Fleigle (#11004) from California,
What a find ! ("another thread" ?) For a few glorious moments I thought that we might've found another real live Vultee Vengeance 'operational' pilot for me to natter to. But your link took me to:
Centaurus (Thread Starter, #1, PPRuNe Forums > PPRuNe Worldwide > The Pacific: General Aviation & Questions ) from Australia,
"Iced up with a Vengeance" (I take it this is the "another Thread" ?) from which I found a Wikipedia entry I never knew existed: "Vultee Vengeance in Australian Service". Much of this I would take issue with, but:
..."Vengeances were also used in trials of poison gas conducted by the 1st Australian Field Experimental Station, Royal Australian Engineers, near Proserpine, Queensland, during 1944.[55]"...
This had me sitting up bolt upright - for it is right up my street, for I was in the same business in India 1945-6. Followed up [55], a comprehensive official report on the unit and its work. It closely parallels our experience in Cannanore, but I know of no comparable British official publication. One would be very helpful, but I do not know where to look.
Centaurus continues with:
..."Here is the story as relayed to the editor of Aviation Safety Digest, who entitled it 'From one of our readers – a valid message from the past' "...
Is this "reader" still alive ? (he'd be my age) If so, is it possible to contact him ? Googled "Aviation Safety Digest - Australia", plenty about the mag, but no contact details for it. Could "Centaurus" (or anyone else "downunder") follow this up for me, please ?
As for the story itself (well worth a read, and I'll comment on it later), the chap was lucky ! I flew in three monsoons, and was chucked about a bit, but never met ice. So I didn't ever have to bother about the pitot head heater. I must admit, when first reading the AF447 story, I wondered ... but no, it's impossible !
Or is it ? ISTR that, in the case of the Air Florida (?) that ploughed into the Potomac river bridge (Washington) in 1982, the engine intakes temp sensor heater was checked as "off" on the pre take-off check list - well, you wouldn't need it often in Florida, would you ?), although everthing else was deep in snow. 78 died [Wiki].
Danny.