HARS, Albion Park, NSW, Australia
Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), is located at Wollongong Regional Airport (YWOL), Albion Park, about 20 kilometres south of the Wollongong city CBD.
We didn't take the regular guided tour through the facility, where there are numerous aircraft static displays and also flight-capable display aircraft to check out. We just visited to ogle the Gift-from-Qantas, the Boeing 747-438 quad jet, VH-OJA, City of Canberra, donated to HARS by Qantas Airways earlier this year, after it's long and remarkable working life in the air came to a close. We came to check out how the aircraft looks now, and if it fits in to the theme of the museum. It does. Very well.
The engines that were used to fly the jet in have been removed. So far, only one time-expired Rolls-Royce R211 power plant has been fitted to one of the engine mounting pylons on the starboard (right) wing. More will be added later, as the expired engines become available.
Look for another short film also here on my channel that we shot, that covers the short 8 minute permanent positioning flight down to Wollongong Airport from Sydney International Airport (YSSY) in Boeing 747-438 VH-OJA.
HARs Aircraft Museum and Biplane fight - Albion Park NSW.
The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Aviation Museum (HARS) holds Tarmac Days displaying some of the unique aircraft held at its headquarters at the Illawarra Regional Airport at Albion Park. HARS is now home to the 747-438 City of Canberra - Longreach, Qantas Passenger Jet, which is part of the permanent static display at the museum.
The Tarmac Days are held outside the HARS hangars and involve the static display of some its distinctive aircraft. Members of the public will be able to board and sit in some of the aircraft cockpits including F-111C fighter bomber, Neptune submarine hunter. There will also be guided tours of the aircraft on display.
HARS Museum will soon be home to John Travolta's 707 which has kindly been donated.
The Tarmac Days are held on the second Friday, Saturday and Sunday of every month.
BIG ENGINES - BEAUTIFUL PLANES - HARS Albion Park
Something a little different, Super100MPH takes a look inside a 'special building where the big engines roar, the flying types. Illawarra Regional Airport is the host of one of the world's best Aviation collections from HARS. (Historical Aircraft Restoration Society) These guys are special, it's amazing what they have collected from around the world and restored. Check out Jeff Trappett's P51 Mustang at start up.
went down to HARS, wandered through the quiet hangars enjoying the wonderful aviation history surrounding me, some work on one of the Neptunes, and stood next to a beautiful P-51 Mustang as Jeff Trappett got in, started that marvelous engine and departed home.
I wonder what everyone else did?
MUSEUM HISTORY
The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Inc (HARS) is a not-for-profit organisation and was formed in 1979 by a group of aviation enthusiasts interested in the preservation of Australian aviation history.
-
It was in this capacity that our members virtually traversed the Australian continent from Tasmania to Kalumburu in North Western Australia and from Cape Llewellin to Cape York in search of aviation artefacts. These expeditions resulted in providing considerable assistance to many restorations including many outside of the HARS itself.
-
Of significant importance was the recovery in the early eighties of two Beaufighter airframes from North Western Australia. One, a Mk1 Beaufighter aircraft, was exchanged after it had been restored by HARS for the Lockheed Super Constellation. This aircraft now resides in the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The other airframe is central to the Mk21 Beaufighter currently under restoration by HARS.
-
A constitution was drawn up and HARS became an incorporated society in 1988. In 1991 the Australian Taxation Office granted our request for donations to be allowable as a tax deduction. HARS is a Deductible Gift Recipient organisation HARS underwent a restructure in late 1991.
-
The principal objective was to have a more business-oriented organisation capable of managing large projects that require significant logistical support. It was also important at this time to develop a focus on what we wanted to achieve. Our Mission Statement strongly expresses our emphasis and direction.
-
'To recover, and where possible restore to flying condition, aircraft or types of aircraft that have played a significant part in Australian Aviation History both in the Civil and Military arenas'.
-
In order to achieve our objectives HARS recruited specialist people from within the aviation industry who were interested in the preservation of historical aircraft. The result is that we now have within our membership over 70 licensed aircraft engineers out of a total of 480 people. Their licenses cover virtually all of the skills recognised within the industry.
-
Since 1991, we have achieved significant milestones in our endeavours to preserve our aviation heritage. Our record to-date in aircraft restorations alone is there for all to see. It is an impressive record when one considers that it has been achieved solely by volunteers of HARS. It has been financed to-date partly by corporate sponsorship and from the general public.
