The Wing Commander Connolly Memorial Training Aircraft Competition is named after Wing Commander R.V Connolly, father of IPMS NSW member Dave Connolly.
Run once per year – this competition has training as its theme, specifically multi-seat training aircraft capable of carrying an instructor and at least one trainee. Any aircraft used in this role, no matter the scale or era, is eligible to enter.
Who was Wing Commander Connolly
Reg Connolly was an educator with the Indian Air Force, and served in the air force Education Branch, teaching large numbers of airmen from both the Indian Air Force and other forces such as Indonesia, on their way to 'passing out' of their courses.
Before he joined the air force he had planned to be a lawyer, however with the outbreak of WW2 and then the Japanese bombing of Calcutta (including damage to the Law School), he was snapped up by the Indian Air Force. There he often performed work as a legal advocate alongside his training duties.
Following WW2, he remained in the Indian Air Force during the country's transition to independence in 1947. Though he was not a flier, during one of the 1960s wars he was briefly put in charge of a squadron of de Havilland Vampires that was hurriedly cobbled together. However his main role was always teaching and training others, a task for which he was highly qualified and respected.
He finally retired as Wing Commander prior to emigrating to Australia in 1971. Then, living in Sydney, he taught boys at Fort Street, Canley Vale and Burwood, finishing at Burwood Christian Brothers school. He also lectured at Sydney Teachers College. In his retirement he accompanied his son David to IPMS meetings at Top Ryde a few times and made friends with one of our members, Denzil Culloden, who it turned out was also in the RIAF, serving during the 1940s.
It was Reg Connolly’s life long connection with education that inspired his son Dave to create the Wing Commander Connolly Memorial Training Aircraft Competition – a yearly event which encourages members to submit model aircraft of any type or scale that were, or are, used in the usually overlooked, less glamorous, multi-seat training role.
Reg Connolly with one of the Williamtown gate guardian RAAF Vampires back in 1989
