AUSTRALIA’S Royal Aero Club movement boasts a rich history dating almost 100 years. Aviator takes a stroll down memory lane and discovers why the clubs remain an invaluable jewel in Australian aviation.
ROYAL FEDERATION OF AERO CLUBS
The origin of the Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia dates back to the 28th October 1914, when a group of young officers of the newly formed Australian Flying Corps met at Point Cook, Victoria, and decided that an Australian Aero Club should be formed to advance the cause of aviation and be affiliated to the Royal Aero Club in London.
The meeting chairman was Captain H.A. Petre, who had been brought out from England to inaugurate a flying school for the Australian Government and had chosen Point Cook near Melbourne as the most suitable area. The first secretary was Captain T.W. White, later to become The Hon. Sir Thomas White, K.B.E., D.F.C., V.D. Another member was Lieutenant R. Williams, later Air Marshall Sir Richard Williams KBE, CB, DSO, who is widely recognised as the father of the Royal Australian Air Force.
The outbreak of the First World War delayed further development until 1919, when individual sections of the Australian Aero Club were formed in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia.
The national aero club movement as such first came into being in March, 1926 under the name of the Australian Aero Club Federal Council and consisted of representatives of the Victorian and New South Wales Clubs only. South Australia joined in 1927, Queensland and Tasmania in 1928, and Western Australia in 1929, when a new association was formed and the name changed to the Associated Australian Aero Clubs. The name was again changed to the Aero Club Federation of Australia in 1948. During 1960 the prefix "Royal" was granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the present title adopted.
At first the primary object of the movement was to develop interest in flying throughout the Commonwealth. Particular attention was paid to aerial pageants and air races and the organising of public receptions for pioneer aviators at the end of their historic flights. These were accompanied by flying displays and were enormously popular and well attended.
In the 1930's however, the aero clubs began to realise their defence potential and to make vigorous representations to the Federal Government for financial assistance, which would enable them to train a larger number of pilots at a reasonable cost to the individual.
At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, several of the larger clubs were turned into elementary flying training schools and provided the instructors, aircraft and ground maintenance facilities to train cadet pilots for the air force, which was then able to concentrate on intensive instructor training.
After the war the clubs were entrusted with the training of National Servicemen, Air Training Corps Cadets, General Reservists, University Air Squadron Cadets and some Citizen Air Force Cadets. The official flying time involved was more than 40,000 hours.
In later years the emphasis shifted away from the training of pilots for defence purposes and the government looked to the aero clubs to train an ever increasing number of commercial pilots for Australia's airlines, the rapidly expanding aerial agricultural industry and to meet the demand for charter and personal pilots. The RFACA responded by introducing a unique low cost scheme, the Airline Pilot Training Scheme, the graduates of which are held in high regard by the airline industry.
Today, a primary role of the RFACA is the representation of its members at Federal and State Government levels, encouraging the establishment of flying training facilities, and helping to promote the development of all facets of private, sporting and recreational aviation having now included as members, in addition to aero clubs, the majority of sporting aviation groups and associations currently active in Australia.
ROYAL AERO CLUB OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The Royal Aero Club of Western Australia (RACWA) was first registered by founding President Sir Norman Brearley in 1919 but did not become really active until 1929. The Club operated from Maylands Airport near the City of Perth. The Royal prefix was added in 1935.
The club was very busy in the 1930s, operating Tiger Moths and going out to many country centres training pilots who ultimately ended up in the RAAF or later in the airlines.
The club moved from Maylands to Perth Airport in 1956 when Maylands was closed. In 1964 a further move was undertaken to the new GA Airport at Jandakot.
The club’s fortunes have waxed and waned over the years but steadily built in flying hours and assets to become one of the biggest aero clubs in the world.
Flying hours peaked in the early 1990s at 36,000 hours a year, a fleet of 40-plus aircraft and a satellite airfield, Murrayfield near Mandurah, owned by the club.
Today, RACWA operates from centres at Jandakot and Murrayfield and has a wide range of modern aircraft. It still operates two completely restored Tiger Moths and a Chipmunk so pilots can taste the joy of flying from yesteryear. The flight academy trains pilots for both national and international airlines and is one of several in Australia who offer the JAR approved course. RACWA operates a large instructor School and trains pilots for a wide range of industry needs within Australia.
Apart from a short break during World War II, the club has operated continuously for 81 years.
