I would like to float the idea that Maurice Kirk receives recognition from the Air League for his long distance unsupported or non sponsored flying exploits.
Terry Holloway at the Air League has proposed on the upcoming agenda that the Air League recognise Kirk's journeys.
The Air League awards committee sits on 11 Jan, and notwithstanding that I have not received a formal nomination for him, I have placed Maurice's name on the agenda list for discussion and consideration.
He needs a 1000 word submission for such an award.
This from Terry Holloway.
It would require around 500 to 1000 words outlining what he has achieved in the field of aviation as a pilot, with a particular emphasis on the encouragement of others either into a career in aviation or by promoting aviation to the public at large through his personal endeavours, and through positive publicity in the media.
The question for the awards committee would be whether the "positives" outweigh all the negative stuff - of which there is plenty. I personally have a regard for his stick and rudder skills and his tenacity.
Can we put together a collective effort on here?
Some background info here from Kirk's 2001 UK to Sydney Air Race.
Four British aviators were flying the $1.5m Spirit of Kai Tak to victory in a re-enactment of the historic London-Sydney air race, several thousand feet below was Maurice Kirk, spluttering along at 65mph in the oldest plane in the competition.
Mr Kirk, a vet from South Wales, finished hours behind the other competitors at every stage of the 28-day, 14,000-mile "kangaroo route", which retraced Ross and Keith Smith's first flight from Britain to Australia in 1919.
British team, Mark Wilkinson and Tim Ellison, a paraplegic since his RAF Harrier plane crashed, finished second fastest, and a helicopter flown by Britons, Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill, beat off competition from American, Australian and Dutch crews to finish.
But the flying vet in his 1943 Piper Cub was the first to land in Sydney on Saturday after he was banned from joining the 31 other planes in a formation flypast the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Race organisers had heard rumours that bets had been placed on Mr Kirk becoming the first pilot ever to fly a loop of the bridge.
It was just one of many brushes with the authorities for Mr Kirk <->- "either really a brave guy or a lunatic" judged one of Kai Tak's pilots, Mark Graham.
"I can't stand the bureaucracy of airports and this thing of having to land when you're told to and where," said Mr Kirk, 54, standing by his battered plane on Sydney's Bankstown landing strip. "Then they fine you for landing and then you pay extra for the motion lotion.
"In India the whole air race couldn't get any fuel. So I went down the petrol station and bought 20 gallons. I said to everyone: 'I'm in Rangoon first, last one home buys the drinks.' Except it all went wrong because the fuel pump jammed and I had to land on a jungle strip in Burma. Well, Burma was taboo. But they were all in skirts and treated me like royalty. They fed me, it was fantastic."
Mr Kirk, who only started the race after an American saw his "School of Rough Flying" website and stumped up the $55,000 (£35,000) entry fee, completed it with dozens of unscheduled landings.
His first came moments after taking off from Biggin Hill, Kent, at the start of the race on March 11, when his instrument panel failed. His last was on the final leg of the race after bolts flew off his propeller.
In between were more recreational touch-downs, including a visit to a disused airfield in Cairo to inspect a "graveyard" of 100 wrecked planes, and a refuelling stop on the drive of a farm in Australia, where Mr Kirk was given beer and food.
The flying vet preferred the comfort of strangers to the hospitality laid on by the race organisers. "They made us stay in these horrible, what do they call them, hotels. Horrible big expensive hotels," he said.
He got so far behind the other competitors the race organisers tried to stop him carrying on beyond Cannes. "They wouldn't let me race. It was logistics. They really couldn't cope with the Cub. Or was it Maurice Kirk? I forget which."
While the Spirit of Kai Tak's four pilots took their twin-engined turbo Piper Aerostar to 25,000ft to benefit from strong tailwinds, Mr Kirk gasped for air in his open cockpit at 7,000ft, in a plane that had never been above 1000ft in its life. He was forced to fly at just 25ft above the Timor sea because of strong headwinds, reaching Australia at nightfall, with half an inch of oil left in the sump.
The flying vet's 65mph cruising speed also attracted the suspicion of Indian officials, who detained him for nine hours and accused him of spying.
"They said: 'Why is it all the other race aircraft have come past Jaipur in three hours from Karachi and you've landed nine hours after the others? We believe you've landed and have taken photos of our installations. We couldn't see you on radar.'
"I said: 'What? You couldn't see me on radar? I'm going straight back to Pakistan. I could make a fortune on this one - I'm going to sell it to them.' They didn't like that," said Mr Kirk. "Very quiet trip otherwise."
The flying vet said it was time to get back to Wales to do a day's work. "She's a tired old lady, like her pilot," he said, patting his Cub. Then Mr Kirk gave a grin. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to loop the bridge before I leave Australia."