TAA and the DC-9
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Teresa, which Gordon are we talking about? I flew with L.G. on the DC4 in '68 and he was a thorough gentleman and lifted me out of one of my early downers where I had been plunged by people like Slats.
I have also have had the pleasure of flying with his son ........ but maybe it was a different Gordon?
And to other posters:- I am flying the A320 now (but I am almost time expired overseas) and you can have fun in it if you put your mind to it and no one is watching (like flying down in Africa ....
) but that's for another thread. Let's keep our mind on the Diesel!
When I returned this afternoon to home base there was all all white (and dirty) DC9-30 parked in the VIP area with South African rego. She looked a bit forlorn so I am trying to find out who owns it to see if I can take it for a spin (I have always been a dreamer
)
Who remembers "Jock" the broad (in more ways than one) Ginger Beer in MEL who used to fling the chocks under the wheels, plug in and roar "Chocks in Skipperrrrrr" When he was on push back duty many a pilot would say "What did he say?" so thick was his accent. Another great character lost to us.
I have also have had the pleasure of flying with his son ........ but maybe it was a different Gordon?
And to other posters:- I am flying the A320 now (but I am almost time expired overseas) and you can have fun in it if you put your mind to it and no one is watching (like flying down in Africa ....
) but that's for another thread. Let's keep our mind on the Diesel!When I returned this afternoon to home base there was all all white (and dirty) DC9-30 parked in the VIP area with South African rego. She looked a bit forlorn so I am trying to find out who owns it to see if I can take it for a spin (I have always been a dreamer
)Who remembers "Jock" the broad (in more ways than one) Ginger Beer in MEL who used to fling the chocks under the wheels, plug in and roar "Chocks in Skipperrrrrr" When he was on push back duty many a pilot would say "What did he say?" so thick was his accent. Another great character lost to us.
Silly Old Git
Nostalgia: If you didnt want to play with these guys trainset, you must be dead.
YouTube - 727 Transafrik / Air Gemini
YouTube - 727 Transafrik / Air Gemini
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James, we are talking about Gordon Close, one of natures gentlemen, and with out doubt probably the best pilot I have ever seen. They called him "silky" because of his landings, he was born in CNS, served in Bombers during WW2, joined TAA and stayed there until the dreaded 89", went on to SQ where he finally finished up on the Classic. He passed away from a blood disorder about two years ago, and lived most of his adult life in Aspley/BNE. As a check and training Captain he was second to none, patient, kind, firm, and always well mannered, but loved a beer and a laugh, any of you blokes who flew with him out there, I am sure will back me up. Vale Gordon. Will never forget you mate.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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and thinking what possibility of meeting a woman with no morals what so ever, and for my relapse got a smack in the head
Teresa; Obviously you would have got the engines in sync fairly quickly after that, but I'm curious as to if you also managed to meet the above mentioned woman?
And to all previous posters, (with the possible exception of one) This thread is one of the most entertaining and informative I have ever read!
Long may it continue.
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Whilst I find your nostalgia a little tiresome, Teresa, I do admire your persistence and accept that many readers here enjoy the interesting stories that you tell. However, you are a little loose with the truth here and there!
I don't know of any WW2 bomber pilot flying with any airline, anywhere in Oz, in 1989! Some simple maths will confirm that it couldn't be!
I had the good fortune, as you did, to fly with many WW2 Fighter and Bomber pilots in the early days of my career and have as many good memories as you of these delightful characters, but please, keep it accurate!
Still, as we all say, never let the truth get in the way of a good story!
I don't know of any WW2 bomber pilot flying with any airline, anywhere in Oz, in 1989! Some simple maths will confirm that it couldn't be!
I had the good fortune, as you did, to fly with many WW2 Fighter and Bomber pilots in the early days of my career and have as many good memories as you of these delightful characters, but please, keep it accurate!
Still, as we all say, never let the truth get in the way of a good story!
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You are correct obie he could not have been in 89' he had already long gone to SQ, but what he did was offer help and a handup to many of the pilots he knew so well and trained, and because he was around I connected him with that time. Sorry for the incorrect info. He certainly served in bomber command and spent most of his flying career in TAA, sorry if I bore you old chap, perhaps you should simply skip to the next post. ..
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Nah Pinky, never got lucky, perhaps it was the smell of the eels. I think I just lay on the cot dreaming of ways to kill slats, before he smacked me in the head again.
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Let's assume that someone was 19 years old in 1943. Not at all unreasonable for a Bomber Command pilot during WW2.