ROYAL VICTORIAN AERO CLUB
The history of the Royal Victorian Aero Club is an integral part of the history of the development of Australian aviation. The club traces its history back to 1914, only 11 years after the Wright Brothers’ famous first powered flight in December 1903 and only four years after the first powered flights in Australia in 1910.
It was at Point Cook, on 28 October 1914, that two instructors and three army officers under instruction, (the first members trained for service with the Australian Flying Corps), decided to form the Australian Aero Club and to affiliate with the Royal Aero Club of Great Britain. The Australian Aero Club was formally established on 9th April 1915, when military and civilian aviators and others directly interested met to elect office bearers.
One of the original three officers under instruction, then Capt. Thomas White, later became a long-serving member and president of the Club. Another of those three, then Lt. Richard Williams was also a Club member and is the person after whom the RAAF base at Laverton/Point Cook, (“RAAF Williams”) is named.
In 1918 and 1919 state sections of the Australian Aero Club were formed in all states, the original club changing its name to the Australian Aero Club, Victorian Section. Between 1922 and 1924 the Victorian Section became totally inactive but in November 1924 the club was revived to meet the increasing popularity of flying.
Renamed the Victorian Aero Club on 29th October 1934, the privilege and honour to use the “Royal” appellation was granted on 13th March 1935,. Since that date the club has been known as the Royal Victorian Aero Club (RVAC).
In 1926, RVAC, along with the NSW section, was the first to be approved by the Defence Department, to train pilots to the Private Pilot’s Licence standard.
In 1934, 28-year-old club member Miss Freda Thompson flew her own Moth Major solo from England to Australia in 19 days, becoming the first Australian woman to do so. On the same flight she made a record five-and-a-half hour flight from Koepang to Darwin. Thompson was a very competent pilot and won many of the club’s competitions. A committee member between 1947 and 1949, she also served as President in 1948.
During World War II, the club became quite small as members joined the armed services, aircraft were seconded by the government and fuel was severely rationed. In 1944 there were only 73 members and 387 hours flown. But after the war and for the next 20 years the club expanded considerably; while private flying training was subsidised by the Commonwealth Government to ensure a constant pool of trained pilots, particularly for the RAAF.
After operating at the “Commonwealth Aerodrome”, Bulla Road, Essendon for almost 30 years, in December 1949 the Royal Victorian Aero Club moved to the newly established Moorabbin Airport, becoming the airport’s first flying school operator.
Training and recreational flying was conducted up until the early 1950’s mainly in the de Havilland “Moth” series of aircraft. Even today, the club still has numerous members who learned their flying skills in these aircraft. Then came the Chipmunk, followed in 1958 by the Piper and Cessna aircraft, updated models of which are still with the club today.
By 1968 the club had 1,426 members and was flying over 25,000 hours per year. During those years the club established sections at many country centres, some of which became independent local flying clubs.
But from 1969 through to the mid-1970s the club experienced a substantial decline in business. This was in part due to increased costs following the abolishment of subsidies and the subsequent introduction of the user-pays system, plus increased competition. However, since the early 1980’s the Club has been relatively stable in terms of membership numbers and flying hours.
Over 90 years have passed since that first meeting at Point Cook and over 50 years have passed since the move to Moorabbin. During that time a constant stream of members and new pilots has passed through the aero club’s doors, many famous, many unsung.
ROYAL QUEENSLAND AERO CLUB
The Royal Queensland Aero Club is one of the longest established flight training schools in the world. First formed in June 1910, it was called the "Australian Aero Club, Queensland Section". The name was abbreviated in 1920 to the "Queensland Aero Club".
The Patron of the Royal Queensland Aero Club is the duly appointed Governor of Queensland. Probably the two most identifiable members of the club have been Bert Hinkler and Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. The club has always catered to the flying aspirations of men and women alike, one of the more prominent female members being Mrs Lores Bonney in the early 1940’s.
Countless students have gained their wings, achieving successful careers with the world's airlines and making significant contributions to general aviation.
2009 was the club’s 90th training year. No other flying organisation in Australia has been training pilots for more than eight decades.
History:
1919: Flying Training Commenced
1920: Granted first licence for the carriage of passengers in Australia
1920s: Aerodrome site at Archerfield purchased
1929: Took over flying training in Queensland under contract with Qantas
1931: Eagle farm airport closed and facilities transferred to Archerfield Airport
1935: Royal Charter was granted resulting in the title “Royal Queensland Aero Club”
1940: Club’s hangar, aircraft and spare engines requisitioned by the Empire Air Training Scheme which trained RAAF pilots for the war.
