CLUB HISTORY

With Bass Strait forming a positive barrier between Tasmania and the mainland of Australia it is not surprising that Tasmania has played a major role in the development of aviation in Australia.

It's true that Harold Gatty, the famous navigator of Wiley Post's 'Winnie Mae' which made the first record round the world flight in June - July 1931, was born at Campbell Town. However, perhaps the greatest contribution came from Hudson Fysh, one of the founders of Qantas. Yet again who can measure the contribution made by the Holyman brothers - who were the founders of Holymans Air which became Australian National Airlines and was eventually taken over by Reg Ansett.

Looking back through old records it is interesting to note that the Tasmanian section of the Australian Aero Club was formed in Launceston as early as 1926 with active flying operations commencing in November 1930.

One of the founders was Captain Vic Holyman, who was responsible for approaching the Federal Government to provide the aerodrome at Western Junction. Vic became the club's first life member but was later killed in a tragic aircraft accident in Bass Strait.

By 1935, the club was operating at both Western Junction in the north where they flew 716 hours and Brighton in the south where 505 hours were flown. Flying members totalled 85 with such prominent Tasmanian names as Holyman, Gatenby, Boss Walker, Fitzgerald, Davies, Mills, Miller, Reed and Youl.

In November 1935 Hobart operations were transferred to Cambridge. It was about this time that steps were taken to make the southern operation a full entity of its own with a change of name to the Tasmanian Aero Club. The club's first aircraft was a de Havilland Gipsy Moth DH60M VH-ULM, an aircraft which was still operating in the 1970's. The club also operated one other Gipsy Moth VH-ULN and a Cirrus Moth VH-UAU.

With the advent of World War 2, Western Junction became an air force initial Flying Training School with some hundreds of Tiger Moths used for training. When disposed of in 1946 the Tigers formed the basis of flying clubs throughout Australia. The Tigers were sold for between fifty and two hundred and fifty pounds.

Flying had increased in popularity so that it was not surprising that the Hobart section of the Tasmanian Aero Club became the Aero Club of Southern Tasmania and that eventually the North West branches of the Tasmanian Aero Club also became separate clubs.

The Aero Club of Southern Tasmania was formed as a company limited by guarantee on the 1st of July 1947 the list of subscribers contains many prominent names; R.O. Harris, H.M. Heathorn, D. McPhee, C.E. Davies, L. Nettlefold, G.L. Roberts, D, Meridith, I.G. Grant, and K.J. Williams.

As performance and comfort of aircraft has increased the Tigers, Austers and Chipmunks have gone to be replaced by the ubiquitous Cessna 172 and 206. The field of aerobatics is still be kept alive by the addition of a Victa 150 to the club fleet and initial training is now conducted in a new Australian built Skyfox Gazelle.

Club hours in 1935 were about 1200. In 1977 the Tasmanian Aero Club reached a total of 100, 000 hours flown since 1932. In January 1978 the Aero Club of Southern Tasmania also reached 100,000 hours flown since July 1 1947. Today, we are flying around 2000 hours per annum and club aircraft are seen all over Tasmania and often interstate.