WW 2 Black Cat Catalina & P3 Orion Feature At Next HARS Tarmac Day

With a coastline stretching more than 21,100 miles (34,000 kilometers), Australia has always placed a heavy emphasis on protecting its borders, particularly during major conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region. In October, the HARs Museum is focusing on maritime surveillance and will showcase a variety of old and still-in-use aircraft at its monthly Tarmac Day weekend.

Maritime Surveillance is the theme for the October Tarmac Days, held from October 13 to 15 at the HARS Museum. The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) has a collection of more than 60 heritage aircraft housed in the HARS Aviation Museum at Shellharbour Airport south of Sydney.

What’s special in October

Some of the iconic aircraft to be featured in October include a Black Cat Catalina, P-2 Neptune, Grumman S-2 Tracker, Westland Wessex helicopter, P-3 Orion and an operating ex-Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) De Havilland Caribou transport aircraft.

Photo: Howard Mitchell

Today, the HARS Aviation Museum said pilot training will be taking place with the Caribou over the weekend, so visitors will have an opportunity to check out the amazing short field take-off and landing capability. The Vietnam War era former RAAF transport at the HARS Museum is believed to be one of only three flying Caribou in the world, so the October Tramac days are a unique time to see one in operation. Other highlights include:

• The iconic “Black Cat” Catalina will be on display, and visitors can hear about its crucial operations in WW2 and its record-setting secret 30-hour passenger flights from Perth.
• There will be three P-2 Neptunes on display, including the “Truculent Turtle” that flew non-stop from Perth to Columbus, Ohio, in the US in 1946.
• There will be flying displays of a Grumman S-2 Tracker and a Westland Wessex Helicopter from the HARS Navy Heritage Flight.
• A unique chance to explore the inside of a P-3 Orion aircraft, an aircraft type that is still operating with many air forces worldwide, although this one is flown exclusively by HARS as a private museum.

Photo: Howard Mitchell

Every day is special at the HARS Museum

While Tarmac Days are a special occasion focused on a theme, the HARS Museum, which is open every day of the year except Christmas Day, has plenty of other vintage and not-so-old aircraft on display. Two favorites are the ex-Qantas Boeing 747-438 that operated as the City of Canberra with registration VH-OJA, and “Connie,” a still-flying Super Constellation that was rescued from a US desert and restored to airworthiness by HARS members.

Many of the HARS team worked with Qantas as pilots, engineers, and cabin crew and have a special affinity to the 747-400, so whatever a visitor wants to know, someone will be around to provide answers.

Photo: Mark Mennie

Another unique opportunity is the Fokker FVIIB replica of the Southern Cross, the aircraft Sir Charles Kingsford Smith flew on his record-breaking flight across the Pacific Ocean in 1928. A range of tours are conducted daily by experienced guides who have flown, maintained or worked on restoring the HARS aircraft.

Photo: Howard Mitchell

The HARS Museum is located next to Shellharbour Regional Airport (WOL) in New South Wales, around 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Sydney and is easily accessible by road or rail. On-site is the appropriately named Cafe Connie, which is open daily from 09:30 until 14:00 for a selection of hot and cold foods and drinks.

Do you have an interest in old aircraft? What is the best museum you have ever been to? Let us know in the comments.