1966: Current clubhouse officially opened
1984: Hangar one purchased from the Commonwealth
1996: Awarded the “Sword of Honour” by the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators
ROYAL NEWCASTLE AERO CLUB
In August 1928 ex-World War I pilots Captain HS Preston and Captain LH Irwin decided to form an aero club in Newcastle. President of the Aero Club of NSW, Captain GF Hughes, visited Newcastle and addressed a public meeting which unanimously agreed to form a local branch of the aero club movement. The club committee decided to build the airport at Broadmeadow.
Flying training began in 1934 following delivery of the club’s first training aircraft, a DH Moth Major. Two years later the Newcastle and Clarence River aero clubs agreed that the Newcastle club should supervise flying training at country towns to the city’s north and northwest.
The outbreak of World War II in 1939 saw all of the club's aircraft impressed into RAAF service as trainers, while the workshops at the club were engaged throughout the wartime years, overhauling Wackett and Oxford trainers and manufacturing wooden wing tips for Mosquito fighter-bombers. Club members were scattered throughout the world, many serving in the military. An Honour Roll in the clubhouse records their names for posterity.
At the conclusion of the war in 1945, the aero club began preparing for a post-war boom and by 1946 the club boasted a fleet of 20 aircraft. Aero club members then acquired land at Rutherford, near Maitland, and a Maitland Aero Club was formed under the auspices of Newcastle Aero Club. During 1950 the club was admitted to the Aero Club Federation, the same year six club aircraft and pilots were engaged in flood relief work at Kempsey and Grafton, dropping tons of stores, blankets, and medical supplies. Nine different dropping zones were used and more than 2500 miles logged.
In 1951 the club was recognised as the largest aero club in the southern hemisphere and two years later Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II granted permission for the prefix 'Royal' to be affixed to the club's name. The new title was a great honour for Newcastle. The Governor, Sir John Northcott, visited Broadmeadow Aerodrome to unveil an Honour Roll inscribed with the names of 69 club members who served in World War II. Sir John paid a tribute to the club for its work in training pilots when he announced: "Here we have what is possibly the greatest Aero Club in the British Empire".
At this time the club was huge, operating 40 aircraft, employing 12 full time flying instructors, and eight honorary instructors. The permanent staff of engineers totalled 24, while the club's total membership was 1700, with 560 in Newcastle and the remainder in the 37 affiliated country centres.
Also during this period the club received a special citation from the NSW police commissioner for outstanding services in flood relief flying. But in early 1954 the club received a blow when the government announced that all elementary training for RAAF National Service would be performed at Bankstown, NSW, instead of being farmed out to aero clubs. Such a decision would cause Royal Newcastle severe financial challenges.
But this didn’t stop the club from again contributing a humanitarian effort with 400 hours of operations during massive floods, dropping supplies to marooned farmers.
In 1960 the club committee made the decision to transfer all flying operations to Maitland. The large Bellman hangar was dissembled and transported to Maitland and re-erected, while smaller buildings such as the flight operations room were also transferred to the club’s new home base. The move took place over two years and by 1963 the new Maitland operation was completed.
In 1968 another airstrip was laid and the decision made to hold an air show to celebrate the club’s 40th Birthday, a successful event that attracted thousands of spectators.
In 1974 President J Fahey, was awarded the Paul Tissandier Diploma for his outstanding contribution to aviation. The diploma was presented at the annual Federation Aeronautique Internationale Conference held at the Sydney Opera House, the first time this prestigious event had been held in Australia.
Royal Newcastle Aero Club in 1976 hosted the Royal Federation of Aero Clubs annual championships. Forty light aircraft from aero clubs throughout Australia competed, with RNAC winning the overall points score and the Federation trophy.
The club celebrated its half-century of operation in 1978 and in 1982 Bradmill Textile Industries, whose factory is adjacent to the airfield, sponsored the Fourth Great Tiger Moth Air Race and Air Show. The following year a highly successful flying scholarship was sponsored by NBN-TV and Spaceway Homes, resulting in a surge of new club members.
During the early 1990s the major events continued and in 1994 the club opened a new office complex, complete with briefing rooms, simulator, and instructor offices. The opening ceremony took place at the air show.
