CAPTAIN Richard de Crespigny has been added to the high-powered guest list for the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Uiver landing in Albury later this month.
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He will present his personal account of the dramatic international rescue of Qantas flight QF32 in 2010.
QF32 was flying to Sydney from London after refuelling at Singapore’s Changi Airport when passengers and crew heard a loud bang soon after take off.
Miraculously the 469 crew and passengers survived the potentially catastrophic ordeal.
The dramatic emergency landing of the DC2 Uiver in Albury on the last leg of the 1934 London to Melbourne air race was one of the most significant international air rescues of its time which also averted a potential loss of all crew and passengers.
Dutch ambassador Annemieke Ruigrok will also be attending the October 25 dinner at the SS & A Club in her capacity as patron of the Uiver Memorial Community Trust’s restoration project.
The Dutch government has been long-term supporters of the restoration since their contributions began in 2003.
Also on the guest list are KLM Royal Dutch Airlines representatives Simon Spinks and Maurizio Fabrizi.
A return flight to Amsterdam, sponsored by Air France KLM, will be auctioned as part of the evening’s fund-raising activities, which include movie footage of the original Uiver and the launch of the memorial DC2 restoration project.
Additional activities on the night will include a silent auction to fund-raise for the Uiver restoration, historic aviation memorabilia displays and a presentation of the conservation process to restore Albury’s DC2 Uiver replica.
Albury-Wodonga Antique Car Club will stage a parade of vintage cars in Dean Street the day before an open day and a flyover by Albury Aero Club.
Albury Council agreed last year to provide a $300,000 interest-free loan for the hangar where the restoration will take place.
The trust chairman is Pieter Mol and his family company, Smartair, will restore the plane.