Vale Moss Coulthard

[Captain Sherm]

Dear all,

I received a phone call last night from Moss Coulthard's daughter letting me know he had passed away.

Moss was an ex RAF Canberra navigator on the training team at the old TAA training centre (in the old terminal at Essendon) alongside other thorough professionals like Stan Tighe, Dave Feather, Ted Allan and John Cleary. He was very involved in the mentoring and training of the TAA cadets in the late 60's and then moved onto wider work in an array of training challenges.

Many like me have had flying careers in varied worlds and have reason to thank the quality of the initial training we received under the old TAA. With Moss another piece of a finer, deeper and more professional world passes.

I will post funeral details when available.

Vale Moss.

[Dark Knight]

Thanks Sherm; another great loss to aviation.

As you said, the teachings, mentoring of that great TAA team stood me and many others well where ever we ventured around the world.

Thanks Moss.

[Captain Stoobing]

As a son of a TAA family may I ask where John Cleary ended his career??

[Captain Sherm]

The funeral service will be held at 1330 Friday at Wooling Hill near Gisborne ( (the Barringo area). No flowers.
Please pass this info around
Sherm

[down3gr33ns]

Moss, I remember him as a gentleman and a MOST practical fellow.


There was an occasion where there were a lot of flights being cancelled because of a fuel dispute or the PREI not calibrating radars or something - can't be sure other than flight were being cancelled on a wholesale basis. TAA decided that, in order to keep pilots gainfully employed, they were to do whatever courses were needed/available - and that saw me doing EP's with Moss. No other pilots, just me.


Now Moss, in his wisdom, had the following approach:
"You can do the course, sit the exam and then go home - around 4 hours," or,
"Sit the exam, pass and go home - around 20 - 30 minutes. Fail however, you do the course and sit the exam etc."


Obviously I took the second option, managed to pass and walked out of the TAA Training Centre in Melrose Drive at 0945. Moss was about 5 minutes behind me - two happy chappies.


RIP Moss.

[James4th]

RIP Moss, and thanks for beating all that needed info into my thick young head and enabling me to keep my job in TAA.

You were indeed a great instructor and mentor.