The newsletter reported:

There will be a special planning meeting at the Museum in Caloundra on Saturday 24th February at 2.00 p.m. Although we have made concerted efforts in the past to have regular meetings at Caloundra, our workload has often mitigated against it. At the conclusion of this meeting we would hope to be able to fix a date for the subsequent meeting. The committee acknowledges that there are inevitable communication difficulties arising from our self-imposed "tyranny of distance" and it is hoped that regular meetings at Caloundra will address this problem. The committee also acknowledges the importance of involving as many members as possible in significant policy decisions. To this end, major policy decisions taken at Brisbane meetings will be presented at the subsequent Caloundra meeting for ratification. Obviously this procedure will be governed by time constraints where urgent action is required. In such a case we would seek verbal input from senior committee members in Caloundra as is our current practice.

DROVER NUMBER 2: Towards the end of last year we were contacted by Mark Clayton (an authority on aviation museums and an approved valuer of aircraft) with an offer to donate a de Havilland Drover. It transpired that this aeroplane was VH-FDS (serial number 5007), a sister ship to our own aircraft VH-FDR (serial number 5006). Both Drovers once served with the Queensland Section of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia and although VH-FDS is in similar condition to our first Drover, the significant difference is that it possesses all tail surfaces which are missing from the "John Flynn". Unfortunately, the second Drover is located in Tasmania but it could be worse. It could be located in Singapore! Cliff Robinson has volunteered to travel to Tasmania to arrange packing and shipping. Cliff will be assisted by Phil Pyke and Dave Nelan, Tasmanian residents who had interrupted their Singapore holiday to assist the "Sentosa Rescue Mission". Cliff's trip to Tasmania will be sponsored by ANSETT to whom we are most grateful. Thus the only cost of our second Drover will be shipping which is estimated at less than $4,000.00. Anyone who thinks a Drover airframe is not worth $4,000.00 should consider the following. It is an Australian design with a significant Queensland history. De Havilland built only 20 Drovers and it is understood that they are not planning to build any more! Acquisition of this second airframe should enable us to complete at least one Drover which will greatly enhance our RFDS fundraising activities on behalf of this most noble institition. (The donation box inside the Drover has netted almost $100.00 for the RFDS this year!) (The newsletter acknowledged that several members had expressed opposition to the acquisition of a second Drover.)

HERITAGE WEEK: QAM's contribution to Heritage Week will be the unveiling of the Pathfinder Force display cabinet. As it is intended to keep the Museum open for the whole week we are requiring volunteers to staff the Museum over the period 23-27 April. If you can assist, please call Don Carter or James Wing.

NASMA VISIT: Recently the Museum was visited by Wing Commander Peter Allen AM and Grahame Swartz of the Museum of Victoria. Both gentlemen are members of the working party charged with developing proposals for the National Air and Space Museum of Australia (NASMA) at Laverton. The working party has published a glossy report which has caused much disquiet amongst Australian aviation museums. The most controversial aspect of the report is its list of "Possible Aircraft Exhibits" which includes, among many others, QAM's Sea Venom, Drover, Anson and Airtourer! Our visitors were at great pains to explain that the list was never intended as a "shopping list" but rather a stimulus to moribund politicians. Given that the QAM aeroplanes on the list may not be up to the required standard, it might be argued that we should have been offended if none of our aircraft were listed! After a meeting with Ron Cuskelly, Don Carter and Dick Hitchins, our guests inspected the collection and seemed favourably impressed, particularly with what had been achieved in the short time that QAM has had a building. As a result of the meeting, the three QAM delegates will be preparing a submission along the lines of what QAM can do for NASMA and what NASMA can do for QAM. Any members who wish to have some input should direct their submissions to the President. A decision on whether QAM should seek affiliation with NASMA is a matter for future deliberation.

SEA VIXEN CANOPY: The Sea Vixen canopy which was donated by British Aerospace has arrived safely courtesy of Qantas. The canopy appears to be in excellent condition and the crate alone is a work of art! Because of the rarity of Sea Vixen canopies, it is proposed that it will not be fitted to the aeroplane until it is displayed under cover.

