Journey to the Interior - Dick Smith 1987

[ZacTheKiwi]

Hi all,
First post and excited to be here! As a youngster I used to watch this a LOT, so much so I'm amazed the video tape lasted long enough for me to upload it to YouTube! Unfortunately there are a few audio and video quality hiccups but they've been there since it was recorded from New Zealand TV.

It was part of a BBC series called Australia and stars Dick Smith and a JetRanger flying from Sydney to Birdsville for the races there, with several stops of historic and contemporary interest along the way.

https://youtu.be/nykueufnZLQ

Does anyone know what the rego of the machine was? I asked Dick and he doesn't remember, only that John Barnao owned it at the time.

I hope you enjoy the video!

[Twistgrip]

If memory serves me the late John ( Banana’s) Barnao used to own BHU and BHT. I’m sure Eric Hunt would be able to tell you. Gees your bringing some
memories back now

[havick]

Hi all,
First post and excited to be here! As a youngster I used to watch this a LOT, so much so I'm amazed the video tape lasted long enough for me to upload it to YouTube! Unfortunately there are a few audio and video quality hiccups but they've been there since it was recorded from New Zealand TV.

It was part of a BBC series called Australia and stars Dick Smith and a JetRanger flying from Sydney to Birdsville for the races there, with several stops of historic and contemporary interest along the way.

https://youtu.be/nykueufnZLQ

Does anyone know what the rego of the machine was? I asked Dick and he doesn't remember, only that John Barnao owned it at the time.

I hope you enjoy the video!

I’d have to check my logbook but Dick’s jetranger ended up being the Adelaide channel 9 news machine, from memory it was NWS.

Pretty sure Helistar owns it now and is flying it mostly on power line contracts.

[Eric Hunt]

Captain Crackers had BHU (or loudly and aggressively on the radio, "Brartelform") and BHT ("Brartelango").

I didn't know that Dick used one of those.

Dick's best-known toys were DIK (now in Powerhouse Museum) and DIB, then a few others until SHW the S76. First met Dick back in 1980 or so, when he related his story about climbing Ball's Pyramid one way - dropped at the bottom, climb to the top, get a mate to fly DIK up to the 1000' summit, and hover next to the top while Dick clambered onto the skids. Old Mate wasn't ready for the cg change, and wobbled away from the mountain, with Dick clinging to the side door 1000' over the water. Some tense moments ensued...

[GIBO18]

Something about this film really hammers home the scope and size of the outback more than anything else I've seen. In particular those shots with the road trains, the wide panning shots give a great sense of wilderness.

Thanks for sharing!

[ZacTheKiwi]

I'm glad you folk like it! I went on a tape transferring bent a week or two back and was so relieved I could save this one, I couldn't find it online anywhere.

Gees your bringing some memories back now

I emailed Dick asking questions about DIK for a model and sent him the link, he was keen to see the doco again too!

Something about this film really hammers home the scope and size of the outback more than anything else I've seen. In particular those shots with the road trains, the wide panning shots give a great sense of wilderness.

Thanks for sharing!

It certainly made a big impression on this young Kiwi!

[ZacTheKiwi]

I’m an idiot - all I needed to do was watch the video again. When he finds an RFDS Nomad he hails it by saying “Helicopter Alpha Hotel Victor”

Now, to try and figure out the ID of the mustering Hughes 300...you can see a rego but barely make it out...

[ScoobaLimaLima]

What an awesome old doco, I can't believe I've never seen or heard of it before.

I was lucky enough to fly in VH-DIK as 'ballast' out of YSBK back in 2005 when I was completing my CPL. Unfortunately I did not get to meet the man himself, an American friend of his who was a retired USAF F-16 pilot was borrowing the 206 to get his first turbine endorsement.

SLL

[ZacTheKiwi]

Thanks SLL - I recognise your username from a recent comment on the video! What a thrill to fly DIK!