Tales of An Old Aviator

[Duke Elegant]

I have just recovered from my second fight with cancer but am still considered terminal.
(Indeed , aren't we all)

I test wrote some stories on the Avcanada Message Board and they have been well recieved beyond my imagination.

Try it.

http://www.syz.com/avcanada/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=2616&forum=1&300

[tinpis]

Great yarns Duke !

Would the Flashman in the thread be a canuck ex Talair?
Hang in there cobber .
Best wishes.

[spiral climb]

How about those stories!!! They are FANTASTIC:ok: Best wishes Duke. All the best mate

[Duke Elegant]

tinpis ... about flashman.
I think a Canuck called Ray F****r is the fella you are thinking of but this Flashman is an Avcanada version. I lost track of Ray but it should not be hard to track him down in Canada.

Also fellow aviators, when I was enduring the brutal side effects of chemotherapy it was the sharing of my experiences that became my therapy. It also alleviated the fear of croaking as I realized that I had crammed two lives into one and have no regrets. There is a lot more to come and a publisher wishes to talk to me upon my return.

[tinpis]

Thanks L** the sands of time and the beer glass have dimmed the memory but I seem to recall yourself and Ray having something to do with the turbo Baron,before its wing was blown off of course:p

Ahh... the TaTAAs Lodge in Lae.......;)

[Duke Elegant]

Ah! tinpis ... indeed.

A Simple Twist of Fate

The engineer escaped unharmed after the explosion. He had drained the fuel leaving an explosive gas and had someone turn on the boost pump to hear if it ran. Ka-ferkin'-BOOM was the result.
My daughter reminded me on the Avcanada site that when one door is closed , another opens..... that explosion changed my life forever.
And did you know that years later, I married Heidi , the blond hostie with enormous tits and it was her that I shared my accumulated booty? We are still friends.

[tinpis]

LOL Duke your quote from AvCanada blog.




to have some dignity and bargaining power and to rid the industry of scurrelous, scabby, low life, bottom feeding, pus eyed, mongrel, slave trading operators that thrive in Canada.

I do recall many moons ago in Vancouver someone trying to get me to fly a bloody old Convair for a few cents per mile !

:}

[RTO-5]

Duke ... keep the gyro spinning mate. I suspect there might be a yarn in ya that might just have more than a 'moral' to it and strangely this is what saves lives sometimes.
Keep em coming. The young fellas are reading.
Best of luck with the fight and if you can find a publisher, F.I. Go for it.

[sunkist]

Duke ya legend.Posted this thread on Qrewroom(Qantas chat room)Perhaps some old mates might remember and want to shout you a few of the amber stuff. I would gladly arrange a place and time to suit you.Good luck with the big C.
Kind regards

[Torres]

Duke. If you run into "Flash" (Ray F) and his missus, please pass on my regards. I too lost track of him a few years ago.

I take it you were involved in that incident with the turbo Aztec. I remember that, so guess we may know each other.

All the best wishes for your fight with the Big C. I'm sure we'll all be thinking of you.

Bob Fulton

Correction: Another wan tok advises I must be getting old. The aircraft was Turbo Baron VH-AEA.

The Turbo Aztec I was confused with, was the ex DCA aircraft that ditched off Cairns a couple of years ago.

[chimbu warrior]

Ray F was apparently one of the first pilots to join Westjet and consequently joined the millionaires club when it floated. Don't know if he is still there or not.................

[5 Left & Right]

fantastic yarns Duke, i am enthralled. Definately write the book. Thanks for sharing your stories. I dont reckon you will need it but, Good Luck! :ok:

[Duke Elegant]

Thanks RTO-5

A lot of these tales can be construed to be a fine example of unprofessionalism but in days of yore that's the way it was.
In lieu of professionalism you had to have whiskers.

When I run out of tales of daring-do I can honestly say that there was a redemption whereby , believe it or not , I resorted to professionalism and had to be an example of such.

I say this now as I know the young'uns are reading.

Which did I prefer , old days or the present?

Read on and it will become evident.

[Menen]

Duke. I have enjoyed your stories and beautifully told. I hope that you beat that cancer fast. I was a RAAF flying instructor at Uranquinty when you were at Point Cook and was wondering if you can recall the names of some of your instructors at Point Cook and the fighter pilots you met at Williamtown.

[Duke Elegant]

Hello Menin

I am darting around Oz internetting at e-mail kiosk as my relatives in the outback are still in the dark ages ... fun 'tho
I remember that the instructor killed in a Winjeel with Lt Mayhew was Flt Lt Bill Clark.
I will look up the old log book when I get back to Canada tomorrow.
An old RAAF mate Billy Vandenburg was killed in a Mirage in Willytown and the bloke who topped our course , Phil Smith , also died in a Mirage , Thailand I think.
Chuck Ennis of FAC fame was also a mate ... do you know these blokes?

[John Eacott]

Duke,

I see you're on line as I post: spoke to Tub the other day, who related a few more details ;)

The link for your tales has been down for a few days now, any ideas? Fascinating reading.......

Happy New Year, enjoy the far north :D

[Duke Elegant]

:ok: :ok: :ok: :ok:
Looks like the www.avcanada.ca site is up and running under a new server ...they probably based the need for more space on the Duke's increasing popularity. .....
See you there
http://www.avcanada.ca/forums/

[Duke Elegant]

tinpis
tok bilong you ikamup sumting nuting on Avcanada

[tinpis]

:confused: eeeee.... long wanem humbak samting?
Me wokem stret long keys hia?

[Duke Elegant]

sumpela lapun long avcanada tink tink sumpela rascal oli callim tinpis makim lik lik bokus spark tumus na emi die pinis