Perhaps because the beach, at low tide, is long and flat enough for a small plane to
land, Southy has a tradition of helping out with planes....
The tradition begins well before the Club’s foundation when Don McLean, father of founding
member Archie, helped pull on the rope that launched George Taylor’s heavier than air glider off the
sandhills at Narrabeen early in the 20 th century. Mr Le Clerc, a relative of one of Southy’s famous
families helped steady the glider in the stiff winds, just before the ‘take-off’.
A few decades later, in 1935, a McWilliams sponsored shark spotting plane made an emergency
landing just north of the clubhouse. All seemed ok but when the plane attempted to take off, its
wheel was clipped by a shore break and the plane tipped up. Southy members rushed down and
rescued the pilot, unhurt.
We know that many members joined the RAAF during WWII and that Alan Fidler was lucky to survive
a crash into the sea in 1944. He and the instructor swam to shore and recovered in hospital. Much
later Southy members searched, unsuccessfully, for a light aircraft that had crashed into the sea off
Dee Why.
So, when in May 2021 a light aircraft landed on the beach in an emergency landing, it’s not
surprising that Southy hero Mike Renie took charge of another plane ‘rescue’. The plane landed
safely and all occupants were unhurt, but as the tide approached the plane was in danger of being
swamped. Mike ran to the clubhouse and with Dave Howarth in another ATV, towed the plane to a
place higher up the beach.
member Archie, helped pull on the rope that launched George Taylor’s heavier than air glider off the
sandhills at Narrabeen early in the 20 th century. Mr Le Clerc, a relative of one of Southy’s famous
families helped steady the glider in the stiff winds, just before the ‘take-off’.
A few decades later, in 1935, a McWilliams sponsored shark spotting plane made an emergency
landing just north of the clubhouse. All seemed ok but when the plane attempted to take off, its
wheel was clipped by a shore break and the plane tipped up. Southy members rushed down and
rescued the pilot, unhurt.
We know that many members joined the RAAF during WWII and that Alan Fidler was lucky to survive
a crash into the sea in 1944. He and the instructor swam to shore and recovered in hospital. Much
later Southy members searched, unsuccessfully, for a light aircraft that had crashed into the sea off
Dee Why.
So, when in May 2021 a light aircraft landed on the beach in an emergency landing, it’s not
surprising that Southy hero Mike Renie took charge of another plane ‘rescue’. The plane landed
safely and all occupants were unhurt, but as the tide approached the plane was in danger of being
swamped. Mike ran to the clubhouse and with Dave Howarth in another ATV, towed the plane to a
place higher up the beach.
Credit: Ian Bird (2021)
