Yarram Aero CLUB
Inc. (ABN 92 499 045 364)
Easter Forced Landing Competition 2024
Yarram Aero CLUB
Inc. (ABN 92 499 045 364)
Easter Forced Landing Competition 2024
Yarram Parkside Aerodrome (YYRM)
is located 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) east of Yarram, Victoria, Australia. 3971
Runways
RWY 09/27 756m unsealed
RWY 05/23 1,090m grass
If you'd like to know more about YAC, feel free to visit us on the last saturday of each month for a bbq from 12 (after our club meeting).
There are club members around to chat to most good flying weekends. If you'd like to join please fill in this form and drop it into the club any time.
Upcoming events will be listed here.
Book now for 2025
Easter Forced Landing Competition & Public BBQ
The Yarram aero club forced and spot landing combined competition allows pilots to practice a much-needed skill which is in the event of an engine failure.
A plane will not fall out of the sky but the pilot will be required to land fairly soon so pilots get a chance to show off their skill not only touching the wheels as close as possible to a line drawn across the runway.
To get their plane down on the ground safely without the use of an engine analogy would be driving your car on the freeway turning off the engine and being able to park the car in a designated spot at some point ahead on the road only using your brakes.
Most people think that when a plane loses it it's engine it will fall out of the sky that is not the case and they can actually glide quite a distance just as a glider does!
Easter 2025 Sat April 19th
Public Welcome, starts 10.30 AM
Pilots Safety & Rules briefing 9.30 AM
Aerodrome Reporting Officer (ARO) 0429 825 266
IOR (Avgas now at Yarram) sponsored our competitions:
Combined Forced & Spot Landings with Draw fly-off held every year.
YARRAM the Town
"The Yarram district is a beautiful valley, slightly elevated above sea-level; bounded north and west by an amphitheater of mountains 2,000 feet high, the climate is very salubrious, the influence of hot winds not being felt," is how the Australian Handbook described the town in 1903.
Today it is a rural service centre on the Tarra River which is notable for its proximity to Ninety Mile Beach, the outstanding cool rain-forest of the Tarra-Bulga National Park, the Strzelecki Ranges and the wild beauty of Wilsons Promontory.
2023/2024
Soon, Yarram Airport will get a new terminal building...
Really..
** December 2023 web page update in progress - missing content added ASAP **
December 2018
Club President Brian Lucas and Treasurer/Secretary Trevor Bruns accepted the Wellington Shire Council Australia Day Award for COMMUNITY EVENT OF THE YEAR taken out by the YARRAM CENTENARY OF FLIGHT AIRSHOW.
Dec. 2018
Explanatory plaque erected in Yarram Memorial Park next to the model of the historic World War One F.E.2.b aircraft.
March 2018
Yarram Airshow celebrating 100 years since the first Australian Operational Military flight which was conducted from Yarram. Spectacular flying displays were coordinated by Paul Bennet Airshows. Video and pictures of events can be seen at Aviation Spotters Online website.
A highlight ot the airshow was the first public flying display of 4 of the newly acquired Pilatus PC21 aircraft. Aircraft identified as AF4 - 002, 003, 004 and 006 were be seen over Yarram..
April 2018
A project to create a scale model replica of the F.E.2b World War 1 aircraft based at Yarram in 1918 was undertaken and involved students from the Yarram Secondary College. Coordinated by Bob Wenger and Mark Dows of the Yarram Special Events Committee. The completed model can be seen at Yarram Memorial Park. This aircraft flew the first Australian Air Sortie to be carried out in WW1 and was tasked with searching for the German Raiding Ship "Wolf". A picture of the completed F.E.2b model can be viewed here..
The pilot on this mission was Captain Frank McNamara VC who was the sole Australian First World War recipient of the Victoria Cross in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC). Despite being invalided back to Australia from the Middle East and being discharged from the AFC, panic resulted in him being recalled and put in charge of a Reconnaissance Unit based in Yarram where he flew the F.E.2b.
April 2017
Club member Jim Christison got Les Webb aloft in the year of his 90th birthday. Les was a foundation member of the Latrobe Valley Aero Club where he flew Avro Cadets and Tiger Moths. Picture of Les obviously enjoying the outing here...
