President:      R.J. De La Hunty OAM.

 

Bob De La Hunty comes from a corporate background and is on the board of numerous companies including The Aerospace Foundation of Australia Limited, The Maritime and Defence Foundation of Australia Limited. As President, he presides over the overall operation of the Society. He ensures that the Society is continually focussed in accordance with its mission statement.

Bob is also responsible for the sub-committees that control the day to day activities of the Society. These Committees directly supervise the active projects and the maintenance of all of our aircraft. He is also directly involved in the selection of new projects that are referred to the Society. He presides over the Aircraft Acquisition Program Committee.

Bob, in conjunction with other Executive Committee Members, involves himself in the promotion of the Society at all levels. He is also the Society’s the Chief Pilot and the endorsing pilot for both the Super Constellation and the Neptune aircraft.

He is an Executive Committee Member of the Temora Aviation Museum.

In the Queen’s Birthday 2000 Honours Lists Bob received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in recognition for his services to Aviation and Australian Aviation Heritage specifically mentioning the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society

 

Vice – President:      Maureen Massey

Maureen was in senior management at Boeing /Hawker de Havilland for 31 years before retiring in 2008. Her background has always been in aviation and engineering, filling the role of Corporate Communications Manager before transferring to Engineering Design until retiring.

Maureen is widely versed in computer applications including financial, engineering and technical publications. She is the manager of the de Havilland Aviation collection which has been transferred to HARS for long term preservation. This collection includes four historical aircraft, the DH3A de Havilland Drover and DH82A Tiger Moth which are airworthy, and the CA27  Sabre and DH110 Vampire.

Maureen was the HARS treasurer and then Secretary and now Vice President

 

Treasurer :           David Neaves

David is a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Accountancy from the University of Wollongong. He has been in Public Practice for 30 years, the last 15 as Principal. He is a Fellow of the Australian Society of CPSs (FCPA) and a member of the Sports Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA), member of the National Tax Agents Association and Australian Taxpayers Association.

David has been a member of the Society joining in 2004

 

 

Honorary Secretary: Ian Debenham

  • Former HARS Committee member and Secretary
  • Honours Degree in Ancient History
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Museum Studies
  • Recently retired Curator of Transport at the powerhouse Museum
  • Founding Committee member Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown
  • Founding Committee member of the Lawrence Hargrave Foundation
  • President Aviation Historical Society of Australia (NSW)
  •  Super Constellation restoration recovery team in Tucson
  • Dakota recovery team from Edinburgh
  • Current Director of Historical Aircraft Projects Pty Ltd (HARS contracted engineering company)
  • Aviation heritage adviser to NSW State Government

 

 Committee Member: Professor Michael Hough

  •  Former Lieutenant Colonel, qualified military parachutist and former commander of the University of NSW Regiment
  • Involved in many reginal community activities and was Wollongong Citizen of the Year in 2004
  • Made Member of the Order of Australia in 2006
  • Tourism South Coast award in 2011 for coordinating Wings Over the Illawarra
  • Professor specialising in business studies
  • Chairman of HARS Museum Board
  • HARS Project Manager for RANHF project
  • Heavily involved in fund raising for HARS from community and Government
  • Council appointed Coordinator for Wings Over the Illawarra events

 

Committee Member:      M.N. Hallowes

Malcolm Hallowes background is Qantas Engineering, senior management. Among his management appointments at Qantas Malcolm held the position as Maintenance Planning Controller responsible for planning major maintenance activity for the Qantas fleet together with the RAAF C-130 and B707 aircraft. He also holds signature approvals for C-130 engines & airframe together with B707 airframe and Skyhawk A4G engine & airframe. In addition, Malcolm has previous experience working on DC3, DC4, L749 Constellation, L1049 Super Constellation, B707 and L188 both engines and airframes.

Malcolm is the CASA Authorised Maintenance Controller for the Society. He directly manages all operations relating to engineering maintenance over the HARS fleet of aircraft.

 

 

 Committee Member:  Phil Mason  

  • HARS member for 4 years
  • Banking and finance industry experience
  • Managing director of office equipment company for 24 years with 3 branches and employing in excess of 45 people.
  • Lives in the Illawara.
  • Private pilot.
  • Maintenance and restoration team for the HARS Neptune and other aircraft.
  • Skills mainly focused in the management and administration area including business plans and company structures.

 

 

  Committee Member:        William Smith

William is a Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME) in airframe and engine trades.

He joined HARS in September 1990 his membership number being 14. His first overseas trip was to Tucson, Arizona to work on the Super Constellation. Since that time William has been involved in other recovery projects such as both C-47’s, Wingeel, Wirraway, Tracker, Firefly, Ceres, DC4 aircraft and led  most of the engineering teams.

His work load is very significant as he is currently working and supervising the return to flying condition the Tracker, Neptune 566, Me 108, Ceres and Morava aircraft.

William’s involvement in the HARS Management Team is of the utmost importance.

 

 Committee Member:   Gordon Glynn   

  •  HARS member since 1980 and HARS life member
  • Self employed businessman currently contracting to the aviation industry for warbirds and general aviation sectors
  • Former accounting supervisor in metalwork industry
  • Private pilot with various ratings on a wide variety of aircraft including the HARS Catalina and Neptune
  • Recovery team Neptune and Catalina overseas
  • Supporter Temora Aviation Museum
  • Member HARS engineering team

 

 Committee Member:      Ross Kelly

Ross joined HARS in November 2000. For the last 31 years he has been an airline pilot with Qantas and is presently a Captain on the Airbus A380.

During his time in HARS he has made use of his Semi Trailer/B Double truck licence and has assisted with the move from our Bankstown and Kent Road facilities to our current headquarters at the Illawarra Regional Airport, Albion Park Rail NSW. In addition, Ross has been involved in other transportation  missions to Brisbane, Melbourne and Parkes.

Ross assists the Chief Pilot with Flight Operations and is a Captain on both the Constellation and Neptune aircraft.

He is presently working on the recovery of the C131 (Convair 340) in Tucson, USA.

 

Committee Member: Tony Abela

  •  Senior Executive levels in mutual and not for profit organisations
  • Strong all round background in management, accounting and information technology, property and auditing
  • Served on various boards and committees in the banking  industry and not for profit sector
  • Currently serves on two boards and their respective finance, audit and risk committees and chairs one of these boards sub committees
  • Fellow of the institute of Public Accountants, Fellow of Mutuals Institute of Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
  • Involved with the HARS Super Constellation ground  and maintenance  team under the supervision of Warren Goodhew