View Full Version : Ben Hoitink
Adsie
28th Mar 2015, 22:42
Bit of a legend around places.
Happy birthday Ben - 86 today and still going well
Have a great day mate
Greedy
29th Mar 2015, 00:50
Yes happy birthday Ben.
Lookleft
29th Mar 2015, 03:50
When I first saw this I thought it was another tribute to a pilot who has slipped the surly bonds so thankfully it is to wish a remarkable man a happy birthday. In anyone's flying career there are people who have a profound influence on the direction your career takes. Ben was that person in my career. From teaching me to keep one eye closed if you ever found yourself in a thunderstorm to never conducting an engine failure exercise below 400' because one day someone who you think is up to it will try and kill you! I learnt a lot from Ben and have him to thank for the career I have had.
Happy Birthday Ben.:D
RatsoreA
29th Mar 2015, 09:44
I did my TIF with Ben at Canberra back in the early 90's, glad to hear he is still kicking about!
Adsie
29th Mar 2015, 10:01
Ben endorsed me on PA31, granted me my CPL and renewed my MECIR.
He is a great teacher, full of knowledge and very easily passes it on.
He is a great fellow to know
zlin77
29th Mar 2015, 10:57
Enjoyed flying with Ben (Bernie) on The Heron in Wagga late 70's good to hear he is still around.
Stiff Under Carriage
29th Mar 2015, 11:57
Happy Birthday Ben, it's a privilege to know you, taught me many things back in Canberra at FACTS. CPL and Instructor Rating. So glad this wasn't a tribute. Hope you are still traveling well.
glenb
30th Mar 2015, 04:15
Gidday Ben,
Hopefully you get to see this. All the best for the day from Glen (used to be in Fiji with you). Fantastic achievement and still flying I hear. A great contribution to the industry and a great bloke. Very very impressive. A pretty tough breed you Europeans. I can only assume you haven't been to Melbourne for some time. If you had of come down, Im sure you would have popped in to say hello?
PinkusDickus
8th Apr 2015, 00:31
Before I opened the thread I had some dark thoughts - thankfully I'd jumped to conclusions.
Ben is a great pilot and instructor and a thorough gentleman with an extensive history in aviation and incidentally, can trace his ancestry back to around the 16th century. I've done four CIR renewals with Ben and he alway said after signing my log book he'd let his mother-in-law fly with me. :confused::confused:
A belated happy birthday! :)