Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 22, 2007 0:45:27 GMT 12
Someone here may find this of interest from
www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/3964557a6008.html
Pair fly again after 50 years
by ROBERT SMITH
roberts@marlexpress.co.nz
- The Marlborough Express | Friday, 16 February 2007
Fifty years ago, Blenheim pilot John Evans first got behind the controls of Piper Pacer BLA for a regular flight over the Southern Alps and exactly five decades later, plane and pilot were reunited yesterday for a special flight in the skies over Marlborough.
Mr Evans first flew the Piper on the morning of February 15, 1957, while employed as a pilot for the Mt Cook Air Service. He logged 650 hours in the air in that aircraft in the following months.
Both plane and pilot have had a long history since then, but even though they both ended up in Blenheim in the last few years, yesterday was the first time in decades that Mr Evans got to fly the Piper.
He said it did not take long for him to get the hang of it again. "There have been a few changes made over the years, with the front wheel moved to the back and the wingtips changed, but I soon felt quite at home."
The Piper passed through the hands of several owners and is now owned by Marlborough farmer Andrew Johns. Mr Evans said he had known the Piper was based at Omaka ever since he moved to Picton, and he was thrilled to finally get the chance to be behind the controls again.
At a celebratory morning tea at the Marlborough Aero Club office following his flight yesterday, Mr Evans said he had fond memories of taking tourists on scenic flights over the Southern Alps and landing skiers on the glaciers.
But Mr Evans said he also used BLA for more than just tourist flights.
"We were staying at Franz Josef at the time, so I would get up every morning and commute across to Fox glacier to pick people up. I also used it to help shift house. We had to send the big pieces of furniture by train right across the South Island and back, but I just strapped all the smaller things like our garden tools under the wings and took them across myself in a few minutes."
Mr Evans later transferred to Mount Cook and worked as a pilot until 1987, but after building his own yacht and living on it in Picton for five years, he was coaxed out of retirement in the late 90s to fly in Tonga.
He still regularly takes to the air in his own plane over Marlborough, but said yesterday's flight was something special.
"We had a few good planes back then, some of them were lost over the years, but a few are still around. They certainly built them to last better than the people who flew them."
www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/3964557a6008.html
Pair fly again after 50 years
by ROBERT SMITH
roberts@marlexpress.co.nz
- The Marlborough Express | Friday, 16 February 2007
Fifty years ago, Blenheim pilot John Evans first got behind the controls of Piper Pacer BLA for a regular flight over the Southern Alps and exactly five decades later, plane and pilot were reunited yesterday for a special flight in the skies over Marlborough.
Mr Evans first flew the Piper on the morning of February 15, 1957, while employed as a pilot for the Mt Cook Air Service. He logged 650 hours in the air in that aircraft in the following months.
Both plane and pilot have had a long history since then, but even though they both ended up in Blenheim in the last few years, yesterday was the first time in decades that Mr Evans got to fly the Piper.
He said it did not take long for him to get the hang of it again. "There have been a few changes made over the years, with the front wheel moved to the back and the wingtips changed, but I soon felt quite at home."
The Piper passed through the hands of several owners and is now owned by Marlborough farmer Andrew Johns. Mr Evans said he had known the Piper was based at Omaka ever since he moved to Picton, and he was thrilled to finally get the chance to be behind the controls again.
At a celebratory morning tea at the Marlborough Aero Club office following his flight yesterday, Mr Evans said he had fond memories of taking tourists on scenic flights over the Southern Alps and landing skiers on the glaciers.
But Mr Evans said he also used BLA for more than just tourist flights.
"We were staying at Franz Josef at the time, so I would get up every morning and commute across to Fox glacier to pick people up. I also used it to help shift house. We had to send the big pieces of furniture by train right across the South Island and back, but I just strapped all the smaller things like our garden tools under the wings and took them across myself in a few minutes."
Mr Evans later transferred to Mount Cook and worked as a pilot until 1987, but after building his own yacht and living on it in Picton for five years, he was coaxed out of retirement in the late 90s to fly in Tonga.
He still regularly takes to the air in his own plane over Marlborough, but said yesterday's flight was something special.
"We had a few good planes back then, some of them were lost over the years, but a few are still around. They certainly built them to last better than the people who flew them."
