I believe Keith Mattner still lives in Sunbury.
Glitchfield; was it Bumptious or PG you had as F/O on that Carrier approach in the Straights of Buka?
I have read all the pages now and it has brought back so many memories:- I came out of the wilds of NG after 3 years on the DC3 and straight on to the DC9. It was much against a lot of advice but when you are 25 ........... Eddie Clark did my check to line ML-SY-BN-SY-ML, he flew 3 and I flew one! I must have impressed him- he let me loose.
I later flew with "Red Leader" into CBR when he showed me what the diesel could do with 40 flap AND the speed brakes, Jeez he could fly! I wish those gentlemen were still around.
Geoff Lushy where are you? The little seedlings you gave me in 1972 when I moved onto my little farm are now 50' giants.
Remember the "practice" DMA arrivals at Gove? 340 kts over the "tower" at 600 ft then pulling up over the town, flinging out all the bits and landing to a thunderous ovation from the pax. The bloke in the "tower" (FSU) with his binoculars out on the veranda jumping up and down. How did we get away with it?
Green Island arrivals and departures out of CNS?
To all the gentlemen, (you know who you are) who trained and checked me, put up with my bad jokes and my falling asleep in the cockpit. Put up with my lazy ways when I was an F/O; I just want to tell you I turned out alright and I salute you all. God Bless you and the diesel .......
Just before I go, a story:- During the '90s I returned to OZ on leave from my exile in the desert and went to the Essendon airshow where the was a DC9 from IPEC on show. I was with my 14 year old son (now an A300 F/O in another outpost of Empire) and we walked around the girl for old times sake. I almost made it. But by the time I reached the port wheel assembly I couldnt take it any more and bawled my eyes out for a few minutes.
My son was very embarrassed but he understood and when I said to him
"You see what Aviation has done to me ...... you still want to be a pilot?"
His answer was a resounding yes. What a foolish Band of Brothers we were in those days .........