EGAC Monthly Meeting

[alf jessup]

Had a cracker of a monthly meeting today at the East Gippsland Aero Club in Bairnsdale with one of the guest speakers being a local legend by the name of Ben Buckley from Omeo/Benambra area

 

For those in the know of Ben I need say no more, for those of you who don't know of Ben I will fill you in on just a little of this East Gippsland legend aviator

 

Ben was a career ag pilot who on a number of occasions ran foul of CASA and ended up having his licence suspended or cancelled more that a dozen times in his career as over regulated CASA rules were not for this bush pilot.

 

Legend has it Ben flew under the snowy river bridge at Orbost frightening the crap out of the workers constructing it, when CASA came calling on him he denied it telling them that it wasn't him and that his wing span was wider than the pylons supporting the structure so it was impossible and the workers must have been delusional

 

CASA being happy with that after taking measurements agreed and no further action was taken, funny thing is with a forward slip it is possible to fit between the pylons but we will leave it at that as no one in their right mind would try that eh?

 

Ben had made a number of mercy flights over the years saving limbs and lives flying through atrocious conditions to get them to Melbourne and Albury for urgent medical attention and is still loved by the locals to this day.

 

Ben also has flown a 2 stroke Lightwing from Mallacoota to Haas on New Zealand's South Island, why you may ask, because no one had ever flown an ultralight direct across the Tasman, after departing Mallacoota in far East Gippsland with his Lightwing full of fuel in the wings and Ben's many own 20 litre drums destined initially for the tip rigged up inside the cabin he landed in New Zealand 11.5 hours later, did he have approval from Beaurocrats in Australia, na not really they wouldn't have let him go he says in his own words, was it fool hardy? Well the engine doesn't know it's over water does it he says and I agree, he had an immersion suit which a helicopter pilot wanted him to test out but he had to pay him $2000 dollars first in case he didn't come back. And yes he got his money back.

 

I could go on and on about this local legend and could listen to him for hours and hours and never tire of him but I will leave it at that.

 

Was Ben reckless at times yeah I would say so, was he skillful in his chosen career, most definitely, was he lucky, yes Ben has had some luck but Ben's skill has also played a big part on him making it to 80 years old.

 

If you want some awesome reading look for a book called Buckleys Chance written by Bob Stevens, it is not in print these days but I was fortunate enough to hunt one down on eBay a few years back and it is some of the best reading on the life of this now spritely 80 year old who has logged the best part of 30,000 hours

 

Speaking of another legend I must thank Bob Docking (Biggles) on here and his wife Sally for the awesome catering at today's meeting.

 

Cheers

 

Alf