Go forward 46 years to 1989. That same gentleman would be 65.
Perfectly reasonable.
Obie, far be it from me to enquire as to why you're so inconvenienced by nostalgia, but surely if it is that irksome to you it would be more trouble to actually write any posts on this thread (let alone erroneously correct the age-related mathematics of those who actually do know what they're talking about) than it would be to leave all of us "DC-9 dreamers" in peace?
For the record, my first jet was the 717. In spite of my current "Airbus affections", I am now and shall forever be a Douglas man.
This is the best thread PPRUNE has ever seen.
Go forward 46 years to 1989. That same gentleman would be 65.
Perfectly reasonable.
Obie, far be it from me to enquire as to why you're so inconvenienced by nostalgia, but surely if it is that irksome to you it would be more trouble to actually write any posts on this thread (let alone erroneously correct the age-related mathematics of those who actually do know what they're talking about) than it would be to leave all of us "DC-9 dreamers" in peace?
For the record, my first jet was the 717. In spite of my current "Airbus affections", I am now and shall forever be a Douglas man.
This is the best thread PPRUNE has ever seen.
Tinpis
Transafrik have long departed the scene but Air Gemini are still here with the B727-100 and the DC9-30. They are transporting passengers and freight now rather than fuel.
In Huambo in early 1990 there was a DC8-50 which used to carry fuel and often would blow a tyre on landing as the runway was barely long enough. They would simply just offload the fuel and takeoff back to LAD where the totally shredded tyre would be replaced for the next run. Sometimes if the brake was stuffed the axle would be stripped of wheel and brake and they would depart with a bare axle.
Days gone by; the basics have not changed, just the presentation.
Transafrik have long departed the scene but Air Gemini are still here with the B727-100 and the DC9-30. They are transporting passengers and freight now rather than fuel.
In Huambo in early 1990 there was a DC8-50 which used to carry fuel and often would blow a tyre on landing as the runway was barely long enough. They would simply just offload the fuel and takeoff back to LAD where the totally shredded tyre would be replaced for the next run. Sometimes if the brake was stuffed the axle would be stripped of wheel and brake and they would depart with a bare axle.
Days gone by; the basics have not changed, just the presentation.
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TAA- Townsville to Brisbane
I rode back from Townsville on a DC9 once. I was young, It was 1989 or so. I think a two or so hour trip. The captain let me up the front onto the flight deck. I was naturally amazed by the sheer makeup of the buttons and clocks that made the jet fly. Awestruck ever since.. At one point I remember the captain talking onto the microphone and then asking me to help change direction. He asked me to carefully and slowly rotate a small wheel located on the panels between the two pilots. I gave it a small twist to the right and the DC-9 gave a slight bank right. The captain told me the align the white line with a letter marked on the panel, and the after some seconds he told me to rotate back left, Carefully so, to centre the white mark. Pretty amazing a pilot would let the happen. I have been grateful ever since. I also remember looking out the window of the flight deck at the coast line and seeing all the different colours emerge to those that get high enough. And, then the captain said, “look, that’s Fraser island down there. Astonished I was. From that day, my thoughts were always, ‘that flying job has got to be better than chasing sheep and cattle around everyday!
Fs120o
Fs120o
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Flysaucer, many of the TAA (the Friendly way) crews would encourage the Flight attendents to let pax come up the front for a look. Many were allowed to turn the autopilot heading knob & were amazed to watch outside while the horizon tilted. Imagine today what story Current Affair would run about such things..."Airliner Flown by passengers,it could happen to YOU!!"
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Sigh, things are so different. I had a drink with a ex F/E in SYD the other day and he reminded me of a time when we were flying a 727 from PER/SYD, it was the dreaded red eye of course, and at 0200 some little tacker was driving everyone nuts, his parents included, who were obviously worn out, the F/E was taking a stroll, and being a dad many times over, he picked up the little bloke and brought him up to the flight deck, where the little bloke (wearing my hat) happily played with pencils and paper, shared our tucker, and was more than happy to look out the window, peace was restored and a grateful young dad came to get him after at least getting a small amount of shuteye. Forward to now. PHEDOPHILE PILOTS the headlines would scream, DNA was taken from all three crew members, when a 3 year old child was found on the flight deck of a TAA airliner, the parents were shocked that their child was found in such a dangerous situation, and the three crew members have been interviewed by Federal Police. Slater and Gordon are now suing the Airline for distress caused to the parents. Sad isn't it. Three blokes all dads, (we counted 11 rug rats between us) all who would prefer to slit their own throats than touch a child, would suddenly become sus. Well give me nostalga anytime, and to read these postings makes you wish you could freeze time and go back to a more innocent age, when blokes were blokes and women were women, and you could kick your kid up the ar#e if need be. Remember when as a kid you always had skinned knees from falling out of trees etc, when was the last time you saw a kid with skinned knees? Doesn't happen in front of a computer, just your brain gets scrambled, anyway no more,I will upset Obie. By the way the situation of the "present", was invented by the F/E and myself as a possible senario, after we "kidnapped" the above kid and hopefully would not happen, but then no pilot would dare to take someones kid on the flightdeck today anyway!
