THE World War II plane that crashed into Lake Corangamite over 60 years ago has re-emerged from its murky depths, just in time for professional salvage diver Rod Knights to carry out his long-awaited extraction mission.
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The Ocean Grove aircraft enthusiast has been planning the planes' removal for over a decade and hopes to retrieve it this winter.
The site where the CAC Wirraway A20 714 currently rests is within a heritage overlay and an environmental significance overlay, meaning its removal will have to meet strict criteria.
"I have a window between March and August each year and am hoping to get it out this winter," he said.
"You can't get heavy machinery down there so I've been engineering and building specialist equipment. It all has to be carried there by hand and then carried out in little boats.
"It's a very unique salvage."
Mr Knights has had ownership of the plane for six years after it was granted to him by the Royal Australian Air Force.
However the red tape surrounding the unusual project has made the endeavour a cumbersome one.
"It's been a mammoth task just getting all the documents, the physical extraction is the small part," he said.
"I've been trying to get all the permits for 10 years and only just got them before Christmas last year.
"When I first looked at the salvage the plane was in a reasonable condition but it's since deteriorated. I don't know what I'll be getting out but I'm not going to stop now."
The salvager hopes to restore the plane back to its former glory and see it fly the skies once more.
"I'm hoping to fully restore it which may mean a reproduction of its former self, but we'll see," he said.
"If the internal frame is in tact it could possibly fly with a new engine."
The project is a childhood dream realised for Mr Knights.
"I've always been into aviation since I was a little kid and airforce history has always been of interest to me," he said.
"Paired with my job as a salvage diver it really brings both my passions together."
Mr Knights has had to seek permits from over 12 different organisations, including Corangamite Shire, Parks Victoria, Heritage Victoria and Corangamite Catchment Management.
"As soon as I heard about it back in 2005 I started hatching a plan to get it out.
"The biggest hurdle so far has been Heritage Victoria as it is a heritage listed site.
"I had to negotiate with them to take it off the heritage listing in order to take it out of the water.
"Part of the permit conditions was a very comprehensive study of the bird life in the lake, which found that we could only go there in winter when we would least disturb that activity."
The plane is approximately 800 metres off shore. To carry it out a gantry will be built alongside it and a barge put in place to transport it to shore.
The relic will then be trucked to another location where it will be disassembled into several major pieces and submerged in a number of different tanks.
"The plane will be lifted on the barge in one piece and a tractor used to drag it out of the water," Mr Knights said.
"Once it's disassembled in the various tanks, it will have to sit for a few years in water which has the right alkaline level.
"I have the most well-known corrosion expert in Australia helping me with advice."
Mr Knights is excited about the project as he was when he first discovered it.
"I'll never get sick of talking about it," he said.
"I've got so many stories, perhaps I should write a book."
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