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Post by flyinghilly on Sept 15, 2023 21:49:10 GMT 12
AVM Malcolm Calder CB, CBE, LLB was Chief of the RNZAF in the early 1960s - after retirement he wrote an autobiography which has now been published by his daughter, Sue Gray. AVM Calder joined the RAF in 1932 and learnt to fly in the middle east. His first posting was to a Squadron of Vickers Victoria aircraft - a mid sized twin engined aircraft where the passengers were enclosed but the crew sat outside in an open cockpit. Typical of aircraft of this era the Victoria was ungainly and tricky to fly. By the time he retired from the RNZAF he had flown aircraft from the biplane era through to jets - Vampires. He also managed to get a flight to and from an aircraft carrier and later flew supersonic in a US air force aircraft. His was a remarkable aviation career. AVM Calder was highly regarded him by the men who served under him and he, in tern, was very proud of all of these men. The book is very rare because only one other Chief of Air Force (or Chief of Air Staff) has written an autobiography - The Restless Sky by AVM Cyril Kay. A small run of the book has been printed and card covered copies are available for $60 plus postage from AVM Calder's daughter Sue - email sueegray@gmail.com For those serious collectors there are a few hard covered copies available.  |
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susie
Leading Aircraftman
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Post by susie on Sept 15, 2023 23:03:36 GMT 12
Hello Dave,
Thank you so much for putting this post on your site regarding my fathers book 'Down to Earth', and the photo of the book. I couldn't have done it without the help and enthusiasm of Larry Hill and people like you helping to share it with those who might be interested.
Kind regards
Sue Gray
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 16, 2023 8:01:05 GMT 12
No problem Sue.
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Post by errolmartyn on Sept 16, 2023 12:16:30 GMT 12
AVM Malcolm Calder CB, CBE, LLB was Chief of the RNZAF in the early 1960s - after retirement he wrote an autobiography which has now been published by his daughter, Sue Gray. AVM Calder joined the RAF in 1932 and learnt to fly in the middle east. His first posting was to a Squadron of Vickers Victoria aircraft - a mid sized twin engined aircraft where the passengers were enclosed but the crew sat outside in an open cockpit. Typical of aircraft of this era the Victoria was ungainly and tricky to fly. By the time he retired from the RNZAF he had flown aircraft from the biplane era through to jets - Vampires. He also managed to get a flight to and from an aircraft carrier and later flew supersonic in a US air force aircraft. His was a remarkable aviation career. AVM Calder was highly regarded him by the men who served under him and he, in tern, was very proud of all of these men. The book is very rare because only one other Chief of Air Force (or Chief of Air Staff) has written an autobiography - The Restless Sky by AVM Cyril Kay. A small run of the book has been printed and card covered copies are available for $60 plus postage from AVM Calder's daughter Sue - email Ssueegray@gmail.com. For those serious collectors there are a few hard covered copies available. Larry, The email address you provide does not work. Should'nt start with Ss ? Errol |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 16, 2023 12:18:41 GMT 12
I have amended it for Larry now, Errol.
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Post by tbf2504 on Sept 18, 2023 14:10:06 GMT 12
A pity they didn't use a photo of an actual RNZAF Vampire as the one depicted is the late Brett Emeny's NZ5712 which never served in the RNZAF but he was allowed to apply those markings with the next in the serial range for the T11s
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Post by falcon124 on Sept 25, 2023 7:02:44 GMT 12
My copy of the book was waiting for me when I arrived where we're staying in Hastings. I'm looking forward to reading it when I get it back home  |
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Post by camtech on Sept 25, 2023 11:00:21 GMT 12
Got mine, had a quick scan and look forward to reading it properly in the next few days. Fast delivery, too, by the way
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 25, 2023 14:46:01 GMT 12
I have ordered a copy too. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 28, 2023 18:47:27 GMT 12
I received my copy today. It's a really handsome looking book, and bigger than I'd expected. I am looking forward to having a read when I get a chance.
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Post by gibbo on Sept 29, 2023 14:39:25 GMT 12
I sent an email request to Sue last week and had the book in my hand in just under 24 hours...great effort Sue...and a great book! I've already read it as I couldnt put it down once I started... definitely reccomended! It's interesting to read that NZ's reluctance to spend realistic $$$ on defence is not just a recent thing, nor is inter-service rivalry that underfunding fostered!
