Centaurus
19th Jan 2007, 14:50
Info any former RAAF pilots reading this Pprune site. Syd Gooding DFC died on 19th January at Nurmurka hospital, Victoria. He was 91.
Flight Lieutenant Syd Gooding was one of the best instructors I have ever had. He was a former Lancaster pilot winning a DFC for superb flying after his Lancaster was severely damaged in a mid-air collision over Germany at night.
He flew Spitfires and Mustangs and then Lincolns in Malaya and Townsville. Syd was also a RAAF flying instructor on Tigers and Wirraways at Uranquinty in 1952 where I was a student.
His trademark pipe was to be the death of him in the long run as he contracted mouth cancer a few months ago from pipe smoking all his life. I was privileged to fly many trips as copilot to dear old Syd on Lincolns at No. 10 (Maritime Squadron) based in Townsville. He was the ideal captain in every way and his wonderful gentle touch at flying the heavy old Lincoln bomber was a lesson to all of us young Sergeant Pilots who were his copilots.
Thanks for all the landings you gave us, Syd.
John L.
Flight Lieutenant Syd Gooding was one of the best instructors I have ever had. He was a former Lancaster pilot winning a DFC for superb flying after his Lancaster was severely damaged in a mid-air collision over Germany at night.
He flew Spitfires and Mustangs and then Lincolns in Malaya and Townsville. Syd was also a RAAF flying instructor on Tigers and Wirraways at Uranquinty in 1952 where I was a student.
His trademark pipe was to be the death of him in the long run as he contracted mouth cancer a few months ago from pipe smoking all his life. I was privileged to fly many trips as copilot to dear old Syd on Lincolns at No. 10 (Maritime Squadron) based in Townsville. He was the ideal captain in every way and his wonderful gentle touch at flying the heavy old Lincoln bomber was a lesson to all of us young Sergeant Pilots who were his copilots.
Thanks for all the landings you gave us, Syd.
John L.