EGTE: sounds about right! As far as I know he had a lifetime ban from Dunks though, since about 1977. Something to do with chasing the CFI (sadly now the late, BP), around the airfield in an aircraft.

Let us just remind ourselves that "donkey" stops in the wrong places with monotonous regularity. I also think your understanding of the word 'special' is at odds with mine and others.

Are you really championing someone who keeps putting a clearly un-airworthy aircraft into these situations? The Cub would not have been crashed, stripped and in need of a rebuild had Kirk flown it responsibly in the first place.

But hey, if he's your idea of a hero keep banging that drum. Just don't be surprised when others point out the flaws in that idolatry and the double standards.

This is interesting. Obviously I agree with some points that are being made, but we must be fair.

MK's son tells me his father had paid for the Cub to have much maintenance for it to be in good shape. And so his son cannot understand why the problems on this trip.

I think MK says somewhere that oil was leaking so he put it down in South Sudan. But he says he could have flown on.

From the stories I've seen, the Cub was late in leaving Dorset but managed to catch the Rally by Egypt.

Seemed like MK was rushing things to meet them and had a number of failures en route. Will be interesting to see his progress to Cape Town

If that Cub was put in "good shape" commercially there must now be lawsuits aplenty flying around. Its appalling failure record shows is was clearly never fit to fly in the first instance. Any chance numerous self-modifications had a part to play? Surely not?

It will be interesting to see if the KAA takes as irresponsible an attitude as the UK CAA do/did to allowing this lunatic to pollute their airspace.

I well know they can be pretty stiff when it suits them and a well publicised but unauthorised "ferry flight" in a dangerously botched Cub might well prompt the KAA into action. In any case a self-righteous, loudmouth rules-averse Mzungu like Maurice is exactly what winds up the Uhuru crowd to breaking point. Good for them!

I, for one, do not wish him luck. I wish him firmly grounded where he can do no further harm to the reputation of aviation of which he has already left a shameful and disgraceful legacy.

He possesses no skills or attributes that any aspiring aviator needs or wants. His best legacy is to be used as a shameful training example representing all that a good aviator should not be.

It seems although some would not vote for MK often because some argue he could try more to prevent emergencies, it seems one of his skills (which others may not have) is that he consistently successfully lands his Cub in an emergency??

You mean like the one he ditched in the Caribbean or the one he smashed up downtown somewhere in Japan?
Neither of those were "successful" IMHO...

Obviously the landing in Japan looks...... But how could anyone recommend he land differently when he has a donkey stop 75 miles from the coast ?

Which leaves us with his account on his video plus this Africa trip, that he has unscheduled landings very many times.

Perhaps we should propose MK and TCT for a joint award for collectively achieving the most to damage to public perception of light aviation?

That would at least bring balance to the Farce.

PDR

Would Jay Sata have proposed this award if the whole TCT saga had never occurred?

PDR1


Not too sure what damage MK has done to the public's perception of light aviation. If he makes it to Cape Town, which looks as though it may yet happen, to me that looks like an achievement....well it does in my book. Public probably won't even notice he has made it but I say "good on him" !!!

If your interested in how MK is perceived you may like to read the last few posts. Even if you don't agree it should give you an insight into how he comes over to some people.

Well why not ask the UK CAA, the Sudan CAA, the Japanese CAA, the U.S. Deporting Department (whatever they are called) the Crete to Cape race organisers, the Sydney Race organisers.....need I go on?

Those organisations are not the public.

He is complex and so the detail in any incident means things are not as some say.

To keep it short one example - the USA authorities are known to be hawkish over security and a hawkish approach to security was the reason for that episode not his flying. He landed six miles away, so when he met them he was on foot with a camera looking eccentric and flying was not the issue.

Quite right they are not the public. They are there to listen to public opinion and to protect the publics' interests and safety.

By the way it seems you can now probably add the Kenya CAA to that list.

Wow. Government bodies listen to public opinion? Nah.
But yes I do know what you mean and tend to agree.

In reply to Hobbit 1983 Kirk has been around UK aviation for decades more that TCT and has a 'reputation' for not taking authority kindly.

There is no intention on my part to link TCT and Kirk. They are at different ends of the GA spectrum.

We in the developed world live in a scenario where paperwork and regulation are primary issues in day to day life.

Kirk finds himself in a more basic practical landscape.

Despite setbacks he never gives up.

Nice to see his helpers are wearing hi viz vests.:ok:https://mauricejohnkirk.files.wordpr...1-cub-work.jpg

I am not sure what the rubber tubing is for but a couple of jubilee clips might be a good idea on the joint.

