John Carver Meadows Frost died young at 63, on his 64th birthday, now I understand, he went away to that island, far from everything, I looked for his peace of mind, he finally finished as it began, I will never forget flying saucers, they were created by human beings, he created one with Andreas Epp.
@SISTER764 ай бұрын
John Carver FROST great ingenier
@nzsaltflatsracer80549 ай бұрын
The Airtruck was such a logical machine with all the bits in the appropriate places for it's intended job. I saw it flying in Dannevirke as a kid & it blew me away. Here I am at 72, living in Idaho & still flying weird shit!
@VinceCollis9 ай бұрын
Same as Australia government with no faith local product
@russell6341 Жыл бұрын
I swear I truly love the Kiwis and Aussies for the names they give to some of their town's and landmarks they just have a way of rolling off the tounge that most countries failed at
@flightofarrow2 жыл бұрын
MADD Max beyond thunder dome brought me here , thanks!
@southernsailor82963 жыл бұрын
Thank you for putting so much time in to produce such a good informative documentary. Thoroughly enjoyed it! from a young kiwi about to go on his first solo flight! cheers
@223o3 жыл бұрын
Still a couple flying in NSW that I know of, still a good spreading machine
@KutWrite3 жыл бұрын
Was it this aircraft or an Air Jeep or... ??? that played a role in the "Mad Max" series?
@rogeryoung90423 жыл бұрын
The aircraft which appeared in some movie (probably your MadMax one) was the Australian built Transavia PL12. The only movie(s) where the original NZ built machine featured are the flew snippets that appear in this video (digitized from 8mm movie file loaned to me by my friend Kevin Tinkler) and those filmed by Geoff Young - the engineer who produced Prototype #2 of the PL-11 - ZK-CKE. I have used these rare movie snippets in this video presentation with the permission of the original owners.
@OOTurok3 жыл бұрын
YOU! 👉 me? 👈 You... You have a plane. I have? Uh huh. It might just save your life. It will?
@colonelbeatson60273 жыл бұрын
so this is click bait
@colonelbeatson60273 жыл бұрын
need to go back to school i see
@colonelbeatson60273 жыл бұрын
idiots its australian
@praveenb90483 жыл бұрын
04:48 "If the thing was going to fly, it needed somewhere to mount the wings". You have to love a design philosophy like that.
@ablemagawitch3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the time and effort to make this video on What I know as the " Transavia PL-12 Airtruk " due to unique look and the usage in film series of "MAD MAX" and specifically the " Beyond Thunder Dome" , in the USA as young pre-teen . You have captured and collected history that would have otherwise become lost to time as so much of history and unique products. The fact in just 5 years that 12,603 (as of October 31st 2020) people have watched this great documentary. You have paid forward a debt of knowledge and collective history of people who industry and actions have not been well documented and/or sadly deemed not worthy by governmental archivists to make such information part of the national library and archives. I imagine Aviation Museums are equally appreciative of your efforts.
@dmcalut3 жыл бұрын
If 'form follows function" this one is spreading roo piss!
@stephaniekent84833 жыл бұрын
I flew in ZK ELL with Nigel Arkley 1980s :)
@bruceross95213 жыл бұрын
I knew Nigel ... he was the best pilot I ever saw.
@stephaniekent84833 жыл бұрын
@@bruceross9521 yes he was very gifted, flew in the hughes 300 and the fletcher with him too, died to soon, a great friend :(
@angelreading50983 жыл бұрын
What a wonderfully well researched record of a most unusual but capable aircraft.
@lozjones3153 жыл бұрын
Thank you for an important historical record. Well done.
@rogeryoung90423 жыл бұрын
Thank you
@JessHull3 жыл бұрын
You did a great job with this documentary. This is a plane that I have always liked since I was a small child reading about it in a old popular mechanics magazine issue.
@rogeryoung90423 жыл бұрын
Thank for the compliment. I was not aware the Airtruck had featured in Popular Mechanics mag.
