Does anyone know where Maurice is? There has been no news of him for a couple of days.

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..:suspect:

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"...

Nuff said.



BEagle, generally, your posts are always worthy of a read. Here, they are not.:bored:

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!

Having followed Kirk's exploits for many a year and read the delusionally paranoid ramblings on his website, I think that the man is ill.

"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.

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.

Maurice has been through so much you know you would want him alongside in a 'Flight of the Phoenix' scenario.

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.

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.

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...45&oe=58CA9483

That is a poignant image.

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

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.

I'm not sure that anyone does actually sit back too laugh at the establishment clareprop.

From the evidence I have seen it is clearly the other way around.

Still no news of where Maurice Kirk? Or does someone know better?

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.

My understanding is that you need to have a LAA Permit to Fly validated for each country you wish to overfly.
Im sure he has all these written permissions neatly filed for every European and every African state en route...Cough... Cough.

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

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.

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.

Yes, it's $60,000.00. Fuel extra - calculated @ 4 Euro litre, which probably equates to another $20,000.00 . arriving @ Katamarino's $80K

Permits are arranged for all legs through the sponsor.


https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...XtDLCrVjHrZ7dA

Being clever and doing something stupid are not mutually exclusive.

I have just found a post on Maurice's F'book. Unsure if it joins a few more dots.


Maurice Kirk
19 November ·

WHO HELPED PREVENT COMPULSORY GERMAN IN EGYPTION SCHOOL?

Sam, rude to who? your lovely Greek liason chap Lino is yet to grasp the insults I and other English boys on this jaunt have received at Marsa HEMM re fuel costs at $4 a litre and my UK currency being refused for only US Trump stuff, a nation always late for a War or starting on knee jerk stupidity unnecessarily.. etc......I think a little history needs to be recited to young Lino on his way in life and please copy this into his email

Not that it is this generation's responsibility but it was only Belgium that caused us to have to fight the 1st World War.......but, again., that was not the majority's fault or aviator Stampe's fault

Lino did no conscription I suspect but I have urged him to go travel, alone in stead, to absorb the every thing around him at a quicker pace than in a gaggle of people usually on one language foreign to the country they are in

My plans after Marsa horror was resort to my original route to fly via West Africa but it is too late now.,,I will stick with you having paid.and can get no money back

Do you wish me to be rude to you only re promises, promises, a wasted day in Shoreham to wings off etc to London to listen to some pongo, causing me to walk out,waxing eloquent over state helicopter secrets over a dinner table of deliciously flowing champaigne to a bunch of 'who knows what' all of which made me unnecessarily one week behind the rally schedule?.... just ask

If I enter Sudan tomorrow is the visa sorted...? I have great sympathy, dont forget, for your head ACHES, caused by the time consuming stragglers!

bluish skies


He states that his plan was to fly the west coast down to the Cape.

He obviously doesn't like Sam Rutherford which is a great shame, because they have all paid a lot to go on the trip which he is leading, and if it's not meeting their expectations then trouble will result.

Jetblu,

OK, I'll bite. What...? :confused:

Crete to Egypt to West Africa. Sounds ambitious and also makes me wonder why pay all that money for joining the Rally if you weren't using their route and support.

Still, when he finally turns up again on FB we'll learn more

Hornet33
"He obviously doesn't like Sam Rutherford which is a great shame, because they have all paid a lot to go on the trip which he is leading, and if it's not meeting their expectations then trouble will result."

I think by saying 'don't like' is pushing it a little. Sam and Maurice are two different types of characters. I understand that Sam has a military background. Never in one million years could Maurice be institutionalised or accept orders in a military style. [I'm laughing as I type this just imagining it]

I have no idea what expectations they had of one another but from what I can tell Sam seems a pretty decent guy too so I suspect he will give Maurice a pro-rata of his money back.

Jetblu, my $80k came from the additional $20k for a second person (many of the aircraft have two crew). As you say, fuel and a number of other things are extra on top of that.

Understood :ok:

From MK's FB

Yes, I saw that Robin.

My understanding of that is 'I can't throw the towel in otherwise I can't get my money back.'

We have since heard that Maurice was asked to leave, so....

It would be a very lucrative business to ask people to leave 10% into the rally and keep the money, wouldn't it. I suspect Sam will do the decent thing.

Well if Sam doesn't refund him, I'm sure MK will litigate as it is what he does, but sadly Sam probably will use a lawyer!

Not quite sure what the terms and conditions are but it is clear the Rally organisers took the view that Maurice should, for his own safety, turn round and go home. They said that they would support him as far as Kenya after which point he was on his own.

I agree that if that was the case he would be due a proportion of his entrance fee.

Mind you, the publicity the Rally has received is quite amazing. Perhaps he should claim a fee for that....:ok:

Maurice was either an RAF Officer or was in the university air squadron (of its day). I think he had a Flying Officer rank.

Trained as a vet, and not institutionalised? Really?

Robin when they said he should turn around and go home did they mean in the aircraft or schedule ?
Surely for his safety would not have been in the aircraft backtracking a considerable distance with no one supervising him?

They certainly expected him to return on his own

PR speak for he is a very naughty boy who refuses to play by the rules.

However they wish him well knowing he is up to his old tricks and will surface in Cape Town.

I suspect he is on a mission to get there first.

Without a doubt

Should there be anyone out there daft enough to have supportive feelings about this imbecile I'd ask them this;

If you had organised a flying rally from UK to Cape Town (or wherever) and some prick turned up with criminal convictions up the ying-yang, endless convictions for dangerous or illegal flying, a flying reputation as a lawless and barely competent lunatic, been busted as a vet for grotesquely unprofessional behaviour and generally led a life of in yer face confrontation with all decent society would you want him in your rally?

The hell you would.

The man is an utter embarrassment to the UK and a disgrace to aviation, veterinary surgery and to himself. The rally is well shot of this idiot.

Lets treat him as the irresponsible idiot he is, shall we, and not make a "personality"out of him for his mindless lawlessness. That is NOT impressive.

He is an utter disgrace to aviation.