EXTENSION TO HANGAR: We are about to launch an appeal for sponsors to fund the extension of the existing hangar. Spantech inform us that extensions will cost $2,416.66 per linear metre (not including concrete floor). Accordingly, we will be seeking sponsors to fund $10,000.00 bays in return for which they will receive naming rights and the right to have a permanent promotional display within "their" section. We are not planning to draw upon building fund reserves for this project.

CESSNA 337 PARTS EXCHANGED FOR PIAGGIO PARTS: Our much unloved Cessna 337 recently proved its worth to the Museum. Our search for Piaggio parts led us to a dealer on the Gold Coast who is restoring a Cessna O-2 (military 337). In return for several small non-structural components from the 337, we received 2 tip tanks, 2 flaps, 2 engine mounts and miscellaneous other parts for the Piaggio.

CALOUNDRA AIRSHOW: Many members would be aware that John Robinson has done a lot of preliminary work on planning an airshow at Caloundra for July. Although most agree that if we don't organise it nobody else will, it is apparent that we just do not have the manpower at present to do the job properly. Certainly it is a task which must be done properly as the risks are substantial. Accordingly, it has been decided to shelve our plans for July and look more long term, say twelve months hence.

CALOUNDRA HOUSE: Phil Bowly has been painting inside the house so that it may be more gainfully employed as a clubhouse/meeting room. Such a facility would have been most useful during the visit of the NASMA delegation.

NOMAD DONATED: A very significant Australian designed aeroplane has been added to the collection. Bevan Whitaker (Whitaker Holden Pty Ltd), who founded Sunstate Airlines, has donated GAF N22B Nomad VH-BFH (c/n N22B-035). Sunstate acquired the aircraft for spares from the defunct Barrier Reef Airways. The Nomad was recently inspected by James Wing (who has worked and flown on the aeroplane) and he reports that although it is in a dismantled state, it is basically complete structurally although the undercarriage is missing.

Drover VH-FDS arrived Caloundra ex Dedington, Tasmania.

The Drover Recovery

The newsletter reported:

FINANCE - SO WHERE ARE WE AT?: (A REPORT BY TREASURER, CLIFF ROBINSON) It is pleasing to be able to report that the first six months of this financial year has continued the considerable advance shown throughout the previous 2 years. In fact, the Caloundra gate takings for the half year July-December 1989 approximate the takings for the whole year 1987-88. This, of course, is a reflection of the interest generated by our activities and the effort of those who put their time into keeping the doors open. Thank-you all! Now - what about the debt? In 12 months, despite the current interest regime, we have paid off 1/3 of the principal and interest when the bank loan was for a period of five years. In addition we have repaid some of the private loans. The current situation is: Bank Loan Balance $10,000.00 Private Loan Balance $ 8,000.00 We are currently 9-12 months ahead of our commitments! All in all, a most satisfactory situation. With the Drover recovery completed and funded by the Bussey Foundation, we are again reminded of the generous support coming from members. The Tracker recovery is covered by a museum grant and the radar tower likewise by a grant. Be encouraged at the progress and the increasing tempo of operations. We may feel we are riding a tiger, but we do have reins on the beast. As Operations Manager, Ken Woodrow, remarked: "It's just as well we planned this as a consolidation year after Sentosa - just imagine if we had been trying to acquire aircraft!"

MUSEUM UPDATE: A recent mountaineering expedition by Mike Adams revealed the cause of several leaks in the roof. The translucent material covering the skylights is deteriorating to a point where rain is leaking through. As a short-term solution, silicon sealant appears to have done the trick but we will need to consider replacement in the long term. Our old friend Aldo Bevacqua has offered to donate a considerable amount of fill which will be transported to the site by the Council. We are also grateful to the Council for mowing the front lawn recently. We have had an offer to donate some turf which will be laid after the site is filled. A recent work party fitted one tip tank and one aileron to the Piaggio which also received some attention to corrosion. "Austral" the truck was recently subjected to engine runs and a ceremonial roll-out cannot be far away. Work on the Hunter has been stalled for a number of reasons, although several of the Brisbane troops are hoping to tackle the aeroplane over Easter.

