Gordon Smith
Shnev and Eternity,
Couldnt agree with you more, a gentleman and a role model for all the young guys coming into the industry, including myself. I had the rare privilege of doing a huge portion of my flying training at ACATA Armidale and did 4 separate tests/renewals with Gordy. An excellent instructor and ATO.
Where are we going to go now for some common sense in this industry?
Cheers Gordy, my sincere condolences to the family he leaves behind
j3
Couldnt agree with you more, a gentleman and a role model for all the young guys coming into the industry, including myself. I had the rare privilege of doing a huge portion of my flying training at ACATA Armidale and did 4 separate tests/renewals with Gordy. An excellent instructor and ATO.
Where are we going to go now for some common sense in this industry?
Cheers Gordy, my sincere condolences to the family he leaves behind
j3
Join Date: Oct 2005
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I would like to extend my deepest condolences to Gordons family and anyone involved with him.
I also extend my thanks to the people who have posted kind words of Gordy, you've shown extraordinary kindness.
From the first day in his life, he was destined to fly. He was destined to teach. Gordon taught well. He had an amazing way of getting his point across. He accepted everyone for who they were, but he cared more about what his students could and should become. For example, I remember one day doing NDB approaches with Gordy... I just couldn't seem to get it right. I was miserable about it, so he said - "we are going to land now, and have a talk about this." Walking back into the office, I was yelling - "I don't wanna be a pilot anymore, this sucks, I'll never get it"..... So he sat me down and explained what was going on. He said, "[xxxx], you can do this." ...... and I did.
What stands out most (which was pointed out before), is that he was always happy - no matter what he was flying... no matter where he was flying. Within all the heat of everyone trying to 'be somewhere better, where the grass is greener' - Gordon, by example, taught that flying in itself is an amazing phenomenon.
When push came to shove, he never thought twice about raising his voice. Example - One of his instructors was teaching me something, by mistake, which went away from company SOPs. When it came time for Gordon to check me out in the aeroplane, he saw what I was doing and gaged that I thought it was right. He screamed into my headset - "Well it's not stupids fault, Chr!st! I might aswell p!ss into wind!"
A spiffing radio voice Gordy had too. Superb stick and rudder skills. Hats off to him for surviving and returning to flying after his engine failures (IN SINGLE ENGINE aeroplanes
). Above all, and I know this for a fact - he was a dark horse with the ladies 
It is my greatest legacy to have flown with Gordon. To all of you who knew Gordon, and were trained by him, he will never be so far from you that you cannot still benefit from his teachings. For the sake of aviation - take care and respect each other, as he would want you to. May he live long in our memories.
[withheld]
I also extend my thanks to the people who have posted kind words of Gordy, you've shown extraordinary kindness.
From the first day in his life, he was destined to fly. He was destined to teach. Gordon taught well. He had an amazing way of getting his point across. He accepted everyone for who they were, but he cared more about what his students could and should become. For example, I remember one day doing NDB approaches with Gordy... I just couldn't seem to get it right. I was miserable about it, so he said - "we are going to land now, and have a talk about this." Walking back into the office, I was yelling - "I don't wanna be a pilot anymore, this sucks, I'll never get it"..... So he sat me down and explained what was going on. He said, "[xxxx], you can do this." ...... and I did.
What stands out most (which was pointed out before), is that he was always happy - no matter what he was flying... no matter where he was flying. Within all the heat of everyone trying to 'be somewhere better, where the grass is greener' - Gordon, by example, taught that flying in itself is an amazing phenomenon.
When push came to shove, he never thought twice about raising his voice. Example - One of his instructors was teaching me something, by mistake, which went away from company SOPs. When it came time for Gordon to check me out in the aeroplane, he saw what I was doing and gaged that I thought it was right. He screamed into my headset - "Well it's not stupids fault, Chr!st! I might aswell p!ss into wind!"
A spiffing radio voice Gordy had too. Superb stick and rudder skills. Hats off to him for surviving and returning to flying after his engine failures (IN SINGLE ENGINE aeroplanes
). Above all, and I know this for a fact - he was a dark horse with the ladies It is my greatest legacy to have flown with Gordon. To all of you who knew Gordon, and were trained by him, he will never be so far from you that you cannot still benefit from his teachings. For the sake of aviation - take care and respect each other, as he would want you to. May he live long in our memories.
[withheld]
