Post by Dave Homewood on May 2, 2022 19:53:40 GMT 12
From the Press dated 5th of January 1971.
Coast woman has pilot’s licence
(By FRANK SNOW)
The West Coast’s only licensed woman pilot is 22-year-old Miss Kathleen O’Neill, a nursing sister at Grey Hospital, Greymouth.
She is the second woman to gain a pilot’s licence on the West Coast. The first moved from the district some years ago.
Miss O’Neill said: “Any girl thinking of taking on flying must, if she is to make the grade, be prepared to make sacrifices. That’s in terms of both off-work time and—as in my case—dollars.
“But primarily she should first make very, very sure she’s going to like it. Myself, I just love it.”
Although living with her parents in Greymouth, Miss O’Neill is a member of the Hokitika Aero Club, based on the local airport. She explained: “Greymouth has its own aero club, but the Greymouth aerodrome, unlike Hokitika, hasn’t the facilities for ground-control, meteorological information and so on."
IN CHRISTCHURCH
Learning to fly solo took her two years, most of her training being from the Hokitika club. She gained valuable experience and tuition from the Central Flying School in Christchurch, when she was posted to Christchurch Women’s Hospital for six months midwifery training.
About a year ago she gained her pilot’s licence, fitting in the training with her nursing studies.
“I fly a, Morane Saulnier Rallye 880-B craft, a French light plane belonging to the club, which also has a Cessna 172. But I’ve only flown the Rallye 880-B. Its cruising speed is about 90 knots, and by heading out over the sea I can climb up to eight and a half thousand feet with it.
“But because of the Coast’s mountainous terrain it wouldn’t be safe to try anything like that height inland. So I go out to sea and after gaining height turn back and gradually drop height as I come in again.
“To me, it’s a terrific thrill to feel myself getting away from it all. Relaxing, too. But never quite entirely so. You must always be mindful of the Coast’s reputation for the turbulence of its air currents.”
Miss O’Neill is the second of a family of three daughters. Her two sisters are both married, one living in Marton, the other in Woodbourne.
MOTHER NERVOUS
Since gaining her licence, she has taken her mother up on one half-hour flight. “But mother," she added, "admitted to being very nervous. I cannot imagine her wanting to come up with me again.”
She has, though, two very ardent young admirers who are ever-willing to be her passengers her two nephews, Craig Heenan, aged four, and his brother Kelly, three. “Craig,” she told me, “has been with me on seven flights so far, and the younger one about five. But my one ambition is to take up my 81-year-old grandmother, who has never yet flown. However, I’m afraid my chances are very slim. Every time I suggest it to her I get a flat refusal.”
Miss O’Neill said she had felt her first urge to learn flying when, at the age of nine, she had a paid-for (10s) ride in the first helicopter to visit the West Coast.
Before qualifying for her pilot’s licence she had to obtain a radio operator’s licence, as well as doing a fair amount of study in navigation, meteorology, local topography, and the fundamentals of aircraft mechanics. “But its all been well worth it. They say if you can learn to fly here on the West Coast, you could fly anywhere. That in itself gives one a great sense of achievement.”
Coast woman has pilot’s licence
(By FRANK SNOW)
The West Coast’s only licensed woman pilot is 22-year-old Miss Kathleen O’Neill, a nursing sister at Grey Hospital, Greymouth.
She is the second woman to gain a pilot’s licence on the West Coast. The first moved from the district some years ago.
Miss O’Neill said: “Any girl thinking of taking on flying must, if she is to make the grade, be prepared to make sacrifices. That’s in terms of both off-work time and—as in my case—dollars.
“But primarily she should first make very, very sure she’s going to like it. Myself, I just love it.”
Although living with her parents in Greymouth, Miss O’Neill is a member of the Hokitika Aero Club, based on the local airport. She explained: “Greymouth has its own aero club, but the Greymouth aerodrome, unlike Hokitika, hasn’t the facilities for ground-control, meteorological information and so on."
IN CHRISTCHURCH
Learning to fly solo took her two years, most of her training being from the Hokitika club. She gained valuable experience and tuition from the Central Flying School in Christchurch, when she was posted to Christchurch Women’s Hospital for six months midwifery training.
About a year ago she gained her pilot’s licence, fitting in the training with her nursing studies.
“I fly a, Morane Saulnier Rallye 880-B craft, a French light plane belonging to the club, which also has a Cessna 172. But I’ve only flown the Rallye 880-B. Its cruising speed is about 90 knots, and by heading out over the sea I can climb up to eight and a half thousand feet with it.
“But because of the Coast’s mountainous terrain it wouldn’t be safe to try anything like that height inland. So I go out to sea and after gaining height turn back and gradually drop height as I come in again.
“To me, it’s a terrific thrill to feel myself getting away from it all. Relaxing, too. But never quite entirely so. You must always be mindful of the Coast’s reputation for the turbulence of its air currents.”
Miss O’Neill is the second of a family of three daughters. Her two sisters are both married, one living in Marton, the other in Woodbourne.
MOTHER NERVOUS
Since gaining her licence, she has taken her mother up on one half-hour flight. “But mother," she added, "admitted to being very nervous. I cannot imagine her wanting to come up with me again.”
She has, though, two very ardent young admirers who are ever-willing to be her passengers her two nephews, Craig Heenan, aged four, and his brother Kelly, three. “Craig,” she told me, “has been with me on seven flights so far, and the younger one about five. But my one ambition is to take up my 81-year-old grandmother, who has never yet flown. However, I’m afraid my chances are very slim. Every time I suggest it to her I get a flat refusal.”
Miss O’Neill said she had felt her first urge to learn flying when, at the age of nine, she had a paid-for (10s) ride in the first helicopter to visit the West Coast.
Before qualifying for her pilot’s licence she had to obtain a radio operator’s licence, as well as doing a fair amount of study in navigation, meteorology, local topography, and the fundamentals of aircraft mechanics. “But its all been well worth it. They say if you can learn to fly here on the West Coast, you could fly anywhere. That in itself gives one a great sense of achievement.”
