View Full Version : Vale Captain Ken Farley
angry ant
16th Apr 2024, 09:35
It is with deep sadness that I inform you all, that Ken passed away at 0530 this morning, after a long battle with Alzheimer's
His family are having a private family farewell.
Ken , aka Fanjet Farley, and I have been good friends since 1961.
An extremely, very sad ant.
angry ant
16th Apr 2024, 10:31
Ken, began at, The Royal Aero Club, at Bankstown, got into Ansett, based Melbourne, then Singapore Airlines till retirement. More later.
A Sad Ant
angry ant
17th Apr 2024, 04:06
How Ken got the nickname, " Fan Jet " . When Ansett Airlines first bought the DC-9, all the assigned pilots went to the Douglas factory in the USA for the ground school and simulator. When he got back, he was always on about the new style
"Fan Jet" engines fitted to the new wide bodied aircraft, on and on and on, hence, the, the nickname.
Back in the early 60's at the Royal Aero Club of NSW, at Bankstown, we would have a competition day at Wallacia airstrip. One of the comp's was a streamer cut, where you would start loop, then throw out a roll of toilet
paper and then cut it twice, the fastest person to do it in the Chipmunk, won the comp.
One weekend the CFI, Pat Gallagher asked Ken and I if we could go to the general store and buy 24 rolls of toilet paper. When we got to the shop I asked the young lady for 2 dozen rolls of toilet paper. you should have seen the look on her face, with that, Ken leaned forward and said, " It's OK we are just going to have a competition. " She broke up laughing and I was nearly rolling on the floor laughing, then Ken said, " What have I done " When we got back to the Aero Club
and I told every what happened, the whole place broke into tears of laughter
Farewell, "mon Ami, mate"
A very SAD ANT
Australia2
22nd Apr 2024, 07:43
Thanks Ant,
Great anecdotes, now treasured memories.
Glasses raised tonight from Adelaide to Anchorage 🥂
Dora-9
22nd Apr 2024, 19:43
That's sad news indeed.
A great guy, always very funny in all sorts of circumstances. Very generous too, the last time I saw Ken was when he took me flying in his Chipmunk (VH-RSM) at Luskintyre NSW.
Blue skies and tailwinds, Ken.
john_tullamarine
23rd Apr 2024, 07:23
Vale, Ken, a fine chap.. Thanks for the information, R.
Three Wire
24th Apr 2024, 07:27
Vale Ken. Always enjoyed a yarn with ken who just never stopped grinning. Will be sadly missed, not just by the angry ant.