Post by flyjoe180 on Jan 2, 2008 7:26:00 GMT 12
No fly by for WWII hero
Dec 31, 2007 6:35 PM
The family of one New Zealand's most distinguished World War II fighter pilots has fired a salvo at the Air Force over its holiday staffing levels.
Relatives of Jack Rae say there was no fly-by at the highly decorated Spitfire pilot's funeral in Northland on Monday.
Rae's flying feats live on in wartime history and he has been described as an outstanding natural pilot.
Squadron leader Logan Cudby says Rae could handle an aeroplane like it was part of his body and it was "something that was a beauty to behold".
Rae's daughter Barbara Holodilff described how her father was shot down over Malta and was in a death spin when he hit an air pocket and was blown out of the plane.
He survived and kept flying with a prowess that ranked him among a small group considered to be the elite Kiwi flyers of World War II. His expertise at the controls of Spitfires destroyed 13 enemy aircraft and earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross and bar.
"He survived being shot down over France, he survived a death march across Germany in the snow," Holodilff says.
Rae leaves a legacy of remarkable bravery and his relatives are asking why he was not given the funeral fly by they requested from the Air Force.
"He's probably one of the few remaining pilots alive from that time period...it just seemed appropriate to recognise his contribution by having a fly by," says Holodilff.
The Air Force agrees but had to prioritise due to the number of staff on holiday. It says only one crew was on search and rescue standby and to bring them out for a fly by would mean there was no search and rescue standby.
But the family says that "seems a little lame given that people don't die on schedule".
Dec 31, 2007 6:35 PM
The family of one New Zealand's most distinguished World War II fighter pilots has fired a salvo at the Air Force over its holiday staffing levels.
Relatives of Jack Rae say there was no fly-by at the highly decorated Spitfire pilot's funeral in Northland on Monday.
Rae's flying feats live on in wartime history and he has been described as an outstanding natural pilot.
Squadron leader Logan Cudby says Rae could handle an aeroplane like it was part of his body and it was "something that was a beauty to behold".
Rae's daughter Barbara Holodilff described how her father was shot down over Malta and was in a death spin when he hit an air pocket and was blown out of the plane.
He survived and kept flying with a prowess that ranked him among a small group considered to be the elite Kiwi flyers of World War II. His expertise at the controls of Spitfires destroyed 13 enemy aircraft and earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross and bar.
"He survived being shot down over France, he survived a death march across Germany in the snow," Holodilff says.
Rae leaves a legacy of remarkable bravery and his relatives are asking why he was not given the funeral fly by they requested from the Air Force.
"He's probably one of the few remaining pilots alive from that time period...it just seemed appropriate to recognise his contribution by having a fly by," says Holodilff.
The Air Force agrees but had to prioritise due to the number of staff on holiday. It says only one crew was on search and rescue standby and to bring them out for a fly by would mean there was no search and rescue standby.
But the family says that "seems a little lame given that people don't die on schedule".