Flight of the Kiwi Revisited
The Air Force has donated a one man dinghy/liferaft and a life vest to Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT). Volunteer worker Mr Cliff Tait wanted the equipment for inclusion in a display at the Museum of the rebuilt Air Tourer AESL he flew around the world in 1969.
Back then the RNZAF donated the same equipment for Mr Tait’s amazing flight, which saw him initially island hopping to Japan.
He had planned to fly via Russia but Cold War sensibilities blocked that route. Fitted with a 115hp Lycoming engine the tiny two-seater Air Tourer was loaded into a container and shipped to Seattle where Mr Tait resumed his flight over the Rockies and the US.
He says the most dangerous part of the journey was the 14-hour flight from Greenland to Iceland when he was heavily overloaded with extra fuel stored in the cockpit. He puts his success down to being taught basic navigation skills and an ability to ‘read the water’.
Mr Tait served in the RNZAF as a Radio Mechanic during 1948-49 and undertook his amazing journey at the age of 37 soon after getting his pilot’s license. ‘I suppose at the time people said it couldn’t be done so I did it.’ Mr Tait, who for many years was Chief Pilot at Aerospace, was keen to showcase the Air Tourer to the world but in those days ‘you just had to get out and sell it’, and that meant literally demonstrating the aircraft’s abilities.
Now approaching 80 years Mr Tait still likes to fly ‘if I can find someone brave enough to fly with me.
’He wrote a book, Flight of the Kiwi (SQNLDR Percy Wootton holds a copy) about his flight and another Water Under My Wings about his experiences with Air Trainers (a copy is available in the Defence Library, Wellington).
The Kapiti Air Academy recently graduated the first British student who has taken advantage of the Academy’s accreditation to the Ministry of Defence (UK) Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme. This scheme provides financial assistance to current and ex-members of the UK Armed Forces for a wide range of vocational training, including aviation. Information on this scheme is available from http://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com
In early January 2007, the Academy completed the accreditation process and can now conduct pilot training up to New Zealand Commercial Pilot standards for fixed and rotary wing aircraft. These licences are recognised by several overseas countries, including the UK.
Simon Fisher, an ex-RAF Hercules pilot, now flying B777 for British Airways, used his recent visit to New Zealand to undergo a Foreign Pilot’s Licence validation with the Air Academy. He completed several ground lectures, demonstrated his flying skills, and was type rated on the Cessna 152 and Piper Cherokee. Simon then completed several consolidation flights before being awarded his NZ Private Pilot’s Licence.