The Sabre has flown

Keith Webb · #1 18-07-09, 07:01

Last week I was at Temora to film for a media release for the Sabre's first flight.
It's owned by the RAAF museum but is on permanent loan to Temora who have done an amazing job to bring it back to flying status.
This Sabre was built by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in Melbourne in the late 50s and served until the late 60s when it was donated with others to the Malaysian Airforce.
It was given back by them when they retired the type in the 70s and was rebuilt to fly with the RAAF museum until grounded in the mid 90s when maintenance became too much of an issue.
The first flight was undertaken by the Temora Historic Flight Club's chief pilot Darren 'Buster' Crabbe (a Canadian) who has several thousand hours on jets including the Hornet and also historic types like the Canberra, Meteor and A37.
Post-flight it was very thoroughly checked over by the museum's engineers before flying again on Friday.
It will be making it's public debut at the September flying weekend.
Also present were several current and former RAAF pilots including several who flew the type in the 60s.
The footage I shot (from the ground only) has been used in news bulletins on Prime, WIN and the ABC. There is a short video I put together for the museum on their website here.
The air to air pics were taken by former pilot Phil Frawley who was in the A37 chase plane.

Mike Kelly · #2 18-07-09, 12:05

I spotted it on ABC TV the other day ... I and many others also witnessed it fly at Point Cook back in the 80's ... they used to hold open day/airshows down there . The VMVC went along to most of them ...Tim Vibert appeared in his light stone cab 12 C15 I recall ...would have been 83 ish.

I also attended a Laverton airshow, around 1966 or 67, when the RAAF still had them in service . The big attraction that day was the Mirages.. they were the BIG DEAL and everyone was waiting for them to appear. During the day, the RAAF had a printing press going in a back building and they were giving out cards ( size of a playing card ) with pics of their then current aircraft..I've still got one somewhere .

I went along as a guest of neighbours two houses up our street , we all crammed into their white Ford Zephyr sedan. They took a wrong turn and we went around the back roads of the area til we found a entrance ...the driver was most upset and he was swearing like a champion... it was a torrid ***%ing #6&*ing @#$%ing bastards ..I'll never forget it .

Mike

Keith Webb · #3 18-07-09, 12:19

Great story Mike!

You must all have been pretty frazzled by the time you got there.

The pilots in those days were Mike Nixon and Phil Frawley, both of whom I interviewed a couple of days ago.

When Mike was being trained on the Sabre they hired a MiG15 for some exercises, flown by Phil. The story was once they had rapidly dealt with the positioning exercise Phil called up and asked Mike whether he was bored so they had a bit if 'fighter affiliation'. The Sabre ate the MiG which isn't surprising as it is the Avon version which is far more powerful than the original F86 version.

aj.lec · #4 18-07-09, 14:29

Congratulations
I really have to commend the excellent work the Temora team does

They have got some magnificent aircraft and their restoration of said are top quality

Jon Skagfeld · #5 26-07-09, 01:54

Keith:

I recently attended an airshow in St Thomas, Ontario, staying overnight on the weekend with Bruce Parker who had his Fox armoured car and Universal Carrier on display.

Wx was terrible...below minimums most of Sat, but a window opened up about 1400 hrs.

Well, here comes a slat six Canadair sabre painted in Golden Hawks colours (That was a very popular air demonstration display team in the 60s, 70s).

What a sight, what a sound, as it did a (very) low level pass.

Alex Blair (RIP) · #6 26-07-09, 14:13

The Sabre was flying for Canada Day in Ottawa,alongside a Spitfire and a Hurricane..What a sight..They flew over the house at least three times..
Chris Hadfield the astronaut was flying the Saber ...
The last Canadian Sabre Dog I saw was up close and personal...I was scraping all that lovely gold paint off the fuselages in the refinishing school in Camp Borden in January of '64...
A pre course pool assignment from "God",while I was waiting my refrigeration mechanic's course to start..
The Golden Hawks disbanded in '63..
It was sure nice seeing the old girl fly again..I damned near fell out my second story window hanging out for a better look as they flew around Ottawa..
Another old girl that I'll miss is the Mid Town Tavern in Halifax,a local world reknown watering hole that I used to frequent and enjoy in the '60's..
This is for Mike and the rest of you that have hung out there for a pint or two..
God bless old ladies like these...

http://beerblog.genx40.com/archive/2.../midtowntavern

Rob Fast · #7 26-07-09, 22:59

I managed to see the Sabre this spring at the WCAM, it brought back memories of all those childhood airshows with that team all lined up on the tarmac. Looking forward to seeing the Lancaster here in WPG. this weekend. Try as a I could, I could not interest them in taking me up for a ride at their price of a lifetime membership at Hamilton. I also had 4 or 5 lads ready to go at the same price. Darn! With P51D and B-17 time in my logbook, the Lancaster remains illusive. Cheers Rob

Mike Timoshyk · #8 27-07-09, 23:06

http://www.winairshow.com/attractions.html

The Hawk 1 will be at the Windsor Air Show 29-30 August along with a host of other aircraft and military and civilian vehicles....anyone with a military vehicle who wants to be part of the displays give me a PM...I will fill you in on the details....so far we have a couple of carriers, a Fox, a host of Jeeps, CMPs and other hardware... I believe the Mynarski Lancaster will be there as well...

Cheers from the home of the Ford CMP

Mike Timoshyk