FILM AUSTRALIA COLLECTION

Title Details

Flight Plan

The organisation of civil aviation in Australia and the control of aircraft movement in Australian airways.
Year : 1950 | Total Duration : 25 Minutes |
Director : Stanley Hawes (Director), Lee Robinson (Associate Director) |
WS seaplane on Sydney Harbour skimming water towards camera with Harbour Bridge in background. Plane taking off over camera, CU pilot and aerial track over Hyde Park and CBD. Air to air track of plane over city and harbour. Coastline at Watson's Bay POV pilots.
Access No. 39757 | 1 min 10 secs | 1950s | Sydney, NSW, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
Track of Qantas Empire Airways Consellation plane taking off from Sydney for London. CU pilot. Aerial tracks over Sydney Harbour Bridge, mountains of Burragorang Valley, Great Diving Range with clouds settled in valleys and coastal farmlands. WS drover on horseback herding sheep in tree studded countryside. MS drover looking up to plane and tilt to plane flying overhead.
Access No. 133866 | 48 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
WS farmer and child riding harvester through wheat field and CU to plane's propellor in flight. Aerial track over arid sand dunes of Simpson Desert. CU pilot. WS goats in dusty bush and MS Aboriginal woman holding child. Tilt to Consellation in sky. Aerial track over outback dotted with shrub. MS shirtless station hand wearing akubra and smoking. MS Aboriginal child on horse. Aerial over Daly River winding through thick bushland
Access No. 133867 | 52 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
Aerial LS to Darwin and over plane landing on runway. Graphic map of Australia with marks indicating cities which are serviced by international flights and country connections. Aerials over northern NSW township of Tooraweenah and GS DC3 aeroplane on grass runway taxiing to halt. WS boys arriving on horseback to make-shift airport. MS passengers climbing out of plane. MS man waiting in horse and cart and GS passengers in and around waiting room shed.
Access No. 133868 | 1 min 16 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
MS aeroplane at country airport with pilot throwing bundle of newspapers out of aircraft to ground. MS locals boarding Dragon and GS biplane taxiing before taking off. Air to air over Anson aircraft flying over Wittenoom Gorge in outback WA. WS putting out mail bag outside corrugated iron store and MS asbestos miners from Wittenoom Gorge. MS 4WD driving through gorge. Mail plane on outback tarmac.
Access No. 133869 | 51 secs | 1950s | WA, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
MS pair of men smoking and watching men unloading bags of mail and other things from nose of Anson mail plane on outback tarmac. Aerial track over plane flying over outback McDonnell Ranges. Air to air of clouds. MS plane landing at cattle station at Kulgera. MS horses in corral and woman coming out of homestead carrying tray with tea for pilot. MS man collecting crate of groceries and repaired engine.
Access No. 133870 | 53 secs | 1950s | NT, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
MS co-pilot refuelling aircraft from wing with the help of Aboriginal stockman on outback station. CU man opening mail bag and MS men in cockpit waving as plane taxiis before taking off. VS injured Aboriginal boy being carried on from mission building on stretcher by large group of Aboriginal children accompanied by nurses and doctors to aerial ambulance. Good CUs of Aboriginal babies looking on.
Access No. 133871 | 1 min | 1950s | NT, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
Aerial tracks over Bathurst Island Mission. WS men helping ailing stockman off horse. GS woman entering room and putting on headphones as she sits at radio and peddles with feet while communicating medical call to Flying Doctor Base. VS injured stockman, woman at radio, memorial plaque and doctor responding to call on radio at other end. WS flying doctor arriving on tarmac by car as men stand beside biplane preparing for flight.
Access No. 133872 | 55 secs | 1950s | NT, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
MS three men sitting in linseed field. MS man loading DDT into funnel on plane and WS Tiger Moth cropdusting with plane flying towards and past camera. CU face of pilot wearing helmet and goggles. Plane cropdusting from various angles. MS Australian National Airways DC4 on tarmac and seen from airport windows as passengers dine and watch. GS passengers leaving airport lounge and boarding stairs to DC4 plane in response to call.
Access No. 133873 | 1 min | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
VS passengers boarding and disembarking / leaving planes from airports around the country. GS children waving to camera as family board Convair plane. GS propellor spinning. WS track of TAA plane taking off and aerial POV pilot as plane climbs in air. GS trucks through bush. GS grader and construction equipment from the Department of Civil Aviation building and maintaining air strips. LS truck levelling strip. Aerial over airstrips in vast outback landscape.
Access No. 133874 | 1 min 2 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
WS track of DC3 plane taking off from outback runway. Aviation maintenance showing man tending airport beacon, GS men painting large identification numbers on runway, man checking runway light. WS meteorological balloon over Derby air radio station and VS men following flight and checking weather instruments. LS Charleville Meteorological Station. MS outback radio operator transmitting weather message in code. CU teleprinter. CU man man filling out report and MS weather man working on forecast.
