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Post by chinapilot on Apr 11, 2024 16:44:21 GMT 12
Thanks Errol and David,
The info I saw was that he came out to NZ earlier and his wife was joining later. They may have sailed on different ships I guess. The Napier Star didn't look like it was a luxury cruise liner…
His wife was the sister of a pilot who started flying in the 1920s and died in a accident in 1930.
It would be the same person on the electoral roll and he did remarry.
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Post by chinapilot on Apr 10, 2024 1:22:40 GMT 12
While researching something completely different I came across a reference to this gentleman.
Evidently, he was sent out to NZ by the RAF in early 1940 to help train pilots.
Tragically his wife was drowned on the way to join him when the 'Napier Star' was torpedoed on 18 Dec 1940 near Iceland.
It appears he may have stayed on in NZ post war.
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Post by chinapilot on Mar 31, 2024 21:34:21 GMT 12
This was all about the reporter, he's the one in the photo😂 - as the caption says - what ‘two establishments’?
Interesting that this popped up after a colleague went down to do some flying with ‘one of the establishments’ after I had assured him that it had a good reputation and was a friendly place to fly. Unfortunately he ended up going to another operator.
This was after an experience with an instructor who evidently has a reputation so hopefully the new business plan includes being polite to customers…
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Post by chinapilot on Mar 25, 2024 1:07:15 GMT 12
Not saying the source is incorrect but the website doesn't quote any citation for the assertion. Fyfe did apologise for the Erebus accident to the famillies involved.
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Post by chinapilot on Feb 22, 2024 16:21:53 GMT 12
Not withstanding the if and buts regarding the different Allies bombing strategies, just about every night and morning young men strapped themselves into their respective types and flew off to attack ‘Fortress Europe ‘….
The RAF disappeared off individually in a semblance of formation into the relative sanctuary of the night whilst the USAAF relied on daylight tight formations and collective defence from such.
At least there is a series loosely based on actual characters showing warts and all, and of course it is going to be USA concentric as its about one of the USAAF Bomb Groups, not an RAF one.
Think we should be happy that the aerial version of the BofB and The Pacific has finally made it to the screen.
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Post by chinapilot on Feb 20, 2024 15:01:29 GMT 12
Interesting find Dave.
First mention that RNZAF Catalinas were involved. Leyte is a long haul from their normal bases.Maybe attached to a ‘tender’.
The RAAF Catalinas staged through the PI on their way to conduct mine laying operations along the China coast.
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Post by chinapilot on Jan 28, 2024 0:17:12 GMT 12
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Post by chinapilot on Jan 26, 2024 17:59:46 GMT 12
Yes - it was interesting that this NZ woman knew her personally.
When I was living in PNG in the early ‘70s there was a lady in Lae, still only in her 50s, who had spoken to Amelia before she departed and also watched the departure. She was still upset about the disappearance after all that time and described her as a lovely person.
The first good books about her were coming out then, one stating they were lost. I tended to go along with that and a few years later flying light twins around various Pacfic islands was convinced.
Incidentally - she did become the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo in 1932.
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Post by chinapilot on Jan 26, 2024 0:55:50 GMT 12
Planewriting - yes it was Keith. Keith did a large amount of restoration on it at the back of the Wellington Aero Club hangar in the mid ‘60s when he was a NAC DC-3 Captain.
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Post by chinapilot on Jan 26, 2024 0:29:34 GMT 12
Great find as usual Dave - thanks.
She and Fred Noonan actually departed from Lae before going missing.
There is no indication that they intended to come via NZ which was way off the planned route.
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Post by chinapilot on Jan 21, 2024 18:53:26 GMT 12
The description of his initial treatment and conditions in the POW camp reminded me of Brigadier George Clifton in his book describing a meeting with General Erwin Rommel.
This was after Clifton had been caught a second time and as he had ‘pips’ Rommel wanted to meet him.
After a brief conversation Rommel asked if there was anything he could for him?
