Dave Wheatland to talk about Airvan certification at CAHS Meeting - 14 June

[Philthy]

Gippsland Aeronautics test pilot Dave Wheatland will give a talk to the Civil Aviation Historical Society about the certification of the GA-8 Airvan on Wednesday 14 June at Essendon Airport.

This promises to be a most interesting, informative and entertaining talk, as anyone who has heard Dave Wheatland speak will attest. Visitors are welcome and more details can be found on the CAHS & Airways Museum website at www.airwaysmuseum.com

[karrank]

For full dramatic effect I hope you pump a couple of beers into him before starting him off. He can spin a yarn (as well as an Airvan....)

[QNH1013.2]

Ask him about the time when he spun an Airvan and couldn't get it out of the spin so he jumped out... ask him what happened when his parachute got caught on the door on the way out then ask how he felt when he watched the aircraft exit from the spin unassisted as he floated towards the ground under the canopy of his emergency parachute and it subsequently crashed into the Pine Tree forest below!

[Bell Man]

1013,
I seem to remember that the A/C he jumped out of was S/N 1 ? Good to here Dave is still around,as he is one of the good guys in aviation.

[Squawk7700]

Yep, it was number 1 from memory. I don't think QNH was suggesting that it was his fault, as everyone knows it happened during certification.

Some good stories to be heard yes, particularly the ferry flights.