-
In addition, HARS has recently received a Federal Government Grant of $275,000 to assist in the erection of the Museum and Education Building. HARS members themselves have also contributed considerable funds towards this project.
-
In 1997 the International Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators awarded the Grand Master's Australian Award to HARS in recognition of the outstanding restoration of the Lockheed Super Constellation.
-
This was presented in London in December 1998 to our President, Mr Robert De La Hunty OAM, on behalf of HRH Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Qantas 747 coming to HARS Wollongong Illawarra
On the 15th of February, Arjun and I visited the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society at Wollongong/Illawarra Regional Airport, at Albion Park NSW.
During our visit, Terry Scanlan talked to us about the pending arrival of a new HARS aircraft... Qantas Boeing 747-400 VH-OJA due to occur at 7:47am on the 8th of March 2015.
Qantas Boeing 747-400 Tour - VH-OJA at the HARS museum in Wollongong.
Tour through a Qantas Boeing 747-400 at the Historical Aviation Restoration Society in Wollongong.
Welcome to my video of the comprehensive tour of VH OJA, the first Qantas Boeing 747-400 ‘Longreach’ series which has now been retired to Illawarra Airport (aka Albion Park Airport) near Wollongong.
Qantas gifted VH OJA ‘The City of Canberra’ to HARS (Historical Aircraft Restoration Society) in 2015.
This video shows the ‘747 premium tour’ with my particular tour guides consisting of a 747 and 777 captain, a retired Qantas customer service manager, a retired Qantas engineer and a private pilot. The tour begins with a video explain ‘OJA’s history and then you spend an hour or so in the cockpit running through scenarios (engine failures, engine fire, dumping fuel). While the buttons and levers obviously aren’t connected, they light up and respond to your touch so it’s reasonably realistic.
Other related videos:
Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach QLD:
Museum of Flight:
Qantas 747-400 Business class review (Sydney to Tokyo):
Qantas 747-400 Premium economy review (Sydney to Hong Kong):
Qantas A380-800 Business class review (Melbourne to Los Angeles):
Qantas Retro Roo 737-800 Business class review:
Qantas 747-400 footage at Sydney airport:
Other aviation tours:
Imperial War Museum at Duxford Airfield full tour:
American Air Museum at Duxford Airfield:
Walk through a pre-production Concorde at Duxford:
Qantas Founders Museum at Longreach:
Tour through a Boeing 707 Airforce One in Seattle:
Tour through the first Boeing 747 prototype in Seattle:
Tour through the Museum of Flight:
Comprehensive tour through a Qantas Boeing 747-400:
Specific details:
Museum location: Albion Park Airport, just south of Wollongong.
Tour: 2-4hrs (depends on your level of interest)
Cost: $195
Aircraft: Boeing 747-438 ‘VH OJA’, ‘City of Canberra’
Engines: 4 x Rolls Royce RB211-524G-T Three shaft turbofan jet
First flight: July 3rd, 1989
Final revenue service Johannesburg - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as QF64 - January 13, 2015
Camera: Sony A6500
More details from HARS:
Technical details thanks to aussieairliners.org:
#qantas747 #HARS #vhoja
Qantas B744, A tribute to VH-OJA - Still calls Australia Home
Video posted in the public interest from 1989.
The first Qantas 747-400, which has held, since 1989, the title for the longest unrefueled flight commercial airliner flight between London and Sydney, is set to make what may be the world’s shortest ever delivery flight, from Sydney to Albion Park just south of Wollongong.
It will land at its final destination, the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) facility at the spectacular and hill bound airport, which has never had a 747 landing, and will, most assuredly, never ever see a 747 takeoff, on a day to be determined by the weather forecasts early in March.
There will be more anoraks (plane spotters) at vantage points along this sensational Final final approach than there are in the entire Kathmandu outdoors clothing franchise worldwide.
The last flight of this 747, VH-OJA and named by Qantas the City of Canberra, should last about ten minutes. Special training is being undertaken for the demanding approach and landing. The official handover of the jet will be on 15 March, to coincide with a HARS open day.
VH-OJA only recently retired from active service with Qantas.
Qantas group Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said it was important for such an iconic aircraft to be on display as a reminder of the role Qantas has played in aviation history.
