Originally Posted by
Amadis of Gaul
As do I. I look forward to his next story about how he was a check airman on a Ford Trimotor that managed not to vibrate itself to pieces.
Interesting you mention the Ford Trimotor. While of course that was well before my time, my first boss Harry Purvis AFC flew the Fokker Southern Cross during the 1930's. It was in that era that Sir Gordon Taylor flew the Fokker Tri motor that had an engine failure while flying over the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia. Leaving his copilot to fly the aircraft, Gordon Taylor climbed out over the wing and using a thermos flask transferred the engine oil from the dead engine into the live engine on the other wing which had been using oil at a high rate. I understand he made several trips transferring oil before the aircraft landed at Sydney.
Years later I briefly met Sir Gordon after he landed at Rose Bay flying boat base after flying a Catalina from South America to Australia circa 1950. Harry Purvis was his copilot. For my part I joined the RAAF in 1951 and amongst other types including Mustangs, flew 3000 hours on Lincoln bombers which included over 30 engine failures requiring asymetric landings. The Rolls Royce Merlins on the Lincoln were not all that reliable in the tropics.