Date:	Thursday 6 December 1951
Time:	day
Type:	Miles M.65 Gemini 1A
Owner/operator:	Consolidated Press Ltd
Registration:	VH-BMV
MSN:	6522
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Private Airstrip, near Michelago, 30 miles from Canberra, ACT -   Australia
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Executive
Departure airport:	Private Airstrip, 30 miles from Canberra, ACT
Destination airport:	Bankstown, Sydney, NSW
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
10.47: Built at Woodley Aerodrome, Reading by Miles Aircraft Ltd. 2 x Cirrus Minor II engines
17.10.47: First flight Woodley, Reading, Berkshire
18.10.47: Registered (C of R 11932/1) as G-AKHU Miles Aircraft Ltd, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire
7.11.47: C of A 9822 issued
2.2.48: "Delivered to customer" (handed over to customer). Shipped to Australia later in 1948.
27.1.49: Registered VH-BMV Allison Gray & Co Ltd, Sydney NSW (Australian Miles agents)
2.8.49: Struck-off British Register as 'sold abroad' (to Australia)
8.49: VH-BMV is partially stripped at Bankstown, to provide parts for other Geminis. Allison Gray advise DCA that they will not proceed with C of A inspection on VH- BMV “until the position in regard to spare parts improves”
12.49: Now progressing towards Australian C of A
10.10.50: Consolidated Press advise DCA that they have purchased VH-BMV and request change of registration to VH-DFP (in recognition of their proprietor, Frank Packer). However the request was not followed up and registration remained unchanged.
20.10.50: Change of ownership: Consolidated Press Ltd, Sydney. Based at Mascot, used to carry “Sydney Telegraph” newspaper company executives, journalists and photographers. Replaced Avro Ansons VH-AJP and VH-AVY previously used by the newspaper.
20.10.50: Test-flown at Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. Australian C of A issued.
8.2.51: Starboard entrance hatch blew off in flight near Wisemans Ferry. NSW, pilot J. Hacking. Flight proceeded and aircraft landed safely.
5.7.51: Photographed at Bankstown, no titles
6.12.51: Crashed on takeoff from Private Airstrip, near Michelago, 30 miles from Canberra, ACT, seriously damaged
29.5.53: Change of ownership: George Goodwin, “Tongo” Station, Wilcannia NSW. Civil Register quotes property name as “Tonga” (in error?).
21.10.54 Change of ownership: Walter E. James, Wollongong NSW. Walter James' wife Joy later wrote: "It then became necessary to move to Bankstown from Wollongong as there was more work available in Sydney. A hangar was rented at Bankstown Airport, he then bought a Miles Gemini and proceeded to convert the engines to Lycomings as they had more power. He did the conversion himself, but of course he employed an engineer. He also had the help of an aeronautical engineer for the stress analysis. A second Gemini was purchased later but never converted and was sold."
1956: Re-engined with two 130hp Lycoming 0-290-3/1 four cylinder engines. James named the type as “Miles Lycoming” which was painted on the nose
29.10.56: noted at Bankstown, Syney, NSW as VH-WEJ, with Lycoming engines.
31.10.56: Re-registered as VH-WEJ to Walter E. James, Sydney NSW. Operated as W. E. James' Aircraft Taxi Service, Sydney
4.57: Aircraft magazine 4.57 report: “The Miles Lycoming” by Keith Robey: Photos show VH-WEJ at Broadmeadow aerodrome, Newcastle, NSW. All over silver with dark trim. “An interesting modification of a standard Miles M.65 Gemini has recently been completed by W. E. James Aircraft Charter Service, Banks town. The modification involved replacing the original 95hp Cirrus Minor engines with 125hp Lycomings. The modified Gemini now known as the Miles Lycoming has passed its final type approval; tests and is in service on the charter operation conducted by this company from Banks town. The considerable improvement in takeoff, cruise and engine-out performance has attracted the attention of other Gemini owners who see the Miles Lycoming as an attractive means of modernising and increasing the performance of this popular but ageing aeroplane. The performance of the Miles Lycoming should be even further improved by the new type propellers with which it will finally be equipped. W. E. James Aircraft Charter Service quote £2,000 as the price to convert a standard Gemini. This figure includes the cost of two completely overhauled, nil hour Lycoming 0290-3-1 engines and new propellers. In actual practice, of course, the cost would be less the resale value of the original Cirrus engines and propellers. Alternatively W. E. James will supply a conversion kit for £850, or drawings only for £250.”
