Weekly Feature - 6 March 2004
GREYTOWN pilot Gay Skerman, mother of four and grandmother of 12, is one of Wairarapa’s “more mature” pilots.
GAYE SKERMAN, of Greytown, at her happiest – at the controls of her Reim Cessna 150 aircraft.
Flying, she says is in her blood and at age 67 this recreation still continues to give excitement and adventure, keeps her mentally “on the ball” and has opened the doors to a whole range of social contacts and some interesting experiences.
Take, for instance, her appearance on TV1’s popular series A flying Visit, hosted by television personality and fellow flying enthusiast, Jim Hickey. “If I’d not studied for my pilot’s licence back in 1985, I’d never have met Jim Hickey, let alone appeared on his show!” Gay says. “
They say life begins at 40 – I’d like to suggest in the 50s – because at almost 50, that’s when I completed my pilot’s training!”Providing your health remains good, Gay says, you’re not too old, even in your sizzling 60s, to create challenges for yourself. And initiating challenges at this age gives – to borrow a quote from a much aired television commercial – a “feel alive flavour”.
“Although I think my involvement in Jim Hickey’s show was initially coincidental I enjoyed working with him and the film crew – Jim’s a great guy,” Gay said.
The involvement came about through the producers of the show being aware of Gay and husband Jim’s airstrip on their 80ha property on the outskirts of Greytown. The first thing the Skermans knew about the proposed Jim Hickey visit was when one of the Flying Visit film crew appeared at their front door to check out the possibility of allowing Hickey to use the airstrip during their filming in Greytown. “Apparently, while checking out the terrain, one of the film crew saw my aeroplane in the hangar and started asking questions. The next thing I knew I was asked to be on the programme.”
Gay says after the initial interview on camera she was asked to do a few “maneuvres”. When pressed, she explains that “maneuvres” in the air are more commonly known as aerobatics – loops, rolls and stall turns – and yes, the aircraft is specifically built to handle aerobatics, strengthened to take the stress.
Gay flies a French Reim Cessna 150 aircraft which has a bigger than usual 130 horse power motor. “The aircraft had actually been damaged in Noumea before I purchased it, but after it was brought to New Zealand and put together again there was a useful addition. A tail dragger configuration had replaced the normal nose wheel,” she says. “This aspect creates less drag for aerobatics and enables you to do tighter rolls and is better for short landing strips.”
Flying is a passion in the Skerman household, husband Jim has until recently also held a pilot’s licence and Gay finds her husband most supportive of her recreation. Gay says she will carry on flying as long as her physical health still remains excellent. She says Civil Aviation demand all pilots over 60 require an annual medical check, so this is an incentive for her to keep fit. In her husband’s words, “Gay appears to be physically suited for flying, especially aerobatics”. “Jim and I trained at the same time at Masterton and it was great studying together,” she says.
But “just wanting to do more than just conventional flying”, she decided to “have a go” at other maneuvres and through the experience of her instructor became a skilled aerobatic pilot. “I just took to it like a duck to water,” she says in her down-to-earth manner.
Seeing his wife “wearing her aircraft like an overcoat,” Jim felt her affinity for aerobatic flying warranted a novel Christmas present – a subscription to the New Zealand Aerobatic Club. “This was a great challenge,” Gay says.“In the club environment you are pushed to learn more, so much so that I competed in the New Zealand Aerobatic Club nationals and enjoyed a couple of thirds and a win at what is called “Sportsman Level’ – where you can fly Pitts Specials or my type of aircraft at a specific level of competence.”
Gay says that to compete at more advanced levels you have to fly an aeroplane with an inverted fuel system, one that can operate for longer periods of time while it’s flying upside-down and her Cessna is not designed to operate for too long in this position. “With aerobatics you either ‘can’ or you ‘can’t’,” she says. “Some people just can’t do aerobatic flying, although they may be very good pilots. They just hate, for example, flying upside-down and I suspect that your ears and blood supply to the head play a part in this.I could fly upside-down all day and it wouldn’t bother me!”
Although Gay sees flying as being much safer than, for example, driving a car – she emphasises that a good pilot is extremely safety conscious. Asked if there had been any “dicy’ moments for her, the response was long in coming – she could only recall one or two minor hiccups – not bad for almost 20 years of flying.
“Apart from learning to fly and to land, which is the most difficult part of flying, the precautionary aspects of flying are drummed into you,” she says. “Most important are the forced landing procedures and the awareness that you are required to have a flight test every two years and pass that. “You also have to keep in mind the required medical checks, compulsory for older pilots.”
Apart from being a member of the New Zealand Aerobatics Club, Gay is also a member of the New Zealand Airwoman’s Association, an organisation for private and commercial pilots and students. “Our members fly anything from commercial jets to microlights, so our meetings attract an interesting and dynamic group of women of all ages,” she says. “I’m also a member of the ‘Ninetynines’, which is an American-based women’s flying organisation.” This club was created in the 1930s by the famous woman pilot Amelia Earhart and so named because there were exactly 99 prospective members at the inaugural meeting.
Another highlight for Gay has been the participation in the 1991 Round New Zealand Air Race.She was not placed, but says the whole experience was great fun.
This keen pilot says she lives to fly, but admits these days she’s a fair weather pilot, usually going for a spin once or twice a week to keep her hand in. “We have family in Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu – we can be in Manawatu for morning tea or Hawke’s Bay for lunch!”
Gay says in her family, flying an aircraft in your grandmother years is not too extraordinary. “In fact, some of my grandchildren have made their own distinction between their two grandmothers – one is ‘Granny Car’ and the other is ‘Granny Plane’!”
Gay says she will be in the air for as long as the gods smile upon her and says: “When I feel I’m not safe enough to take my grandchildren up for a flight, I’ll know the time has come to give flying away!”