Graeme Dingle and Jill Tremain Solo Attempt

[Dave Homewood]

This is an interesting series of old articles, I thought:

COUPLE’S NEW GOAL

The climbers Graeme Dingle and Jill Tremain, fresh from their successful traverse of the Southern Alps are in Christchurch to meet another challenge. They will attempt to become the first man and woman in New Zealand to gain, in one day, a certificate to fly an aeroplane solo. Yesterday they both had their medical examinations for a student-pilot’s licence. On Tuesday, weather permitting, they intend to complete the flying course which they hope will result in then solo certification before the end of the day. They will receive an intensive tuition course from two instructors of the Central Flying School, at Christchurch International Airport. This will entail learning steep turning, flying with reduced power, stalling, landing and take-offs, overshoot procedure, radio procedure and fire safety.

“Very interesting”
Commenting on their plan, an instructor at the school said that they would start about 6 a.m. and continue throughout the daylight hours. “It will be very interesting to see how these skilled climbers adapt themselves to flying. It should be possible for them to fly solo with an actual flying time of between four and eight hours, but there will be lectures on theory and flying technique also, so the whole process may take up to 12 hours.”

“Important new thing” 
“We are very keen to accept this new challenge and it will be an important new thing to learn,” said Mr Dingle yesterday.

Mr Dingle reaffirmed his intention to attempt, with Miss Tremain, an ascent of Mount Everest without using oxygen equipment. “We intend to attempt this in spite of what Sir Edmund Hillary has said about the dangers of being without oxygen at high altitudes.

“The feasibility is something for physiologists to decide and we intend to obtain this advice when we make our plans.” At the week-end both climbers intend to do rock climbing training in the Port Hills. “It is excellent basalt rock and there are some very good spots,” said Mr Dingle.


PRESS, 23 OCTOBER 1971

[Dave Homewood]

ATTEMPT TO FLY SOLO IN ONE DAY FAILS.
The Wellington climbers, Graeme Dingle and Jill Tremain, who recently traversed the full length of the Southern Alps from Southland to Marlborough, yesterday failed in their attempt to fly solo in one day. Flying in two Cessna aircraft owned by the Christchurch Central Flying School, the elimbers spent more than six hours and a half in the air with their instructors. Weather permitting, they hope to fly solo later today.
PRESS, 3 NOVEMBER 1971

[Dave Homewood]

Graeme Dingle flies solo

The New Zealand mountaineer, Graeme Dingle, who won international fame for six major European climbs in one season, reached a height of about 4000 ft over Christchurch by a different method yesterday.

He flew solo after about eight hours Instruction during an intensive course at the Christchurch Central Flying School at Christchurch Airport.

He just missed flying solo after one day's instruction on Tuesday, after about six hours flying. Yesterday, he took only two hours more in the air to reach his objective.

One of the instructors at the Central Flying School, Mr J. Reid, said Mr Dingle had come in for an excellent solo landing, and showed “exceptional aptitude" for flying.

Mr Dingle’s climbing partner on his recent winter traverse of the Southern Alps, Jill Tremain, was ahead of him, however, in skill at the end of her day’s instruction on Tuesday. Instructors said she narrowly missed flying solo at the end of the day.

Mr Dingle at the end of his day's instruction on Tuesday, said; “I really felt I was not improving, and was ready to give it away.’’

Mr Reid said font Mr Dingle's stamina and resourcefulness, for which he was noted as a climber, had come to his aid yesterday so that he was able to continue and complete the solo attempt after only two more hours flying instruction.

Mr A. Hogan, another instructor, said that Mr Dingle had made more than 30 landings in the course of his instruction. Normally, it would take at least a week to fly solo, most pupils finding an hour’s instruction at one time a big test of concentration and endurance.

Miss. Tremain would need only about half an hour's further flying experience to complete her solo flight, Mr Reid said. She would have a day’s rest today and would complete the course on Friday, provided foe weather was suitable.

PRESS, 4 NOVEMBER 1971

[Dave Homewood]

Jill Tremain flies solo

The New Zealand woman mountaineer, Jill Tremain, made a solo aeroplane flight, with an excellent landing, at Christchurch Airport early yesterday afternoon. She took only about 45 minutes additional flying instruction yesterday to complete a course which she began on Tuesday at the Christchurch Central Flying School. Miss Tremain took slightly more than eight hours and a half flying instruction to make her solo flight, after an intensive course.

Miss Tremain’s climbing companion on her recent Southern Alps traverse, Graeme Dingle, completed his solo flight on Wednesday, taking about half an hour’s less flying instruction than Miss Tremain to complete his solo flight.

PRESS, 5 NOVEMBER 1971

[Dave Homewood]

So my questions are:

Did either Graeme or Jill continue with learning to fly after they soloed?

Has anyone in New Zealand ever done the zero to solo in one day, subsequent to this?