“Qantas has been responsible for a lot of aviation firsts and many of them have centred on endurance and reliability. The record breaking flight of this Boeing aircraft was a technical and symbolic achievement because it showed what was possible with the latest generation of aircraft and that spirit of innovation still drives us today.
“We are excited that by gifting this newly retired aircraft to the HARS museum, we’re helping create a local tourism attraction as well as preserving a bit of our past.”
Bob De La Hunty, President of the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, said HARS is delighted to be part of preserving a remarkable piece of modern aviation history.
“All our volunteers, including many former Qantas employees, are overwhelmed by the opportunity to showcase such a historic aircraft. We expect it to attract lots of attention together with our Lockheed Super Constellation, both of which were integral in building Qantas’ international reputation.”
HARS has worked hard to secure the first Qantas 747-400 for its already astonishing collection of restored historic aircraft. This includes a restored Lockheed Super Constellation that does, occasionally, fly in and out of Albion Park, making for a stunning sight and sound every time this happens.
This is great news, “Qantas group Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said it was important for such an iconic aircraft to be on display as a reminder of the role Qantas has played in aviation history.”
Well said Mr Joyce, kudos! and said in the true tradition of what Qantas means to so many Australians, young and old. I was at KSA the day OJA arrived back 1989, a wonderful memory now made even more special,
Also nice to see OJA’s in good company at HARS, Bob De La Hunty & his crew deserve it.
Well done to everyone involved!
A TRIBUTE to BOB DE LA HUNTY and his Team at HARS Air Museum Albion Park Australia
Bob De La Hunty and his amazing team at HARS welcomes a new friend to the stable, a TAA coloured Convair 440. You will be more amazed with what Bob and the team have collected since the world famous Connie arrived in Australia back in 1996. This video also includes inflight landing of the Cessna 310, first flown in 1953 and purchased in 1957 by CSIRO for cloud seeding experiments using silver iodine. plus some of the other flying examples of what can be seen at the HARS Museum Albion Park, (Shellharbour) Wollongong, WOL this video not possible without your help and dedication Tony Crampton, thanks Mate! HARS
audio licensed from the one and only source for all video making material SUPER100mph are proud to present this tribute to Bob, a true unsung hero who has given so much to Australian Aviation History Museum.
HARS - Connie's Home
Historical Aviation Restoration Society (HARS) Welcomes Connie back with a new paint job.. This video dedicated to all the members at HARS Albion Park, Illawarra South Coast Australia..
We are dedicated to Australian aviation history, and our collection of flying, under restoration and static display aircraft is testament to that. Not bad for a bunch of old people
for music.
Brilliant Shine Blakhatz Super100MPH in-house band
HARS Facebook page:
HARS Facebook page
HARS:
Qantas 747-400 VH-OJA Wollongong Arrival
The historic landing and delivery of VH-OJA to Illawara Regional Airport on a relatively short 1,819 metre runway.
The decommissioned Qantas 747 VH-OJA named 'City of Canberra' will be preserved by Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) after 25 years of service to Qantas Airways.This jet is famous for it's nonstop London Heathrow to Sydney flight in 1989 at the hands of Captain David Massy-Greene and his amazing crew.
She will become the first Boeing 747-400 to be put on public display anywhere in the world.
QF7474 landed at precisely 7:47am on Sunday, 8th March 2015 on Runway 16 from Sydney on a 12 minute flight.
Qantas 747 Landing at Wollongong Airport (VH-OJA)
A Qantas jumbo jet has made history, landing at a regional airport in New South Wales to become the first 747-400 in the world to go on public display.
The City of Canberra was retired to Wollongong after 25 years of service and will become a prized addition to an aviation museum based at Illawarra Regional Airport.
Qantas is gifting VH-OJA City of Canberra, which flew non-stop from London to Sydney for its delivery flight in 1989, to HARS (the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society) to go on display at Illawarra Regional Airport near Wollongong.
The flight number was QF7474 and the arrival time was 7:47am.
Watch 2 F18 Hornets Take off at Wollongong Airport ;
View it in Google Chrome web browser for 1080p 50 fps video.
Historical Aircraft Restoration Society
A visit to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) museum at Albion Park Airport, NSW, Australia.