17.1.58: Mrs. Joy James recalls an overnight hangar fire at Bankstown. "When they opened the hangar doors in the morning, the whole of the hangar was black with smoke. Two planes were burnt out although the fire had stopped within three feet of the Gemini, which remained intact except for the perspex windows, which were warped from the heat. The theory was that it started from spontaneous combustion in a crop duster that was hangared there." (Date presumed: a deliberately lit fire in the Kingsford Smith Aviation Service hangar at Bankstown 17.1.58 destroyed KSAS KS.3 Wackett-Cropmaster VH-FBD and seriously damaged damaged another KS.3 VH-FBE and the prototype KSAS PL-7 Tanker.)
6.58: noted at Bankstown inside W.E.James hangar, still with Lycoming engines; Geminis VH-AKV & VH-BJP in same hangar
4.60: VH-WEJ noted Bankstown, silver & blue markings
5.60 Re-registered VH-WEK Walter E. James, Sydney. Registration change requested to make James’ preferred VH-WEJ available for a new Piper Aztec
29.5.60:As VH-WEK in static park at airshow Bankstown, Sydney, NSW
4.61: Photographed at Bankstown, Lycomings, silver with blue trim
26.8.61: Re-registered as VH-BOB & Change of Ownership to Robert H. T. Rowston, Sydney, NSW. Purchased to replace his Proctor VH-BXE which he crashed in NT in 1960.
9.61: Photo at Bankstown, white with orange trim
26.11.63: Struck-off Register as Withdrawn From Service due DCA Policy. All Miles Geminis were withdrawn from service by/on 31 December 1963 due to the Department of Civil Aviation’s policy regarding the use of glues on aircraft with wooden wings at the time of manufacture
16.6.74: Noted stored dismantled at Vince Brown timber merchant's yard at Rouse Hill, near Windsor, NSW. Reported owned by Lofty Davis and a Mr. Willard,
1.75: Acquired by RAAF Association (WA Division), Bull Creek, Perth, WA. Planned static restoration for museum display, using fuselage of VH-GBB
8.75: Collected from Rouse Hill and trucked to RAAF Richmond, WA
9.75: Airfreighted from Richmond to RAAF Pearce on a scheduled RAAF C-130
29.1.76: Trucked from RAAF Pearce to RAAF Association Estate at Bull Creek, Perth, WA. Open storage in weather outside museum shed on estate
c.1979: Acquired from RAAF Association museum by Lynton Forster, Perth WA. Museum's Gemini parts collection of VH-GBB fuselage & VH-BOB fuselage and wings were exchanged for DH.82 parts need to complete restoration of the museum DH.82 Tiger Moth VH-BKS.
1993: Forster established a new aircraft restoration business at York WA: Lynn Forster/ Brooklands Aviation (Pty) Ltd, York, WA
7.93: Stored in hangar at Brooklands Aerodrome, York WA along with remains of VH-BJZ purchased in Queensland by Forster mainly for the engine cowlings because BOB's cowls were for the Lycoming.
1995: Forster plans to rebuild two airworthy Geminis from his parts collection
9.01: Advertised for sale by Lynn Forster: "Miles Gemini: two complete aircraft VH-GBB and VH-BOB needing restoration, plus parts and identity of a third VH-BJZ, with manuals, drawings and histories. $48,000 AUD for the lot."
21.12.07: Gemini collection sold for $25,000 AUD to Peter Turner, Stratford-on-Avon. Warwickshire, UK
4.1.08: Restored to British Register as G-AKHU to Charles Willian Peter Turner. Snitterfield, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, UK
17.7.08: The Forster Gemini components collection arrived in a container at Snitterfield, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire after being shipped from Australia.

1. P D Stemp, 2010, The Aviation Archive of Miles Aircraft.
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AKHU.pdf
3. https://www.austairdata.com.au/
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_1994.pdf
5. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/gemini/gemini.htm
6. Remains of VH-BOB at Bull Creek, Perth, WA 20.12.76: https://www.airhistory.net/photo/243610/VH-BOB
7. VH-BMV at Melbourne - Essendon (MEB/YMEN), Victoria, Australia c.1968: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1758627
8. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austb/VH-BMV.html
9. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austmz/VH-WEJ.html
10. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austb/VH-BOB.html
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelago

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-May-2022 06:44	Ron Averes	Added
15-May-2022 07:48	Ron Averes	Updated [Source, Narrative]
21-Sep-2022 23:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]