Re-enactment of the first airmail flight in Australia
July 12-14 2014

Latest details of the flight: real-time updates : important if weather is a problem

Earlier newsletters  or just read on for the overall plans

Contact Tom Lockley 0403 615134 guillauxcentenary@gmail.com .

NB this information is current as at 7/07/2014 12:02 PM and is constantly subject to change and development. While a detailed timetable has been worked out  we are flying light aircraft under visual flight rules and bad weather may intrude ; on the other hand it is very likely that additional aircraft will join in the re-enactment as the date approaches.

Aircraft making the whole journey: *

Late news: the Dragon Rapide joins the re-enactment *

Stage 1: Essendon to Mangalore *

Stage 2: Mangalore to Benalla: *

Stage 3 Benalla to Wangaratta *

Stage 4 Wangaratta to Albury *

Stage 5: Albury to Wagga *

Stage 6: Wagga to Temora *

Stage 7: Temora to Harden: *

Stage 8: Monday 14 July Harden to Goulburn *

Stage 9: Goulburn to Mittagong *

Stage 10: Mittagong to Bankstown *

Bankstown and the Harbour fly-over *

A note on weather *

Timetable of flight prepared by Tony Coleiro *

Aerogrammes for the Powerhouse museum *

1. Jabiru 230 flown by Owen Zupp, carrying main replica mail and freight
2. Cessna 182 VH-TZX flown by Aminta Hennessy, legendary light aircraft professional pilot carrying Judy Rainsford and Tony Coleiro 　Aminta Hennessy aminta@flyplanes.com.au General escort and IFR aircraft for bad weather operaiton
3. Cessna 177B ... VH-WNM.　Paul Mcguire and Matt Segafredo with Matt’s son Marco Matt Segafredo (0418 280 000) Matt Segafredo　cybertivity@hotmail.com 　Paul McGuire ape001@bigpond.com
4. Jabiru flown by Jackie Milroy. Jackie is a senior instructor and owner of Osprey Aviation Services based at Teralgon.

• Jabiru: Replica of original mail: 1785 numbered postcards; token air freight Madura Tea and Murray Valley Fruit Juice; general other mail
• Relay of aircraft: Australia Post commemorative issues marking the centenary
• Other mail includes items related to the French companies who have sponsored the flight – Total, Airbus and Safran and aerogrammes written by children attendees of the Powerhouse PDC special weekend on 12-13 June.
• Plans are in hand for inward mail to be carried to Harden and Berrima, and we hope to be able to carry outward mail from these and other centres.

Pilot of Winjeel: Mark Carr; Adventure Flights Benalla; Email:mark.carr@bigpond.comDeparture 1030 hrs Orbit over Euroa arrive Benalla 1110 approx

Terry Kay　　terryjesskay@westnet.com.au is the principal person involved in Benalla activities.

Benalla has a strong aviation museum. and the on-ground activities are being co-ordinated by Terry Kay, president of the museum The Museum is located in the historic home of the 11 EFTS, Wartime Training Unit which was stationed at Benalla from 1941 - 1945 and from where some 80 de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moths were operated.　

　VH-UXZ will arrive at Benalla during the morning to join the flight until Wagga

The gliding group is to take the Australia Post mail to Wangaratta.. Mail will be carried in an ASK-21 (right) and in a French-built glider of the 1980s, (left) a Centrair Marianne.

The overall contact at Wangaratta is Terry Vaughan, terry@neglass.com.au 

From Terry Vaughan: We will be having a BBQ lunch for those that are around the field on the day.　 Wangaratta Chronicle will be on hand and local radio EDGE FM will be reporting on the flight.
I also have a jabiru as well as a few others , so will also add to the numbers in the air. More information to come

above: VH-SSK; to tjhe right Dragon Rapide VH-UXZ owned by Maurice and Paige Rolfe and flown by John Williams. It will arrive early on the morning of Saturday 12 and fly exhibition circuits as required. It will then fly on to Wangaratta and eventually to Albury,

Late news: the Dragon Rapide will carry the Australia Post mail on this stage and if time permits will make demonstration flights over Albury.

Aircraft will begin arriving at Albury about 1430 and will all arrive by 1600. Albury Aero Club is having a meeting and aircraft will be on display.

INVITATION: Anyone interested is welcome to come to the Thurgoona Club dining room to join the aviators for evening meal, choose your own variant meals from the bistro, $20-$30 range. 6 30 for 7 pm. Advise guillauxcentenary@gmail.com if you are coming so that the club sets aside a suitable area.

Motel　+61 2 6043 1666 motel@thurgoonaresort.com.au Club　+61 2 6043 1411 Thurgoona Country Club & Resort　1 Evesham Place, Thurgoona NSW 2640 Australia

Carrier of Australia Post load on VH-UXZ Dragon Rapide. The Rapide will be on show and will make some short flights before returning to its base in Tocumwal.

