Ex-airport housing estate gets wings
MOVING a 900kg aircraft in a harness by crane takes precision to a new level.
Yesterday Geelong Crane Hire winched the twinengined 1978 Grumman Cougar GA- 7 into the refurbished hangar of the former Geelong Airport.
Opening next month, the hangar will be the new display office for Villawood’s $800 million Armstrong Mt Duneed housing estate, as a reminder of the site’s previous use as an airfield between 1962 and 2011.
‘‘It’s not every day you pick up and suspend an aeroplane,’’ GCH director Doug Herald said.
He said understanding the complexities of safely moving a 900kg aircraft was vital.
‘‘ We are supporting the aeroplane with a pair of twotonne capacity slings,’’ he said.
‘ ‘ Understanding the weight distribution is critical, because if you lift it the wrong way you could break it in half.’’
Using whistles, GCH crew Jai Stredwick and Rob Ferguson helped manoeuvre the aircraft, which has 10,800km on the clock, into position.
Once Mr Herald and his team have it in place, a wooden cradle will support the weight until a steel version is built.
Builders Chris Thornton and Jonathan Pintail said building a support structure for an aeroplane, while unusual, was not complicated.
‘‘ It’s similar to a loadbearing wall,’’ Mr Thornton said.
‘‘We will make frames to brace underneath the aircraft as a temporary support until a steel cradle is built.’’
Rolfe Aviation director Maurice Rolfe who orchestrated the aircraft’s sale, said it was a happy ending for the plane, which was withdrawn from permanent use in 2002.
‘‘It’s better than having it melted down to make Coke cans,’’ he said.