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Old 06-07-2018, 03:57 PM   #67
woofa.express
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Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Tocumwal, NSW, Australia
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Default Re: tell a Model A related story

Robbie and Paul Brennan.


During wet winters,many telephone orders include the statement “got my boom bogged”. Well those are good and profitable years foraeroplane operators. But it comes with a problem. If the ground is wet, so are the airstrips.


For years in the Oakland and Jerilderie areas I had 2 roads which I flew off and this saved the crops of many farmers.


Well my friend Robby had a similar situation. In the Carrathool area he too used a road.


In Finley there is a husband and wife vet team. Paul and Di Brennan. They both drive little green Subaru wagons. It goes without saying they blend in nicely with winter growth when the whole country side is green.


Well Robbie is making a landing but the aeroplane won’t settle. This would have been a little confusing. But then a little green car shoots out from the trailing edge of the wing. Of course this give Robbie a fright, he does a go around, asks his driver to stop the vehicle. Robbie lands, sits on the wheel to recover from his fright and recover his composure.


The driver was Paul Brennan, the vet from Finley. He too got a fright. Said he recently had a blowout and said he had figured he had a double blowout. Otherwise he was fairly light hearted.


The aeroplane wheel touched down on the right side of the roof, it slid down the pillar between thefront and rear windows, ran along the shoulder, jumped the side mirror, ran along the right side of the bonnet about which time Robbie applied power.


I heard about this 2days later. I knew the Brennans well and chatted to them. I assured them Robbie would pay for the repairs to their vehicle. I was keen to quell the potential of bad publicity to our industry.


Di Brennan came back and said the repair cost was $500 and she felt it wouldn’t be right to ask Robbie for that. I assured them that the cost was quite acceptable and assured them again Robbie would pay.


The Brennans now have a practice in Nurmurkah in Northern Vic. I saw Di a weeks ago and she said they still had the vehicle. The incident happened in the early ‘80’s and at the time of this writing means 38 years ago.


I always figured the reason Paul didn’t get it repaired was it had become the central conversation piece when he arrived at a farm. Paul would lean on his car, the farmer would walk across and the opening remarks from Paul were, bet you don’t know how these dents got here. He tells the story frequently and is tells it well. He is getting quite good at telling it.


Well the story doesn’tend there. The Griffith aero club has an annual wings presentation dinner. They called Robbies home to ensure Robbie would attend. A presentation was to be made to him they said. Robbies wife Valorie felt pride and importance so off the both went. I reckon Robbie knew what was coming. Well then comes first prize for the biggest fool of the year.The trophy was a dunny seat. Well of course it was presented to Robbie. Val was indignant.

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Last edited by woofa.express; 06-07-2018 at 07:44 PM.
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