Vale Creighton Kaye RIP
Now there's a name from the past!
What a character he was. Doubtless there'll be lots of Creighton stories to come, but the first time I met him stands out. It was a Friendship flight to Wynyard, I'd been told that the captain had been called out off reserve, eventually Crieghton turned up, introduced himself and "Jim", Crichton was in uniform but "Jim" was clad in overalls and covered in grass clippings! Jim was positioned in the jump seat - far be it for me, a lowly half stripe FO to query who he was/what he was doing there. Eventually the story came out - he was Crieghton's neighbor, and had been mowing his lawn when Creighton appeared - as he was getting in his car, he'd called out: "Hey Jim, would you like to come to Wynyard and back"? Different days, but so typical of Creighton...
RIP Captain.
What a character he was. Doubtless there'll be lots of Creighton stories to come, but the first time I met him stands out. It was a Friendship flight to Wynyard, I'd been told that the captain had been called out off reserve, eventually Crieghton turned up, introduced himself and "Jim", Crichton was in uniform but "Jim" was clad in overalls and covered in grass clippings! Jim was positioned in the jump seat - far be it for me, a lowly half stripe FO to query who he was/what he was doing there. Eventually the story came out - he was Crieghton's neighbor, and had been mowing his lawn when Creighton appeared - as he was getting in his car, he'd called out: "Hey Jim, would you like to come to Wynyard and back"? Different days, but so typical of Creighton...
RIP Captain.
..and speaking of both half-stripe FO's and Creighton, here he is, 2nd from the right:
Moderator
Certainly an interesting character. I think I flew with him once on the 72 ? All getting a bit hazy now. The senior cadre is dropping off the perch in rapidly increasing numbers ....
Great bloke, great fun and always had a mischievous grin on his face. Last time I saw him he was deaf as a post and it was difficult to converse. Another of the old guard gone. Sad.
