Passing of another aviation icon

[Coop]

I attended a funeral this morning to say goodbye to one of the pioneers of aerial agriculture in this country.

 

Pat Crowther began his agriculture operations on Kangaroo Island in 1955 with one Tiger Moth, dumping superphosphate over paddocks for soldier settlers, including the neighbour's paddock where I first saw him. I was aged about 5 at the time.

 

His operation at Snug Cove (Coveair) wasn't all that far by air from our place, and my parents knew him well. So next time he was over our way he buzzed the house- putting Mum under the kitchen table. On another occasion he tried to stir a response from Dad by buzzing the dairy. This was during milking and the consternation within was predictable. Dad expressed his disapproval by stepping outside and waving a shovel full of cowsh*t at him. A couple cows jumped the rails and took off down to the river flat. Pat disappeared, and a minute or two later the cows re-appeared, at high speed, with the Tiger beating backwards and forwards behind them, shepherding them back up the hill.

 

Driving to Kingscote, it was not uncommon to hear the roaring of a Gipsy engine, and a glance sideways would reveal Pat flying along, just above the telephone lines, keeping pace. There would come a cheery wave, and he would pull up and go on his way. He gave my older brother a ride in the hopper one day, and opened the chute while in flight- it was only a 6" gap, but my brother reckoned it looked like 6 feet.

 

But it wasn't all flying- I remember trips to Snug Cove to go fishing and riding down an extremely steep track in an old Jeep with Pat edging towards the steep drop to provoke screams from my mother and sister.

 

Eventually we left the Island, and our family lost touch with Pat and his family. In the 70's I got involved with gliding and subsequently my Restricted Pilot's license, and occasionally I would see one of Pat's Pawnees with "Crowthair" on its side- so I knew he was still about the place. Then I ran into him again when he delivered one of Waikerie's new two-seaters by aero-tow. A possibly apocryphal story had him challenged to fly his Pawnee through the new hangar (a Bellman) before the doors and roof had been fitted. He never admitted to doing it, but an acquaintance who claimed to have seen it said his comment afterwards was that it was the easiest $200 he'd ever made.

 

He left my sphere of operations again, and during this time I wasn't aware (until today) that he'd developed new spray nozzles, loading techniques, and in conjunction with Roseworthy Agricultural College researched spray patterns and methods of measuring them. I have no idea how much of today's technology associated with aerial agriculture he helped develop, but I understand it to be a substantial contribution. He also conducted agricultural operations in South Africa and the UK.

 

About 20 years later I got my hands on a Tiger, and then an Auster, and I began frequenting some of the airfields South of Adelaide, and I ran into him again. By now an older man, he still possessed that ascerbic wit and "grumpy" demeanour (a total facade) and distaste for anything bureacratic that got in the way of getting the job done. His opinion of the "Department" was expressed in his interpretation of the letters "DCA": Dumb........ (You can figure out the rest). Yes, he took some risks from time to time, but any pilot that makes his living in this field for most of his life and lives to a ripe old age has learned some lessons that we'd do well to emulate.

 

He frequented Noarlunga airfield during his last years, acting as a mentor and source of aeronautical knowledge for us less experienced pilots.

 

I hope someone writes his biography. I only know a small fraction of the man's life and I've got stories enough- a complete account would be a great read. I only wish I'd had more contact with him, and learned a little more of what he knew.

 

Goodbye Pat, and thank you for lighting the spark all those years ago.

 

I dunno what they are gonna do in heaven. I don't think angel's wings come with interplane struts and bracing wires, but I'm sure they'll figure something out.

 

Coop

 

 

[Guest Chainsaw]

Coop, well written. He was a real character for sure. Thanks mate :)

 

 

[siznaudin]

Thanks, Coop .. so sorry I couldn't make it yesterday.

 

The Naralungans have lost one of their most respected elders, for sure.

 

Blue skies and nil turbulence, Pat - well done!