Mercy flight - the rescue
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Mercy flight - the rescue
Last night I watched a movie on Austar which told the story of an Air New Zealand DC10 capatain and crew who located and guided the pilot of a Cessna Agwaggon who was "unsure of his position' (that means lost and scared) in the middle of the ocean.
This was obviously the story of Gordon Vette who Actually did this using "rule of thumb" methods and was sucessful.
But I did not know that he was a yank!! I thought he was a kiwi. Silly me.
An interesting movie with the usual silly drama.
This was obviously the story of Gordon Vette who Actually did this using "rule of thumb" methods and was sucessful.
But I did not know that he was a yank!! I thought he was a kiwi. Silly me.
An interesting movie with the usual silly drama.
Gordon Vette
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It's amazing what he was able to achieve in such a short amount of time. Were all flight navigators back then trained in such lost plane techniques?
SO
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Kavette
Your father Gordon earned the deep respect of thousands of aviators for this activity, and for his admirable behaviour during his career and the Erebus affair.
We need more like him.
Your father Gordon earned the deep respect of thousands of aviators for this activity, and for his admirable behaviour during his career and the Erebus affair.
We need more like him.
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Kavette
Respect to your father.
Your father had a career few could equal. A very courageous and principled man, in addition to his skill as an aviator.
I read his book on Erebus.
I never knew or met him, and I am the poorer for that.
You must be a proud son
John
Melbourne
Respect to your father.
Your father had a career few could equal. A very courageous and principled man, in addition to his skill as an aviator.
I read his book on Erebus.
I never knew or met him, and I am the poorer for that.
You must be a proud son
John
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Gordon Vette
Yes Kavette I had the pleasure of meeting your dad a wonderful warm & brillant man .........what he did for Aviation in NZ & the world is fantastic he should be honored for his devotion.........You a very lucky son..
Cheers John.
Cheers John.
Great movie, you must be doing good if you have got Austar Bushy!
Captain Vette demonstrated great airmanship and also the ability to think outside the box, otherwise it would be a lonely night for the Cessna pilot bobbing around in the Pacific!
Captain Vette demonstrated great airmanship and also the ability to think outside the box, otherwise it would be a lonely night for the Cessna pilot bobbing around in the Pacific!
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Man of Integrity
Kavette,
Your father has not only earned the deep respect of thousands of aviators, as said by bushy, but also numerous non-aviators such as myself.
Although I've never met Gordon, and probably never will, I wouldn't hesitate to say from what I've read that he is a man of the utmost integrity.
I first flew Air NZ in 1985, which is when I heard of the Erebus disaster. I managed to get hold of your father's book from the library, but as an 11 year old, it was a bit above what I could comprehend.
I've since bought a copy many years ago and it sits with all of my other collection.
Your father wrote an excellent Introduction to one of Mararthur Job's aviation crash books. It is well worth the read.
I still have at home a Readers' Digest from 1984, with a substantial article on Erebus. The article does mention your father and the research that he undertook, as well as the evidence that he gave at the Royal Commission. It also mentioned how was treated by colleagues and management after this, and as a consequence, he was effectively forced to quit the airline prematurely.
Given his excellent reputation and considerable experience as a DC10 pilot (was he also 747 rated?) and training captain, I had always wondered whether he considered leaving NZ temporarily, and perhaps joining another airline (I had envisaged QANTAS) to see out his career until retirement. Perhaps you can enlighten us?
No doubt many of you would have come across the new website on the Erebus disaster, which was launched yesterday by NZALPA:
Erebus plane crash disaster story. Air New Zealand flight TE901 crashed at Mt Erebus Antarctica 28 November 1979 > Home
There are already other threads on this topic.
I watched one of the videos where your father is awarded the Presidential Citation from the IFALPA in March 2009 - it shows him with I believe is one of his sons (perhaps yourself) sitting next to him.
Your father has not only earned the deep respect of thousands of aviators, as said by bushy, but also numerous non-aviators such as myself.
Although I've never met Gordon, and probably never will, I wouldn't hesitate to say from what I've read that he is a man of the utmost integrity.
I first flew Air NZ in 1985, which is when I heard of the Erebus disaster. I managed to get hold of your father's book from the library, but as an 11 year old, it was a bit above what I could comprehend.
I've since bought a copy many years ago and it sits with all of my other collection.
Your father wrote an excellent Introduction to one of Mararthur Job's aviation crash books. It is well worth the read.
I still have at home a Readers' Digest from 1984, with a substantial article on Erebus. The article does mention your father and the research that he undertook, as well as the evidence that he gave at the Royal Commission. It also mentioned how was treated by colleagues and management after this, and as a consequence, he was effectively forced to quit the airline prematurely.
Given his excellent reputation and considerable experience as a DC10 pilot (was he also 747 rated?) and training captain, I had always wondered whether he considered leaving NZ temporarily, and perhaps joining another airline (I had envisaged QANTAS) to see out his career until retirement. Perhaps you can enlighten us?
No doubt many of you would have come across the new website on the Erebus disaster, which was launched yesterday by NZALPA:
Erebus plane crash disaster story. Air New Zealand flight TE901 crashed at Mt Erebus Antarctica 28 November 1979 > Home
There are already other threads on this topic.
I watched one of the videos where your father is awarded the Presidential Citation from the IFALPA in March 2009 - it shows him with I believe is one of his sons (perhaps yourself) sitting next to him.