HARS 1957 CESSNA 310B Albion Park to Parkes
Super100MPH flew to the Parkes HARS Museum from Albion Park, New South Wales, in the 1957 Cessna 310B on the way to cover the Convair 440 arrival at Dubbo.
This video is Part 1 of that story.
While we were there, we said hello to the volunteers working on the restoration of the De Havilland Caribou for static display.
See the Parkes Phoenix story here:
HARS Cessna 310B page:
HARS on Facebook:
The HARS CESSNA 310B was one of two purchased in 1957 by the CSIRO for cloud seeding experiments.
She was also flown for 7 years in Papua New Guinea by Father Jeremy Flynn. Father Flynn was a HARS member and passionate pilot. He brought the Cessna back to Australia and it was fully restored in 1994.
Parkes Regional Airport website:
Music:
On My Way Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Video by Tim May and Mark Jones.
(Super100MPH)
WELCOME TO HARS
The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Museum is open most days at Albion Park, NSW. See link below for more info.
Come and see the latest star attraction - the Boeing 747-400 VH-OJA City of Canberra, the Lockheed Super Constellation Connie as well as the many other fantastic aircraft on display.
For more information see:
for music.
HARS neptune test flight 14 04 19
Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Lockheed SP-2H (P2V-7) Neptune on a test flight from the HARS Museum on 14 April 2019 from the Illawarra Regional Airport, Albion Park , NSW Australia. Video captured of some pre flight checks, the start up, taxi and take off from the airport. The immaculately maintained ex RAAF maritime surveillance aircraft did a circuit over Wollongong . All three of HARS Lockheed Neptunes and a P3 Orion were on display that day.
Qantas VH-OJA Landing at Illawara Regional Airport. (YWOL)
Qantas 747-400, VH-OJA (City of Canberra) on her final flight to be delivered to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) at Albion Park.
Aviation Museum - Historical Aircraft Restoration Society - Wollongong
The most amazing thing about this museum is that people who work there are retired aircraft engineers and pilots, all volunteers, they restore very old aircrafts, from almost nothing to flying condition.
Aviation Museum - Historical Aircraft Restoration Society - Wollongong.
more info is here:
My art gallery @ksushastepanoff insta page
Albion Park to Jamberoo
This video shows the cruising road from Albion Park to Jamberoo on the New South Wales south coast. The road is a motorcyclist favourite with its flowing bends and up and down gradients.
**I DO NOT OWN THE COPYRIGHT TO THE MUSIC HEARD IN THIS VIDEO**
Music: Get Up (Raise Your Head) by Marshall and the Fro.
THE GOOD LIFE - HARS Air Museum | Volunteering with a difference
The Historical Aviation Restoration Society, or HARS, is a volunteer-led organisation that runs one of the biggest air museums in Australia.
The HARS Air Museum is based out of a working hangar where the exhibits are restored to working condition and even flown by some of the members. The HARS team boast that they're one of the few museums that not only allow, but encourage visitors to get into and touch the exhibits.
Retired pilots, stewards, engineers, and even those with no background in aviation are amongst their volunteers, and in speaking to them about why they do what they do we found that Volunteering with HARS can be life-changing.
Jim Thurstan, a recent recipient of the Grand Masters Australian Medal, says about HARS, 'In retirement, it's a good deal, whilst standing in front of his latest restoration project smirking proudly. One particular volunteer who is living with Parkinson's Disease says that volunteering at HARS, makes me feel worthwhile.
HARS:
Snapshots At Sydney 20160821 - HARS Convair Special
Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) members were out in force today to welcome the latest member into their fleet. Convair CV-440 (VC-131H) ZS-ARV was flow from South Africa to Illawarra Regional Airport via the Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Bali, Darwin, Mt Isa and Dubbo. The aircraft touched down on Runway 34 around 1pm, and taxied back to the HARS hangar for a big welcome - an amazing journey in such an aircraft.
ZS-ARV looks stunning in the old TAA livery, and apart from a few oil leeks, the exterior is in amazing condition. Internally, they had removed many of the leather seats to accommodate eight large ferry tanks. Before landing, the aircraft made a couple of passes over the field, and the engines sounded very quiet and silky smooth.
Congratulations HARS on another beautiful aircraft.
16Right.com
images.16Right.com
news.16Right.com
adsb.16Right.com
The unseen footage of QF7474 landing at Albion Park Airport.
The unseen footage of QF7474 landing at Albion Park Airport.