1st passenger aircraft "Hawdon" DC-3 takes to the air during this weekends tarmac day with Capt. Don Hindle at the controls during very windy conditions.
This historic aircraft ( Genuine Ex USAAF WW11 Pacific veteran) dating from 1942 is proudly owned and maintained by HARS in full flying condition.
... Come and visit us and see up close her cleaming metal finish.
Video by HARS Videogragher Michael St John
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AIRLINES of NSW REBORN
Our HARS DC-4 on display during tarmac day this weekend. She is starting to look resplendent in her new Airlines of New South Wales paint job being applied by Team Jacko.

Tamsyne Harlen, a member of HARS who helps as a guide and also looks after the Instagram account, is currently managing this Sikorsky 61 helicopter in the United States as it works on fires burning in Oregon and Washington states. The aircraft can lift 780 gallons of water and has recently been part of the approval process in Australia for night fire bombing operations. Tamsyne is in the USA as part of a 180 strong contingent of firefighters from both Australia and New Zealand. #anzdeployment2018 #nswrfs #sikorsky61 #sikorskyhelicopters #coulson

THIS WEEKEND IS TARMAC WEEKEND
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday (10th to 12th August,2018) is Tarmac Weekend at HARS.
Great photo opportunities with many of our aircraft out in the sunshine on the Tarmac in front of Hangar 1.
... Have a snack or lunch at the Connie Cafe and take the opportunity to do a Wing Walk on our record breaking 747-400 "City of Canberra"
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Currently, one of HARS volunteers is away as part of a 180 strong contingent of Australian firefighters who have been sent to the United States to assist with the firefighting effort in Northern California and Oregon. This is their luggage being loaded into their aircraft for the flight to Boise Idaho where they will be given specialist briefings before being sent to the fires. #firefighting #fires #unitedairlines #united #unitedstates

Our Instagram person is away right now ... A "ladder truck" in Los Angeles. Tomorrow, Boise Idaho as part of the Australian Fire Fighting contingent.

A bit about our next Tarmac Weekend - 10th to 12th August
AIRLINE LEGEND DC-3 ON SHOW FOR AUGUST TARMAC DAYS
An historic DC-3 which pioneered the launch of Trans-Australian Airlines will feature when HARS Aviation Museum holds its monthly tarmac days on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10-12 August, at the Illawarra Regional Airport at Albion Park. The gleaming polished metal DC-3, named Hawdon in honour of Australian settler and mail pioneer Joseph Hawdon, was built as a militar...y C-47 for the US Army Air Force in 1941.
After seeing service across the Asia-Pacific region as USAAF 41-18660, in 1944 she was converted to a civilian DC-3 then, when TAA was formed, flew the first service from Melbourne to Sydney n 1946. In those days it took over three hours of low-level, non-pressurised flight to travel the route now covered by jets in about an hour.
After being retired in 1979 Hawdon was placed on public display, suspended in the car park at Melbourne Airport. After bring restored to flying again in 1988 she was gifted to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society in 2016 and is maintained in flying condition. Crewed by two pilots and a navigator, the DC-3 had a maximum speed of 350 km/h with a range of 1,650 km.
In addition to the DC-3, HARS Aviation Museum also flies two American designed and built Douglas Aircraft C47s with cargo doors which were delivered to the RAAF in May 1945 where they served in many squadrons until retired in 2000.
While the HARS Aviation Museum is open daily from 9.30 to 3.30 for visitors and groups the monthly “Tarmac Days” allow museum volunteers to put the spotlight on selected aircraft unique to Australian aviation history. The museum’s Café Connie also is open for great coffee and light meals.
Also featured is the last of only 20 de Havilland DHA-3 Drover aircraft built at Bankstown in 1951. The distinctive three-engine aircraft was totally designed and built in Australia, serving with TAA, Qantas and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Like so many of the heritage aircraft preserved for the future at HARS Aviation Museum, the Drover is beautifully maintained in flying condition.
For details of HARS Aviation Museum tours see ww.hars.org.au
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Absolutely amazing. Ian (guide), Robert (avionics engineer), Michael (customer service manager) & Captain Ron, took us on the VIP tour of the QANTAS 747-400 VH-OJA City of Canberra. This tour is truly a once in a lifetime experience that gives you unmatched access to every aspect of this historic aircraft. The knowledge, experiences and stories that not only these four have, but all the HARS staff is incredible and needs to be seen first hand. From the walk around, walk through, climb under and cockpit you will be visually immersed to the point of not knowing which way to look. I could easily spend weeks with each of the crew in their specific area, looking at every aspect and hearing the amazing facts and stories that are the history of OJA.