Who will sign this off? Who knows!

Based on the various views on this thread, as well as some private messages, I believe the Air League Awards Committee will have an interesting discussion about him on 11 Jan.
I think the tubing takes fuel from (plastic) containers in the front cockpit to the main tank!
One can only admire his perseverance when most others would have abandoned the aeroplane in the Bush, and high tailed it home!

For the love of God Terry.
Why is an LAA award more fitting than an Air league one?
A few bungees, Gaffer tape and Silicon are the norm for LAA types I suppose?
You really take the biscuit.:mad:

LAA award ! !......Are you serious !
I think that the only recognition that Kirk will be getting from the LAA is when Chief Insp. Craigie comes hammering on his door . Accompanied by the CAA Surveyor whose remit covers the LAA.
And besides ,,,,the LAA will probably be doing some serious vetting [ouch sorry] on any future award nominees after the last mistake they made. Remember that one Mr Holloway ?
No more AGM's mired in controversy please . Them old boys can still bite , once they've refitted their teeth from the Steradent jar.

Back in 2010 we took a water-taxi over the river back to Aswan from Elephantine Island. It was a small boat (perhaps 10 passengers) with an outboard motor. I had already noted that the outboard's throttle was operated bu a piece of string tied to the driver's toe, and that a bit of rubber tube went from the carb down into the boat. As we were about to depart another man came along with a jerrycan of petrol which he proceeded to pour into the back end of the boat where that rubber tube went. Before I fully took this in the driver started the boat and we set off across the river. I looked more closely and realised that in the bottom of the boat (beneath the driver's feet) was a large bucket - an open fuel tank with several gallons of petrol.

The driver was quite unperturbed by this as he drove the boat and puffed away on his cigarette. Perhaps his perseverance in continuing when most others would have refused to be within a hundred yards of such bodgemanship is equally deserving of an award...

PDR

No! But it has wound up a few people who lack a sense of humour!

Well from all the comments it seems there is little support for an Air League award, and as he is flying an LAA aircraft I thought the suggestion might entertain a few people........!
It has!!

TH, brilliant play. Hook, line and total sinker,, methinks. Now, can someone tell me, CAA Surveyor? The only one I ever met was as much use as a paper plug in a large sink outlet. Given the decades MK has been flying, quite obviously illegally, what makes the offended ones think the CAA Surveyors are now going to act in a very strict manner? Is the Chief Inspector British Transport Police??

Having spent some time in flying in Kenya I suspect MK may well find his bluff called by the KAA. They cannot be unaware of his shenanigans both outside their airspace and within it and any ferry flight of an aircraft in such a parlous state as his is likely to be examined fairly carefully. Lokichoggio is a seriously sensitive area as far as Military and National Security are concerned and arrivals from ther are likely to attract particular attention.
Loki to Wilson is a mere 500 miles. 500 miles of seriously unpleasant rocky desert, thornbush, rift valley and forested wilderness and all in severe turbulence once the sun is up - you might make it in a sound Cub in 2 days - just - but in one as battered as his I think you'd be utterly daft to even try. Even 2 flights of dawn to 1100 - by which time you'd need to be at FL090 or more to avoid the turbulence - is hardly a "ferry trip". He must stop somewhere to refuel and overnight (Lodwar, Eldoret, Nakuru or Nyeri are about the only choices unless he wants to crash somewhere else near a gas station) and not all of these - if any - have the supplies of Avgas he needs afaik - let alone engineering.
If the Kenyan authorities have seen the pics posted =above - and they have - of his wings, cowlings and that appalling fuel "transfer system" they may not be in a very welcoming mood.

But then, why should they?

This website links him with a miracle in South Sudan, so with miracles he definitely could still be in with a chance for an award:-

Evangelism

At least he is involved in real outreach unlike another former pan African 'pilot'.

He donated £500 to the school and I understand he is keen to keep in touch with them.

http://ccissdioceses.org/images/evangelism8.jpg

The Air League awards sub committee met earlier today, and it was agreed that Maurice Kirk will not be the recipient of a 2017 Air League award. The list of those who will be invited to accept awards, at the Annual Reception in St James Palace on 30th May 2017, will be made public during March.

At least you were brave enough to put him on the agenda Terry.

I imagine the discussion was interesting when his name came up.

It was, but actually we were all "behind him" for his efforts and perseverance, so a lot of positive stuff was said. However that was outweighed by the negatives....!
We need a film about him!

Excellent! Consideration of a broad perspective, and a decision which reflects the value in flying as much as possible in harmony with other people, and "the system" in aviation on the whole. Well done Terry and group!