Thanks for the sentiments, barrold !
I sure enjoyed my time at "the duck" and must say we had a great working relationship with you guys and gals in ATC. The Otter was great fun and you used it's capability well - we could maintain 165kts ( that was flat strap downhill for an Otter) to 5 miles, pull the thrust back and those big props would go into "beta" range and she would stop like it hit a wall; get off at the first intersection with about 15 sec' runway occupancy time.
I did about 4,600 return trips PEC / SYD and never got tired of that trip up the coast.
Organising this reunion brings back some great memories and funny stories involving ATC in Syd; we had a great character flying for us by the name of Noel Batchelder (Batch') - ex WW2 Spitfire pilot, African campaign.
Syd ATC had an industrial dispute going with it's radar tech's and Syd terminal was on procedural controlling. Batch' was advised to hold at Calga NDB - now Batch' did not do holding for it cut down on his time to have a smoke on the turnaround.
After one pattern, that was enough for Batch' and he "required immediate tracking to SYD". ATC response of course was "is that an operational requirement"?
Batch' "yes, the Captain needs a leak"....
ATC.. " Kilo Zulu Papa track direct to right base r/w 25"
Batch' with his usual response to a clearance.."thanks" .
Another time I, in a Cessna 402, followed Stuie Weston back to Syd because the crosswind was too high at Aeropelican - it was one of those howling Nth Westers in the summer,
It was blowing 50kts at Syd almost down 34 and when Stuie was on final , probably with a groundspeed of about 20kts, I heard the tower controller give an aircraft waiting for departure a "clearance to line up behind the Twin Otter hovering over the threshold" - a classic line.
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