Flying dream about to come true for 91-year-old

[IanR]

http://www.camdenadvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/flying-dream-about-to-come-true-for-91yearold/2290481.aspx

[Gnarly Gnu]

Fantastic! One aspect where I feel aviation in Australia leads the US is allowing this sort of thing; the FAA are very harsh on older pilots and anyone who has ever had any significant health problem - and like your local council there is no recourse or appeal process.

 

 

[old man emu]

I'm glad to say that the company I work for has been closely involved in Dave's construction. At the moment he is preparing to do teh fabric work on the fuselage. After that, the plane only needs painting, and the fitting of a prop.

 

He has reserved the registration letters VH-DCA for the aircraft. The letters stand for Dave & Connie Archer. Connie was his wife's name. The plane started out as one of Garry Morgan's Super Diamonds, but Dave made some modifications, so he's decided to call it an Archer Diamond. The workmanship is quite good. We know the wing spars are really good, because the manufacture was oversighted in our workshop. The fabric work is great. I can't wait to see its maiden flight. From what I hear, it should be a hot little goer.

 

Dave is a fiesty little bugger. Full of disrespect for his juniors, and always ready to do a bit of sparring. You wouldn't think that he's 91.

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[Jeff Gordon]

Nice story about David Archer. I saw something on the ABC news tonight about a Catalina Flying boat coming back to Australia. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-12-02/wwii-flying-boat-arrives-in-darwin/226726

 

The WW11 pilot now 91 climbed back into the cockpit and relived his years doing 32 hour sortis. The Qantas Pilot who flew it out to Oz, said that would have been a real struggle and they earned their reputations as rather than fly, you have to wrestle the thing through the air.

 

 

[eightyknots]

What a brilliant, uplifting story. Nice you could be part of it O M E . Would you be able to post more info/pics about the maiden flight?

 

 

[old man emu]

I will post pix of the maiden. I'm hoping that it won't be too long.

 

OME

 

 

[eightyknots]

Look forward to that, O. M. E.