CHIMNEY SWEEP FLIES TIGER MOTH TO WORK

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29016, 3 October 1959, Page 4

CHIMNEY SWEEP FLIES TIGER MOTH TO WORK

"The Press' Special Service

AUCKLAND. October 1. A gold and black Tiger Moth aeroplane circled the country landing strip. The farmer, his wife and family, stood by the fence and watched as it landed and taxied toward them. It stopped. the cockpit door opened—and out stepped the chimney sweep. This could happen in any part of the Auckland province or, for that matter, in New Zealand. Mr E. A. Hollick, aged 38, of Papatotoe, pilot, plane owner, parachutist, glider pilot and chimney sweep, is not fussy where he goes to work as long as the weather and the landing strip are suitable and the employer understands that it costs more to have a chimney sweep arrive by aeroplane. Thought to be the only flying chimney sweep in the world, Mr Hollick once flew with his chimney sweeping gear as far as Dunedin. He quite often carries the gear in the plane with him. But more often than not he uses the plane for pleasure. “Smithy’s” Plane Mr Hollick’s interest in flying began when he was six years old. Then, his mother called him outside their home on Brooklyn Hills, Wellington, and, pointing to an aircraft flying overhead, said: "Remember this day.-You are six years old and here is the first man to fly the Tasman Sea.” It was Sir Charles Kingsford Smith flying the Southern Cross. Mr Hollick recalled those words when he showed his mother his pilot’s licence about four years ago. The ownership of his own plane is the realisation of a dream for Mr Hollick. And the road to it has not been easy by any standards. First he tried to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force at the outbreak of World War 11. He failed, so he did the next best thing—he added to his age and joined the 14th Light New Zealand AntiAircraft Regiment. He had his nineteenth and twentieth birthdays in Egypt and returned to New Zealand in 1942. Under the rehabilitation scheme he then took a course in wool classing at Massey College (he had worked as a shepherd on sheep stations in Hawke's Bay before the war) and he returned to^ Wellington in 1944 as a wool classer.

Mr Hollick came to Auckland in 1946 and it was then that he had the opportunity of associating with airmen. He became a member of the Auckland Parachute Club and the 22 drops he did during the next two years whetted his appetite for the air.

He saved hard during those years. Finally he joined the Waikato Aero Club. There -he learned to fly power machines and about two years ago he bought his own plane. He now has about 240 hours of power flight to his credit. But he was not content with that. About two years ago he also joined the Auckland Gliding Club and he now has about 40 hours of free flight noted in his log book. But he is still not content. His aim now is to hold a commercial pilot’s licence, which he hopes to sit for soon.