Buckley's Chance

Bob Stevens

Description

Biography of well known Australian agricultural pilot Ben Buckley of Benambra Victoria Australia who has plied his trade in Australia, New Zealand, UK and Sudan. Ben has gained notoriety in Australia over the years by contravening aviation laws for what he states as having fun. He has incurred financial penalties for doing things his way and even cancellation of his flying license. Several severely injured adults and children have Ben Buckley to thank for flying them to urgent medical treatment in often foul weather. A shire councillor for more than 25 years, Ben Buckley is dedicted to serving his fellow man. Countless Australians take joy in stating," I had my first flight with Ben Buckley."

Sujets

• Lettres et linguistique

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 01 mars 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781785384141
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Title Page
Buckley’s Chance
Bob Stevens



Publisher Information
Buckley’s Chance
Published in 2016
by AUK Authors
an imprint of
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
Copyright © 2016 Bob Stevens
The right of Bob Stevens to be identified as author of this book has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyrights Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Andrews UK.



Foreword
There is a saying that there are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no old bold pilots. I suggest that Pierce Edward (Ben) Buckley is the exception that proves the rule.
Ben’s life time of flying “down in the weeds” as a pioneer and, most importantly, a survivor of the agricultural aviation industry has involved him in many adventures and close shaves. Many of these incidents have given rise to stories that have achieved the status of local folk legends.
These tales have grown with the retelling, a process no doubt aided by Ben’s great talent as a raconteur. These legends all have a basis in fact and in this book Bob Stevens provides an accurate insight into a selection of Ben’s better known flying escapades. To record them all would require several more volumes.
There are many facets to Ben’s life other than flying. These include his service to his community in so many ways, particularly his service as a Shire Councillor. He is also a family man, an amateur philosopher and would be Federal politician. These aspects of Ben are admirably covered in this book.
Another side of Ben is his sense of justice or more correctly his sense of the injustice of the punitive powers held and at times apparently abused by officers of the Aviation Authority. Ben has always been passionate in his efforts to ensure that aviation licence holders could not be penalised without due process of the law. While many involved in aviation have spent various amounts of time rattling the bars of the Aviation Authority cage, Ben, in effect, climbed into the CAA cage and engaged in bare knuckle, no quarter given, fighting with the beast called bureaucracy.
This book details the long and acrimonious confrontation between Ben and the Aviation Authority, which led to his subsequent appearances in court and ultimately the revocation of his pilot’s licence, never to be reinstated.
Despite being banished to the wilderness, Ben relentlessly campaigned for reinstatement of his licence and his livelihood. Eventually, following a reshuffle of chairs at the top of the then Civil Aviation Authority, Ben’s case came to the attention of Alan Heggen AM, Group General Manager of the CAA Safety Regulation Branch, a man with a great deal of humanity.
As the book details, Alan gave Ben the chance to rebuild his credibility as a “fit and proper person” to hold a commercial pilot licence. Alan agreed to permit Ben to undertake a 12 month program of study and flight training under my supervision, with a view to establishing a satisfactory history. So, in an aeronautical sense, I became Ben’s keeper for a year, as my name was in Ben’s interim licence as the person responsible for authorising any flight that he made during that period.
At the end of the twelve months, after safely flying the required hours and duly passing written examinations and flight tests, his commercial pilot licence and agricultural rating were reissued to my great relief. Ben was “born again”, as it were, and returned to active flying in a new start.
With this 3 rd edition of Buckley’s Chance Bob Stevens has added much to his faithful chronicle of the life and times of Ben Buckley. Since Ben continues to provide new material for his biographer perhaps we can expect a fourth edition in due course.
John Willis OAM
Morwell
November 2011



Dedication
Dedicated to those Pilots and Skydivers with the courage to stretch the envelope that little bit further to safely get the most from their Aviation pursuits.
If you’re not living on the edge, then you’re taking up too much space.



