Resume

24th-July-!944:- Born, youngest of six, United Kingdom (UK) to Rev. Archibald Selwyn Pryor (Church of England) and Elizabeth Gulielma Lister. Father KIA, Normandy, 10th- Sept-1944. 1949-1952:-

PNEU (Parents National Educational Union) Kindergarten, Pangbourne, Berkshire, UK. First discovered potential of the fairer sex when caught trying to ease toes under Jecqueline Bisset's bum during morning assembly.

1952-1957:-

Went to Summerfields School, Oxford. First discovered Mathematical Dyslexia. Gave up aspirations of becoming University Professor, Doctor, Rocket Scientist, King of Great Britain, Army officer, Merchant Banker, Stockbroker or Captain of Industry and Millionaire. Never even thought about being a  Pilot, had just won the war, after all. You had to be Special people to be a pilot.

1957-1962:-

Went to Eton College, near Slough, UK. Apparently signed on at birth by my Uncle. Started average and consistently failed to maintain average academic standards, mainly through inability to master basic mathematical principles. Enjoyed rowing, until success brought punishing training regimes and serious inroads into social calendar. Reverted to type and was relegated to a Garbage Class, known as Modern Remove. Joined good bunch of failures, including Ranulph Twistleton-Wykham-Fiennes, (Arctic Explorer), Prince (later King) Berendra of Nepal (Tragically murdered, with the rest of the family, by his drug crazed son), and the present Duke of Gloucester, who has turned out to be the pick of the bunch, in spite of his rather inauspicious apprenticeship. Great teachers, one of whom we could not understand, because  cum fm Yokshia and had lost his left foot over Klagenfurt, as a tail-gunner in a Stirling Bomber. What better teacher can you get than that. Made film about Deep Sea Trawling, with Robert Frost (not the Robert Frost, of course, just a colleague-pupil), as a school-sponsored project. directed by Anootha Greyt teecha fm oop Noth, called Brian Tricker. Discovered Dry Sack Sherry. Have not drunk much of it since, due to deterrent effects of over dosage of that particular stimulant. Sold the film to Dutch TV, after being pooh-poohed by the BBC. Made £2-7s-8d profit. (You have to start somewhere, I suppose!) Got caned many times by senior people whom I now respect too much to mention.

August 1958:-

Went shooting pigeons with Charlie G-J and met Henriette. Dutch. Lovely. Fell in Love with minute photo of her for about six months then ran out of ink.

1962:-

Met Stina in Ireland, Dublin Horse Show, and took even smaller photo of her to New Guinea. Did Voluntary Service Overseas, because National Service had been cancelled, the year before. Had a very energetic and brilliantly eye-opening time there. Discovered Yalumba Port, by the gallon, by courtesy of the  (Pidgin English for Patrol Officer), Gavin Carter. Met Gavin by courtesy of Max Parker, an icon of aviation in New Guinea, who took me on my first EVER flight in an aeroplane...a Cessna 185...in the MOUNTAINS! Fell in love with 185, one of the very few romances to survive in my life. OK, there was also the Cub and the Pilatus Porter and the Buffalo and the Twin Otter and..... Did two years in TPNG. The start of the rot!

1965-1969:-

Went to Keswick Hall College of Education. Total waste of three years, but got a bit of Paper to say that I was qualified to educate people, which I thought was the duty of any normal person. Met Trudy. Fell in love. Went out with her for three years.

1969:- Went to Tanzania to make Meershaum pipes. Still feel...gutted... about Trudy. She must think that I'm a Bastard to this day! Hope she found the right guy. Ended up farming with cousins (Michael Wood, plastic surgeon who rebuilt pilots faces, during WW II, with Archie Macindoe,) on Kilimanjaro. Built a dairy. Fell in love with Ba. Got engaged. Discovered that she was engaged to two other people at the same time. Got disengaged. Learned to fly as that's the only sensible means of transport in the Dark Continent. Bought Piper PA-12, Cruiser. Fell in love with it, pending another female human being.

1975:- Farms all Nationalised by Communist Tanzanian government. Left Kilimanjaro. Made airstrips for East African Flying Doctor Services got CPL/IR. Started flying for Flying Doctors. Cessna 182/185/206/402, BN-2A Islander, I SAID BN-2A ISLANDER. Can you hear me? and P68 Partenavia.

1976:-

Married Annie. Bet she wishes she had not!

1978:-

Went to fly for old friend, Alan Herd, in Khartoum, mostly ex-Air America Garrett-engined Fairchild Porters and Islanders (I SAID ISLANDERS!). Not paid for five months. Alan is still great friend and next-door-neighbour.

1978:-

Joined Air Wing in Oman. Best years of my life. Pilatus PC-6, De Havilland DHC-5D Buffalo and Lear 35. Performed almost seamless wheels-up in Buffalo. Low point in my life!

1982-1998:-

Zimex Aviation, Switzerland. S.Yemen, Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Angola, N.Yemen, Mozambique, Algeria. Got fired because I discovered that the new Flight Ops Manager was not a helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy, as his CV stated. Got reinstated after amazing three month tour Twin Ottering in Somalia for Rossair, South Africa, on contract to UN/WFP during El Nino. Did one month back with Zimex, just to prove that I could and then went to 1998:-

BenAvia of Geneva. Twin Otters on contract to BP, Algeria. Really great guys to work for. BenAvia went bankrupt in Jan 2002 kindly agreeing to owe me $31700

Feb-2001:-

Turning point in career. Bought first copy of Airways Magazine at Geneva Airport and sent some stories to Stan Solomon Received prompt reply to effect that he could not use them, but would forward them to JW. March-2001:-

High point in career.

May-2001:-

Even higher point in career. First story published in Airways Magazine. Nearly got drunk.

May 2002:-

Joined Rossair, South Africa on same contract with BP in Algeria. 29th-May-2004. Rossair struggling to get paid by Algerian partner. Stole aircraft and flew to Malta, via Libya. Spent 15 fantastic days on Malta with seriously entertaining company crews, awaiting future. Ferried Twin Otter on down to Nairobi. Went on contract to WFP in Bujumbura, Burundi.

31st-Jan-2005:-

Rossair went bankrupt, kindly agreeing to owe me $7150

1st-July-2005:-

Joined Executive Turbine for five months with UN/WFP, based in Rumbek, S.Sudan. Due back there on 20th- Jan-2006. By and large I have had an enormous amount of unearned and undeserved fun in life. Now  just standing by for the millionaire bit to fall into place. Dont hold your breath!