a
True aviator
Words
and pictures by Ryno Albrecht
On 27 September 1987 a young captain Arthur Piercy
was scrambled into the air in his Mirage F1CZ tail no 206 over what was then South West Africa
(present Namibia) to intercept a flight of mig 23’s from the Cuban Air Force
flying in support of or the Angolan army.
In the ensuing air combat and dogfight Capt.
Piercy’s Mirage was damaged, suffering damage to the hydraulics systems and
drag chute used to slow the aircraft down upon the landing. Piercy managed to
get his aircraft to AFB Rundu and attempt a emergency landing.
Capt. Piercy put his Mirage down short, but the aircraft had no brakes and the drag shoot also failed, the aircraft shot off the runway as the arrester cable system at the end of the runway intended to stop his aircraft was apparently not working, as it ran off the runway the nose gear collapsed, the ensuing impact fired his ejection seat. The resulting impact with the ground fractured Piercy’s cervical spine and left Capt. Piercy confined to a wheel chair for the rest of his life.
On
April 14th the South African Air Force museum at AFB Zwartkops held
their monthly flight training day, the staff at the museum found it fit to
invite now Maj. (retired) Arthur Piercy for a flight in a T6 Harvard, a
aircraft he did his basic flight training on as a young candidate pilot in the
South African Air Force.
Arthur was assisted to get into the aircraft by
the officer commanding the Air Force museum Col. Mike O’ Connor, Lieutenant
Colonel Francois Hanekom and Col Wim Smith for his flight after a brief refresher in safety and emergency
procedures.
The aircraft was started up, and marshalled out
in what was clearly an emotional moment for Arthur Piercy and his friends and
family in attendance of the occasion, within no time at all the aircraft taxied
down to the runway and was cleared for take-off.
The Harvard took off into the sky with its
trademark roar and they were airborne, Mr Piercy off to enjoy some site seeing
over the greater Pretoria area.
Around
half an hour later their aircraft returned and rolled in for a low level fly
past for Arthur’s family and friends. As the harvard flew past she went in to a
bank to the left and it was evident that Mr Piercy was enjoying his flight as
he waved to the crowd on the ground below.
Their flight drew to a close in a soft as silk
landing. As the aircraft taxied back to the apron Arthur gave his friends and
family a big wave, showing that he truly enjoyed and appreciated the flight.
After shutdown Col. O’ Connor and the members
of the SAAF museum assisted a visually tired Mr Piercy out of his aircraft.
Arthur was smiling from ear to ear, obviously emotion and memories past having
been aroused by his flip in the magnificent old bird.
In closing much appreciation and respect must
be shown firstly to Mr Arthur Piercy, for his resilience and strength in
enduring so much in his life, and secondly to the SAAF museum, for recognizing
the fact that Arthur Piercy, a man that gave so much to his air force and
country, is still, at heart, a true aviator, and longs to be in the peace and tranquility
that is the sky.
