Maurice Kirk is in Africa
When I lived near Taunton in the early 1970s, back from university (or perhaps it was RAFC, I'm not sure), I was driving into Taunton and was astonished to see an aeroplane flying very low over Vivary Park, well inside the congested area of the town... In fact it might have been actually taking off from there..
I mentioned it to a friend; she told me "Probably that lunatic Kirk again"...
Over the following decades I have followed his shenanigans with curious interest; if he really does hold a valid pilot's licence, it would be very interesting to know who did his last revalidation dual training flying or proficiency check.
But some sort of aviation folk hero he is emphatically not.
I mentioned it to a friend; she told me "Probably that lunatic Kirk again"...
Over the following decades I have followed his shenanigans with curious interest; if he really does hold a valid pilot's licence, it would be very interesting to know who did his last revalidation dual training flying or proficiency check.
But some sort of aviation folk hero he is emphatically not.
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"I mentioned it to a friend; she told me "Probably that lunatic Kirk again"...
Nuff said.
BEagle, generally, your posts are always worthy of a read. Here, they are not.
The shenanigans of which you speak are not of Maurice's making.
As a litigant-in-person seeking damages should say enough.
Give him a break, please!
Nuff said.
BEagle, generally, your posts are always worthy of a read. Here, they are not.
The shenanigans of which you speak are not of Maurice's making.
As a litigant-in-person seeking damages should say enough.
Give him a break, please!
"I mentioned it to a friend; she told me "Probably that lunatic Kirk again"...
Mere heresay. Post facts - not slurs. There's been enough of that. Kirk fell foul of a very chummy circle in the judiciary and police. When solicitors refuse to represent people - it takes a special type of mettle to stand-up against that clique, alone in court. Whatever his failings, or otherwise as an aviator, I raise my hat to him for having the balls and sheer stubbornness to fight his corner. Most of the people posting here would have crumpled - Kirk didn't and hasn't. Respect.
Mere heresay. Post facts - not slurs. There's been enough of that. Kirk fell foul of a very chummy circle in the judiciary and police. When solicitors refuse to represent people - it takes a special type of mettle to stand-up against that clique, alone in court. Whatever his failings, or otherwise as an aviator, I raise my hat to him for having the balls and sheer stubbornness to fight his corner. Most of the people posting here would have crumpled - Kirk didn't and hasn't. Respect.
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In all honesty Strake with what he's been through, I think the average person would have completely been driven over the edge. Sure, some of the stuff on his website seemingly appears like ramblings but his mind must be going like 100mph with corruptness which is so evident it just smacks you in the face.
Do you genuinely believe that a 'criminal' would make all evidence, all transcripts, so readily available to the public if he had something to hide?
He's not delusional but may probably have very good reason to be paranoid.
I think he may also like a tipple from time to time which may not assist him.
Do you genuinely believe that a 'criminal' would make all evidence, all transcripts, so readily available to the public if he had something to hide?
He's not delusional but may probably have very good reason to be paranoid.
I think he may also like a tipple from time to time which may not assist him.
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Jetblu,
If it was one or two incidents over a period of time, I might think he's been unlucky in his dealings with the law in both aviation and as a vet. However,just a simple Google shows that he has pretty much brought everything upon himself by his cavalier attitude. Of course, the defense 'just leave me alone to get on with my life' garners sympathy but when his attitude affects other peoples lives or is against the law then it's just plain selfish and where flying aircraft is involved, potentially dangerous to others.
Much like Clarkson - hero to some, zero to others. Neither side are ever likely to change their minds.
If it was one or two incidents over a period of time, I might think he's been unlucky in his dealings with the law in both aviation and as a vet. However,just a simple Google shows that he has pretty much brought everything upon himself by his cavalier attitude. Of course, the defense 'just leave me alone to get on with my life' garners sympathy but when his attitude affects other peoples lives or is against the law then it's just plain selfish and where flying aircraft is involved, potentially dangerous to others.
Much like Clarkson - hero to some, zero to others. Neither side are ever likely to change their minds.
Thread Starter
This picture from when the VAR were locked up says it all.
Note Maurice and where he is in relation to,the rest of the team.
Gambella Airport: where the VintageAirRally Teams slept 2 nights on the floor after having been taken all means of external communication and were left without permission to call their embassies. With internal spaces approaching 32 degrees, they were banned from approaching any windows or balconies, were kept in unsanitary conditions with access to little and poor quality food & drinks at inflated prizes and no access to mosquito nets.
