Wardbirds at Aerotec Hangar
Annamaria addressing the Garden City Toowoomba members.
Members finding out more information about one of the Warbirds
GCTPC members enjoying a courtesy morning tea in the loft
CAC Boomerang aircraft - one of the few left in existence.
T-28 Trojan aircraft
One of the 3 trainers used for the Flying School

Garden City Toowoomba Probus visits the Zuccoli Collection of Warbirds at Aerotec

Twenty members enjoyed their morning tea on the mezzanine floor above the aircraft below on the hanger floor and chatted to Lyn Zuccolli, wife of the late Guido Zucolli, and Annamaria, his daughter. Guido was originally an engineer who learned to fly to speed his workload and became entranced by flying – to the extent that he became part of the first Australian Aerobatic team and purchased his first Warbird, a T28 Trojan. He then went on to collect, renovate and fly a number of historical war planes – all with their own war stories.

Annamaria walked the group through the aircraft on the hanger floor which included “Just Dreaming, a Trojan T28 used for training and for ground attack in the Vietnam War; an ex-RAF Chipmuck used as a replacement trainer for Tiger Moths in WW2; a Pitts’ Special built in the US about 1943 designed for advanced aerobatics; and a Harvard T-6,imported from the US by the New Zealand Air Force and later to become the first Warbird listed on the Australian Register. Hung high above the hanger floor is an Italian 1932 Stipa Caprioni – now the only one in the world and a precursor to later jet-propelled aircraft. Also a French Flying Flee, first flown in 1933 but deemed a very unsafe aircraft to fly. Various jeeps, vintage motorcycles and memorabilia make up the Zucolli Collection.

A walk across the road led us to the Aerotec Flying school, with Annamaria’s husband, Matt Handley, their Chief Pilot. More modern aircraft were on display including some bought by previous students, and two being the training aircraft for flying lessons. Annamaria highlighted the importance of the Toowoomba Airport as the base for Life Flight helicopters, The Royal Flying Doctor Service, the Water Bombers, Police PolAir, Angel Flight and numerous local company aircraft – and the challenge of running a business there with high landing charges, no dedicated Control Tower and no firefighting crews based at the airfield.

Members donated some funds for the David Hack Classic Weekend of Aircraft and Vehicles which raised funds for charities such as the Leukemia Foundation.