The club entered its 70th year of operations in 1998 and secured a number of university students studying the Newcastle University Aviation Diploma course. Confidence grew with the university gig, resulting in an upgrade of Runway 23, sealing of club’s the car park and the purchase of new aircraft. The boost in activity saw the club increase its debt to just under $1 million, a move that proved perilous following the University of Newcastle's decision to withdraw the aviation degree course after the 2002 intake which, combined with a downturn in GA, endangered the club's future. Since 2003-2004 fund raising activities to further the objectives of the club have created plenty of goodwill and publicity. Today, the Royal Newcastle Aero Club’s strong history of achievements continues as this historic club celebrates more than 82 years of operation. The recent purchase of a Texan Ultralight and the welcome opening of facilities to the Newcastle Microlight Club and to skydiving operations demonstrates the club’s ability to adapt to a changing aviation environment and points to a very bright future.
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Interview with Marj Davis, President, Royal Federation of Aero Clubs
What’s so special about the RFAC?
History. The origin of the Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia dates back to 1914 and we’ve been looking after Australian aero clubs for that period of time. Also, we’re the only organisation that looks after the flying training industry. We have all except one major aero club in the federation – about 30 aero clubs, and five or six flying schools. We’re also involved with Aerospace Australia, the Australian Association of Flight Instructors and the Australian Women Pilots Association.
We also organise the Australian Light Aircraft Championships and the winners compete in an event called the Wings International, where the best of Australia competes against the best of New Zealand. We organise that event too: one year it’s held in Australia, the next year, New Zealand.
The championships are a good thing because the competition starts at club level where each club chooses a team; the main objective is to improve the competitors’ flying ability and safety. That’s the main reason for encouraging such events.
How do Royal aero clubs differ from regular flying schools?
I wouldn’t say they offer anything different. But they’re usually much bigger than most aero clubs and some of them have tapped into the overseas student training market. The smaller aero clubs tend to train local students.
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Interview with John Douglas, Manager Flight Testing and Special Projects, Royal Aero Club of Western Australia
What is so special about RACWA?
RACWA has worked hard to provide quality service to the 1700 members and clients throughout the state for 80 years. The club has built up a good reputation both nationally and on the international aviation scene. Our graduate pilots fly in many of the world airlines some as senior check captains.
How does RACWA differ from other flying schools/training organisations?
RACWA may differ from other training schools in that we have a strong membership and aero club base but we also run a major academy that offers CPL Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses with student fee help. RACWA is one of only four academies outside of Europe that also offer fully accredited JAR (European Airline Qualifications).
Why is RACWA so successful?
RACWA is successful because of its broad base of activity, from scenic flights in Tiger Moths to multi-engine training for the airlines. Our fight instructor school is an example of flight training excellence with students from all round Australia enrolling on regular courses.
What does the future hold for the RACWA?
RACWA is well placed for the future with the wide base of activity, a loyal membership, and a wholly owned satellite airfield which is about to be granted regional airport status in one of the fastest growing regions in Australia – the Mandurah-Peel region - just south of Perth.
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Interview with Stewart Cameron, CEO, Royal Queensland Aero Club
What is so special about RQAC?
RQAC is arguably the oldest flying school in the world, which has been training now for in excess of 90 years. RQAC is underpinned by tradition and heritage and guided by a sound set of business rules which are focused on supporting the aviation community and being innovative in the way we train.
How does RQAC differ from other flying schools/training organisations?
I am not sure that I can answer this question other than by stating that RQAC continues to operate as it has done over the past ninety years with a heavy emphasis on supporting the wider aviation community. In many respects I do not believe that we are different from other flying schools. Like all schools we have a heavy focus on safety, standards and professional aviation training.
Why is RQAC so successful?
RQAC identified some years ago that there was a need for specialist flight training with a focus on training for the airline/RPT market. Rather than absorb this training into RQAC the decision was taken to establish a dedicated flight training school. This led to the creation of the Airline Academy of Australia (AAA). In the last four years student numbers and hours flown have continued to increase at both RQAC and AAA. Neither company has a large international base, indeed, 95% of the student base is comprised of domestic students who either want to fly for fun or as a profession. Last year we flew in excess of 19,000 hours between both RQAC and AAA.
What does the future hold for the RQAC?
RQAC, like many other flight training organisations, is faced with a somewhat unknown future. That said, we believe in making our future and as such we are looking forward to celebrating our centenary year. Aircraft and the process of training will change into the future: RQAC will continue to adopt to these changes. The one constant however, is RQAC’s focus on our history and traditions and a clear understanding that we must innovate if we are to remain relevant to the aviation community.
