I have just read a fascinating book entitled
Just Call Me Jack by Lesley Hazlitt with a Foreword by Peter FitzSimons. It’s about the life of Jack Hazlitt. Jack was a pilot flying satisfactorily until the following happened – to quote from the book:
Up until 1921 anyone who had learnt to fly a plane could fly. Then a government authority was formed which eventually became the Department of Civil Aviation. Now every pilot was required to undergo a flying and medical test. Jack had no problem passing the flying test but he failed his medical. On 6 July 1921 he was informed that he had a heart condition and was immediately grounded.
It appears Jack, who had landed at Gallipoli, supposedly had a heart defect that was connected with his war service. The book goes on to tell of Jack’s incredible career, first with Qantas as an Engineer and then in a great range of other fields including adventuring around the world.
On 15 June 1993 Jack passed away just four months short of 96 years of age. I wonder how many other flying careers have been destroyed because of a mistaken diagnosis like this?