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Post by angelsonefive on Jun 3, 2011 14:06:51 GMT 12
On 24/10/48 Tiger Moth ZK-AJI crashed at Timaru. The pilot is named in the NZ Archives as R.T. Alexander.
28 years later on 24/10/76 another Tiger Moth, ZK-BDH, crashed at Motueka. The pilot was Ronald Trevor Alexander (48) and he was killed in the accident.
Years back a book was published : "High Adventure... From Balloons To Boeings in NZ", author R.T. Alexander.
Does anyone know if this is the same individual ?
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Post by shorty on Jun 3, 2011 15:02:18 GMT 12
The last two definitely are. I knew Ron Alexander very well, I used to be part of the Golden Age Flying Society at Blenhiem with him and Jack Moon, Ron was the pilot taht did the flying with his mother on the wing platform on top of a Tiger Moth.. Ron and Jack were Safe Air pilots, Jack flew a Dominie in an air race from the UK. He later died of cancer.
We used to do a Snoopy versus the red baron and the escaped convict routine with us all doing the Keystone cops act.
I have photos somewhere.
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Post by angelsonefive on Jun 3, 2011 19:54:15 GMT 12
Thanks for the reply, Shorty.
I had a hunch that the pilot killed in the air pageant display at Motueka and the author of the book were one and the same person.
If it was the same pilot in Timaru in 1948 and in Motueka in 1976, then that is a very strange coincidence.
To have another accident many years later on the anniversary of the first one......
I guess the only way I can be sure is to get hold of the accident report for AJI.
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Post by lumpy on Jun 3, 2011 20:20:17 GMT 12
We used to do a Snoopy versus the red baron and the escaped convict routine with us all doing the Keystone cops act. I have photos somewhere. Please do post Shorty ! ;D |
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Post by thomarse on Jun 4, 2011 8:46:06 GMT 12
A15
Do you contribute to the ASN website?
This is a very valuable historical reference and if those of us who have accident reports (like me) chipped in we could make it all the more so.
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Post by angelsonefive on Jun 4, 2011 12:37:28 GMT 12
Hi thomarse,
Affirmative.
I discovered the Aviation Safety Network website about 3 years back when it only contained about 6 NZ accidents.
Since then I have been an avid contributor and updater to the site, esp. the NZ air accidents, both civil and military.
I use the same nickname on ASN as I do here.
I agree entirely with what you say about ASN.
Cheers.
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Post by shorty on Jun 4, 2011 13:20:17 GMT 12
Haven't come across my photos yet but here is what we did for the wing walking act.
Ron would fly around with his mother on the top wing (usually using Tiger BSN) and she would be carrying a .22 rifle.
The announcer would be winding the crowd up with the story of her being a modern day Annie Oakley and a renowned sharp shooter.
Whle this was going on a large group (about 12) of us would carry out a wooden crate. We would all be wearing white overalls and milling around a lot as the crate was positioned on it's side in the middle of the airfield with the open side away from the crowd A series of balloons would be attached to the edge of the box and while everybody was getting in each others way and generally obstructing the view I (being the shortest) would duck inside the box. There was a piece of thin wire in the box (usually a piece of welding wire) about a metre long. The team would then retreat to the side lines and Ron would start doing the fly overs with mum aiming at the ballons. The rifle had blanks in it and every time I heard her fire I would poke one of the balloons with my sharp wire.
After she had "shot" all of the balloons and the announcer had finished doing his thing the team would come and collect the crate. As they picked it up I would pop out and merge with them for the walk back and the crowd never new that they had ben duped (unless some real smart ass had counted the troops coming and going. Hence the milling around to make it awkward!)
This would have been around 1970 and we did it at several air shows to much applause for his mother
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 4, 2011 17:06:16 GMT 12
That is brilliant Shorty!!
If you can pinpoint which airshows/dated you guys performed this trick I'd love to add this to my airshow database.
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Post by shorty on Jun 4, 2011 20:31:49 GMT 12
Jeez Dave that was 40+ years ago so It'll take a bit of head scratching.
Right, we definitely did it at Omaka in 1970, I was living in barracks at the time so it would have been while I was on my fitters course so must have been at a show between May and December.
