A great airman and a great bloke. An absolute asset and icon to Australia and the aviation Industry.Sadly we're slowly depleting our stocks of these fellas.

An honour to have met the man.

Sad day for Australian aviation I only meet Bobby and his wife once in Darwin doing a joyflight over Kakado,
He took the time to talk to me when I was just getting in to flying and his stories enthralled me.

Especialy the ME109 he captured in North Africa
and used to train his troops. Until the RAF
Comandeared it.

A friend mine now owns his Cri Cri.

Sleep well old comrade
 

One dark and rainy 7am at the old Lae airport, everyone assembled awaiting the arrival of the big fella Balus. Poor communications in the late sixties’ meant we knew nothing except that it had left Sydney the night before. The airport manager, traffic staff, cargo boys resplendent in white lap-laps were lined up ceremoniously as they did in those days. Passengers in the terminal waiting to go south. Suddenly the Electra was sighted through the mist over the Tanu Maru and plonked down on the piano keys, ground fine selected, the huge (for those days) aircraft disappearing down the runway in deafening roar and a sea of spray. It pulled up in front of the terminal discharging passengers and crew. From the other direction meanwhile a tiny twin Comanche popped out beneath the low cloud over the Markham. It landed, taxied and parked beneath the left wing of the Electra. Out gets Bobby, puffing on a cigar, unloads bags and family, directs them to the terminal for check in, jumps back in, taxies away to the park. Rejoins them in the terminal for the farewells.
Panache sadly long since gone from aviation.
Vale Bobby

Torres
 

RIP Bobby Gibbes.

The first RAF VC was awarded in 1940 so there may have been another reason for the non issue of a VC in this instance. It was certainly an act which could have warranted the award of the VC.

I think Bobby never got the heros recognition here in the UK that he deserved.

RIP

Clint. Gurry
England.

Flypasts
 

A four-ship 3SQN Hornet and Temora Spitfire flypasts are scheduled for today between 1245 and 1330 over North Sydney.

A fitting tribute.:D

RIP WGCDR Gibbes.

Magoo

Farewell old mate. Sorry I couldn't make the final gig but I'll be raising a coldie to you this evening.

And thanks for enriching my life over the past forty years! :ok:

Fair skies, safe trip and regards to Junior and Blackjack!

Bob

There is going to be one heck of a party in the Fighter Pilot's Valhalla tonight!!:ok: :ok:

RIP WGCDR Gibbes

Torres is a loud echo of my sentiments.

One day, Bob I'll tell you about my association (as small but significant as it is) with this Gentleman.

Good show Pprune people.

Bob. Most of my associations with that gentleman had the inevitable conclusion.

A healthy hangover!

He defies physics. Dunno how such a small guy could hold somuch grog! :D

:}

There was always a lot of drinking in them days, however being a poor airport brat I wasn't an imbiber. Many a hairy ride home with the elders however after RAC NSW kicked them out. I even remember the old pox hospital wing accommodation when driving me home was beyond anybody of any superhuman note.
One Brian Walker had the plebs intoixicated with his tale of a trip to Essendon in a Piaggio when ice or a shut down donk had him in the back kicking the (live) chickens in cages to get them to flap their wings so he could stay airborne.
What bull$hit artists, and what men, and what memories!
;)

Blackjack and bull$hit. Scotch and water. Gin and tonic. Pasta and sauce.

I think you get my drift........... :}

I guess there was a reasonable amount of drinking, but unlike the present day, they were very social occasions with a large group of good mates. A time to shoot the breeze. Swap ever more unlikely, unbelievable and incredible stories. Problem was, most of the stories were true. :E

I don't suppose anyone captured any footage of the flypast for those of us who were unable to be there to pay respects?

Did Col or the Temora mob ever give Bobby a jolly in a P-40 ?

Not qute an answer to my own question, but there is a moving tribute at

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200704/r138086_470835.asx

I was based at the Madang strip in 1956, Gibbs in Noseman and Blackjack in Ju52 arrive to demo to DCA types Landing and MTOW T/Os to clear 50 ft with certified field length, using 44G drums to mark distances.
From memory 3 T/Os and landings had to be done or it was loss of license for the Noseman. After several attempts failed, lunch was "on" in the DCA Mess.

During the lunch certain " gentlemen " were seen repositioning drums.

After lunch despite midday heat Glbbs flew the A/C and had no problem !!!!!

Cheers.

Torres thanks for the link to the story, kids should learn about diggers like that in school. Does anyone know the publisher of WGCDR Gibbes book or how I can get hold of one. I would love to read more about him and his mates, then hand it to my children later to show them what hero's are.
RIP
WGCDR Gibbes

Wasn't it Bobby's taxiing Norseman the cut a beautiful circular hole out of the rear end of a VW at Goroka... the VW had just been unloaded from a Bristol Freighter.

I could be wrong but it was a funny and scary sight.

Tarkeeth - Lapun!! :} :} That was around the time Bobby was being hassled by DCA for English translations of the JU52 POH and manuals.

WOG. Sorry, Bobby self published his autobiography and I know he ran out of copies at least two years ago. I have my signed copy, under lock and key!!

May suggest to the family they do a re-print???

Animal. Knew about the VW at Goroka but can't recall who did it.