106 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION
I
n the 1960 and ’70s the Short
flying boats of Ansett Flying Boat
Services were an impressive sight
on Sydney Harbour. Operating to
Lord Howe Island plus on charter
flights to Australian and Pacific island
destinations, they were the last of
a proud line of large four-engined
Short flying boats to have operated in
Australian skies, commencing with the
Qantas Empire Boats of the 1930s.
These aircraft were Sandringhams
VH-BRC Beachcomber, formerly
ZK-AMH Auckland with TEAL and
obtained by Ansett in May 1950, and
VH-BRE Pacific Chieftain, which
would suffer from severe cyclone
damage during an overnight stop at
Lord Howe Island on July 3 1963;
plus converted Sunderland VH-BRF
Islander.
To replace VH-BRE, which would
be stripped of useful parts before being
scuttled in the waters off Lord Howe
Island in December 1963, Ansett
purchased RNZAF Sunderland 5,
NZ4108, which arrived at Rose Bay on
December 18 1963. After a substantial
modification it emerged as VH-BRF
and conducted a maiden proving flight
on September 28 1964.
Although both VH-BRC and -BRF
were identified on the Australian
civil aircraft register as Short S.25
Sandringhams, VH-BRF’s bulbous
nose set it apart from earlier
Sandringhams, which were modified
from the military Sunderland
configuration by Short and Harland in
Belfast.
In 1970 the looming retirement
of the Sandringhams, and thus the
end of the large flying boat era in
Australia, prompted the NSW Branch
of the Aviation Historical Society
of Australia (AHSA) to arrange acharter flight. Members were keen
to experience flight in a large flying
boat and an itinerary was planned to
offer something different so it would
have wide-ranging appeal. Demand
for the 42 seats saw the charter
fill quickly with AHSA members,
Sunderland veterans and some trout
fishermen visiting their choice angling
destinations.
On November 28 1970 this
writer joined fellow AHSA members
assembled at Rose Bay for an 0800hrs
departure. Boarding VH-BRF
the roomy cabin was comfortably
arranged reflecting the layout of a
roomy bygone era. The four Pratt &
Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasps were
started with engine power checks
conducted while we were still tethered
to the mooring dock.
After completion of checks the
Sandringham was cast off and taxied
to the eastern side of Rose Bay. Full
power was applied prior to lining up
and VH-BRF churned out of Rose Bay
in a slicing arc of foam and continued
down the Harbour towards the Sydney
Harbour Bridge.
Takeoff in a large flying boat is an
exhilarating experience. Acceleration
seems slow as water drums against
the side until the aircraft gradually
starts to rise and we were skimming
along riding on the hull’s step with
the evocative sound of the Twin
Wasps delivering takeoff power. The
foaming water turned to a fine spray
as we lifted off and climbed over
Rushcutters Bay.
A flightdeck visit saw a chat with
the technical crew, Captain Keith
Mansfield, First Officer Ron Harrison-
Williams and Engineering Officer
John O’Brien. It was a beautiful day
with a cloudless sky and just a light
mist out to sea. The instruments
revealed we had levelled out to cruise
at 1,500ft with an indicated airspeed
of 120kt.
The flightplan provided for a
coastal cruise at 1,500ft as far as
Moruya then a climb inland to 7,000ft
to clear the Great Dividing Range.
It was interesting to see the captain
using an Ampol road map (remember
Ampol?) to identify the coastal towns
to the listening passengers.
After breakfast passengers set
out to explore the Sandringhamvisiting the downstairs and upstairs
compartments. There were handrails
near viewing windows not adjacent
to seats and we found incomparable
views could be had even from the
toilet window! The forward unlined
baggage compartment was noisier and
colder than the cabin and we reflected
on what conditions on a long wartime
Sunderland patrol must have been
like.
Arrival over Lake Eucumbene,
which is the main storage area for the
Snowy Mountains Scheme, revealed a
vast glistening blue expanse of water
that when full, contains about nine
times the volume of Sydney Harbour.
As the aircraft alighted (Captain
Mansfield informed us flying boats
don’t land, they alight) on the water
the effect was spectacular as water
momentarily engulfed the widows as
the aircraft settled onto the water. A
launch then took the Sandringham in
tow and secured it to a mooring buoy.
We had an enjoyable weekend
touring many diverse sights in the
Snowy with an overnight stay in
Adaminaby. Visits to Jindabyne,
Thredbo, Yarrangobilly Caves and the
Tumut 1 power station buried 1,200ft
beneath the surface, were among some
of the items on a packed itinerary with
our coach covering 480km over the
weekend. It’s a lovely and diverse part
of Australia and well worth a visit.
Late on Sunday afternoon we
assembled at Eucumbene’s lakeside,
including the trout fishermen who had
been absent from our activities. We
transferred by launch to our waiting
Sandringham and lifted off at 1644
after a 43 second takeoff run and
climbed over the ranges to initially
cruise at 5,000ft and then to 7,000ft
after obtaining clearance with an
arrival at Rose Bay at 1811hrs.
The careers of the graceful
Sandringhams sadly came to an end
in 1974 after the construction of a
runway on Lord Howe Island to
enable land-based services, with both
aircraft sold to Antilles Airboats of the
Virgin Islands.
Today both aircraft can be seen on
display, with VH-BRC at the Solent
Sky Museum in Southampton in
the UK and VH-BRF now residing
at Kermit Week’s Fantasy of Flight
museum in Polk City, Florida.‘Flying boats
don’t land,
they alight.’
Water bird
A Sandringham to the Snowy Mountains
YESTERYEAR
ERIC ALLENAn islander in the alps. VH-BRF
Islander moored on Lake
Eucumbene on November 28
1970 with the rolling hills as
a background. The lake is
possibly the highest, if not
the highest, altitude of water
at 3,800ft, where a large
four-engined flying boat has
conducted operations.ERIC ALLEN