Thread: Retrieving planes from across Australia

Man who attended 480-odd aeroplane crashes and breakdowns celebrates 95th birthday

Man who attended 480-odd aeroplane crashes and breakdowns celebrates 95th birthday - ABC News

"Only birds and fools fly," Bill Pople says with a wry smile, and he would know.

In an aviation engineering career that has spanned 75 years, he has retrieved or repaired about 480 crashed planes across Australia.

He turned 95 on Friday after voluntarily retiring from casual work just 18 months ago, making him potentially Australia's longest-serving aviation engineer.

"98 per cent of those [crashes] were pilot error; that's what I put it down to," Bill said.
"There's nothing wrong with aeroplanes. They're as safe as the pilot."

Poor old Bill needs to do an accident investigator course.

That's why he's an engineer