LATEST NEWS ABOUT ALBURY DC-2
Below is a newspaper article about the current plans for the Uiver Memorial DC-2 (A30-11 msn 1286) at Albury.
Acquired and restored for external display at Albury airport, the DC-2 is former RAAF A30-11, and formerly NC13736 of Eddie Rickenbeckers famed "Great Silver Fleet" at Eastern Airlines, it is presented as the KLM "Uiver" which undertook a forced landing at night at Albury during the 1934 Centenary Air Race, it was recently taken down from its perch for refurbishment and display under cover.
There have been suggestions on other boards
propliners.dom
that the airframe is too corroded to restore, and that only the cockpit and one engine would be retained for display, but the main issue appears to be the local council's reluctance to fund under cover display space for the aircraft.
One of 8 surviving DC-2's worldwide, as msn # 1286 this aircraft is the oldest surviving Douglas Commercial Airliner in the world and I would urge all forum members to consider emailing the Border Mail newspaper as a "Letter to the Editor" showing support for the aircrafts importance and restoration.
General Inquiries:
email:
bmm@bordermail.com.au
regards
Mark Pilkington
************************************************** *
http://www.bordermail.com.au/newsfl...?page_id=947982
Sat, Apr 30, 2005
Uiver is citys responsibility
By HOWARD JONES
The Uiver plane, in which three prominent Albury citizens say the city council
should maintain a strong interest.
Angry trio say council needs to do more
THREE people working to save the Uiver memorial plane for Albury are upset by
Mayor Arthur Frauenfelders statement this week that he wanted the council to
relinquish ownership of the historic DC-2.
Businessman Howard Hinde, Rotarian Alan Harrison and former mayor Patricia Gould
said they had proposed a public trust to raise funds for the plane but
ultimately the council must provide a permanent display home for it.
The council this week deferred a working partys recommendation to establish a
Uiver trust to repair the plane with the help of volunteers and possibly Royal
Australian Air Force and Australian Army trade trainees.
Instead, councillors demanded a budget, business plan and details of potential
funding sources before making a decision on a trust and will invite working
party members to address them.
Mr Hinde and Mr Harrison said they were angry at Cr Frauenfelders comment that
the working party was disregarding his expressed intention that the council
should relinquish ownership and have noting more to do with the historic plane.
“It has always been made clear that the council must continue to be involved
because it is an Albury City historic item,” Mr Hinde said.
“Council ownership is necessary for NSW Heritage funding and the council cannot
just walk away from its obligations and responsibilities.
“It certainly has some ongoing funding obligations to assist the trust.”
Mr Harrison said he was an Albury West Rotary Club member when it restored the
DC-2 in 1979 and gave it to the people of Albury.
He was dismayed the Uiver was being allowed to deteriorate in the open air and
called for action to stop it happening any more.
“The council has done nothing to preserve the plane and now they want to hand it
over to a trust and have nothing more to do with,” Mr Harrison said.
Mr Hinde, Mr Harrison and Cr Gould all agreed the DC-2 should eventually be the
star attraction of a display area located in the passenger terminal, between the
future arrivals and departures areas.
Mr Harrison said a dome over the|DC-2 was a possibility.
Cr Gould agreed a trust should do the fund-raising assisted by the council, with
the city providing the home for the DC-2.
“The plane is part of the community,” she said.
The DC-2 is a former Air Force plane that was repainted to resemble the Dutch
KLM passenger airliner involved in the London-to-Melbourne air race in 1934.
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