I did my PPL at Perth in 1958. I went solo in G-AHUE (no longer with us) and also flew G-AHUV and G-ANNG.
I did my final handling test with the fearsome Wg Cdr "Pooch" Nugent and that was a story in itself.
I had been hoping to do my final check ride with Tommy Blyth the CFI but "Pooch" had decided that he wanted to do it.
He was out front swinging and swinging the prop and the engine was quite dead. He roared at me:
"Do you know what is wrong with this aircraft young man?"
"Sir, I think the impulse starter has jammed".
"And just what do we do about that do you think?"
"Sir, I would open the starboard cowling and hit the impulse casing with one of the wooden chocks."
Well, "Sir" went berserk and I got a very firm lecture about how this was no way to treat a beautiful flying machine.
He then roared (and I mean roared) for the chief engineer. Charlie Delbridge came out in his white coat and overalls, listened to the problem, opened up the starboard side of the cowling and hit the impulse casing with a chock!
It started first time but I would have to say that I would really rather have hidden myself about 100 feet underground at that point.
However, the rest of the check went well and I passed and here I am boring the backsides off you 50 years later!