Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 28, 2005 12:56:19 GMT 12
This from NZ Teletext today:
"AVIATION LEGEND BACK TO THE SKY
One of the great names in aviation history has been back behind the controls of the plane he originally flew around the world nearly forty years ago.
Cliff Tait became the first New Zealand to fly solo around the world, and now he has relived that adventure.
Affectionately called miss jacy, the little plane carried Tait, alone, around the world."
i]
Here is a little more from "The History of new Zealand Aviation" by Ross Ewing and Ross Macpherson:
"In May 1969 another determined pilot, New Zealander Cliff Tait, set off from Hamilton in an Airtourer 115in an attempt to fly around the world. Two and a half months later, he returned safely to New Zealand, having flown 53 000 kilometres around the world vis Japan, Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, England, Europe, Asia and Australia - a total flight time of 284 hours, of which 224 were accomplished in the final 30 days."
Tait was the ferry pilot (and from memory I think a test pilot) for New Zealand Aerospace Industries (now Pacific Aerospace Ltd). He flew many ferry flights to deliver the NZ-built Airtrainers, Airtourers and Fletchers to foreign countries.
He once claimed that the best aircraft he ever flew was ZK-DGY, the prototype Airtrainer, which continues to fly from Ardmore Airport in a psuedo RNZAF scheme (it never served with the military).
In September 1978 he commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the first Tasman crossing by Sir Charles Kingsfrod Smith and crew by flying a specially painted Fletcher (ZK-USU, reflecting the Southern Cross's registration of VH-USU) across the Tasman and back within 24 hours. A distance of 4,400 Kms. Just like the original tasman crossing, his radio transmissions were broacdcast to the waiting crowd at Wigram where he eventually landed!
According to the book, Tait's longest continuous flight was "18 hours, along the 4 000-kilometre leg from Honolulu to San Francisco, in November 1977."
In the 1980's he emulated Jean Batten's flight from England to New Zealand in a 103 hour long-range flight.
He wrote a book about his experiences called 'Flight Of The Kiwi", published by Whitcombe and Tombes in 1970. It seems to be in most NZ libraries. In 1980 he wrote another book, "Water Under My Wings" published by Hamilton Publishers.
"AVIATION LEGEND BACK TO THE SKY
One of the great names in aviation history has been back behind the controls of the plane he originally flew around the world nearly forty years ago.
Cliff Tait became the first New Zealand to fly solo around the world, and now he has relived that adventure.
Affectionately called miss jacy, the little plane carried Tait, alone, around the world."
i]
Here is a little more from "The History of new Zealand Aviation" by Ross Ewing and Ross Macpherson:
"In May 1969 another determined pilot, New Zealander Cliff Tait, set off from Hamilton in an Airtourer 115in an attempt to fly around the world. Two and a half months later, he returned safely to New Zealand, having flown 53 000 kilometres around the world vis Japan, Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, England, Europe, Asia and Australia - a total flight time of 284 hours, of which 224 were accomplished in the final 30 days."
Tait was the ferry pilot (and from memory I think a test pilot) for New Zealand Aerospace Industries (now Pacific Aerospace Ltd). He flew many ferry flights to deliver the NZ-built Airtrainers, Airtourers and Fletchers to foreign countries.
He once claimed that the best aircraft he ever flew was ZK-DGY, the prototype Airtrainer, which continues to fly from Ardmore Airport in a psuedo RNZAF scheme (it never served with the military).
In September 1978 he commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the first Tasman crossing by Sir Charles Kingsfrod Smith and crew by flying a specially painted Fletcher (ZK-USU, reflecting the Southern Cross's registration of VH-USU) across the Tasman and back within 24 hours. A distance of 4,400 Kms. Just like the original tasman crossing, his radio transmissions were broacdcast to the waiting crowd at Wigram where he eventually landed!
According to the book, Tait's longest continuous flight was "18 hours, along the 4 000-kilometre leg from Honolulu to San Francisco, in November 1977."
In the 1980's he emulated Jean Batten's flight from England to New Zealand in a 103 hour long-range flight.
He wrote a book about his experiences called 'Flight Of The Kiwi", published by Whitcombe and Tombes in 1970. It seems to be in most NZ libraries. In 1980 he wrote another book, "Water Under My Wings" published by Hamilton Publishers.
