RELIEF PILOT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26177, 13 June 1946, Page 4

RELIEF PILOT

SIR KEITH PARK “KEEPING HIS HAND IN” (P.A.) AUCKLAND, June U Ah offer by Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park to take over the controls of - an R:N.Z;A.F. Lodestar: was promptly accepted ‘by the rather startled pilot who was flying the machine which took Sir Keith and Lady Park from Wellington to Christchurch recently. An ardent pilot, who' believes in “keeping his hand in,” Sir Keith saw nothing unusual in this episode when it was raised during a press conference to-day, and added that.- although he had been flying since 1916, he still believed’ in taking a regular spell of duty in the cockpit. “The machines we use to-day are slightly different from the pieces of wood held together with string and chewing gum which served as aircraft in the First World War,” , said Sir Keith. During the flight from Singapore to Darwin in his four-engined York, which took nearly 11 hours, Sir Keith took regular spells of duty at the cockpit. “ I merely take my regular watch to' relieve the captain of the aircraft,” he said, in a deprecating manner. “Anyway, it relieves the boredom of sitting over a pile of papers.”