Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

I would like to tender the following anecdote as a tribute to Ossie Watts, who I met when he was Chief Flying Instructor at Alice Springs Aero Club. I flew numerous times with Ossie,and it was under his tution that I gained my Private Pilot's License.
He was ahard instructor, but a thorough gentleman.


My First Solo

1976 Found us working in the Northern Territory, at a place called Santa Teresa Mission, located about 90 kilometres South East of Alice Springs.
With a Dad who was very into mechanical stuff, I too, have always been interested in all things mechanical. Cars, machinery of all sorts, so aircraft were just a natural progression.
I had a long-time dream of flying an aircraft, so whilst we were in The Territory seemed the perfect opportunity to make the dream a reality. I asked Carollyn, and she supported my investigating taking lessons. I had previously taken a Trial Instruction Flight (TIF) at Moorabbin.
So, on a visit into Alice Springs one day, I went along to the Alice Springs Aero Club and enquired about learning with them.
They were very welcoming, and I had the choice of learning in a Cessna 172 or a Piper PA-28-161 ‘Warrior’. I promptly joined the aeroclub, and I opted for the Piper to do my training.
The training was surprisingly affordable. When you compare it to today’s prices, it was almost unbelievable. The going rate then was $24.00 per hour for the aircraft and an additional $4.00 per hour for when you had an instructor flying with you!
The club had 3 aircraft for training purposes. 2 ‘Warriors’, and a C-172. There were 3 instructors also. The Chief Flying Instructor or CFI, ‘Ozzie’, a 9000-hour veteran of the RAAF, Chris C. Chris did not just fly light aircraft, he loved them. He was a great communicator, and he believed that people should enjoy learning to fly, finally there was Roger S, a distant (very) relative of ours.
Most Saturdays, we would drive from Santa Teresa into Alice, for all the regular stuff like shopping etc, and as the airport was on our way in, it was the logical first stop. I had a standing booking for 0830 each Saturday for my lessons.
My first flight was quite an eye-opener, and more than a little bit intimidating. I was flying with the CFI, Ozzie, and as we strapped ourselves into the cockpit, he told me in a very firm voice, “I aim to turn out superior pilots”.
I progressed through the early stages of my training, enjoying both the flying and the ‘pen and paper’ aspects of the course. It was interesting the way each of the instructor’s had their own style of instructing.
On our drive in every Saturday, Carolyn would test me on my knowledge of airmanship, and Air Legislation for my upcoming exams.
I had reached about the 12-hour stage in my training, and I had covered the basics of handling the aircraft and the procedures for operating at Alice Springs, which was a Primary Control Zone, meaning that we could end up sharing the circuit with airliners and other commercial flights, including the Flying Doctor. I also had to learn the correct procedure for communicating over the radio with the Tower and other aircraft.
Well, this particular morning I arrived for my lesson, and I noted with some trepidation that I was scheduled to fly with Ozzie, the CFI.
Well, we went out and pre-light checked the aircraft, then climbed aboard. We set out for the Eastern Training Area, and Ozzie started to set me a series of tasks. “Let’s perform a Stall, then “turn onto this heading”, then “turn onto that heading”, and on and on he went. On our last circuit, he set me a difficult landing that simulated landing on a very short strip, with an imaginary 50 ft tree, growing at the end of the runway. Better known as a Short Field, Obstacle Clearance Landing. I managed this (just!) without injuring either us or the aircraft!
Everything I did was wrong, and I got ‘told’ about it, in no uncertain terms!
After about 45 minutes of this, I was starting to get a bit ‘rattled’. I landed the aircraft, and said to Ozzie, ‘Look, I think I need a bit of a break, I think I’ll call it quits for this morning”. In the most condescending tone imaginable, he replied, “As you wish”. Well, his attitude got me a bit riled up, and I said, “To hell with it, I’ve changed my mind”. I radioed the tower, and told them I was going around again, and firewalled the throttle.
We climbed away and flew a nice, normal circuit, and as my lucky stars must have been shining, I managed beautiful, smooth landing.
No sooner was the aircraft on the ground, than Ozzie told me, “Turn off at the first taxiway”, I did this and then I was commanded to “Stop the aircraft”. I thought, “Here it comes, the World’s greatest Bollicking”!! When I stopped, to my surprise Ozzie undid his harness and climbed out of the aircraft. He looked back over his shoulder and said the words that all new pilot’s dream of hearing, “Do one circuit. No more, and no less”. He then shut the hatch, and walked away. I was left alone in this aircraft I was expected to fly. All by myself!
I turned back to the active runway, and informed the Tower that I intended to do one more circuit. They cleared me, and then I was off!
The first surprise was how lively the aircraft seemed with only one person on board!
I gingerly flew my one circuit, and managed a passably descent landing, and I then taxied back to the aero club.
I shut down the aircraft, released my harness and got out. Standing in the shade watching me was Ozzie. As I approached him, he said, “Well, lad, how was that?” I made some smart-ass reply to the effect of, “It was the most fun I ever had with my clothes on”.
This elicited the reply, “Well, lad, don’t ever forget, quitters never succeed, not in flying, or in life! “Now, go inside and tell the little wife what you have just achieved”.
And that was my first solo.

R.G. (Rod) Eagle