Do yourself a favor and visit the team at HARS. We walked in just before opening and were the last to leave...placing the vip tour cost to value ratio beyond what money can indeed buy.



Thank you to the society for what they have achieved thus far and to the many people and organizations that have and continue to donate to this worthy cause.



We will be back one day!!

Paul & Claire.

Absolutely amazing. Ian (guide), Robert (avionics engineer), Michael (customer service manager) & Captain Ron, took us on the VIP tour of the QANTAS 747-400 VH-OJA City of Canberra. This tour is truly a once in a lifetime experience that gives you unmatched access to every aspect of this historic aircraft. The knowledge, experiences and stories that not only these four have, but all the HARS staff is incredible and needs to be seen first hand. From the walk around, walk through, climb under and cockpit you will be visually immersed to the point of not knowing which way to look. I could easily spend weeks with each of the crew in their specific area, looking at every aspect and hearing the amazing facts and stories that are the history of OJA.



Do yourself a favor and visit the team at HARS. We walked in just before opening and were the last to leave...placing the vip tour cost to value ratio beyond what money can indeed buy.



Thank you to the society for what they have achieved thus far and to the many people and organizations that have and continue to donate to this worthy cause.



We will be back one day!!

Paul & Claire.

Absolutely amazing. Ian (guide), Robert (avionics engineer), Michael (customer service manager) & Captain Ron, took us on the VIP tour of the QANTAS 747-400 VH-OJA City of Canberra. This tour is truly a once in a lifetime experience that gives you unmatched access to every aspect of this historic aircraft. The knowledge, experiences and stories that not only these four have, but all the HARS staff is incredible and needs to be seen first hand. From the walk around, walk through, climb under and cockpit you will be visually immersed to the point of not knowing which way to look. I could easily spend weeks with each of the crew in their specific area, looking at every aspect and hearing the amazing facts and stories that are the history of OJA.



Do yourself a favor and visit the team at HARS. We walked in just before opening and were the last to leave...placing the vip tour cost to value ratio beyond what money can indeed buy.



Thank you to the society for what they have achieved thus far and to the many people and organizations that have and continue to donate to this worthy cause.



We will be back one day!!

Paul & Claire.

Absolutely amazing. Ian (guide), Robert (avionics engineer), Michael (customer service manager) & Captain Ron, took us on the VIP tour of the QANTAS 747-400 VH-OJA City of Canberra. This tour is truly a once in a lifetime experience that gives you unmatched access to every aspect of this historic aircraft. The knowledge, experiences and stories that not only these four have, but all the HARS staff is incredible and needs to be seen first hand. From the walk around, walk through, climb under and cockpit you will be visually immersed to the point of not knowing which way to look. I could easily spend weeks with each of the crew in their specific area, looking at every aspect and hearing the amazing facts and stories that are the history of OJA.



Do yourself a favor and visit the team at HARS. We walked in just before opening and were the last to leave...placing the vip tour cost to value ratio beyond what money can indeed buy.



Thank you to the society for what they have achieved thus far and to the many people and organizations that have and continue to donate to this worthy cause.



We will be back one day!!

Paul & Claire.