Dundonians who enjoy a four mile stroll occasionally hitting a wee white ball with a stick, had their peace interrupted yesterday when a two-seat microlight became lodged in tree branches 40ft above the ground.
The pilot, Mr Hagedorn (63) of Chelmsford in Essex, escaped after his plane crashed on a Dundee golf course.
“Captain W.E. Johns saved my life. As a boy, I remember reading a Biggles story where he was shot down over enemy lines and was flying over a wooded area. He managed to “pancake” the plane sideways into a tree, which minimised the impact and he walked away unscathed.
"In the moment before impact, I was doing about 70 knots and still managed to think, ‘What would Biggles do?
Mr Hagedorn quipped to his rescuers, "I'm your new branch manager," before being helped down a ladder by members of the Tayside Fire and Rescue service.
Boys will be boys and it's good to know their childhood reading has some usefulness. I wonder if Oor Willie has ever inspired enough to save someone's life?
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10 comments:
In view of his prang, the inspiration must have come from Biggles Flies Undone?
Richard, you're obviously a great fan to know the titles! And I thought I did so well finding 'Biggles Works It Out' too.
He must have been going north, south, or east. Otherwise he'd have 'gone west'.
Ah Jim, good morning. You're right there, it seems he turned back to fly south doesn't it.
Rosy,
Yes indeed. Perhaps if he's been an Oor Wullie fan he might have kicked the bucket, of course.
Biggles is one of the few Great British Heroes who actually stands up to re-reading. To the adult mind, characters like Bulldog Drummond and Richard Hannay are simply hired thugs, but the Biggles yarns have strong story lines and exotic settings, and though not entirely without some toe-curling assumptions they still read well as adventure stories.
My daughter (who knows all my secret vices) recently gave me an omnibus: fabulous.
It's nice to see Biggles still has fans. The author, W E Johns, was himself a flier, and I'm sure his ghost will be delighted at this queer little passage of events in Dundee.
Now Jim, that's more like it. I did write something along these lines to begin with then I thought I would change it to the question. Glad you cottoned on. :)
Vronky, I admit, unashamedly, to never having read a Biggles book although they were available in my house as a child.
It's good to see that the pc brigade haven't managed to have them banned for some reason as yet.
R,
You know that to 'go west' in Biggles books is to kick the bucket don't you. Yes, of course you do. All the ladies read Biggles.
Yes I do know 'to go west' means that Jim, but I wasn't aware it came from W E Johns' writings.
Wimmin are no' a' daft ye ken.
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