The Star: July 11, 2019

news online at www.star.kiwi
The Star Thursday July 11 2019
BOOKS 27
High-flying life recalled in memoir
Tales of high-flying
aerobatics, near misses,
and exciting landings
at some of the world’s
busiest airports, are
revealed in a new
memoir by Kiwi aviator
Tom Enright. He talks
to Brenda Harwood
NOW LIVING in retirement
after 45 years of flying, Enright’s
memoir Many A Close Run Thing
was released last month.
Growing up in Ranfurly in
the 1940s, where passing planes
were cause for great excitement,
Enright developed a fascination
with the skies that led him to a
20-year air force career, followed
by 25 years as an airline pilot.
Enright joined the RNZAF as
an engineer in 1951, and travelled
to England as a 16-year-old
to attend the Royal Air Force
college in Cranwell.
“It was there that I qualified as
a pilot, and had marvellous experiences
flying piston prop planes
and Vampire jets,’’ he said.
“Every flight was a thrill in
itself.’’
After a happy, adventure-filled
time at Cranwell, Enright was
delighted that his passing-out
parade was reviewed by then Admiral
of the Fleet, Lord Mountbatten
and Lady Mountbatten.
Returning home to New Zealand,
Enright joined the Vampire
fighter squadron at Ohakea, and
became a member of the RNZAF
aerobatic team.
Acrobatic flying, both solo and
in squads, led to some extraordinary
experiences, including one
very “close run thing’’ – an engine
failure resulting in a crashlanding
in rural fields, taking out
several fences along the way.
“I was thankful to have
walked away from that lot,’’ he
said.
Another strong memory from
Enright’s aerobatics career was
the chaotic Wellington airport
opening in 1959.
A large contingent of aircraft
from around the world, including
a massive Vulcan bomber,
battled high winds, low cloud
and poor visibility to create
CAREER:
Tom Enright
holds a
copy of his
memoir
Many A Close
Run Thing,
about his life
as an aviator.
PHOTO:
BRENDA
HARWOOD
displays that were at the edge of
disaster.
Finding themselves far too low,
the aerobatics team, including
Enright, pulled high Gs to avoid
crashing into the ground, ending
the display “badly shaken’’.
After all this excitement,
becoming a flying commander at
Wigram air base, before captaining
a Sunderland flying boat
to isolated communities in the
South Pacific, was an interesting
change.
Leaving his illustrious 20-year
military career, Enright became a
pilot with Air New Zealand, flying
Electra, Douglas DC8, DC10,
and finally Boeing 747 passenger
aircraft.
“Flying the DC10 was a great
experience – they were beautifully
well-balanced planes to fly.
“After that, the 747 was like
flying a giant truck.’’
At the age of 55, Enright left
Air New Zealand and went to
Singapore Airlines, continuing to
fly all over the world.
“Flying big planes into places
like the old Hong Kong airport,
where you were flying through
great skyscrapers, was amazing.
“I was pleased to be able to
meet such a huge variety of
people and to fly to so many
incredible places.’’
Along with his many adventures,
Enright has also lived a full
life as a husband to the late June,
father to five sons, and grandfather
of nine.
“Being away so much as a
pilot, it was good to have properties
at home in Auckland to care
for, and the family to enjoy.
“June had a lot to take care of
with five boys to deal with – she
was a very good manager.’’
• Many A Close Run Thing,
by Tom Enright, published
by HarperCollins.
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