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-
from the Darling
Downs Soaring Club's
website - |
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| In
1959 Max Howland from Kingaroy, in an Australian designed
Kookaburra 2 seat glider, landed at Oakey Airfield. |
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| He
got a tow out and eventually outlanded in Lindsay Richards'
paddock. |
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| Lindsay
Richards then organised a group of people, including Dennis
McCaffrey, Rex Teakle, Jim Wetherspoon, John Bell and Peter
Walker and formed the Darling Downs Soaring Club in 1960. |
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| The
club operated from Oakey Airfield using winch launching. |
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| In
the mid 1960's the club started aero towing with Tiger Moths
whilst retaining winch operations. |
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| Glider
K7, QX, was purchased in late 1965. |
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| The
club changed to solo aerotow in 1967 using a Tiger Moth. |
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| In
June 1969 the club departed Oakey Airfield with the arrival of
the Army and operated off satellite paddocks for a few weeks
before establishing the existing site. |
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| The
clubhouse and bunkhouse were ex-WW2 Oakey Airfield buildings
purchased from the Department of Housing for a nominal cost.
They were moved from Oakey to their current location. |
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| Hangar
plans were drawn up in January 1970 and built in mid 70. |
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| The
club's airfield was owned by Dennis and Jean McCaffrey
until the club purchased the land a number of years later
(hence the name - McCaffrey Field). |
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Max
Howland and Marj Pegler after setting the Australian
two-seater record in Kingaroy's Kookaburra at the Nationals
held in Narromine in 1962. |
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>
Return to "Gliding
Queensland - HISTORY"
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