Aviation enthusiasts aim to get town history up and flying

A SMALL group of aviation enthusiasts is looking for support from the local community to help get its latest major project off the ground.

The Anson Restoration Group hopes to restore an old Avro Anson Mk I trainer bomber, which was used at the Mount Gambier Airport during World War II, to running condition.

Although they don't expect it to fly, the members do hope to piece the plane together from its original parts so that it can be stored and displayed at the airport as a memorial to the servicemen who trained, and died training, here in the aircraft.

To help it with this project, the group is looking for volunteers to assist the rebuilding of the plane, especially people with knowledge or experience with the Anson bombers.

It is also looking for help in locating parts, no matter how insignificant, books and other material with information about the plane or engines, and acquiring sponsorship from interested parties.

After almost 60 years of deterioration, the old frame, donated by the Mount Gambier Air Cadets, and most of the pieces, donated to the people of Mount Gambier by the late Jack Sinclair, will need plenty of work done to bring it into working order.

Since starting this project, local aviation enthusiast and Mount Gambier Flying Group president Frank Hart has uncovered much about the history of the airport and now hopes to get the community involved in this important piece of Mount Gambier's past.

"The great thing about this project is that it's part of Mount Gambier's history," Frank said.

"It was a locally operated plane, it's a part of local history, and hopefully it will be local people who will bring it back to life."

There were about 2000 people working at the Mount Gambier Airport during World War II, with many pilots and navigators training here in the Avro Anson before joining the war effort.

The Avro Anson was decommissioned after the war and most of the planes were stripped down for spare parts and left to rust and fall to pieces.

There are now only five operational Anson aircraft left in the world.

For more details about the Avro Anson restoration project, contact Frank Hart at AJs Automotive on 8725 2652, or 8725 3596 after hours.