Solo 2

This is an uncharacteristically personal post. I’ve been on a bit of a tear in recent years, digging into not only my own personal history, but also that of my family. I recently came by a set of photos that were taken 26 years ago today.

On that day, my father achieved something fairly special. He soloed in a Cessna 172N at Paraparaumu Airport. The photos documented this achievement. Here are a couple.

Wing Commander (retd) C.F.L. Jenks pre-flights Cessna 172N, ZK-KAS.
Wing Commander (retd) C.F.L. Jenks standing in front of Cessna 172N, ZK-KAS after completing a ‘first solo’. He is accompanied by CAA colleague Barnaby Hill, who checked him out for the solo.

Now, you might consider a first solo at a fairly advanced age to be achievement in itself (and I am told Dad wasn’t sure it would happen) but there is something even more special about this event.

Here’s a photo of Dad exactly 40 years prior to the above photos…

Acting Pilot Officer C.F.L. Jenks stands on the wing of RNZAF Harvard, NZ1009, after completing his first solo. Photo scanned and prepared by Steve Jenks.

Harvard NZ1009 has been retained by the RNZAF, as a spare for their Heritage Flight. Here’s a photo of Dad standing in front of it in 2009, when it was specially marked for the occasion by some RNZAF personnel involved in the visit — 51 years, to the day, after the above photo.

Wing Commander (retd) C.F.L. Jenks, standing in front of Harvard 1009 in 2009. Photo by Steve Jenks.


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