Access No. 133875 | 1 min 5 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
MS pilots consulting with official over weather forecasts. CU weather board.VS Air Traffic Control headquarters with pilots walking through flight-check section to flight board to work out flight course. CU pilot using instrument to work out wind pressure and VS pilots getting approval from official who rubber stamps flight plan. Pan across airport from control tower to operator. VS planes taking off and men in control tower communicating by radio. VS line of teletypists and CU message.
Access No. 133876 | 2 mins 10 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
VS men at flight progress boards plotting aircraft movements. CUs operators entering details of flight plans on blocks. Air to air shot of Qantas DC3 plane flying through clouds. Clouds POV wing tip. MS pilot in cockpit communicating by radio with operator in control room. CU switches on radio and VS communication between operators.
Access No. 133877 | 2 mins 3 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
WS plane taxiing on airport runway after landing and GS pilot climbing tower to aircraft doorway and entering. CU operator talking by radio to pilot at Mascot tower giving permission to line up and talking to pilot as plane taxis into position and track as it takes off. GS Butler Air Transport plane landing on runway and MS of pilot talking on radio to control tower operator getting clearance.
Access No. 133878 | 1 min 37 secs | 1950s | Sydney, NSW, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
Tilt to DC3 plane flying. CUs aircraft control panel, aircraft propellor with suburbs and ovals seen below and CU as feathered engine propellor stops turning as plane flies over dense city grid. CUs control tower operator talking pilots down by radio. Aerial descent POV pilot. MS fire engine and firemen standing by on ground. Plane making one engine descent to runway POV pilot. GS plane touching down with cutaways to broken propellor.
Access No. 133879 | 1 min 27 secs | 1950s | Sydney, NSW, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
MS control tower operator and pilot in plane conversing by radio. MS wheels descending on aircraft mid air. High angle track over aircraft coming in for landing. CU pilot in stationary plane talking to tower and WS taxiing then taking off. WS airport buildings. MS large DC4 aircraft being guided into hangar. GS mechanics chocking wheels and setting up scaffolds on aircraft and VS mechanics busily working on aircraft parts.
Access No. 133880 | 1 min 54 secs | 1950s | Sydney, NSW, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
VS aircraft surveyors in white lab coats testing aircraft instruments. CU Instrument Panel on test bench. High angle shot over factory floor as propellor is winched overhead. Pilot education with VS pilots listening to instructor at front of room with blackboard and instruments. WS officials looking at architectural model of aerodrome. MS official discussing and pointing to taxi-ways.
Access No. 133881 | 41 secs | 1950s | Sydney, NSW, Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
MS bulldozer and GS construction machinery as plane passes low overhead. VS bulldozers filling in river and GS men shovelling. Aerial track over plane on runway. WS of plane taking off from outback runway over camera. Aerial tracks over Hammersley Ranges and air to air of Anson plane flying over outback landscapes. Aerial track over Wyndham coastal town with mountains and outback behind.
Access No. 133882 | 1 min 3 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
Air to air of plane flying over outback landscapes and aerial track over industrial landscape (Newcastle?). Aerial track over heavily built up urban landscape (Perth?) and over Sydney Harbour and Harbour Bridge. Air to air of DC3 plane flying over Harbour with Harbour Bridge and city visible below. Ceremonial crowd gathered on tarmac in front of Canadian Pacific Airlines plane.
Access No. 133883 | 47 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
CU British flags flying and CU of Empress Of Sydney aircraft with voice over of launching of aircraft and champagne being broken over plane by Mrs Drakeford. Track of Constellation plane landing at Mascot. GS assembled crowd and Constellation taxiing on runway. MS uniformed controller on runway signalling plane with arms. WS passengers disembarking aircraft down stairs to crowds waiting behind fence.
Access No. 133884 | 37 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
WS passengers leaving airport terminal and walking across tarmac to aircraft. GS men loading luggage into hull of plane and passengers boarding DC6. CUs pilot in cockpit. VS propellors starting, airline staff watching from runway, shadow of propellor and engine on ground and VS ground staff. WS pilot leaning out window and giving a Òthumbs upÓ signal to camera above name R.M.A. Discovery.
Access No. 133885 | 53 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |
MS men in vehicle on tarmac waving to pilot before take off. WS rear view of crowd assembled behind fence waving off British Commonwealth Pacific airlines plane as it taxiis off. MS operators in tower and track of plane taking off and flying into distance.
Access No. 133886 | 40 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | B&W |