Episode Details

Guest: Terry Hetherington, Manager of the Australian Fleet Air Arm Museum

Hosts: Dave Homewood and James Kightly

Recorded: 26th of November 2015

Duration: 1 hour  21 minutes 15 seconds

In this penultimate episode in the Wings Over Australia sub-series, Dave and James visited the Fleet Air Arm Museum of Australia at HMAS Albatross, Nowra, south of Sydney. There they met with the Museum Manager Terry Hetherington.

They discuss the history of the Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Air Arm and the history of the museum. Terry covers the the RAN Fleet Air Arm’s establishment after WWII, its service in the Korean War, and the introduction of  helicopters to the FAA, their uses and the lineage of different types through the decades. Also discussed are the various fixed wing aircraft and the Navy’s entry into the jet era. Terry covers the hangar fire that destroyed nine of the Navy’s Grumman Trackers, the sale of the McDonnell Douglas Skyhawks to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and their return to Nowra. And he talks about his own career with the Museum, plus a lot more.

The opening music heard in this episode is “Diga Diga Doo”, by Bob Crosby and his Orchestra, provided by Matt Austin via his original 1930’s portable gramophone. The closing music is “Wings Over The Navy” by Lew Stone and his Orchestra

Quick Links:

•  The Fleet Air Arm Museum of Australia

Above and below: Terry Hetherington and Dave Homewood during the interview, photographed by James Kightly

Note: A huge thanks to Peter Costigan for his great assistance and company as the driver for Dave and James on the day. He’s seen in the photo below with Dave admiring a Sycamore (Photo James Kightly)

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