@rogeryoung90423 жыл бұрын
I believe I need to add some comment in regard to the claims made by Shar Young about Jeff Young's involvement with the NZ built Airtruck. For the sake of others who read this post I agree there might possibly be no contradiction in what s/he has claimed as opposed to the video I produced about the manufacture of the PL11 aircraft ZK-BPV in Te Kuiti, New Zealand. The "problem" is with dates. I would like to see the DATES on those work documents Shar refers to where Jeff Young was doing major work on the PL11 Airtruck(s). I feel sure that they would almost certainly be AFTER Waitomo Aircraft Company ceased to exist and Geoff Young had moved to Gisborne, VIC., Australia in Jan 1965. Please NOTE JEFF Young and GEOFF Young are two different people with different qualifications. ALSO. A few facts that need to be recognized: JEFF Young was employed by Jack Worthington to do maintenance work on aircraft operated by Northern Air Services. This was because some time in 1960 Snow Bennett had told Worthington that Bennett Aviation could no longer provide the manpower needed to do maintenance on NAS aircraft. I might possibly be wrong, but as far as I know Jeff Young was never employed by Bennett Aviation nor by Waitomo Aircraft Co who built the two prototype PL11 aircraft. (Geoff Young has since confirmed that Jeff Young was never employed by Bennett Aviation nor my Waitomo Aircraft Company). GEOFF Young initially began work with Bennett Aviation in March 1960, and as Snow Bennett began to realize the qualifications and experience that Geoff had he began to look to Geoff for support. After Pellarini had walked away from the job Geoff Young took over all the design work. He eventually did get some help from Australian Civil Aviation Authority technicians, and also had discussions with Rolls Royce (in the UK) regarding his idea to re-design the PL11 and use a 600HP turbine engine instead of the huge and heavy P&W radial engine. The overhaul of the engine that was installed in PL11 #1 ZK-BPV had been done done by Aero Engine Services, Rukuhia (Hamilton airport) and Alf Coleman from AES was present the first time that engine was started after it had been installed in the PL11 aircraft ZK-BPV. PS: Geoff Young, the man I had worked with in 1960 on the manufacture of prototype #1 (ZK-BPV) has assured me that during the time he was involved with manufacture of PL11 Airtruck prototypes [March 1960 to January 1965] the Jeff Young of Northern Air Services was not involved in any way with the manufacture or modification of the two Airtruck prototypes. A few other bits of significant info' : It was probably sometime in 1960 that Luigi Pellarini effectively walked away from the PL11 job in disgust because the NZCAA officials did not seem to recognize his knowledge and experience in designing and building aircraft. By the time he had started on design of the PL11 Luigi had already designed and built several successful aircraft. After settling back in Australia Luigi Pellarini was instrumental in starting up the Transavia company and, working with Australian CAA, had approval for his PL12 design long before NZCAA gave approval for the NZ built PL11 in 1966. By that time (1966) Waitomo Aircraft Company had run out of money. The first PL11 prototype ZK-BPV was written-off when it crashed on 8th October 1963. The pilot Jack Worthington survived. Geoff Young was the engineer who was sent out to examine the wreckage - I have copies of some of the photos he took. And by that time he was well on the way with manufacture of PL11 #2 ZK-CKE which was completed Dec 1964. When Waitomo Aircraft ran out of money Geoff Young (and his wife) moved to Australia [Jan 1965] and all subsequent work done for Northern Air Services (now part of Rural Aviation, New Plymouth) was possibly done under the supervision of JEFF Young. But GEOFF Young had done all the necessary design work and supervised the manufacture and test flights of PL11 #2. He gave me copies of videos (from Super8 movie film) he had made of some of the test flights. I have also been told that PL11 #2 (ZK-CKE) was, for some time, used by Rural Aviation for aerial topdressing work (Pilot Don Ercegg). According to an Air Safety Network accident report, ZK-CKE was destroyed in a take-off accident on 1 March 1967 when the aircraft was being operated by Barr Brothers (Ardmore) and the pilot Richard Druce Tatham was fatally injured. Roger Young 27 Sept 2020
@sharynyoung13 жыл бұрын
I remember my father Jeff Young working on the AirTruck. You are right, Roger, he was employed by Northern Air Services from 1961-1967. I believe he was contracted under them to work on the Airtruck for the other companies.
