PUPES - PLEASURE OR PAINS

What makes some people memorable and others not? Why can I picture Monkey May, my maths master, and Miss McDonald who taught us art, but not the catering lady? Apparently, it’s to do with emotions. Monkey May frightened the hell out of me, and I was deeply in love with the gorgeous Sally McDonald who glided amongst us budding artists, offering gentle words of encouragement. The catering lady? Nah – no idea who she was.

AND IT’S THE SAME WITH PUPES – you remember the ones who had some sort of emotional impact on you – the bland goodygoodies drift out of the turnip, while the interesting, or frightening, or fascinating ones are easy to recall.

On page one of a logbook which starts in October 1977 (for those who share the Gleitch’s preference for up to date stories make that October 2017) more than half a dozen names jump out at me. All characters in one way or another. Each one taught me something about instructing, and I hope I taught them something about flying. Here they are:

ANDRIES AND WILLIE

I have told you about these two before, but here they are again. Dries was constructed with spares left over from a stick-insect. He was a skinny farmer who alwayslooked immaculate, but tended to smell slightly of goat.

This was at my little flying school at the old George Airport, next to the famous Fancourt golf course. The sun was setting behind the mountains and I was putting my 140 Cherokee ZS-EKE to bed, when Dries and ‘Big’ Willie Steyn, an Obelix lookalike, approached with some caution. Willie, also a farmer, was grubbier than his companion, and carried an aroma that was more milking shed than goat.

A somewhat younger Jim Davis with his Tiger at George Flying School.

I was about to lose two potential customers, I came up with a brilliant solution,

‘I’ll tell you what, guys, why don’t I charge you ten Rand an hour for English lessons, and you can have your flying for free?’

After a brief consultation they both developed huge smiles and told me they were overjoyed with this elegant resolution. We retired to the clubhouse where we used Castle to break down language barriers and finalise the details.

The farmers turned out to be delightful and enthusiastic pupes, with a wonderful sense of humour. They attended lectures, did their homework, learned their checks and both had that inherent feel for machinery. Apart from their tendency to pull the throttle back for more power – like a tractor – I couldn’t ask for better pupils.

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