The newsletter reported:

MUSEUM REPORT: As you might have deduced from the preceding item, we have an extreme shortage of manpower available to keep the doors open. This responsibility has fallen heavily on the shoulders of a number of Caloundra members, principally Don Carter and Laurie Fox. It is unreasonable to expect Don, Laurie and a few others to continue under these circumstances. Accordingly, we are appealing for more members to assist with staffing the Museum on opening days. We are grateful to Martin Hooper for taking on the responsibility of co-ordinating the Museum roster for Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The objective is to have Wednesdays covered by Sunshine Coast members while weekends should be covered by Brisbane members. To this end, most members can expect a telephone call from Martin to enquire when YOU might be available to staff the Museum. As we have pointed out previously, if every member gave up just one Saturday or Sunday each year, the weekend roster would be filled. All that is required is for you to mind the front door and collect admission. In between you can read a book if you wish (or even write one for that matter). Far from being an onerous chore, most members find Museum duty a rewarding experience as there are always interesting visitors to talk to. Please don't leave it to the few. You owe it to your Museum and to your fellow members to help keep the doors open. Please call Martin now - before he calls you!

LIBRARY: An often forgotten aspect of our operations has been receiving a lot of attention in recent weeks from Mick Hinsbey. The library is currently stored in a Queensland Government building in George Street, Brisbane although there are clear indications that we will soon have to relocate within the same building. In the long-term, we will have to be prepared to find new premises. In the meantime, Mick is working towards a situation where books can be loaned to members. If you would like to help in the library, please call Mick. One disturbing revelation is that a large number of books are missing from the library and we have good reason to believe that they have been stolen. If you are holding any QAM books for whatever reason, please advise Mick immediately. It is understood that the new site will offer improved security. As an aside to this situation, it has been decided that surplus magazines which are sold at the Museum should have any QAM identification over-stamped "Surplus". For this purpose we have ordered two rubber stamps, one of which will be placed in the Museum.

MURPHY'S TRENCH: As indicated earlier, we have been requested by the Australian Wool Corporation to vacate our storage area in one of the Hendra woolsheds. This was not entirely unexpected as we have prevailed upon the generosity of the AWC for several years now. Nevertheless, the removal of our entire Anson collection plus numerous other large and heavy items is a task we would have preferred to avoid! Already much of this material has been relocated to David Bussey's "Warehouse No.4". The fuselage frame of Anson VH-BIF has been transported to Caloundra as have a spare set of Canberra bomb bay doors. It is intended that the Anson frame will be sandblasted, primed and hung from the roof of the hangar. There is still much material to be accommodated, and as "Warehouse No.4" is bursting at the seams, we are open to offers. Thanks to the AWC, our deadline has been extended to the end of May and hopefully "Austral" the truck will be completed in time to help with the evacuation. What, you might ask, has all this got to do with "Murphy's Trench" and for that matter what is "Murphy's Trench"? Explanation - the woolshed is located in Hedley Avenue, Hendra. At about the same time we commenced our evacuation, a water main burst in Hedley Avenue. This necessitated the excavation of a deep trench. Where do you suppose this trench should be located? If you guessed that it was directly in line with the door to "our" woolshed and exactly as long as the door is wide - you would be dead right! Foreman's name: Murphy?

CALOUNDRA LEASE: We recently received from the Caloundra City Council, lease documents which confirm that we now hold the lease on the adjoining one hectare block making a total lease of two hectares. This is good news as many members have expressed concern about being built-in.

