Is Revenge sweet…..! ( a funny true story )

Is Revenge sweet…?

This is a true story that happened away back in 1979 when rules on aviation werent quite as tuff as they are today and….. in some cases thats not a bad thing..!

Read on….!

The year was 1979, and on the station where I worked on and off while at Uni and for a short stint after graduation there were four of us that held private pilot licences able to fly privately on any light (GA ) aircraft that we each held ratings on..

While at Mesopotamia I was privileged to have the very experienced Laurie Prouting  work with me on the ins and outs of MOUNTAIN flying.. a very valuble piece in my early flying days…..

At the time there were a number of different types of aircraft  that I held ratings on  ( Ratings are where we practise until proficient, usually at an Aero Club with an instructor until we gain sufficient experience to pass a practical flying test, usually with the chief flying instructor , after which we are then allowed to carry passengers, and use various air fields such as the one at Mesopotamia..) 

Ok back to the story….

This day I had the task of Discing  (Cultivating ) a very large paddock out on the river flats at Mesopotamia , and this day was a typical one with a moderately windy Nor West wind blowing which made things things very dusty when at the top of the paddock turning the tractor around and having the dust from the discs stiring large clouds of such as we headed back down the paddock, at times having to concentrate quite hard to follow the previous cultivation line  ..

Now it was while heading the tractor down wind as such, and concentrating on the job in hand when all of a sudden over the noise of the tractor, I thought the world had come to an end, and I have to say got one hell of a fright…!

Suddenly the sunny day light turned dark…. at the same time there was one hell of a rubble associated with this event, and I thought ….. my be geeeeeezes what in the heck just happened… I stood on the tractors clutch and looked out the cab window to see what had happened,,,Hmmmmmm

Folks  I had just been dive bombed by Laurie in the Stations own Auster aircraft…he was obvious flying around checking on stock etc, and had seen me out in the middle of a dust ball and thought I know how to make young COPPERTONE   ( this was my nick name ) sh…t his pants…lol

What he did was wait till I couldn’t see much in the dust and had come around behind the tractor throttled back and as he glided down directly over me about 6 feet above, opened the planes throttle in which the Auster has four exhaust pipes with no muffler which face directly down so I got the full effect of the noise plus the plane as it past over blocked the sun temporarily… 

That night at tea time Laurie took great delight in telling everyone on the station that he made old Coppertome sh…t his pants causing great laughter at my expense ….

During this time at the station,it was quite common for any of us who happened to be flying at the time to dive bomb others when situations arise, and today it was my turn…  

It was quite a few months later, and one Friday afternoon I had taken a plane down to West Melton to have some maintenance done on it and while there spent the weekend enjoying a catch up with some mates in town 

Come Sunday early evening prior to my intended return flight, rang Mesopotamia station to get a weather check, and who happened to be visiting the station , and answered the phone…. Laurie …. hello there how the weather for returning looking… yep good….. clear with a moderate norwest about 8 to 10 knots…thanks Laurie i will be up there in a hour and a bit… cheers and rang off…

Now normally Laurie lived on his own station over in the Ashburton Gorge and usually comes over to Mesopotamia to do aerial work such as top dressing etc….

Anyway I arrived out at WestMelton airfield and after a brief general discussion with the engineer, did my aircraft preflight, fueled it up,, lodged a flight plan and took off, heading back flying over Lake Clearwater and around the hill by Mt Potts Station, then turning on the final leg across the Rangitata river and landing at Messy, but……. as I rounded the hill and in view of the Station, I noticed a landcrusier heading down the dusty road and it looked like it was leaving and immediately I thought….. LAURIE……and then further retaliatory thoughts…. Hmmmm PAY BACK TIME>>>>>

HeHeHe….. I knew he wouldnt have seen or heard me as he left, so thought I would lower the plane to around 200 feet, and flew over the river and around behind the land cruiser, and as I caught up to it lowered the plane down  and eased off the throttle and lowered a notch of flap allowing the aircraft to safely fly slower ….

Waiting for my moment…… lowered the plane even lower and almost running the planes wheels over the roof of the land crusier, opened the throttle, as I passed and pulled up , gaining height once again and then yawed the rudder around so I could see what my handy work had achieved…..???

YEP>>>>> I GOT HIM A GOODIN>>>>!

The land crusier had veered off the road and into the matagari scrub….. and I thought….YESSSSS   “we are even my friend.”..!

Gaining height, I circled around and landed at the airfield, opened the hanger doors and was busy pushing the plane in when up the airstrip came the land crusier,  I was smiling a wide smile as the driver got out, but there was a bit of a problem……

The driver wasnt LAURIE…. it was the BOSS…. Malcolm Prouting senior, and… he was not impressed at all…For ten minutes I couldnt get a word in edgeways in defence….

The result…… from now on ALL PILOTS on Mesopotamia, and BANNED from any low flying, and ANY dive bombing…. ..OPPS…..