Tony Middleton a.middo@bigpond.net.au 0269224990 home phone has taken on the co-ordination of the events in Wagga.

Aircraft from Wagga intend to fly out to meet the incoming aircraft. These include a Stinson and Peter Middleton’s Ercoupe VH-LDN (pictured) The Douglas hangar is available for use and will be fenced off. Aircraft owners are invited to bring their aircraft to the area in front of the hangar, and Wagga city council has approved the use of this area for public access, with supervision by volunteers who have ASIC security cards.

This means that the public can inspect the aircraft from close range, and Wagga has some very interesting old aircraft and this will be great to see. Michele　Schiffer, carrying the Australia Post aircraft from Essendon to Mangalore, intends to fly on to Wagga with her CT-4 in its original RAAF livery, and she will join this display before returning to the aircraft’s home field at Lilydale, Melbourne. Catering for morning tea is being organised.

Chris Cabot of the Wagga Air Centre is a real flying mailman, and his aircraft deliver many postal loads. He is also involved in Wagga has a very active Alliance　Francaise　group and they are meeting with Tony to discuss their participation. Sue Savage, from Alliance, tells me that they have a very strong choir. Alliance Francasie contact details.....

Postal Address:　PO BOX 1158, WAGGA WAGGA NSW 2650
Email:　afdewaggawagga@hotmail.com

Avro Cadet (Avro Cadet, full title Avro 643 Mk II　VH-AGH,　flown by Clin Ashton-Martin (below): it is likely that he will carry ‘intermediate’ mail for Harden;

Hotel owner Trevor Callaway, tcallaway@tcapl.com.au and hotel number is (02) 6386 4574 is giving us free accommodation for 10-12 people. 1 Neil St, Harden　NSW　2587

Lorraine Brown is organiser of Sunday afternoon events, su89631@bigpond.net.au . This includes a Model Aircraft display and the Hawker travelling collection of memorabilia.

Lorraine's latest news:

Everything is in place in Harden for our event - we have put some safety measures in place for the day as the landing strip overruns the roadway leading into the venue. Craig Sargent will fly into Harden in the morning & we are asking all the pilots landing at Harden to radio into Craig before landing, so that he can relay this message to the 2 Council Lollypop men who will then stop traffic crossing the airstrip whilst the planes are landing or taking off.  One of our Historical Society members will sleep in his caravan overnight on Saturday & Sunday as security for the planes etc. that will be parked at the airstrip.  I have organized with the Carrington Hotel to have their Bus available to transport pilots & other support crew to & from the airstrip to the Carrington Hotel on both Saturday & Sunday.   On Monday morning before you all leave I have permissionn to take you to the site where the original Bleriot landed in 1914 which is now in the agricultural grounds at the Murrumburrah High School.   The cement circle is still there & visible.  

I spent this morning with Prime TV Wagga who will do a promo on what is happening here in Harden.  All our local radio stations have all been contacted as well.  

Evening meal at Carrington Hotel. All interested people are invited to come to evening meal at the Carrington Hotel, 6 30 for 7pm. Dine from the menu (Mains $15-$22) and meet the aviators. Email guillauxcentenary@gmail.com if you are coming so we can advise the hotel of likely numbers.

In the original flight, the plan was for Guillaux to make a landing at Moss Vale, and all preparations had been made. At Sutton Forest on July 19 the Badgery Flier, an Australian-made aircraft, flew successfully. It had a 40-45hp 6 cykinder Anzani engine, for which Delfosse Badgery was the Australian agent.

Paul Ewoldt　　　guillauxmedia@gmail.com

Christine Ewoldt　　　　guillauxcentenaryphilately@gmail.com

The mails will be carried in a convoy of French classic cars to the Powerhouse museum where they will arrive as the centrepiece of a reception to commemorate Bastille Day. The Lieutenant-governor of NSW and the French Ambassador are among many distinguished guests, sponsors , historians and aviators who have been involved in the event. The reception will be held on level 1 of the Powerhouse Museum, where the actual aircraft flown by Guillaux is on display as part of the spectacular transport exhibition.

The light aircraft involved are almost all flying under VFR rules which preclude flying in conditions of poor visibility. The weather patterns have been analysed and it has been calculated that, on the basis of past weather conditions, we have a bout a 75% chance of carrying out the flight without significant disruption due to weather. With minor variations, the probability rises to over 90%.. The all-weather escort aircraft flown by Aminta Hennessy will be able to handle all but the most extreme conditions, with the ultimate fall-back position of carrying the mail by road for a section or two if necessary because of catastrophic weather conditions. The flypast on 14 July could also be affected. As regards the weather for the various places en route the following is of interest:

Weather patterns for July, from http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066037.shtml

Aerogrammes for the Powerhouse museum

　Le Rhone rotary engine, 1918