5th_australian_generation_and_beyond

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5th_australian_generation_and_beyond [2020/07/05 17:27] – judith5th_australian_generation_and_beyond [2020/08/10 17:04] (current) – [Richard John M-P] judith
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 Richard had always had a love of flying. Encouraged by his father and his father's former RAAF compatriots, some of who were still pilots with the local airline Bush Pilots, Richard decided to become a pilot. While Ilma continued teaching, Richard looked after their young son and learnt to fly. He acquired his licence in 1970 and started flying. Ilma’s father was close friends with the manager of Amagraze, a cattle and prawn buying and processing company in Cairns, so he introduced Richard to the manager and, as they say, the rest is history.\\ Richard had always had a love of flying. Encouraged by his father and his father's former RAAF compatriots, some of who were still pilots with the local airline Bush Pilots, Richard decided to become a pilot. While Ilma continued teaching, Richard looked after their young son and learnt to fly. He acquired his licence in 1970 and started flying. Ilma’s father was close friends with the manager of Amagraze, a cattle and prawn buying and processing company in Cairns, so he introduced Richard to the manager and, as they say, the rest is history.\\
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-{{:richard_flying.jpg?200|}}+{{:richard_flying.jpg?300|}}  Richard where he loved to be, an undated photo.\\
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-Amagraze operated prawn trawlers and they contracted Richard to fly in the Gulf of Carpentaria to find the prawns and notify the trawlers where the ‘prawn boils’ were to be found. A ‘prawn boil’ is a discolouration of the water caused by the prawns emerging from mud. Richard and a friend formed a company, purchased a Twin Comanche long range aircraft, and formed Outback Air. Over the next 28 years, Richard took the skill of finding prawns from a chance operation to a highly-skilled and technical process. He was able, using water temperature, phases of the moon, and previous wet season rain falls to predict where boats should be positioned for optimum catches. Richard was recognised as the best ‘prawn spotter’ in the Gulf. Typical of Richard, he was happy to teach the younger pilots and spotters his skills.\\ +Amagraze operated prawn trawlers and they contracted Richard to fly in the Gulf of Carpentaria to find the prawns and notify the trawlers where the ‘prawn boils’ were to be found. A ‘prawn boil’ is a discolouration of the water caused by the prawns emerging from mud. Richard and a friend formed a company, purchased a Twin Comanche long range aircraft, and formed Outback Air. Over the next 28 years, Richard took the skill of finding prawns from a chance operation to a highly-skilled and technical process. He was able, using water temperature, phases of the moon, and previous wet season rain falls to predict where boats should be positioned for optimum catches. Richard was recognised as the best ‘prawn spotter’ in the Gulf. Typical of Richard, he was happy to teach the younger pilots and spotters his skills. One means by which he did this was to write 'Aerial spotting for prawns in the Gulf', published in //Australian Fisheries//, 36:6 (June 1977) - you can read it here [[https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-745239182/view?sectionId=nla.obj-745982819&partId=nla.obj-745248145#page/n13/mode/1up| prawn spotting]]. \\ 
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 After a few years, Richard and Ilma bought out their partners who were keen to move south. Ilma gave up teaching to take on the day-to-day running of the company. By this time, Outback Air leased five aircraft and had its own engineering set-up. Richard inspired their pilots. This was demonstrated when QANTAS’s recruiting department congratulated him on the fact they employed more pilots from his small family company than any other single charter operation. On the home front, in the mid-1970s, Richard and Ilma had a daughter.\\ After a few years, Richard and Ilma bought out their partners who were keen to move south. Ilma gave up teaching to take on the day-to-day running of the company. By this time, Outback Air leased five aircraft and had its own engineering set-up. Richard inspired their pilots. This was demonstrated when QANTAS’s recruiting department congratulated him on the fact they employed more pilots from his small family company than any other single charter operation. On the home front, in the mid-1970s, Richard and Ilma had a daughter.\\
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-{{:richard_face.jpg?200|}} An older Richard. {{:richard_m-p_cchristening2.jpg?200|}}Proud grandfather Richard with one of his four grandchildren.+{{:richard_in_formal_wear.jpg?200|}}Richard the //bon vivant//  {{:richard_face.jpg?250|}}  An older Richard. \\ 
 +{{:richard_m-p_cchristening2.jpg?250|}}Proud grandfather Richard with one of his four grandchildren.
  
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