Clifton replied with words to the effect “Don’t send me back to a @#$& Italian POW camp”….
Evidently Rommel with a knowing smile assured him he wouldn't.
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Post by chinapilot on Jan 14, 2024 14:58:45 GMT 12
Peter Duggan-Smith was a well know personality in the ‘60s flying the C310 with Capitol Air Sevices and then for Fletchers Construction.
I met Neil Hanson a few years back and he mentioned he had flown commercially in NZ but have never spoken to anyone who remembered him.
Peter also mentioned when I caught up him years later that the airline was owned by local investors.
Des Anderson may still be around I guess?
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Post by chinapilot on Jan 1, 2024 19:30:12 GMT 12
This was a very sad time for a lot of people who knew everybody concerned including the unfortunate Ranger.
Tony had been a Park Ranger at Mt Cook and started flying in the late ‘60s,going commercial in the ‘70s. Incidentally, he had a been a feature on the speedway circuit in the UK before returning to NZ.
Arthur was another great individual whose good turn ended in tragedy.
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Post by chinapilot on Dec 10, 2023 15:21:14 GMT 12
Hugh Findlater
Flew Mitchells in WWII followed by a long career with NAC. Had to retire at 55 in those days but could fly to 60 elsewhere. Had the pleasure, after hearing many stories about him, to meet and fly with him in West Africa before he had to ‘retire’. Great guy and representative of that generation.
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Post by chinapilot on Nov 19, 2023 19:42:41 GMT 12
Sassy - think everyone that flew with NAC/AirNZ has a ‘Paul Kelly’ story. Great guy and a real character.Sorry to hear he has passed away.
Incidently, referring to the excellent F-27 footage the FO, Ted Wilde, passed away last year.
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Post by chinapilot on Jun 12, 2023 0:01:31 GMT 12
Johannes Cornelis (John) Verleun 15 August 1932 - 06 June 2023, aged 90. Funeral Service held at Dil's Funeral Services Jun 12 2023 - 2:30 PM. Livestream will be available here.Thanks Zac for putting that up. I had heard last week that he passed away. A larger-than-life individual - he was a well known NAC/AirNZ pilot who also ferried Fletchers overseas at one time. After retirement owned a few light aircraft and was Patron of the North Shore Aero Club. A life well lived in NZ aviation.
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Post by chinapilot on Apr 3, 2023 0:07:34 GMT 12
Dave - all the pilots mentioned are very approachable - the two Brians live in Wellington and Bill in Auckland.
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Post by chinapilot on Apr 3, 2023 0:04:56 GMT 12
davidd - thanks for that. Dave was actually on my interview panel for NAC, and I think it clinched it when we started chatting about locations in Bougainville and New Ireland etc, of which he still had a clear memory.
Doug Probert was another NAC pilot who was on Corsairs and later in his NAC career flew the 737.
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Post by chinapilot on Apr 2, 2023 16:04:52 GMT 12
All the Seattle trained pilots have long gone unfortunately.
Brian Souter was one of the first FOs on the type but didn't train in Seattle. He wrote about the introduction of the 737 in a recent AHSNZ 'Aero Historian'. He and the AHSNZ Patron are a few of the 737 pilots at the time still with us, but mostly in their 80s. A few gather at the North Shore Aero Club for refreshments on a Sunday afternoon. I last saw Andy Baggott in Lagos in the early '80s. As an aside, I'm fairly sure Dave Thomas was RNZAF in the Pacific.
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Post by chinapilot on Jan 30, 2023 23:43:49 GMT 12
Reasonably sure he ended up in Hong Kong post-WWII - I think he may have been the editor of one of the newspapers in HK in the 50/60s. I will try to get more details as his name came up a few years ago, and I think he had an eventful life. Edited to include a link. www.warbirdforum.com/whitehea.htmBy coincidence, about 25 years ago, I met Charles Fenn (worthwhile googling), who had been with the OSS in China and had known Ray Whitehead in HK post-war.
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