For anyone reading it I'm curious about his reference on the top of pg 131 to an Antarctic plane crash ...written in 1973 it echo's the Erebus Disaster but is written years before it... I'm curious as to what others take away from that!?!
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Post by camtech on Sept 29, 2023 15:58:58 GMT 12
I sent an email request to Sue last week and had the book in my hand in just under 24 hours...great effort Sue...and a great book! I've already read it as I couldnt put it down once I started... definitely reccomended! It's interesting to read that NZ's reluctance to spend realistic $$$ on defence is not just a recent thing, nor is inter-service rivalry that underfunding fostered! For anyone reading it I'm curious about his reference on the top of pg 131 to an Antarctic plane crash ...written in 1973 it echo's the Erebus Disaster but is written years before it... I'm curious as to what others take away from that!?! I had the same question. Not sure what the incident could be. |
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Post by gibbo on Sept 29, 2023 16:48:23 GMT 12
I sent an email request to Sue last week and had the book in my hand in just under 24 hours...great effort Sue...and a great book! I've already read it as I couldnt put it down once I started... definitely reccomended! It's interesting to read that NZ's reluctance to spend realistic $$$ on defence is not just a recent thing, nor is inter-service rivalry that underfunding fostered! For anyone reading it I'm curious about his reference on the top of pg 131 to an Antarctic plane crash ...written in 1973 it echo's the Erebus Disaster but is written years before it... I'm curious as to what others take away from that!?! I had the same question. Not sure what the incident could be. There's nothing I can find online that comes close matching his description and frankly there's no way something of that magnitude could be hushed up so the number of casualties must surely be merely a typo (a rather significant at that!). If not then he & others on his flight were given incorrect information ...but then he doesn't counter that with a correction which he would've remembered when writing that. It doesn't help that he doesn't give a date..even a year would've done. Neveretheless an otherwise excellent publication. |
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Post by davidd on Sept 29, 2023 17:00:35 GMT 12
Could this have been the USAF C-124 crash at Cape Hallet (?) in mid-to late 1950s or early 60s, with casualties including many deaths, almost certainly caused by very poor visibility whilst attempting to drop supplies from low altitude required for building huts there - if I recall correctly that is! I believe there were snow storms raging in area at the time. This Globemaster had been christened "City of Christchurch". There was also the serious crash of a US Navy Neptune of VX-6 with fatalities in South America at roughly this time too, but this would not be the aircraft involved - think it was in Brazil or thereabouts en route to New Zealand or returning to its US base at the time. Check with Tony Phillips' books on subject of VX-6 with title "Gateway to the Ice". Might even be a photo of the Cape Hallet crash.
On further thought, I believe that most of the flight crew abaord the C-124 survived, being high up in the flight deck, above the heavy load of supples in the hold. Brunt of the crash was taken by the lower structure of the aircraft as it ploughed into the ice and snow, or rocks during the crash.
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Post by falcon124 on Sept 30, 2023 14:13:58 GMT 12
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Post by gibbo on Sept 30, 2023 19:28:41 GMT 12
Yes I kind of forgot it would've had to been 1958 - 1962 so just a typo with casualty numbers I'd say. Definitely not a confusion with the 1979 Erebus crash as he passed away the year before that... and had actually penned the manuscript in 1973 according to the introduction written by Sue Gray (his daughter). I'm picking given his description of 'flying into a mountain' that it'll be this one: aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19581016-1 |
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Post by falcon124 on Oct 2, 2023 17:18:27 GMT 12
Yup, that checks out and aligns with davidd 's post re: that aircraft. |
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Post by flyinghilly on Nov 3, 2023 14:01:18 GMT 12
the reference to the Antarctic crash with a reported large number of casualties was simply an editing error - something that was missed. I was pleased that so many of you picked it up. Sorry about that.
As for the picture on the cover that someone observed wasn't an RNZAF Vampire. This is true but I couldn't find a pic of an RNZAF Vampire in a similar position that would look good on the cover - I didn't think anyone would notice and since he only flew Vampires casually (he wasn't on the Squadron) I didn't think it mattered too much.
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