the bennymay story: chapter 3

Uni-student

1994 – 1996

Since I had compression fractures is my vertebrae, some of my friends told me to claim for damages through the aircraft owner’s insurance company. Others said sue. Money doesn’t really solve all the big problems.

The vertebral compression fractures and back pain caused me no more problems by late 1994, two years after the P-40’s forced landing. My love of flying was only strengthened by the awesome take-off and aerobatics during that flight—even if the landing was less than ideal.

I approached a member of the recruiting officer for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), when I was planning the transition from school to the workforce. He asked about my academic performance. I did not see fit to mention to him that high school was incredibly boring, and my grades reflected my enthusiasm for monotony, so I said something like ‘okay’. He asked about my medical history. It’s rather difficult to describe honestly a broken back without it sounding somewhat bad, and they guy quickly explained I should never bother the RAAF again, since they will never take a guy who has had a bad back, and train him to fly in ejection-seat fighter aircraft.

If high-school had taught me one thing, it was to care almost nothing for opinions such as his. During my Commercial Pilot License (CPL) training I began flying with some aerobatics pilots. I became very good friends with another student in my science aviation degree, Freddo, who used to fly the Mirage jet in the RAAF. Freddo had flown many different types of operations and aircraft—including combat, peacetime, civilian and combat search and rescue, gunships, rescue choppers, gliders, fast-jets, general aviation, formation aerobatics displays at airshows, and so on. About women, Freddo advised me, ‘Porsches are expensive to run’, but about aviation he said, ‘Aviation is like a great feast, and you’ll be most satisfied if you sample it all.’ Freddo, along with the RAAF members and ex-RAAF members who lectured us at university and in its flying school, advised me to apply to fly fast-jets. I think high-school taught me two things, but I may have forgotten the second.

Russ Evans, one of the old Tiger Moth pilots, had flown for about 200 years in the aviation industry—military and civilian. After passing me on my CPL test flight on 13 February 1995, Russ told me, ‘Ben, you’ll be bored in the airlines. You can do it, but you’ll be bored. You’ll be happier in fighters.’ He shared some thoughts on boredom, with respect to airlines, military aviation during peacetime, and military aviation in times of combat, and I listened very carefully.

Tiger Moth (in RAAF colours)

I loved the ballet of the 1930s Tiger—taking my friends for aerobatics joyrides over the Hunter Valley vineyards, and having a great time.

PDU & DCF (Phil, can I use this image if I promote Action Aerobatics?)

I loved the guts of the Pitts Special—trying to pull off the perfect manoeuvre in front of a panel of judges and a small crowd of people all tilting their chins towards the top of the blue above them.

F8L Falco

I loved intense flying, such as test flying, competition aerobatics and air races. By age 22 I had done aerobatics in the C152A Aerobat, the DHC1 Chipmunk, the DH82A Tiger Moth, the Great Lakes, the famous Pitts Special S2A, and a few other types. I had attained a low-level aerobatics endorsement with Guido in the stunning, high-performance Italian sports aircraft the F8L Falco. Just as many of us have driven ten or so different types of cars, I have driven around 25 to 30 different types of aircraft. And yes, the Falco is my favourite.

[In memory of the generosity of Freddo & Guido—for their counsel, aircraft, and aerobatics instruction—I dedicate this chapter to them.]

© Benjamin May 2009

Go to chapter 4.