Acknowledgements
My Thanks To
Max and Barbara Dyer
Elaine Buckley
Michael Connley
Chris Rule
Bernard Shaw
Rodolfo, Ida and Ido Calvi
Andrew Rule
Paul Pendergast
Reg Tomkins
Gerald Neumeyer
John Willis OAM
Ken Connley
Dave Dawson
Pauline Connley
Eileen Douglas
Mick Gribble
George Morgan and Peter Furlong, Gippsland Aeronautics
Tony Edwards
Bill Parow
Robin Hunt
Murray Campbell
John Crawford
Murray Rendell
Murray Barnes, New Zealand
Bill and Pat Jacques
Norm Langskaill
Elaine Solomann, New Zealand
Merle Towner
Sonia Buckley
Louise Jackson
John and Lois Brownbridge
Beryck Dalcom, New Zealand
Norma Cosson
Captain George Greig, Fiji
Robin Buckley
Phil Maguire
Keith Davidson
Eleanor Castle
Janelle Buckley
Major Peter Buckley
Kim Yarwood
Brad Wilson
Rusty Clothier
Lorraine Gilmore
Alan McKewan
Jeanne Rainford
Steve Lamble
Alex Hood, BASI (Bureau of Air Safety Investigation)
Billie Kelly
William Stuart Meldrum
Keith Murray
John Somerville
Graeme Edlington
Ginni Howlett
Darrell Paproth
Bertha Harvey
Centre for the Study of Australian Christianity
Stevan Wright
Bruce Vickers.



Preface
When I suggested to Ben Buckley that I compile a history of his life and adventures, he stated, “O.K. I will help you as much as I can, but don’t gild the lily.”
In other words he modestly told me not to make him out to be some sort of super hero or Demi-god. Keeping this in mind I have endeavoured to acquiesce his wish and give a balanced account, especially in the segments “Aviation Bureaucracy versus one Pearse Edward (Ben Buckley)”. You will note that Ben doesn’t shine too well in some of the passages in this little book.
As a commercial flyer with more than 40 years experience Ben has, on several occasions, been charged with committing a felony whilst flying, necessitating the odd Court appearance. It is the nature of the man to bend the rules when the mood suits, but probably less so than, say, the average motor vehicle driver.
As a bush pilot he probably has more V.F.R. (Visual Flight Rules) mountain flying experience that anyone else in Australia. He is also imbued with a touch of the larrikin and has had his flying Licence suspended a few times and even cancelled for what he states as “having a bit of fun”.
Whereas we, you the reader and myself, may have had a more compromising attitude towards Authority, who are we to state that Ben was wrong with his more dogmatic stance. After all it was Magistrate Lance Pilgrim who stated, “Mr. Buckley, you are a colourful character and extremely well known. You’re distinguished from the average individual and I think it wrong to criticise those who are different. Those kinds of people often alert the general run of the mill people to matters that need reform.”
If the view of the Civil Aviation Authority is to classify Ben Buckley as “notorious” then the exact opposite view would apply to the civilian population of the High Country and Victoria in general. The residents of Benambra, Omeo, Swifts Creek etc. know that Ben would do his very best to fly severely injured adults and children to emergency medical treatment in adverse flying condition if need be.
One can spend hours conversing with him, on local, national and international topics without an aircraft being mentioned. One is not likely to become bored in his company as he is well read, with a library broaching on a vast range of material.
Max Dyer of Bairnsdale thinks that Ben would have distinguished himself as a World War II Fighter Pilot had the timing been right. I fully concur with Max, but had the timing been right again, I can also picture Ben swinging from a Brigantine with a cutlass in his teeth. Yes, that would have suited him. There weren’t too many rules and regulations in those days.
On a personal level he has on two occasions hopped into the co-pilot seat and helped me get my own aircraft home in adverse weather conditions due to my inexperience. He even insisted that he arrange his own transport after both flights. Now I wonder how many people would be as unselfish as that.
Perhaps you, the reader, upon digesting this book, will come to the conclusion that Ben should have backed off at times. Fair enough, but just think what the outcome would have been if he had taken notice of the Air Traffic Controller and backed off with young Ido Calvi aboard.
Ben Buckley is different, that’s for sure. He must be doing something right though as he has more friends than anyone else I know.
To quote Max Dyer, ex Benambra Grazier and co-author of The Tale of Jimmy Lee , “They broke the mould after they made Ben Buckley.”



Young Ben
Born on 31 st May 1936, Ben Buckley was the third child of Jock and Molly Buckley who operated a dairy farm off Stumpy Gully Road, Bittern, in the Balnarring district of the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. Christened Pearse Edward, he has answered to the name of Ben to everyone, including his parents.
His father, Jock (John Buckley) born at Royton, Lancashire, England in 1900, came to