WE ARE INCORPORATED!: In recent weeks there has been a considerable amount of discussion and confusion over the question of QAM's legal status. Much of this confusion is the work of one member who, although he only joined the Museum late last year, took it upon himself to spread fear and uncertainty amongst the membership. He seemed to hold the belief that the Museum was not incorporated and that members would be liable in the event of litigation. The fact of the matter is that Queensland Air Museum IS incorporated and holds Letters Patent under the Religious, Educational and Charitable Institutions Act 1861-1967 as indicated on our letterhead and in our brochure. [A copy of this document will be placed inside the Museum at the first opportunity]. While it is true that more recent legislation has been enacted and that Letters Patent are no longer issued, those that have been issued are still held to be valid by the Justice Department. We have asked the Justice Department to advise us if there is more protection under the new legislation or whether we should retain incorporation under the old act. The official response from the Justice Department is that they cannot advise us because the new legislation "has yet to be tested". Furthermore, we have had legal advice that there may be few if any benefits from changing to the new act. Nevertheless, the matter is under continuing investigation and is far from being resolved. As another protection, the Museum holds a public liability insurance policy, the coverage of which was recently increased to $2M. This is considered adequate under the terms of our lease from the Caloundra City Council. Additionally, the Museum holds a voluntary workers insurance policy, the details of which were explained in the December 1989 Newsletter. Additionally, QAM operates to a Constitution which has been considered a "model" by the Justice Department and distributed to other organisations seeking incorporation. All members can rest assured that all of these protections are under regular review and indeed several proposed amendments to the Constitution will be voted on at this year's Annual General Meeting. Any suggestion that our affairs are not in order is an untruth and an insult to the members who created the Museum. As for our habitual malcontent, he subsequently resigned. This will doubtless be remembered as his noblest contribution to the Museum. Despite his having left the Museum, there is evidence to suggest that he still may be spreading mischief amongst the membership. If you are approached by this individual you would be well advised to invite him to walk east until his hat floats! A handful of members have written to the Committee to question the Museum's status as a result of this campaign of misinformation, so it is to be hoped that this newsletter will help to set the record straight. While Committee members will be happy to answer any questions at any of the meetings, no further correspondence will be entered into on this subject as it has already wasted too much time and effort. On a related matter, several members have complained about the demeanour of this recently resigned member. Hopefully his departure will encourage those members to once again take up duties at the Museum. It must be recognised by all members that this is a voluntary organisation. If our volunteer workers are not happy in the service then the Museum as a whole is lost. The clear message for everyone (the writer included) is that if you can't be happy with your lot and if you can't become happy through accepted democratic means, then don't hang around inflicting your unhappiness on others. Now that we have hopefully overcome this recent nonsense we can once again set our sights on the tasks before us.

Tracker 133160 arrived at Caloundra.

The Tracker Recovery

Elections were held on this date:

The AGM which was held at Caloundra on 25 August was exceptionally well attended and a considerable amount of business was transacted. It was agreed that membership fees should rise after several years without increase. Accordingly, effective January 1991, the full membership rate will be $22.00 (a modest $2.00 increase). The concessional rate for juniors/full-time students/pensioners will be $10.00 and the family rate (one address, one newsletter) will be $30.00. In line with these increases, Museum admission charges will also increase to $3.00 adult, 50c child or $7.00 family. It was agreed that these increased admission charges would be for a six month trial period, but it already appears that there is little public resistance to the increase. The continuing problem of manning the Museum was discussed at great length. It was agreed that rather than arranging a long-term roster we should trial a system of rostering more short-term from a pool of available volunteers. Auditing of the financial statement was expected to be free of charge but in the event was quite expensive. The Treasurer appealed for the services of a new auditor.

The newsletter reported:

THE CAT CAT: Most members will have heard of the caravan made out of a Martin Mariner and the houseboat made out of a Catalina but few may have heard of a catamaran made out of Catalina wing-tip floats! That such a beast exists is beyond doubt as it is now part of the QAM collection. The "Cat Cat" was built and donated by the Klutke family to whom we are most grateful. It was originally intended that the boat be dismantled to enable restoration and display of the two floats. However, now that we have had an opportunity to inspect Mr Klutke's excellent workmanship, there can be no suggestion of dismantling the vessel. Accordingly, the "Cat Cat" will be maintained in its present form, painted in QAM colours and used as a promotional item.

GOVERNMENT GRANT: No, not the mob in Canberra but the Queensland Government! We recently received confirmation (and more importantly, a cheque) from Premier Goss that our application for a grant for fencing has been approved. With the economic climate the way it is, it was feared that the Grants to Local Museums Scheme might suffer but it is most pleasing to report that QAM has benefited to the tune of $3,000.00! As the back compound is now bursting at the seams, this money will be put to good and immediate use.

MEMBERS ACCIDENT INSURANCE: Although the Museum has had a volunteer workers insurance policy for years, several of our senior members have expressed concerns about their particular circumstances. Recently QAM joined the Australian Association for Volunteering in an attempt to improve the lot of our senior members. This organisation has arranged a special insurance policy which covers all our members equally, regardless of age, with greatly increased benefits and worldwide coverage. Although the policy is considerably more expensive than the previous one, it is judged to be the best available. In the interests of protecting our most valuable resource, we recently converted to the new policy. Members requiring specific details should contact our Treasurer, Cliff Robinson.

