🚀 go-pugleaf

On Mon, 3 Dec 2001 14:03:22 +1300, "Graeme Butler"
<taurangadolphins@clear.net.nz> wrote:

>My trip to Chatham was an adventure.
>
>The Bristo Freighter had huge doors in front that gave access to the cargo
>hold.  This aircraft had a modified pod with seats and sound insulation and
>the windows lined up with the portholes on the fusilage.
>
>The flight was long, 350 or 400 miles and we were not that high, 3000 feet
>comes to mind. able to see the seas breaking anyway.
>
>After about four hours we sighted the island and landed on a paddock
>airstrip and the aircraft taxied to a concrete pad.
>
>This pad had apparently been built after one or two incidents of the
>aircraft sinking into the peat up to the wheel axles and having to be
>extricated wit a great deal of difficulty.
>
>I went from the airstip to a very isolated sheep station, one of the oldest
>Chatham Island homes.  In the attic were instruments, and other bits and
>peices of a Sunderland that struck a log in the lagoon, puncturing a float
>and then being written off by the Government.  Bits of this Sunderland are
>spread among the farms and homes of Chatham.  A propeller is set in concrete
>outside of the post office building.
>
>Other passengers on the flight included a Fisheries inspector and a number
>of fishermen on their way to court in Chatham, for various offenses.  Others
>were joining boats fishing in the area.
>
>A returning local asked me whare I was going, I told them I was on my way to
>Manage A big Sheep station down there, His response was....Hey Guys, this
>poor bastard is going to manage Spannerhead's place.
>
>Everyone gathered around and offered me huge sympathy, it seemsed that
>Spanner head was a well known, well judged local nutter with a ferocious
>reputation.
>
>Itr was an adventure.  Sorry about the rave but the memory of flying in that
>rattly old aircraft so far out into the Southern Ocean is one of my
>favourites. 

If you want more data about flying an Air Express Bristol Freighter
 go to http://members.tripod.com/ahsa_q/articles/bristol.htm

For a Bristol Freighter cockpit pic go to the "our Aircraft" section
of http://www.raafmuseum.com.au/aircraft/index.htm
Hit the Bristol Freighter button and click on the cockpit picture to
enlarge it. 

Cheers
Peter Cokley