VK-Summit Historical Connection

The VK-Summit and WIA AGM was held in Albury a few weeks ago and newly minted Board Director Justin VK7TW got along to the Albury Library and Museum over that weekend.

The Museum and the Albury Airport have a great celebration of a unique piece of aviation history that Justin became aware of through a recent Linked-in contact - Anjes Tobbe VK2GWI.

Anjes told Justin about the London to Melbourne aviation race in 1934 – yes 1934 when aviation was in its infancy and shared that the KLM Uiver DC-2 made an emergency landing at Albury race course during a violent thunderstorm in October 1934.

Quoting from Anjes telling of the story –

“When the townspeople realized what was happening, something remarkable occurred. Cars rushed to the local racecourse. Drivers lined up their vehicles along the track and switched on their headlights, creating a glowing runway in the darkness. Through sheets of rain and flashes of lightning, the Dutch aircraft finally appeared overhead. Slowly… carefully… the pilot guided the plane down toward the improvised runway of car lights. The crowd held its breath.’ Then, with a bump and a roar of engines, The Uiver touched down safely. Cheers erupted in the stormy night….

To this day, the story of The Uiver and the lights of Albury remains one of the most extraordinary acts of community spirit in aviation history.”

50 Years later Dutch airline KLM flew the same route in a DC2 and held a commemoration by issuing radio amateurs certificates if they contacted the cities where the KLM DC2 Uiver aircraft landed. Anjes as PA3ADR was living in the Netherlands at the time and managed to get one of these certificates.

The Museum has an extensive display, the airport hosts the Uiver Café and they are restoring a DC-2 aircraft in a big hangar at the airport which will become a museum commemorating the event.

By the way, Anjes was also President of VERON between 1995-1999 which is the National Dutch Amateur Radio Organisation.

Thanks Anjes for sharing a significant piece of aviation history with an amateur radio connection.

Page Last Updated: Wednesday, 20 May 2026 at 10:16 hours by Justin Giles-clark

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