VH-UUY


Type: B.A. Eagle Mk II
MSN: 128
Previous Identities: Nil


History:

28SEP35 U.K. CofA #5154 issued in the name of Adastra Airways Ltd., Mascot. Valid until 27SEP36.
30OCT35 First flown at Feltham, U.K.
11APR36 Registration application from Adastra Airways Ltd., Mascot (F.W. Follett).
12APR36 Inspected on assembly at Mascot. Total Time 4:15 hrs.
16APR36 Registered VH-UUY to Adastra Airways, Mascot, NSW. CofA 536 and CofR 579 issued same day.
AUG36 An "Eagle" aerial camera was installed in the aircraft.
AUG36 To NOV36 the aircraft was engaged in photo survey work at Cairns, Qld. It was reported that Cairns aerodrome floods at high tide causing salt water corrosion to the undercarriage.
11MAY37 Inspected at Mascot. Total Time 505:10 hrs.
AUG37 Adastra advise that VH-UUY will be based at Cairns for some months.
09AUG37 Forced landing on Meachams Beach, Qld (8 miles north of Cairns) due engine failure. The engine seized when an oil line broke. Pilot Norm Rodoni. Aircraft not damaged and later dismantled and towed at low tide back to Cairns aerodrome where the engine was replaced with one brought from Sydney.
15AUG37 New engine installed.
APR38 VH-UUY is engaged in survey work in the Coffs Harbour area.
30MAY38 Total Time 890:55 hrs.
22JUN38 VH-UUY was shipped from Sydney to Port Moresby on the "Montoro" for a series of survey flights for Papuan Apinaipi Petroleum Co Ltd. Pilot was Norm Rodoni.
26JAN39 Lap straps were fitted to the passenger seats.
24MAR39 Inspected at Mascot. Total Time 1042 hrs. (Time since overhaul 147:55 hrs.).
02JUN39 Total Time 1107:30 hrs.
27SEP39 Adastra advise DCA that the Eagle has been held in reserve for the Bega service and has not operated on survey for more than twelve months. Adastra also advise that the purchase price of the Eagle had been £1,600/-/-.
24APR40 Total Time 1177:10 hrs. (Time since overhaul 69:40 hrs.).
12AUG40 Adastra advise DCA that the previously suspended Sydney-Bega service will recommence on 19AUG40 using the reserve machine, Eagle VH-UUY.
22AUG40 Forced landing on Surf Beach at Shell Harbour, NSW due loss of oil pressure. The engine was changed. The aircraft was engaged in RPT operations, presumably on the service between Sydney and Bega.
SEP40 Withdrawn from service at Mascot pending sale.
23MAY41 Total Time 1326:35 hrs.
21NOV41 Adastra advise DCA that they wish to sell VH-UUY to E.E. McIllree and that E.H. Loneragan will fly the aircraft to Mudgee for storage for the duration of the war.
21NOV41 Letter from Adastra to DCA: "……the machine has been surplus to our requirements for more than 12 months, during which time it has not flown. The machine was offered to the Air Board who refused it on the grounds that it was not suitable for their work. This Co. requires the funds from the sale to re-invest in workshop plant and equipment to carry out contracts for the Ministry of Munitions - we have on hand at present work for the Vickers M.G. Project - and plant is becoming available but must be accepted by us immediately"
25NOV41 Change of ownership to Eric Edward McIllree, Darling Point, Sydney, NSW.
26NOV41 Internal DCA memo states that it is understood from Adastra Airways that this machine will not be flown until the purchaser obtains a Private Pilots Licence, the machine being stored by James Loneragan Ltd., Mudgee and is being flown there for this purpose.
28NOV41 Internal DCA memo states that the camera was removed from the aircraft on sale.
06JAN42 Internal DCA memo states that Mr McIllree still does not hold a PPL.
09JAN42 Request for petrol by Flying Officer E. H. Loneragan. He is not hiring the aircraft from McIllree, but teaching him to fly whilst at the same time using the aircraft to fly from Camden to Mudgee where F/O Loneragan is Managing Director of Jas. Loneragan [Mudgee] Ltd.
24NOV43 Damaged on landing at Mascot at end of CofA renewal flight by P.J. Loneragan. Undercarriage and prop damaged.
24FEB44 Port undercarriage collapsed on landing at Mudgee, NSW. Pilot P.J. Loneragan. Slight damage to fuselage under cockpit.
21APR44 Change of ownership to Jas Loneragan (Mudgee) Pty Ltd, Mudgee, NSW.
24OCT46 CofA expired.
31OCT46 Aircraft had not been repaired after the accident on 24FEB44 but is now under repair.
14DEC46 CofA is being delayed awaiting new petrol tanks being manufactured by DH.
08OCT47 CofR renewed.
01MAR48 CofA renewed. Total Time 1629 hrs. (Time since overhaul 114:20 hrs.)
28FEB49 Struck off Register.
30MAR49 CofR renewed.
06JUN51 CofA renewed.
29JUN51 Aircraft is being operated by Mr Bryan Loneragan of Gulgong, NSW but is still owned by Jas Loneragan (Mudgee) Pty Ltd.
22APR59 Total Time 1929:45 hrs.
01MAY63 Total Time 1992:25. (Time since overhaul 62:40 hrs.)
01DEC64 Change of ownership to Ian Grant Hope, Oberon, NSW.
14JAN65 Owner's change of address to Bathurst, NSW.
12JUL65 Landed at Bathurst with the undercarriage only partially extended. Pilot, I.G. Hope had just flown from Mudgee to Bathurst. Prop and u/c damaged. Nil injuries.
07APR66 Aircraft inspected at Bathurst and found to be in poor condition.
01MAY66 CofA expired.
27MAY66 An examination of the log books shows that the engine has been modified to a Gipsy Major 1C standard without DCA approval.
28NOV68 Mr Hope requests that the aircraft be removed from the Register.
11JUL69 Struck off Register.
  Subsequently, the aircraft became derelict at Bathurst, NSW with the owner resisting all approaches to sell it, intending to rebuild it himself one day. Eventually, it was sold to the Challinor brothers of Murwillumbah, NSW but by that time its back had broken, bits of wood were scattered far and wide and they were digging metal fittings out of the ground. Some parts were subsequently incorporated in the Challinor's restoration of Eagle VH-UTI. When VH-UTI was sold to Roy Fox he also acquired the remains of VH-UUY.


Issue Date Remarks
5 09OCT20
Added another image of the aircraft on the beach at Shellharbour after its forced landing on 22AUG40. Thanks to Peter Hazelton and Paul Hockey.
4 05SEP15
Added an image of the aircraft on the beach at Shellharbour after its forced landing on 22AUG40. Thanks to Paul Hockey.
3 25AUG15
Added a superior scan of this image thanks to Geoff Goodall.
Added an image of the decaying remains at Bathurst thanks to Greg Thom.
2 01JUN03
Much detail has been added thanks to Chris O'Neill. This information was sourced from File MP113/1 VH/UUY Part 1 [337951] held at the N.A.A., Melbourne, Vic. and Files C3905/9 VH/UUY Part 2 [32] [4040239] and C3905/8 VH/UUY Part 3 [92] [3540947] both held at the N.A.A., Chester Hill, NSW. Extracted 05.02.2003 [Vic] and 21.03.2003 [NSW].
1 30MAY03
Thanks to Geoff Goodall, Graham Orphan, Nick Challinor, Roy Fox and Tony Arbon.