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Post by planecrazy on Mar 20, 2014 21:59:18 GMT 12
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Post by snaphead on Mar 21, 2014 9:03:53 GMT 12
I hve some vivid memories of flying in the Carabou In the early 70's , whilst on 75 sqdn, we did an exercise in Aussie based at RAAf base Tindal (up near the "town" of Kathrine). The exercise involved Mirages, Vulcans and I think F-111 as well as ourselves. RAAF base Tindall was just a concrete runway in the middle of nowhere. It had basic accommodation, and a basic cooking mess (although the food was good).
My adventure with the Caribou was a supply run to Darwin, to Daleys Creek Mission , back to Tindall. The flight to Darwin was quite straight forward (there were about 8 or 9 75 sqdn baggies on board). On the way back, however, the pre-takeoff briefing included the advise that "we would have the rear ramp open and although flight planned for 2000 feet, subtract the last two zero's". It was quite an exciting flight. We flew throgh a termite colony (they are quite tall). When we got to Daleys Creek Mission we where invited to lunch and a swim in the local creek, but advised that it was full of crocs, so decilned the swim. Heading back to Tindall, we flew throgh Katherine gorge lookimg up at the sides if the gorge. Suddenly the throttles were pushed forwad and the aircraft rolled on its side and we looked out the rear ramp as a tall island in the middle of the gorge slide by under the side of the aircraft. I should mention that the 2 pilots were quite mad , before take off they placed "banzi" head bands on and one of them reminded me off the English comedian with the bulging eyes (the name eludes me at the moment).We heard later that they were both killed in Vietnam at some point.
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Post by davidd on Mar 21, 2014 10:42:41 GMT 12
English comedian with bulging eyes? That would have to be Marty Feldman, long since deceased, apparently largely because of the condition that had the side effect of the prominent eys. I think Queen Victoria also suffered (to a lesser extent) from this same condition, but she lived till almost 90 I think (1819 - 1901? Should have googled this, but did not want to get sidetracked!)
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 21, 2014 12:59:01 GMT 12
Feldman's eye condition was from Graves Disease.
According to Wikipedia:
"Feldman died from a heart attack in a hotel room in Mexico City on 2 December 1982 at age 48, during the making of the film Yellowbeard. On the DVD commentary of Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks cites factors that may have contributed to Feldman's death:
"He smoked sometimes half-a-carton (six packs) of cigarettes daily, drank copious amounts of black coffee, and ate a diet rich in eggs and dairy products". Plus, the high altitude of Mexico City (over 7,000 feet (around 2 100 m) above sea level, where the air is about 20% thinner) probably added more stress on Feldman by forcing his heart and lungs to work harder. Michael Mileham, who made the behind-the-scenes movie Group Madness about the making of Yellowbeard, said that on the day before Feldman died, he and Feldman swam to a small island at a lake in Mexico City where a local was selling lobster and coconuts. Mileham and Feldman used the same knife on their lobsters; Mileham claimed he got shellfish poisoning the next day, and theorised that this could also have contributed to Feldman's death.[citation needed]
He is buried in Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery near his idol, Buster Keaton, in the Garden of Heritage."
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Post by snaphead on Mar 22, 2014 9:20:19 GMT 12
ta.Thanks for the Marty Feldman info. I thought he was deceased. Your info confirms my thought. Ta.
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Post by planecrazy on Mar 24, 2014 21:16:47 GMT 12
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Post by flyjoe180 on Mar 26, 2014 9:54:19 GMT 12
Nice photos, and some good memories there snaphead. Sounds like those pilots were indeed a little mad. And six packs of cigarettes a day! Is there even enough time to smoke that much a day?
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Post by Ian Warren on Mar 26, 2014 13:28:28 GMT 12
Feldman's eye condition was from Graves Disease. According to Wikipedia: "Feldman died from a heart attack in a hotel room in Mexico City on 2 December 1982 at age 48, during the making of the film Yellowbeard. On the DVD commentary of Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks cites factors that may have contributed to Feldman's death: "He smoked sometimes half-a-carton (six packs) of cigarettes daily, Crikey, you only have to walk down the road, least Riccarton Rd with traffic going past, car go's buy..smoker..another no..next definitely..clear for a while then another smoker, as for Feldman Gawd, you would see him bit like a Canterbury bush fire coming down the road and that's when he's still in West Melton  |
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