March 28th Temora Start of RAAF 90th Anniversary Pilgrimage

A leisurely breakfast with Barb and Clin at Boginderra with cereal, fruit, yoghurt, toast and drinks which was a superb start to the morning.  Once again we ate on the verandah watching the local birds playing in the trees.

After a short walk down to the hangars we finished washing the Stinson and helped Clin and Barbara wash the Avro Cadet with the wonderful micro-cloths that Clin had sourced.  I also debugged the C150 just so she wouldn’t feel left out.

We flew into Temora just before lunch for registration for the RAAF 90^th Anniversary Pilgrimage which was to commence that evening with a dinner.  We lunched at the lovely Aero Club and got a lift into town to get Kevin’s iphone repaired and post the usb modem back to Anthony.  We wandered town for a bit and then returned to the airport in time for me to update some more blog story before the evening’s event.

The dinner was held in the Temora Museum with beautiful aeroplanes surrounding the tables.  Clin’s Avro was pulled into the museum to be part of the display.  The meal commenced with either a chicken parcel or beef served with bread roll.  The dessert was cheesecake, a fruit compote and lovely mini chocolate cup.

  

We sat at a table with the West Aussies – The Shines, Edwards, Pat &  (Rod’s co-pilot and his wife) Murray & Andy (ring-ins from Victoria)The evening had a fun questionaire relating to flying set by the Antique Aeroplane Association which was a great source of amusement to the evening.  Our table called themselves the WA Sandgropers. Speeches by the organizer Rod Luke, the Mayor of Temora, David Lowey – Museum patron and others were all well delivered. 

Following the meal the awards were given out.  The Longest Travelled was awarded to Rod Edward’s Stearman from WA (Yippee) Their prize was a book.

Then the best vintage aeroplane was given to Chris and Lorrie Shine’s Staggerwing from WA (Yahoo)

Best Military to the CT4 and best presented to a Chipmunk. 

Then the Grand Champion of all the aeroplanes was announced and it was…………. Kevin & Vicki Bailey’s Stinson Reliant VH-UXL from WA.  (Abso BLOODY lutely Amazing.  We won a beautifully handmade cabinet of Jarrah in which was a crystal port decanter and 2 port glasses and also a framed certificate.

Cheers all round for the WA contingent……. We blitzed the awards.

 

We thought we had muffed most of our question sheets so were very happy with the awards evening.

Very tired and satisfied we returned by car to our hosts beautiful home for the last time and after searching for Kevin’s lost glasses (found outside in the dark only 15cm from car tyre tracks) and also finding the money he had mislayed.