@johnhodges81853 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for the time and effort that you put int this wonderful video. Unfortunately much of this inspirational pioneering courage to create something from nothing is missing form our modern lives.Proud to be a Kiwi, though living in Sydney
@rogeryoung90423 жыл бұрын
Thank you John
@sharynyoung14 жыл бұрын
The Aeronautical Engineer mentioned was Jeff Young- Not GEF.
@rogeryoung90424 жыл бұрын
Sorry to contradict you Shar but The name of he Aeronautical Engineer who redesigned the PL11 after Luigi Pellarini left was Geoff Young - initials were G.E.F. Young. Jeff (Jeffery) Young was the maintenance man employed by Northern Air services. Jeff had nothing to do with building the PL11. Remember, I was there -- I was one of the team who worked on the first PL11 prototype. I knew both of the other two men who had the same surname as me, and to the best of our knowledge none of us were blood relations, but we did all have the same surname of "Young".
@sharynyoung14 жыл бұрын
@@rogeryoung9042 Jeffery Young was a British R.AF. trained Aeronautical Engineer employed by Northern Air Services Ltd by J. C. Worthington as Chief Engineer, then Chief Inspector on the PL11, including construction, repair and maintenance, between 1961 and 1967. As chief Engineer he was responsible for a list of other NAS Ltd and Rural Aviation Ltd aircraft .
@gerald40274 жыл бұрын
@@rogeryoung9042.what ever happened to the on that flue in the Mad Max Movie?
@rogeryoung90423 жыл бұрын
@@sharynyoung1 Hi Shar. You mention that Jeff Young was British RAF trained. I was unaware of that, and yes he probably did do maintenance work on Worthington's machines - couple of Cessna 180s and the original PL11 ZK-BPV. At one stage Worthington also had a 150HP Piper Cub fitted with a hopper, but Jack W himself wrote that off even before I left Te Kuiti. The Geoff Young, who took over the Airtruck design work after Luigi Pellarini left had previously worked with deHaviland in the UK . He certainly had the necessary University qualifications and hands-on experience to take on the task or checking all of Luigi's work and supervising the construction of PL11 #2 ZK-CKE. The RAF trained Jeff Young you mentioned might have been involved with modifications to ZK-BPV, but in my discussions with Geoff Young, after he moved to VIC in Australia, he spoke as though he was the one only who assessed and supervised all the necessary mods to ZK-BPV. When he saw the video I had produced he admitted that he never had time to even think about taking photos of the development of ZK-CKE (PL11 #2). He was too busy "talking" with engineers from Civil Aviation Authority AND worrying about where the money would come from to pay his staff each fortnight.
@sharynyoung13 жыл бұрын
@@rogeryoung9042 Good to hear from you. I have found documentation that shows Jeffery (Mills) Young was indeed the Chief Inspector for the PL11 Airtruck (construction, repair and maintenance.). J.C Worthington was managing director (N.A.S.) and friend. D. Simmonds the Engineering Manager at Rex Aviation. Jeff Young was Chief Engineer for Northern Air Services Ltd, later part of Rural Aviation Ltd. Maintenance, repair and overhaul was undertaken on Cessna 180,185,188, 172,182, PA18, DH82 Taylor 22 Kookaburra, Continental 0470,10470, 10520. 0320 Lycoming 0200 Gypsy Major. PW Wasp.P11 Airtruck. These numbers probably make more sense to you than to me. If Geoff Young is still alive, I would be most interested to correspond with him and get a photo of him, as he most likely knew my father, Jeff Young. My brother and I often stayed on Te Kumi airport watching our father work on the airtruck and other aircraft. We often had Christmas with the Worthingtons. There are so many coincidences here. It is fascinating.
@scepta644 жыл бұрын
What an amazing video. Thank you. I never knew that history. I grew up with beavers and dc3’s spreading super in Gisborne and my father was the only ag helicopter pilot on the east coast from 1968 in the early days following on from the late Frank Mettner. As a kid I’d hang out at the aerodrome crawling over old R series Bedford loaders and waking up to beavers howling off the runway heading to the next job.