2016
Book "Buckley's Chance" published in 2016 (third print). Written by Bob Stevens, this book is available as an online version for under $10 and is a great collection of the best known adventures, close shaves and escapades of local agricultural aviation legend Ben Buckley. Includes an account of Ben's participation in a 2009 Papua, New Guinea Air Safari with his friend and Yarram Aero Club member Bruce Hammet in Bruce's Alpi Aviation Pioneer 300.
Sept 2016
Jabiru J170 (24-5215) collided with terrain at Yarram Aerodrome with one fatality.
Dec 1993
Cessna T303 Crash Lands short of the Yarram runway due to fuel exhaustion.
Mch 1990
Piper PA25-235, VH-AHA struck a powerline whilst super spreading 14km North West of Yarram, necessitating a forced landing.
Feb 1985
Tiger Moth VH-BFW struck a powerline at Alberton with the pilot sustaining serious injury and the aircraft, substantial damage.
Sept 1972
Tiger Moth VH-AQL piloted by Max Price disappeared enroute Cambridge (Tasmania) to Yarram via Flinders Island.
1965
Parkside Aerodrome used by helicopters servicing the Bass Strait Oilfields.
1960
By the 1960's the aerodrome was being used by spotter planes for the fishing fleet and for aerial spraying aircraft.
Following the death of Herbert Nicol his estate was wound up and there was an auction of about 1012 ha. Excluded from this was a 68 ha area that had been acquired jointly by DCA and Council in 1960 for Yarram Parkside Aerodrome. The drome was now to be used regularly by light aircraft for crop spraying, fish spotting, private passenger flights and fire control.
May
1959
On May 5, 1959 Herbert S Nicol (54) and his friend Clifford Wynne (47) lost their lives in the Yarram area when their CAC Wackett Trainer aircraft (VH-BCP) crashed soon after takeoff. The aircraft , owned by Stuart Hicks, was on a mission to assess its suitability for fish spotting. Esme Rash (nee Nicol) recalls that her father Herb Nicol initially declined to go but was urged by Clifford Wynne to accompany him and he did.
The 2 men are remembered by commerative gates and a plaque at the entrance to Yarram Parkside Aerodrome. Parkside was the name of the property owned by Herbert Nicol on which the aerodrome now sits.
A picture of the CAC Wackett VH-BCP can be viewed here.... compliments of the Neil Follett Collection.
A copy of the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) accident report and aircraft history compiled by Geoff Goodall..
January
1959
William (Bill) Lowe was piloting an Auster J/F Adventurer spotter aircraft VH-KBD owned by Clifford Wynne that crashed near Yarram Aerodrome on 27th January, 1959 resulting in Mr Lowes death. He was returning from a fish sortie. Pic of crashed Auster compliments of Jim Christison.
The ill-fated Wackett aircraft in which Herbert Nicol and Cliff Wynne perished was acquired to replace this Auster.
1956
The Club had failed by 1951 but in 1956 was revived with the chance to use an 80 ha area of HS Nicol's "Parkside" property for an airfield. The Club linked with Latrobe Valley Aero Club and voluntary efforts prepared the new Parkside Aerodrome for opening on 15 April 1956. A week later there was an Air Pageant with 1500 attending.
1955
Well known flying instructor and aviation enthusiast Cliff Wynne took delivery of a Miles Messenger aircraft at Yarram. The aircraft had been ferried from Gatwick Airport in England by Nancy Leebold (nee Ellis) and her newly wedded husband Arthur. Nancy was the first woman to fly heavy aircraft commercially in Australia having flown a Lockheed Lodestar for Air Cargo Pty Ltd in 1950.
Details of this aircraft (VH-WYN) and other Miles Messengers compiled by Geoff Goodall..
1948
The Yarram Aero Club was reorganised after the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) had re-licenced the aerodrome for training. Many of the 25 members were ex-RAAF with Jack Dixon President and Cliff Wynne Chief Flying Instructor. The members acquired a Tiger Moth for training purposes.
December
1946
April
1946
The Gliding Club of Victoria attended an Air Pageant at Yarram Aerodrome on December 28, 1946. More information here...
It was on this day that the first aero-tow by the Gliding Club of Victoria took place with a "Grunau Baby 11 Sailplane".
The Minister of Civil Aviation Mr Drakeford opened the Yarram Aerodrome in Bird's Paddock as a C Class Drome. The new Yarram Aero Club staged an Air Pageant attended by about 2000.
