My name is Greg, but some call me "Grogery" - aviation is cruel isn't it. I would explain it but it is another yarn, and you would be better asking Tom Waterhouse Smith and Junior Smith of the "RNAC Smith family on Safari" why "Grogery", and it is not what you think.
Learn't to fly at the Aero Club of Broken Hill in 1980 with a mad norwegian, who was a great fella and pilot/CFI too, by the name of Bernard Fjelde. A great memory and lesson for those who may care to listen, was when Bernard made me walk the full length of a bush strip before taking off. As you could imagine, me as a 19 year old thought he was a bit delusional at the time, however on a flight some years later the lesson came flowing back when I struck some fencing wire on a bush strip. All of a sudden the reason became very real and the lesson was learn't, shame i didn't learn it first time round, and luckily i live to fly another day, so - never assume anything, listen to the wise and don't underestimate the wisdom, there is always something to learn from those who have done it before you. In fact at the clubs 75th Anniversary last October, which Bernard came back to, we found his last Steep turns briefing, still in chalk on the briefing room blackboard in the club, and i was the student. It's been there for 30 odd years. Great memories!
I flew constantly up to 1989 and began CPL studies with the Dyson Holland kits, fell in love and never finished it. Then it was time for family and job to pay some bills. Now family has grown up and I am back, as big a tragic for flying as ever, strange disease which I and most others with it struggle to explain it seems. I am using Bob's CPL as a refresher and who knows may even sit for the licence and do an instructors rating, no age limit they tell me! Why you may ask, a great man once said - because it is good for you
These days I have returned to fly with the Royal Newcastle Aero Club (RNAC) and enjoy the friendly atmosphere and the odd safari with other members and a great crew of permanent and honorary instructors as well as a great modern fleet of aircraft from RAA to GA.
At present I am having a pretty exciting dabble with a little biplane they call the ferrari of the sky! The Pitts Special. As a kid in the 70's I remember watching a little bloke called Chris Sperou from Adelaide, throw his little red S1 Pitts around the airshows in Broken Hill and since then always harboured the ambition to try for myself. As it happens the wheel has turned full circle and RNAC has a Special, and a CFI that can fly one or two of the Pitts species. This CFI would go by the name of Phil Unicomb but I prefer to call him Captain Phil ! Only because he deserves it, and commands a maritime vessel in his time off these days. I am having a fantastic time flying an aeroplane that does exactly what you make it do when you tell it to, and consider myself very privileged to have Captain Phil up front as a partner in crime. A great instructor and the patience of some biblical figure.
So there ya have it, a little bit about me. Phil says g'day by the way Bob and talks fondly of the comeraderie among the Aerobatic fraternity. My thanks for the training mateials and the pragmatic way of explaining it. 4 exams passed first time round out of 7 to date. Carry on, many thanks.
GregK