@johnzothepryor57014 жыл бұрын
Saw the Airtruk at Te Kuiti in the early sixties when it was being built. Saw another topdressing on a sheep farm at Wharepapa in the 80s. Also recall seeing one at Kerikeri airport in the 90s.
@VerbranntiChaib15 жыл бұрын
This is worthy of screening on Netflix.
@davidmaddison26285 жыл бұрын
Great video. Shame on the NZ government for taking years to issue the airworthiness certification. Disgusting!
@rogeryoung90423 жыл бұрын
Hi David: My comment (in the video) about the rumour that an Aviation Advisor to the NZ CAA "might" have had financial interest in other companies that were selling aircraft for aerial topdressing was, in reality more than just a rumour. I sometimes wonder how the bloke could sleep at night knowing that he had been instrumental in sending the Waitomo Aircraft Company bankrupt because he had been looking after his own interests and not the welfare of the overall Aviation Industry in New Zealand.
@VTOLkiwi2 жыл бұрын
@@rogeryoung9042 and look at PAC now ;)
@kermets5 жыл бұрын
Very cool....Cheers Brett
@jacobkemp11835 жыл бұрын
Nice too see someone cares about our avation history, I'm 27 now, first found out about this ag Aircraft when I was 11 from a topdressing pilot. Found more information about again at age 13 after harassing the library at Pukekohe, they gave me The Topdressers book by G somebody, can't remember. Good on you for making a video of our lost aviation history, enjoyed it. Yours Respectfully Jake😉
@rogeryoung90424 жыл бұрын
Hi Jake. The book you mention would have been "The Topdressers" by Janic Geelen. I'm not certain but I think he lived in TeAwamutu. His book was published (or was it printed?) by NZ Aviation Press, P O Box 50 TeAwamutu.
@Roger3910005 жыл бұрын
NOTICE from Copyright holder for this video: - Please feel free to download this video and send links to other interested persons. I recently watched a documentary video about the birth and development of "Aerial Topdressing" in New Zealand [video entitled "The Super Pilots"]. It is a well produced documentary and covers several of the unsuccessful attempts by various companies to manufacture aircraft specifically for Aerial Topdressing in New Zealand. It does mention the Australian built Transavia PL12 Airtruk but not even a whisper about this courageous attempt by a small team of "Kiwis" [ie: New Zealand citizens] to manufacture the PL11. I take this as a deliberate attempt to delete this project from the annals of NZ aviation history. Even the wonderful MOTAT [Museum of Transport and Technology] in Auckland NZ used to have a magnificent scale model of the PL11 in their display. But this has been removed and replaced with an ex-Barr-Brothers Transavia PL12 . I want the world to know that there once was a small team of "Kiwis" who had the courage to attempt what you see in the video I have placed here. Roger Young PS: On one of my visits back to NZ - possibly 2008 - I did see some parts of the tail section(s) of PL11 #2 (ZK-CKE) in a private museum at Tirau, near Rotorua. There was also a drawer with many of the blueprint drawings that were used to manufacture those two aircraft [ZK-BPV and ZK-CKE]. To the best of my knowledge these are the only remaining bits of "hardware" still in existence of PL11 #2. Unfortunately the bloke who owns the museum didn't have any idea how to assemble these bits of the airplane or how he should put them on display. They are NOT on public display with all the other interesting stuff he has there. You have to ask specifically to see the "remains" of PL11 Airtruck ZK-CKE. The Museum owner told me that ALL of the bits from PL11 #1 [ZK-BPV] went to the scrap-metal merchants before he could get his hands on them.
@Wetcorps6 жыл бұрын
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
@faainspector96997 жыл бұрын
You can always count on government to help ruin a good product and a mans dreams.......
@JessHull3 жыл бұрын
Ain't that fer true.
@KutWrite3 жыл бұрын
Destruction of things is what government is good at... the only thing, besides making politicians and their cronies rich.
@alpharomeo875619 күн бұрын
still happening today diesel top dresser in gore
@Airfasco9 жыл бұрын
Great and nice job and flying one PL12 and the last AT300 and have 3 more in parts. CAVU ... Dennis