To Fly or Not to Fly

A ditty scribbled by Bill Fleming in awe and wonderment on return from assisting in the recovery of this aircraft. As he recalls, the chain of events was roughly as follows: One flyer (hereinafter referred to as Our Valiant Aviator - OVA) was tasked to do a Sunday session of solo circuits and bumps. As scheduled, OVA turned up at Fairbairn aerodrome but no sign of instructor. Being a responsible cadet he pushed the aeroplane out of its hangar and readied it for flight, including topping up the tank.

He waited. Still no sign of instructor. Should the morning be spent in idleness and sloth? No, particularly as the next-up pilot would be sure to turn up just as the instructor arrived and insist that OVA's allotted time had expired, and that it was now his turn. So, showing commendable initiative, OVA resolved to go ahead with his solo circuits and bumps. Did all the proper pre-flight checks - fuel, flaps, full and free movement of the controls - all the right stuff; got a green light from the control tower (no radio in light aircraft in those days) and away. Did a number of commendable landings and was on another final approach over the Queanbeyan Hills when the engine, having sucked the last of the fuel from the rear tank, gently died. (Here I should mention in passing that the tank that OVA had topped up prior to flight had been the front tank). Silence. Then, Sir Isaac Newton's chief invention rapidly asserting itself, OVA perforce executed a somewhat harder bump into the tussocky paddock short of the aerodrome boundary hedge.

Still silence; no wailing sirens, no flashing red beacons, no rushing fire trucks. Again OVA waited, until resignedly, sadly, he hoofed it across the tussocky paddock, past the guard-house at the gate, down the long line of hangars, until, reaching the control tower, he wearily mounted its staircase. Then, entering the nerve centre of Fairbairn's flight operations, to a certain consternation, but also significant disbelief, he announced to the duty Erk that he had crashed!

And as for Clink, where one could get extra drills at the drop of a hat and 21 days CB for simply sneezing on parade or some similarly unpardonable sin, I don't believe OVA was even subjected to an Enquiry, let alone disciplinary action!

W.G.R.F.