Vale Geoff Goodall

[Mustang51]

It is with great shock and regret that I have to notify of the passing of my very, very great friend and aviation doyen Geoff Goodall. I was advised by Ed Field and it was confirmed later by Peter Hallen. This is a huge, huge shock to me. Apart from his incredible aviation achievements Geoff was a wonderful person and had an incredibly dry sense of humour. He lived at my home for over 9 months while the ATC system for Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne went through a complete overhaul. I simply handed over my study to him and off he went. As many will be aware, he was a stalwart of all things aviation in Australia and worldwide. He and friend John Chapman compiled three volumes of "Warbirds Directory" while the fourth edition was compiled by him. All vital to the collection of anyone even mildly interested in the world of warbirds. He and I would stop work on a Thursday evening, eat pizza and cut out the world watching the Rugby League "Footy Show" and he would laugh and marvel that anyone would turn over a television station to footy players. He is a master of "Lists". His mere presence and huge smile would light up a room and his ability to tell a great yarn is legendary. Again, I am in shock.

When I have further details I shall pass them on.

[delticman]

Jan 5, 2024 20:08:59 GMT 12 Mustang51 said:

It is with great shock and regret that I have to notify of the passing of my very, very great friend and aviation doyen Geoff Goodall. I was advised by Ed Field and it was confirmed later by Peter Hallen. This is a huge, huge shock to me. Apart from his incredible aviation achievements Geoff was a wonderful person and had an incredibly dry sense of humour. He lived at my home for over 9 months while the ATC system for Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne went through a complete overhaul. I simply handed over my study to him and off he went. As many will be aware, he was a stalwart of all things aviation in Australia and worldwide. He and friend John Chapman compiled three volumes of "Warbirds Directory" while the fourth edition was compiled by him. All vital to the collection of anyone even mildly interested in the world of warbirds. He and I would stop work on a Thursday evening, eat pizza and cut out the world watching the Rugby League "Footy Show" and he would laugh and marvel that anyone would turn over a television station to footy players. He is a master of "Lists". His mere presence and huge smile would light up a room and his ability to tell a great yarn is legendary. Again, I am in shock.

When I have further details I shall pass them on.

That man introduced me to KFC in Perth. A good mate back in the day.

[Dave Homewood]

I was told this sad news earlier, Ando, and I posted it in the Obits section as I know he was a well known figure in aviation worldwide.

I never met him, or even corresponded with him, but I have seen hundreds of his photos when searching for stuff over the years.

I am sorry for your personal loss, Ando. He sounds to have been a great bloke.

[Mustang51]

Dave, he was. He would beaver away for hours in my study, come out, we'd have a cuppa and he'd say, "...a grown man making lists !!!". His lists have formed the basis of many, many magazine articles over the years and launched far more research by others. When I went to the USA to obtain my American pilot's license the airfield was just outside San Antonia and called Boerne Stage. Tiny, little, out-of-the-way place with a single narrow runway. When I did the equivalent of their "Trial Instructional Flight" on landing I noticed a number of disassembled Mexican Air Force T.28s behind a hangar. On investigating, the guy in the hangar offered me a coffee and there on the kitchen table was a copy of Geoff's "Warbird Directory - Edition No.1" To say that his influence spread far beyond Australia is a complete understatement.

[Mustang51]

No details as yet available on Geoff's funeral. As soon as know it shall be posted.

[ZacYates]

This was awful news to read. A week or two before, Geoff had posted saying he would be offline for the immediate future.

We only talked a few times over email but he was always a joy to communicate with and exchange info, and his Warbirds Directory has been an invaluable resource for me over the years. The news of his passing has affected many worldwide: Ando, your anecdote perfectly illustrates his reach.

Thankfully his work is being preserved as per Ron Cuskelly, who gave this update on Geoff's site:

This rich legacy that Geoff has provided for us will be maintained online indefinitely but the content will be frozen as none of Geoff's fellow aviation historians has the capacity to update it as Geoff would have wished. Geoff's work has been archived by the National Library of Australia.