Members and Guests of Kenthurst Probus Club received an intriguing address from guest speaker Norman King at their meeting on the 18th of August: his topic was “The 707 Aircraft”, but his talk was all about one particular aircraft.
This was the very first 707 bought by Qantas, and which was sold by the company at the end of its useful life. Norman was amongst a group of his fellow Qantas engineers who discovered that it was no longer flying, in fact in virtual abandonment on an airfield in Britain, waiting to be scrapped.
The Qantas personnel were responsible for the Company acquiring it once more (at the price of one British Pound), and after purchase restoring it to flight capability, thence it was flown back to Australia where it now resides in the Qantas Museum in Longreach Queensland. The full story of its restoration and return made compelling listening.
The Club has planned bus excursions to Mount Tomah and the Mt Ku Ring Gai WIldflower Garden at St Ives in the near future and a Melbourne Cup lunch in November.
Kenthurst Probus will meet again at 9.30 AM on the 15th of September in Kenthurst Uniting Church for an address on Captain James Cook. Guests are, as usual, very welcome.
