SIMON ROPER - UNITED KINGDOM
(now Australian resident)

Bummer, pic won't upload. Will try later folks!

When did you leave Beckers?
After 27 months in flight school (long story) I got my wings at the end of June 06, the last proud graduate of the infamous FAB4 class of March 04.

What you did after you trained with us?
Immediately went to the pub and stayed there till I was removed from the premises.

What are you doing now?
Embroiled in that desperate search for hours PIC. I managed to get casual work at Mc Dermott Aviation up in Cooroy. They are a helicopter utility company with an impressive fleet of turbines including three of Bell 214’s, the world’s largest single-engined turbine chopper. Think 3,000 shaft horse power and 3.5 ton lifting ability. A far cry from my beloved ORC!

If flying, who, where and what are you flying?
The only flying I have done to date is as co-pilot in the aforementioned 214 at a forest fire down in NSW. We were based out of Dorrigo National Park HQ and operated with two other helicopters from there and a pad cut out of the forest. Naturally I drew the short straw and had to drive the support truck down and back, but it was worth the 1,600k return trip as the experience was truly awesome. As Helitack 401 (indicator of medium-size fire fighting aircraft) we were on standby to air lift the fire crews where needed and also control the back burning with a massive 3,000lt Bambi bucket.

How many hours have you flown?
Just 50 minutes stick time which I couldn’t log as I’m not rated on a 214. Word from the boss is that rating won’t happen for another 2,890 hours … why won’t anyone trust me with their expensive hardware? I was trained by the best!

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers?
Only the ones I liked … which thankfully was most of them; apart from that rude Malaysian girl who failed to turn up for the goodbye dinner I held in her honor (only joking Chrissy-baby!).

Best or worst flying experience after Beckers?
Flying in hot to pick up 12 fire fighters and evacuate them from the path of the fire, then taking off and almost suffering a lack of visual reference due to low cloud and billowing smoke. This counts as best and worst experience due to the adrenalin rush I got as we pulled some serious g’s following the river out low, low level… Thankfully the PIC had over 15,000 hours and is a legend in my book already.

Advice to new students?
Be nice to Mike, Ric, Jan, Marina and all the crew at BHS. And don’t ever, ever smell Mushu’s breath.