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Post by chinapilot on Nov 15, 2012 23:56:55 GMT 12
A friend of mine has met his niece in Australia recently...her father was a decorated Catalina pilot with the RAAF in the SWPA and continued to fly in Australia until he passed away.
Seeing the photo of his Tipsy Belfair in the Ozzie James photo thread got me thinking that there may be some more information about Allen and maybe some more photos of the various aircraft he is reputed to have owned.
Evidently his reputation for writing aircraft off was renowned, she was told by her father before visiting her uncle that on "no account was she to get into an aeroplane with him"
:-)...must have been a bit of a character though.
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Post by phil82 on Nov 16, 2012 1:24:36 GMT 12
If it's the same man, I knew Alan Mills who did , indeed, own and fly a number of aircraft and lost a leg in one accident involving a Tiger moth.
He was Managing Director and owner of Mills-Tui Trailers in Rotorua at a time when they were building lots of Fire Vehicles for the NZ Fire Service, as well as Australia.
I remember having a dinner meeting at a restaurant once when Alan was attending, and looking at the seating arrangement I was a bit concerned at the amount of space given his artificial leg, but he simple unstrapped it and parked it, then hopped into his seat!
Alan was a lovely guy, very typical of the type of Kiwi to whom nothing was a problem!
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Post by eieio on Nov 16, 2012 6:39:10 GMT 12
H Allen Mills... He built up a large earthmoving business in the Bay of Plenty in the 50/60 era. He was area chief of the boy scout movement in that time.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 16, 2012 7:21:59 GMT 12
I make involvement with 6 aircraft, but I believe he was also heavily involved with the Rotorua Aero Club at the time. A browse through Stafford's book should dig up more.
The Aircraft:
Tiger Moth ZK-BEF - Cr Tongariro strip Jul54 (rebuilt)
Auster J-5A ZK-BDW - sold
Taylorcraft Tourist 15A ZK-BCM (on lease) - F/l Mamaku 17May56
Tipsy Belfair ZK BGZ - sold
Taylorcraft 20 Ranchwagon ZK-BRJ - cr & DBF near Ohura, south of Taumaranui, 14Jan57
Grumman TBF-1C Avenger ZK-CBO - bought by him from Barr Bros for Rotorua community group project
I have photos of all of the above, if anybody really really wants to see them.
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Post by chinapilot on Nov 16, 2012 15:19:33 GMT 12
If you come across those photos any chance of posting them?
His neice evidently now has a PPL so has quite an interest in what he owned.
Thanks!
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Post by thomarse on Nov 16, 2012 15:30:42 GMT 12
Or put up a link to your ranchwagon thread on here please Peter. I can't make "Search" work.
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Post by The Red Baron on Nov 16, 2012 15:56:56 GMT 12
I used to be in the MOT in Rotorua in the '80s,Allen Mills was a familar sight in his orange Mercedes.He was most famous when for when he was stopped on one ocassion driving through town with a donkey in the back seat.
His aircraft and a lot of his career is well documented in the book 'Flying The Thermal Skies".
Theres also a road named after him in Rotorua.
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Post by chinapilot on Nov 16, 2012 16:08:19 GMT 12
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Post by phil82 on Nov 17, 2012 8:18:28 GMT 12
As I mentioned, I had an association with Alan Mills, and remember that orange Mercedes well. He treated it like it was a piece of farm machinery, and drove it like it was a tractor.
He was well respected though, because he was a down to earth Kiwi joker and all round good bugger!
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 18, 2012 14:44:03 GMT 12
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Post by baz62 on Nov 18, 2012 17:42:47 GMT 12
Is BQM still around?
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