Per Ardua, Ad Astra
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Last of the Few in NZ, RIP
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
– Put out my hand, and touched the face of GodNot the best written but, like most memoirs of this type, has the authentic feel
From North Africa to the Arakan: The Engrossing Memoir …
Alan Peart was born in Nelson, New Zealand. Joining 610…
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@snowy said in Per Adua, Ad Astra:
@hooroo said in Per Adua, Ad Astra:
Super Thread title. As soon as I saw it, it took me back to the RNZAF. I think that was the first Latin I learnt
Albeit spelled incorrectly I think.
Might have to read his book.
Lol yes, bloody phone typing!
Also my first Latin was from Asterix
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@machpants said in Per Ardua, Ad Astra:
@snowy said in Per Adua, Ad Astra:
@hooroo said in Per Adua, Ad Astra:
Super Thread title. As soon as I saw it, it took me back to the RNZAF. I think that was the first Latin I learnt
Albeit spelled incorrectly I think.
Might have to read his book.
Lol yes, bloody phone typing!
Also my first Latin was from Asterix
Ha true! Although when I read "Et Tu Brutus" in Asterix and Cleopatra (I think) I thought Caesar was telling Brutus to Stand!
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@snowy said in Per Ardua, Ad Astra:
@hooroo said in Per Adua, Ad Astra:
Super Thread title. As soon as I saw it, it took me back to the RNZAF. I think that was the first Latin I learnt
Albeit spelled incorrectly I think.
Might have to read his book.
Have you read Alan Deere’s? I’ve got it at home somewhere, never got around to reading it.
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@machpants said in Per Ardua, Ad Astra:
Also my first Latin was from Asterix
Nunc est bibendum (now is the time for drinking).
Think it is from something more high brow, but was in Asterix somewhere.
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@snowy said in Per Ardua, Ad Astra:
@jegga Not read it, but heard of it. "Nine Lives".
Read "Tempest pilot" a few years ago, was pretty good.
That’s the guys based in Tangmere right? Enjoyed that , Richie’s grandad features a few times in it .
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@snowy I found this last year, those f4us were apparently a real handful on takeoff .
I wish Geoff Fisken got around to writing a book about his experience, he was a tough bastard .
Geoff Fisken
Geoff Fisken, who died on June 12 aged 95, was the most successful British Commonwealth fighter pilot against the Japanese, credited with destroying at least 10 enemy aircraft.
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@jegga said in Per Ardua, Ad Astra:
those f4us were apparently a real handful on takeoff
Most of the high power taildraggers at the time were. All sorts of torque and aerodynamic affects going on. Tendency to just roll over on their backs once airborne - or just ground loop and face the other way if still on the ground (esp in the hands of some poor bugger who only had a few hours training).
Might try and track down a copy of "Too young to die".
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@snowy said in Per Ardua, Ad Astra:
@jegga said in Per Ardua, Ad Astra:
those f4us were apparently a real handful on takeoff
Most of the high power taildraggers at the time were. All sorts of torque and aerodynamic affects going on. Tendency to just roll over on their backs once airborne - or just ground loop and face the other way if still on the ground (esp in the hands of some poor bugger who only had a few hours training).
Might try and track down a copy of "Too young to die".
Their nose was up so high in the air too to make room for that huge prop too, I’d imagine your sphincter would clenched tight enough to cut rebar if you had the misfortune to be taking off on a carrier .
They built a special model for the Korean War that was a beast too.
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A terrifying thing to be a rookie pilot in WW2: There are two kinds of fighter pilots -- aces and targets.
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@antipodean said in Per Ardua, Ad Astra:
A terrifying thing to be a rookie pilot in WW2:
That's what makes me smile about the "never unduly disturbed" comment. Balls of steel. Scary enough getting the things on and off the ground (worse on a carrier) and then you have some prick shooting at you. Better than some of the other options - like being in a tank - though.
Seem to recall there being a few Corsair wrecks around in PNG when I was there. Not sure if they had been shot down or just crashed...either seems to just as likely.
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Too Young to Die: The Story of a New Zealand Fighter Pilot in the Pacific War: Cox, Bryan: 9780813802053: Amazon.com: Books
