Mr Gordon regains equilibrium

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32975, 22 July 1972, Page 3

Mr Gordon regains equilibrium

(N.Z. Press Association)

AUCKLAND, July 21. The Minister of Transport (Mr Gordon) says he has vindicated himself as a pilot, for after creating an air disaster in a simulator in Canada he has flown a real DC 10 aircraft much more successfully. He arrived at Auckland Airport this morning after inspecting the DC 10 and the simulator, which Air New Zealand has bought to train pilots for the three aircraft ordered. On Monday when Mr Gordon, who has flown aircraft since the war, took the controls of a DCIO in a simulator, his flying skills gained little respect from his co-pilot, the Canadian Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce (Mr JeanLuc Pepin). The DC 10 careered down the runway and went into a stomach-twisting 45degree turn. On landing, Mr Gordon demolished the eighteenth hole of a nearby golf course, sheered off a wing, and bounced heavily on the runway before landing in a simulated air disaster.

The Minister said he did not give up easily, and set out to find out why his years of flying had not stood him in good stead. He discovered that the simulator had been calibrated at 1100 ft above sea level, and that this was the reason for the ground ap-

pearing so quickly under the giant plane. With this knowledge he returned to the controls for a perfect landing. Before he left for New Zealand from Los Angeles yesterday, he was flown in a real DCIO between Long Beach and San Diego, and during the flight he took

the controls for 20 minutes.

“It’s the biggest and most advanced plane I’ve flown,’’ he said. “You dial your speed and direction, and it does the rest. If traffic growth warrants it I would certainly consider taking out the fourth option on these planes.”

There was no question that New Zealand had bought the right plane. It was an ideal size, and had the right cargo capacity for New Zealand’s needs. The New Zealand simulator had an extra visual aid and other countries now wanted the extra, too, Mr Gordon said.