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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Your observations re the small child way back then, in your post teresa are only too true! Have you ever wondered though if that child had because of that experience, grown up to eventually become a Pilot himself?
Sadly, these days, even if it was possible to do as your F/E did back then, the unfortunate scenario you posted would most probably occur!
Sadly, these days, even if it was possible to do as your F/E did back then, the unfortunate scenario you posted would most probably occur!
Thread Starter
By my humble calculations if the guy had done a tour on bombers in 1945 at age 20, he could still be flying with TAA in 89, if the retirement age was 65?
TG, did you finish on the DC-9 or B727?
TG, did TAA run DC-3 freighters YMML direct Brisbane?
Remember a guy Tony Wilson ex TAA running CRM course around Melbourne in the 90's, telling us about first flight as a new captain on a DC-9 out of Melbourne and on depatrure having a tyre delaminate, then holding out over the bay to burn fuel prior to returning, a quick tyre change and then departing for his maiden flight as a captain.
His other good story was the departure out of Hobart in the B727 to go to NZ, when TAA and Ansett both run to NZ in the 80's. On departure the F/E could not get the tail skid to retract and as they climbed up they picked up ice on the skid which caues a vibration and some limitation speed wise meant had to cruise at a lower speed and level, meant they might not have the fuel requirements to go to NZ. The F/E however was more concerned about another problem if they had to return to Hobart, what happens with all the duty free stuff that he had purchased for his wife, kids and neighbour. The flight proceeded to NZ and the duty free was safe!
TG, did you finish on the DC-9 or B727?
TG, did TAA run DC-3 freighters YMML direct Brisbane?
Remember a guy Tony Wilson ex TAA running CRM course around Melbourne in the 90's, telling us about first flight as a new captain on a DC-9 out of Melbourne and on depatrure having a tyre delaminate, then holding out over the bay to burn fuel prior to returning, a quick tyre change and then departing for his maiden flight as a captain.
His other good story was the departure out of Hobart in the B727 to go to NZ, when TAA and Ansett both run to NZ in the 80's. On departure the F/E could not get the tail skid to retract and as they climbed up they picked up ice on the skid which caues a vibration and some limitation speed wise meant had to cruise at a lower speed and level, meant they might not have the fuel requirements to go to NZ. The F/E however was more concerned about another problem if they had to return to Hobart, what happens with all the duty free stuff that he had purchased for his wife, kids and neighbour. The flight proceeded to NZ and the duty free was safe!
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...if some of you lot had at least half a brain and did a little research you would know that the retirement age in 1989 was 60...
give us a break and go and read your comics elsewhere!
Even Teresa probably finds you a pain in the a*se!!
give us a break and go and read your comics elsewhere!
Even Teresa probably finds you a pain in the a*se!!
Silly Old Git
OT but.... was freight dogging in the UK in the late 70s. Often got to fly with a lovely old fella always brought along his old mate Labrador with him
Once over the North Sea somewhere off Rotterdam, he pointed down at the water and said "Been in there twice in a Lanc.. Damn night fighters out off Holland you know. Jerry picked me up the second time"
Poor bugger devloped a ticker problem and he bought a car and taxyed the crew around where needed.
I never knew until years later after his passing, it was someone here on Pprune told me, he was one of the Colditz escapees.
"The Great Escape"
Respect
Once over the North Sea somewhere off Rotterdam, he pointed down at the water and said "Been in there twice in a Lanc.. Damn night fighters out off Holland you know. Jerry picked me up the second time"
Poor bugger devloped a ticker problem and he bought a car and taxyed the crew around where needed.
I never knew until years later after his passing, it was someone here on Pprune told me, he was one of the Colditz escapees.
"The Great Escape"
Respect