Our Stories
Craig Smith … Learning to Fly at 65!
Who says retirement is about slowing down?
For Craig Smith, retirement has meant finally finding the time to do something he has dreamed about since he was a little boy … learning to fly!
“As a kid, I always wanted to fly. I just loved aeroplanes! I watched them, read books about them, particularly stories from WWII. I was fascinated by anything to do with aviation.”
But life took Craig in another direction.
He spent 29 years working for the Commonwealth Bank in Mount Gambier and Naracoorte, followed by another 18 years with Beyond Bank, working at Seaford, Marion and in the Adelaide CBD.
After 47 years in banking, Craig retired in October 2025.
And that childhood dream was still there!
“I would have loved to join the RAAF. A mate of mine learnt to fly later in life, and that really inspired me. I thought, why not? I'm 65 years old!”
Craig's family gave him a Trial Instructional Flight … and that was it. He was hooked!
He began his training in our Harmony, gradually building his confidence and skills, until the day came for his First Solo!
“I was a bit anxious, but I was really looking forward to it. When I landed, I felt such a sense of achievement!
But that first solo goes way too quickly!”
And Craig hasn't stopped there.
He's now building his solo hours, practising circuits, venturing further afield to Milang and back, and looking forward to mastering crosswind landings.
There is always something new to learn, another challenge to overcome, and another little achievement to celebrate.
“It's such great fun!
It's the one thing people always ask me now … How's your flying going?”
Learning to fly is challenging, rewarding, occasionally a little nerve-racking … and an enormous amount of fun!
It's true, the dream doesn't have an expiry date!
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No starter motor? No problem!
VH-UEQ .... Our iconic and venerable 1940 de Havilland DH82 Tiger Moth has no electric starter motor. Instead, she relies on a little muscle power and a time-honoured aviation tradition known as swinging the prop.
When the Tiger Moth was designed in the 1930s, hand-starting an aircraft engine was common practice. Omitting the electric starter helped save weight, reduce mechanical complexity and keep production costs down.
Although our Tiger Moth carries a total loss battery to power the radio and intercom, she has no conventional engine-driven electrical system.
So, to bring her engine to life, we use the good old-fashioned 'Armstrong' starting method!
Now, I have to admit to asking Martyn what that was!
Whoops, blonde moment!
He said ... "Gaye, arm and strong" ... ohhhh, I said!
Here, Martyn and Luka demonstrate the carefully coordinated procedure involved in hand-starting our Tiger Moth ready for a flight.
Flying and operating these vintage aircraft is very special.
I often say ....
We only get them for a while. We can't own them forever.
What we are really doing is ....
looking after them,
enjoying them,
sharing them and
gifting them on to the future ....
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“Why do I have to do stalling?”
That was the question I emailed to Martyn.
Yes, I know… office to office! Really, Gaye?
But I wanted to read the answer.
Sometimes when something worries you, you need to understand the 'why'. I definitely do!
I know stalling is in the syllabus. I know every pilot needs to understand it.
But for me, this one carries a little more weight.
When I think about deliberately putting an aeroplane into a stall, my instinct is to ask ....
But, why would I want to do that?
It is a lesson I want to understand, need to understand.
So I asked him the question every nervous student asks ....
“Why do I have to do this?”
His first answer was from Martyn the Instructor .... he passionately believes that you must understand ....
He talked about angle of attack, elevator, balance, stall stick position, and the relationship between the pilot and the aeroplane.
I read it carefully.
I tried to absorb it all.
And then I emailed back…
“But why does Gaylene have to do stalling?”
Because, after all those technical explanations, the words that stayed in my head were ....
STALL STICK POSITION .... or SSP
Three words!
So Martyn gave me the answer again .... this time for the nervous student.
His message was simple.
The stall itself is not the danger.
The danger is not understanding it.
The purpose of stall training is not to take us towards danger, but to give us the knowledge and skills to recognise what the aeroplane is telling us, and to know what to do.
The aeroplane cannot stall itself.
It is about understanding the relationship between pilot input and the aircraft .... and building the awareness to stay ahead of it.
And that brings me to a conversation with Jan Angas.
Jan asked me, “How is your flying going?”
Well… I admitted that I was dancing around doing the stalling .... and finding reasons to keep revising, stepping back and building confidence.
Jan’s response?
“Stop stalling and just do it!”
Well… that made sense!
Woman to woman .... sometimes you need someone to remind you that you are actually now okay about the next step.
So, Super Cub India Whisky…
Here we go.
Time to stop stalling about stalling and start understanding, really understanding.
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Taj Allen .... 15 years old and First Solo
Every pilot remembers their first solo.
That moment when the instructor steps out, closes the door, checks over the aeroplane and suddenly it is just you, the aircraft, and the sky.
For Taj Allen, that moment arrived after a journey that started with curiosity, family stories, a chocolate brownie, and the beginning of a dream.
“Next year, I will be in Year 11 and studying Physics and General Maths at Cardijn College, Noarlunga.
I had a lot of options when I was thinking about what I wanted to do, but everything kept coming back to aviation.
My Nan introduced me to aeroplanes when I was about 10 years old. Her Dad flew in a Tiger Moth at Caboolture in Queensland. She remembers him saying it was the best Father’s Day present ever!
Nan and Pop brought me down to Adelaide Biplanes for a chocolate brownie. Joss answered my questions and then took me for a tour of the hangars that day and I climbed into and sat in the Super Decathlon for a while.
After walking around with Joss, I decided to start saving money and I set that goal off by getting a job at McDonald’s.”
Joss remembers that day too.
He remembers Taj walking through the hangars with wide eyes, asking questions, fascinated by the possibility that perhaps one day he could learn to fly too.
Joss says that maybe the reason he encourages Taj is because he sees a little bit of himself in him.
Then came the moment when aviation became even more real.
“Gaylene asked me if I was brave enough to be an Elf last Christmas.
So, that's where my career in aviation started .... in a green outfit, 'Elfing' for Adelaide Biplanes.
While I was sitting in the vintage car with Joss, waiting for the 'Elfing' to start, in my green outfit, yes, I was nervous.
I hadn’t been an Elf before, but hey, I could see other Elves in vintage biplanes and cars.
Then all the biplanes started up in front of us.
Pilots in the back cockpit, Elves in the front cockpit.
That was the moment I decided I was going to fly one of those biplanes one day!
They were big
You could feel the rumbling sound of the radials
They were shiny .... red, yellow and indigo blue
And most of all, they were exciting!
I’ll be back Elfing this year!”
On 25 February, Taj had his first flying lesson, and Joss bought him his first logbook as a gift.
Flying tailwheel in the Champ, Taj has grown, learning in aircraft that demand respect and reward care.
“I don’t know any different.
Maybe they are ....
less forgiving
but when you land well
it is a little bit of magic.”
Then came first solo.
“Stewart got out.
I was comfortable about being able to fly my first solo, but I was still surprised!
I remembered my 'carby' heat!
When I took off, my feet were shaking. I knew I needed to relax.
Then I heard Stewart say on the radio ....
‘Good job mate.’ ”
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Invoice reconciliations and then on to baking cakes.
Time for the ginger cake .... 5 teaspoons ginger plus 1 cup diced naked ginger ....
Plus free range eggs from 'chooks' sat in armchairs, of course!!
#behindthescenesatABP
#AdelaideBiplanes
#TheKitchen
#biplanes
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