We did acts at Palmerston North and hastings but those were different routines as far as I can recall and were done while I was at Ohakea.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 5, 2011 9:38:58 GMT 12
Thanks Shorty. Not really enough there to go on, but appreciated anyway.
Cheers.
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Post by bobgod on Jun 5, 2011 10:42:00 GMT 12
when I was working at Safeair,I was flying at Omaka and got to know Ron quite well--he was known as the "best" Tiger aerobatic pilot around--very good with a falling leaf.---I asked him about his flying and how he got so good and he said that he worked at Taieri,after the war I guess and his job was to just fly the training fleet,to keep them serviceable--Tiger moths all day ,everyday. If he was born 1928 he would have started flying fairly young.
Others may be able to expand on this?
How long did the Taieri training facility exist after the war end?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 5, 2011 11:04:15 GMT 12
I think the RNZAF were still training pilots at Taieri well into the 1950's. In fact I have a notion that it was the main ab initio training station after the war, wasn't it? In abou 1956 they withdrew the Tiger Moths all together and ab initio was done on Harvards, which must have been a big leap for the beginner. I wonder if pilots had to do an aeroclub course on Tigers first before progressing to the Harvard?
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Post by shorty on Jun 5, 2011 11:15:24 GMT 12
Found a shot of some of the Golden Age Flying Society team taken at Palmerston North (I think) This was for the Keystone Cops routine. From the left this serious looking crew are Graham Stanton, ?, "Police Chief" Jack Moon, Mike Lee, Me. Graham and Mike were RNZAF CET trainees. We are leaning against our Model T "Paddy Wagon"(borrowed). Ron would be the convict who would escape from us, we would chase him around in the truck, falling off and jumping back on etc, this would give Ron time to get in a Tiger and take off, we would "force" Jack into another and they would chase each other around in a crazy flying routine before they landed and Ron would be "recaptured" Bloody hot work in those heavy firemans jackets we were wearing. Jack died and I don't know what became of the others.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 5, 2011 11:24:57 GMT 12
Great stuff Nev. I recall seeing a Keystone Cops act at, I think it was, Wanaka in 1992 when Phil Murray was dressed as a clown and 'stole' the Piper Cub. He did some brilliant low level stunt flying in that act. I think it was Wanaka I saw the Keystone Cops (or similar) or maybe it was at Hamilton?
I know that Bryan Cox also used to do a similar act but I don't know if there were Keystone Cops involved.
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Post by shorty on Jun 5, 2011 13:07:13 GMT 12
I was at PTS when Phil did his pilots course. Bit of a hoot as he was NZ Junior Aerobatics Champion at the time and had his own aircraft! (a Midget Mustang)
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Post by guest on Jun 5, 2011 13:35:24 GMT 12
I think the RNZAF were still training pilots at Taieri well into the 1950's. In fact I have a notion that it was the main ab initio training station after the war, wasn't it? In abou 1956 they withdrew the Tiger Moths all together and ab initio was done on Harvards, which must have been a big leap for the beginner. I wonder if pilots had to do an aeroclub course on Tigers first before progressing to the Harvard? David Crooks would know, I am sure that he was at Taieri during that period. |
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Post by thomarse on Jun 5, 2011 13:41:42 GMT 12
Is it only me that sees the irony of "The Pig" being in the background of the cops photo?
;D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 5, 2011 18:48:24 GMT 12
I recall Phil's Midget Mustang used to be in our No. 6 Hangar stored with the Musuem storage aircraft for a long time while I worked at Wigram. I seem to recall he told me he'd flown as a topdresser pilot before joining the RNZAF. He was a great pilot to watch displaying at airshows.
It seems lots of Tiger Moths were sold from RNZAF Station Taieri to civil hands in the 1947-49 period so I guess Ron may have been doing what the Maachi pilots do now with the ones stored for disposal, fly them every now and again.
RNZAF Station Taieri closed in 1959. From 1950-1955 there was a Tiger moth flying school there for the Compulsary Military Trraining scheme. By then nearly 200 Tiger Moths had been sold already and few remained in service.
there's a lovely photo taken in the 1950's of Tiger Moths and Devons on the Taieri apron in the snow that was printed in a 1980's or early 90's Wings magazine.
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