'On a wing and a prayer'

[Guest ozzie]

The doco film of two Thrusters flown from Townsville to the tip of Cape York in the early 80's is now available on DVD

 

http://oranafilms.com.au/?p=621

 

 

[shags_j]

Anyone know who the pilots are?

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

They are Steve Cohen's younger brother Arnold and the late Aden Wickes who was a Qantas 747 pilot at the time. I cannot remember the name of the third one who screwed up on the first flight but he never went any further than the bay at Townsville. I was considered to fly the third one but the other guy was selected because he had a fancy camera that they needed. I ended up remaining in Sydney supplying all the spares they needed to replace all the bits they kept breaking. You could do another doco on the logistics of keeping them in the air.

 

Aden was a bit of an adventurer and he flew a hot air balloon over Mount Everest. Boy did we have some fun back then!

 

Ozzie

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Would the third have been Bill Morris by chance Ozzie ?.Bill actually crashed his Thruster into the water in the Whitsundays as your may remember.

 

The late great Bill Starke would have known of course but he's gone now to that great fly-in in the sky.........................................................Maj...

 

 

[pylon500]

I remember seeing the doco years ago, and always thought the other guy was Steve Cohen, must ask him some time..

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Major, this was filmed in 1983. Bill Morris came along much much later and yes he did ditch in the Whitsundays, (96/97???), he also did some jail time for beating up a house. I worked with his ex, Liz at Shute before it changed over to the new owners.

 

Bill Stark I never heard of his name or met him during those early years. How do you think he fitted into it.

 

The guy's that salvaged the Thuster from the water bought and rebuilt it and it stayed up there. The problem was caused from the poorly built Lord Floats and landing at way to high a speed. The lower half stayed at the touchdown point and the aircraft kept going for a bit.

 

Steve appears in the film, he is towing the banner with the film title on it. This was filmed on the mud flats near the Kurnell Sand Hills. That was his only part in the film. I'll have to ask Arnold who it was that ditched in Townsville. He had little if any powered experience.

 

Whilst this was being filmed Steve lost out to Belton and left the company. And all the bitterness started.

 

Ozzie

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Bill Starke established and ran the UL field at Woodstock west of Townsville, which is still operating and now named Starke Field in Bills memory. Bill did a hell of a lot for ULs in the early days up this way, as he was a CFI and Lightwing dealer. His Easter fly-ins at Woodstock which went for several years, were very well attended and memorable events, that unfortunatly no longer happen.

 

Reason I mentioned Bill was if someone crashed a Thruster in the area he would have known about it. You may want to send Frank Arri (Farri) a PM about it, he would probabily remember . It could have been a bloke named Lee Worthington or Illington, something like that. He was a local Townsville jumper who got into Uls via Frank I believe, and was well known for his 'misadventures' around the period you mention..I was in the States 80-95 so don't have much info during that time other than what Bill shared with me over many enjoyable beers later!.......................................Cheers.. Maj...

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

I just spoke to Arnold the third pilots name was Mike Middleton. After the incident he returned to Sydney and played no further part in the trip.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

No can't say I've heard of Mike...................cheers Ross

 

 

[rick-p]

"Bill Morris came along much much later and yes he did ditch in the Whitsundays, (96/97???), he also did some jail time for beating up a house.

 

It panned out like the script from that famous movie 'From Russia With Love'!