Col Pay

[Mazda]

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Col Pay crashed into a lake this morning while flying an Airtractor. According to the article the aircraft and pilot have not been recovered.

 

I hope this is not as bad as it sounds.

 

Here is a link to the article. Has anyone heard anything about this?

 

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/12/07/1196812973226.html

 

 

[Guest browng]

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Col Pay crashed into a lake this morning while flying an Airtractor. According to the article the aircraft and pilot have not been recovered.I hope this is not as bad as it sounds.

 

Here is a link to the article. Has anyone heard anything about this?

 

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/12/07/1196812973226.html

News.com.au says he is dead. Col Pay had huge experience, including big piston warbirds. A sad day indeed for Australian aviation.

 

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22885316-2,00.html

 

 

[Mazda]

ABC online is saying he has passed away. I'm very sad.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/07/2112301.htm

 

RIP Col, you were a great aviator and a true gentleman.

 

 

[Yenn]

A sad loss to the flying community.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

oh no.was that the guy that had a couple of spitfires out west nsw??..what a tragic day for aussie flying..Prayers for the family..

 

 

[IanR]

oh no.was that the guy that had a couple of spitfires out west nsw??..what a tragic day for aussie flying..Prayers for the family..

He used to have a Spitfire which is now at Temora. He still had a P40, Mustang and I think a couple of other trainers.

 

A great loss.

 

 

[Ben Longden]

I consider myself privileged to have met the man, and did a story on him when he flew his restored Spitfire.

 

Col, you were a bloody legend then, and you always will be.

 

Rest in Peace mate. You went doing what you loved - flying, and helping people.

 

Ben

 

 

Col Pay ... feared dead.

 

Photo: Orlando Chiodo

 

Arjun Ramachandran

 

December 7, 2007 - 3:14PM

 

An "icon" crop-dusting pilot is believed to have died after his plane crashed into a lake in NSW today.

 

Police divers were searching the lake for the pilot, who they believe was a 75-year-old man, a police statement said.

 

The yellow plane had been scooping water from Lake Liddel near the New England Highway near Muswellbrook about 9.30am when it crashed into the lake, said Harley McKillop from Pay's Air Service.

 

"What can I tell you - we've crashed into Lake Liddel ... the pilot's in the wreckage and they haven't retrieved the pilot or the wreckage [from the lake],'' said Mr McKillop, who is also a pilot..

 

"This is a huge loss for us - it's our livelihood.''

 

Despite earlier reports that there had been up to three people in the plane, Mr McKillop said only the pilot had been aboard the plane when it crashed.

 

The plane, an Airtractor AT-802, can only fit one person, he said.

 

Pay's Air Service, which operates a fire-bombing service, had been testing new equipment when the crash occurred, Mr McKillop said.

 

However, it was not yet clear whether the equipment being tested had contributed to the crash, he said.

 

Staff from the company had been at ground-level at the lake when the plane crashed, Mr McKillop said.

 

They rang triple-0 as soon as the crash occurred, he said.

 

Scone Aero Club president Neville Partridge said the pilot of the doomed plane was Col Pay, an experienced pilot and crop-duster from Scone.

 

"He's an absolute icon in the crop-dusting industry,'' he said.

 

"He's got a squillion hours up - he's been doing it for so long.

 

"We're all pretty shattered.''

 

Mr Pay was also one of the country's best known collectors of warbirds, he said.

 

He had once owned the only flying Spitfire in Australia, as well as a Mustang, Tiger Moth and a Kittyhawk.

 

He was well-known for flying the warbirds at airshows, including his home-town's Scone Airshow.

 

A Westpac rescue helicopter has flown to the crash site from Newcastle, and police and ambulance crews were already in attendance.

 

Sydney Morning Herald

 

- with Dylan Welch

 

 

[Guest thrasher]

What a Sad Loss

 

When I was a kid my dear old Dad would tell me about the Spitfire, so over the years it became a wish of mine to see one fly....Well a few years ago Col Pay was at Avalon & Dad was over visiting from Sth Aust. so we went to Avalon & it was quite a moment for me to see a Spitfire take to the sky & to share the experience with My Dad....RIP Col Pay

 

 

[dreemhi]

A huge lose to the aviation fraternity. A few years back I took the trouble to visit Col's hanger at Scone. Whilst it wasn't necessarily open to the public it was open to those who took the trouble to ask for access. I hope that Scone and especially the aviation people of that area take the trouble to mark his memory.

 

David

 

 

[blueshed]

Very Very Very sad, as Ag Pilot myself we do it low all day, and you really don't expect a man with Col Pay's experience to depart our earth in this way. Very close to one's heart, have had the odd coldy with Col and a few stories. What an Amazing Man!

 

Obviously we need to be very carefull when flight testing, anything.

 

Just Shocking News

 

Cheers Guy, Safe Skies For All

 

 

[Guest High Plains Drifter]

Nice tribute to Col -

 

http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/news/ColPay_000.cfm

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Aye HPD - thanks for that link!

 

A sad loss indeed but a brilliant tribute.

 

May I also add a memory of Guidio to that too, who was killed in a Harvard a few years ago and who's Sea Fury (I understand) still now remains unflown because it was "his".

 

Two real great aviators and I hope there are those following in their footsteps who can continue that tradition of aviation heritage that takes so much - in so many areas.