If playing with planes is your dream come true, HARS has an opportunity

If you’ve dreamed of a high-flying occupation, but just never found time to get your pilot’s licence, head to HARS Aviation Museum.

Thanks to an upswing in visitor numbers the museum is on the hunt for more volunteer tour guides, and you don’t need a background in aviation to apply.

Ian Badham has volunteered his time as a tour guide since his retirement nine years ago.

He said the role was perfect for anyone with a passion for people and storytelling.

The former journalist and rescue helicopter service pioneer said it was easy to soak up knowledge as a guide.

“It’s not so much about the technical side as the history,” he said.

“Like the 1933 Catalina used for marine reconnaissance.

“They flew the original double sunrise, the longest scheduled aviation flights in the world from the Swan River in Perth to Colombo in Sri Lanka.

“It’s supposed to take about 24 hours but sometimes took more than 30.

“Operated by Qanatas on behalf of the government they were flying low level, unarmed through enemy airspace in radio silence to ferry secret documents between Australia and Europe.

“They could carry up to three passengers, sitting in the cold, wondering if they were going to make it.

“There were more than 700 of these flights, and they all made it. Every passenger received a slip of paper saying they had become an order of the double sunrise club.

“We have more than 60 aircraft, and they all have a story.”

Ian put up his hand to volunteer as a tour guide at HARS thanks to a little encouragement from his wife.

They had taken American guests to the museum for a look around when she gave him the gentle suggestion that being a tour guide might get Ian out of the house a bit.

“Nine years late I’m doing it and still enjoying it,” he said.

“You never know who will show up. I’ve had wartime fighter pilots to people who have never even flown as a passenger.

“Most aviation museums are very polished and static; the planes are behind ropes and you don’t touch them.

“Here at HARS a lot of them still fly; you have oil dripping out of engines; it’s real.

“We take people into the engineering hangar so they can see the behind-the-scenes work that goes on to keep them operating and can get a feel of what aviation was like all those decades ago.

“It’s very different coming onto an empty aircraft and looking around, seeing all the secret spots.

“As a tour guide you get to share this and have a bit of fun and your colleagues could come from anywhere, but you all share an interest.”

There are no restrictions on who can volunteer, but Ian said for the tour guide role it’s necessary to be fit enough to climb steps into and out of aircraft.

There are about 850 volunteers at HARS from pilots to engineers, librarians and cafe staff.

There are about 100 tour guides, and the role is flexible. You can volunteer weekly or monthly and take time off as needed.

“You need a sense of adventure, to enjoy engaging with people and share time and exchanges with them, and if you enjoy that it’s an amazing experience,” Ian said.

If you’d like to make a visit to HARS, this weekend’s Tarmac Days are the perfect opportunity.

Although HARS Aviation Museum is open daily, Tarmac Days allow volunteers to present operational and display aircraft.

Rescued from Tahiti is one of the initial aircraft in the museum’s collection.

The former French Navy Neptune 566 will fire up its two piston and two jet engines for visitors on Sunday (12 January).

After restoration at Tahiti, the reconnaissance Lockheed Neptune 566 was flown to Australia in July 1989. That aircraft and the fully airworthy former RAAF Neptune 273, form the finest examples of operational Neptunes remaining in the world.

If you’re interested in volunteering, email [email protected],au