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Do you remember that Biggles guy who landed in a tree in Scotland ? Dont know what happened to him?
His exploits and eccentricity entertained us for ages
Maybe because we are so regulated and correct nowadays we need characters like Kirk to add some colour to our grey world flying
There was another pilot who landed a Cessna in the centre of Moscow and another who attempted flying under the London Bridges
Sometimes its the kick up the backside of the establishment that they bring? sometimes its silly old fool but there again maybe we need people like him ? Just to remind us what individuality is and to in a strange way admire his never lie down spirit even if he is a crackpot
His exploits and eccentricity entertained us for ages
Maybe because we are so regulated and correct nowadays we need characters like Kirk to add some colour to our grey world flying
There was another pilot who landed a Cessna in the centre of Moscow and another who attempted flying under the London Bridges
Sometimes its the kick up the backside of the establishment that they bring? sometimes its silly old fool but there again maybe we need people like him ? Just to remind us what individuality is and to in a strange way admire his never lie down spirit even if he is a crackpot
Pace,
Unfortunately, aviation is littered with wizard wheeze, jolly jape or silly old fool stories that don't have an ending where we can sit smugly back and laugh at the establishment.
Unfortunately, aviation is littered with wizard wheeze, jolly jape or silly old fool stories that don't have an ending where we can sit smugly back and laugh at the establishment.
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Do you remember that Biggles guy who landed in a tree in Scotland ? Dont know what happened to him?
His exploits and eccentricity entertained us for ages
The man was an idiot. He flew through in airspace without clearance, had no idea what flight levels are, used his own calculations for fuel consumption which lead to getting awful low, overflew Scone thinking it didn't have the kind of fuel he needed (and even if it didn't a safe landing there would have been preferable to what he did), was scared by the approach to Dundee, finally wrote off his plane in a tree having also overflown plenty of landable fields.
Wherever he is I hope it's no-where near the cockpit of any sort of plane.
https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/p-m-...12-august-2009
PS he must have flown quite close to Glenrothes as well though before reaching Perth.
His exploits and eccentricity entertained us for ages
The man was an idiot. He flew through in airspace without clearance, had no idea what flight levels are, used his own calculations for fuel consumption which lead to getting awful low, overflew Scone thinking it didn't have the kind of fuel he needed (and even if it didn't a safe landing there would have been preferable to what he did), was scared by the approach to Dundee, finally wrote off his plane in a tree having also overflown plenty of landable fields.
Wherever he is I hope it's no-where near the cockpit of any sort of plane.
https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/p-m-...12-august-2009
PS he must have flown quite close to Glenrothes as well though before reaching Perth.
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I should add that his aircraft G-KURK has a current permit to fly and the aircraft is insured, but what makes me wonder is what pilots licence he is using, as I it might be very difficult to ever convince the UK CAA of medical fitness to fly having been sectioned under the mental act, so is he flying on a French Licence or European Licence? I also wonder if on a UK permit to fly an aircraft can legally fly across Europe or does it require an EASA certificate.
Im sure he has all these written permissions neatly filed for every European and every African state en route...Cough... Cough.
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It seems he is too complicated an individual for all the posts. He was not sectioned for being ill, but when they tried to prosecute him for the machine gun they sectioned him from prison for assessment and the CAA formally agreed he could fly after that. It seems the NHS said:-
“Maurice's general intelligence is rated as being in the Superior range, placing him in the top 1% of the population.”
In case it helps :-
https://mauricejohnkirk.wordpress.co...t-mauricekirk/
This shows he was locked up in August 2009 and so could not crash as implied in some posts
“Maurice's general intelligence is rated as being in the Superior range, placing him in the top 1% of the population.”
In case it helps :-
https://mauricejohnkirk.wordpress.co...t-mauricekirk/
This shows he was locked up in August 2009 and so could not crash as implied in some posts
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Beags: Surely Vivary is right under short final for the old Taunton International Airport, as advertised in Flight International in the seventies? At the corner of The Avenue and Staplegrove Road.
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In fairness to Maurice Kirk, a certain police authority and a consultant psychiatrist did in my opinion falsely section MK under the mental health act, but the UK CAA following these events, found there was no evidence that MK was mentally ill. His class two was renewed at Gatwick, I understand this was based on a medical examination, MRI and independent expert opinion. I would add the police psychiatrist was subsequently dismissed and failed to maintain his status as an expert witness in the English and Welsh Courts.
That may be one of the services provided under the original $60,000 - $80,000 per airplane entrance fee.