THE LIBRARY: Although we had previously agreed to relocate our library to another floor in the George Street premises, we had expected that we would be given considerably more than a few days notice that our books had to be moved! Although the Works Dept kindly provided manpower to move the books it was necessary for Museum members to pack them. All this happened on the eve of Mick Hinsbey's departure for the Aviation Museums Conference in Wangaratta so it was a development he really didn't need! With the assistance of several other members the usual QAM miracles were achieved however. Quite clearly, the writing is on the wall as far as our George Street premises are concerned, for it is understood that we will be charged rent from the middle of next year and that the building is scheduled for later redevelopment. If you have any suggestions for relocating the library, please let's hear them!

The newsletter reported:

Amongst the visitors to the Museum in recent months was one Mario Andretti whose name appears on page 139 of the visitors book with the comment "Buono Magnifico"! *

The Museum recently acquired a large piece of Russian aviation hardware. Members would be aware that an Antonov An-124 "Ruslan" recently visited Brisbane for the first time. As was widely reported in the media, the aeroplane blew a tyre on landing. What caused the tyre to blow was that the brake seized. This effectively welded the wheel to the axle which necessitated major surgery to remove the wheel. This involved Soviet technicians using such high tech tools as circular saws, gas axes and aircraft tugs pulling on chains! Although the end result was one very unserviceable wheel, it doesn't make a bad display item. Thanks to the Antonov Design Bureau and Qantas, it is now on display at Caloundra.

Thanks to British Airways we now have a beautiful cutaway model of a Boeing 747. Measuring almost six feet in length, the model is a spectacular display item.

The newsletter reported:

HARRY WRIGHT: It is with great sorrow that we record the passing of QAM member Harry Wright. Harry was a much-decorated Pathfinder Navigator who more recently served as Vice-President of the Pathfinder Force Association. Harry's novel "Pathfinders Light the Way" records his experiences as a Pathfinder and survives as a memorial to a very popular and much admired gentleman. It was Harry's funeral wish that, in lieu of flowers, donations should be made to QAM. We have been deeply touched by this noble gesture and would welcome suggestions on how best to use these funds as a memorial to Harry. We extend our sincerest condolences to Harry's family.

QAM FLAG: We have been speaking about a QAM flag for years. Finally, thanks to Mike Adams, something has been done about it and a QAM flag can be seen flying proudly from the now balanced flagpole at Caloundra. To cover the inevitable attrition, and for reasons of economy, several flags have been purchased. A number of members have sponsored their "own" flags. If you would like to assist with sponsorship one share is available at $84.00. Please contact Mike Adams. Thanks to everyone who contributed.

QAM BRISTOL SCOUT AT AMBERLEY: QAM's Bristol Scout replica, which is on loan to the Museum of Army Flying at Oakey, recently visited Amberley for attention to its wing struts as part of the Army's plan to make it more accurate. It is understood that the Scout featured as a backdrop to a No 1 Squadron 75th Anniversary function during its visit to Amberley.

PHANTASTIC NEWS: Way back in March 1988, QAM set the wheels in motion to try to obtain a surplus United States Air Force aircraft for display. Much correspondence ensued although more recently it was looking as if negotiations would come to nothing. We have now received word that QAM has been certified as being eligible for the loan of historical property from the U.S. Air Force Museum Program. This is no small achievement as we are informed that the USAFM has something like 300 similar applications on its books for future consideration. It is understood that only the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, the Naval Aviation Museum at Nowra and the Darwin Aviation Museum hold similar accreditation in Australia. What does this mean for QAM? Well it enables us to borrow aircraft from the USAFM. From the outset, QAM indicated interest in a Phantom and indeed we are now advised that an F-4C Phantom has been set aside for us! The trouble is that the aeroplane is in Arizona and we have to pay to get it here, which is not an unreasonable expectation on the part of the US Government. Although it is very early days yet, we are currently studying the pheasibility of the operation. On the basis of having already successfully moved three aeroplanes from Singapore we are inclined to think that it might be possible for us to move one from America. In answer to the obvious question - no we can't phly it out!