It looks as though this day was a special show day at Bankstown Airport. I don't remember that it was a special show day. I just remember going out to Bankstown Airport and going on a joy flight. The aircraft shown here was just one of many small aircraft that were on display that day. This photograph, as with all the photographs shown on this page, was in the same collection of photographs that my father took on that day, at Bankstown Airport.

I remember that for my 17th birthday, my parents paid for me to go on a joy flight in a small single-engine propeller aircraft from Bankstown Airport in Sydney. I had a lot of experience building and flying model aircraft, and I had a strong interest in becoming an aircraft pilot. I can look back at those times now and see that my parents were keen to give me as much encouragement as they could for me to realise my dreams. During the joy flight, I got to sit in the co-pilot’s seat, alongside the pilot, and see the array of instruments and controls typical of a small general aviation aircraft of that time. That was all just amazing! I remember feeling surprised that my vision forward of the aircraft was restricted so much by the large instrument panel. I also remember that the pilot spent considerable time and expertise maintaining radio contact with various people, and that I couldn’t really understand much of the things being said. I could understand the words and numbers being spoken, but couldn't really understand what it was all about. I remember hearing at an appropriate point in time that we were given a 'clear to takeoff', and at another time (which seemed too early) a 'clear to land', but that was about all that I could really understand.

An old time trainer, that was part of the air show.

This is me, and the aircraft, a Piper Cherokee 235C (with registration VH-PDB), that I went for my joy flight in.

The pilot took us to get a good view of the area near our home in West Ryde from the air. We then flew on to the city CBD and then back to Bankstown Airport. We got excellent views of everything. My father took all of the aerial photographs shown here from the back seat of the aircraft.

Gladesville Bridge is the large concrete arch bridge seen near the centre of this photograph. It straddles part of Sydney harbour.

The famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, near Circular Quay and the Sydney CBD.

What a view! This view of the Sydney CBD is just on from the view of the Harbour Bridge.

This was seen as we returned to Bankstown Airport, before landing. It was fascinating seeing the layout of runways and taxi-ways designed to move aircraft around to take-off starting positions, etc. The joy flight was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.