A beef with flying
The Kimberley is a place where
aviation has always been hailed
as the answer to most transport
problems. Cattle stations found that
over-land transport of meat was
taking too long, given the distances
involved, lack of proper roads and
the perishable nature of their goods,
which in the 1950s led to another
historical quirk of Australian
aviation. A rough airstrip was cut
into the grass in the middle of a
cattle station near Glenroy in the
central Kimberley, and several times
a week huge DC-3s would land. But
instead of taxing to a terminal they
would taxi to a slaughter house.
And so the memorably-named Air
Beef Scheme was born.
Cattle were marched to their fate
and the meat loaded onto the planes,
which would roar down the bumpy
grass strip to be flown away to far-
flung markets. On one memorable
occasion the wing of the DC-3
caught the side of the gantry while
taxiing, but the show went on and
the pilot flew to Perth with one wingthree feet shorter than the other ...
or so the story goes. The grass
runway is still visible from the road,
as are the yards where the cattle were
herded and slaughtered, as well as
foundations, relics and even the old
windsock of this unlikely airfield.Times change
These days the flying doctor usually
won’t land unless there is a well-lit
bitumen strip. Likewise tourist
operators taking people on flights
over the horizontal waterfall or the
Bungle Bungles can’t afford to take
chances. It’s a far cry from the days
when Lawson Holman would come
bouncing in on an overgrown grass
strip in an Avro Anson, hoping no
large objects lurked amongst the
grass; or would watch in horror as
the pilot abandoned the controls
and joined Lawson at the rear of
the plane with a cup of coffee to
demonstrate that planes “were built
to fly” as they plunged-rose-stalled,
plunged-rose-stalled all the way
to Fitzroy Crossing. It was truly
another time, in another world.AUSTRALIAN FLYING January - February 201530 Kimberley Special australianflying.com.au
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Derby airfield.
Robinson R22: not designed for mustering, but
they do a great job nonetheless.
All North’s fleet of R22s in the hangar at Derby.