The Club had a licence to use the airfield for light planes and it was being used as a re-fuelling station by Tiger Moths on flights to and from Tasmania.
June 1945
On June 18th, 1945 Avro Anson W 1991 carried out a successful forced beach landing at Snake Island due to engine failure. There were no injuries. Pic here.. (Source "Remember Them" by Tony Clark, Page 267)
March 1945
A party of 10 civilians arrived at RAAF Narrandera to ferry 5 Avro Cadets to Yarram. These had been purchased from the Commonwealth Disposals Commission by individuals in Yarram; namely CJ and G Wynne, J Bindt, J Lennon, and A Cumming. Pilots for the flight were to be Des Cook, Clifford J Wynne, LG Taylor, Mrs Gertrude McKenzie, and Laurie Bickerton. Registration Markings allocated to the aircraft were VH-AFW, VH-AFX, VH-AFY, VH-AFZ. The 5th Cadet was not allocated a marking as it was intended to have it made airworthy but reduce it to spares for use on the others. This aircraft was later allocated VH-AHW and was documented as owned briefly by Yarram Aero Club in 1947. Further details of these aircraft the their ownership can be viewed at http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/avrocadet/avro-cadet.htm including a pic of VH-AFX taken in Morwell in 2010.
A picture of 3 of these Cadets, VH-AFX, VH-AFY and VH-AFW along with DH82 Tiger Moths can be seen here... This was from the time of the formation of the flying club near Yarram post war.
Dec 1943
On December 8th, 1943 Fairy Battle K9393 made a forced landing due to engine failure at Stacey's Bridge near Yarram. The pilot was the sole occupant and was uninjured. (Source "Remember Them" by Tony Clark. Page 161)
Oct 1943
On October 7th, 1943 Beaufort A9-409 crashed into the sea near Woodside Beach with a crew of 4. There were no survivors. More information here.. (Source "Remember Them" by Tony Clark. Page 151) One of the recovered undercarriage legs from the Beaufort now sits at the front door of the Sale Gippsland Armed Forces Museum.
Aug 1943
On August 8th, 1943 Avro Anson AX470 was force landed 1.5 miles south of Yarram as a result of engine failure. There were no injuries and the aircraft was salvaged. (Source "Remember Them" by Tony Clark)
May 1943
On May 21st, 1943 Avro Anson W2253 crashed into terrain near Won Wron killing 5 of the 6 passengers and crew. Crew member Sgt. Iva Steve Bensley was admitted to Yarram Hospital in a dangerously ill condition and survived the crash. (Source "Remember Them" by Tony Clark)
Feb 1943
On February 24th, 1943 crashed Beaufort A9-311 was located about 11 miles north of Welshpool in the vicinity of Mount Fatigue. None of the 4 crew survived. Pic of A9-311 here..
(Source "Remember Them" by Tony Clark, Page 133)
May
1939
A Parachute Death occurred at an Air Pageant over Manns Beach. Sholto Colin Cathels (19) died when his chute failed to open. He was attached to Captain Keith Farmers Aerial Circus and had leapt off the wing of a plane at 2500 feet. An account of the accident can be read here... Prior to this in 1938, The Argus reported that the same Colin Cathels had designed a pair of folding wings and a special silk webbing for his legs that he hoped to use to glide to earth in parachute descents.
March 1932
The Southern Cross lands in Yarram to take joy rides following the previous loss of the Southern Cloud. In his book "Digging up a Past", renowned Australian Archaeologist John Mulvaney recalled the Southern Cross landing. "Harry May, elder brother of my school mate, Ron, drove us to view it. Then Harry generously purchased us both five-shilling tickets for a flight. So Kingsford Smith piloted me over Yarram as I marvelled at the ant-like people and the toy cars below, but I remember nothing else."
1920
In April, 1920 Captain RW McKenzie MC landed his De Havilland bi-plane in Yarram and took people for joy rides.
In August, 1920 Captain Mathieson and Sergeant Bacon landed their Sopwith Peace Loan aircraft in Herbert Nicol's paddock.
In November, 1920 Lieutenant Treloar flew from Traralgon to Yarram in 16 minutes in his 110 HP De Havilland on the day of the Digger's Gymkhana.
1918
Yarram used as a base for F.E.2b World War 1 aircraft.
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