CAPTAIN LAURIE TAYLOR OBE, FORMER BALPA CHAIRMAN, HONORARY BALPA MEMBER (19222019) Laurie was a senior BOAC captain and a substantial BALPA character, and played a great role as chairman. In the mid-1960s, BALPA had a membership of around 4,000 members. Laurie chaired the two-day NEC meetings with great calmness and skill through some very difficult times. Industrial unrest was rampant in both BOAC and BEA, and the various collapses of so many other companies because of financial failures seemed to occur every winter, as so many of their contracts relied on charter work and trooping contracts with a minimum of reliable route structures to sustain them through the harsh winter periods. The Association was also battling with the problems of crew fatigue, and was soon heavily involved in making submissions to the CAA, which eventually lead to the Bader Report and a change in legislation. Because of the various problems we all faced on the industrial front, the Government set up an inquiry under Lord Pearson, and Laurie was central in BALPAs submission. Such was the skill that Laurie displayed that, while the evidence was being submitted, he was awarded the OBE, which he richly deserved. Everyone who worked under Lauries direction at the NEC, no matter which faction they supported, would accept that his control, subtle humour and sensitive handling of contentious issues was of the highest level. The non-stop arguments between the two major sections even over the clearance of their minutes were usually resolved thanks to his skill. Laurie also navigated the Associations first major change to our Rule Book, which created the new Annual Delegates Meeting in place of the old General Members Meeting. This also proved to be a great improvement. It meant that delegates could be non-sectional, which helped to broaden the debate and hopefully improve the big issue problems that always seem to be there. When Laurie retired from flying, his skills were on display at various IFALPA conferences, and he was invited to take on the role of IFALPA Executive Secretary. He held this role for many years and, once again, applied the usual skill and patience that is needed for such a task. A unique little club of retired chiefs was organised, called the Bald Eagles Club. We used to meet once or twice a year for a very pleasant dinner to chew over old battle stories and have a good laugh about the times we all enjoyed at BALPA, and the many mistakes we had probably made. It was another success, and you wont find it hard to guess who organised that as well! By Captain Mike Clarke, BALPA Honorary Member MY DAD, LAURIE TAYLOR, BY PATRICIA BRADY Dad was born in 1922 at Somercotes, Derbyshire, and was the youngest of three boys. He left school at 14 and volunteered for RAF service, and was selected to be trained as a pilot. He spent his training in Paignton and High Wycombe, and flew solo after eight hours 10 minutes of dual training on the Tiger Moth. He travelled to Canada on a Norwegian cargo ship converted to a troopship. He arrived for advance flying training on Harvard training planes, which he greatly enjoyed. Dad got his wings in spring of 1942. While at RCAF Bombing and Gunnery at Lethbridge Alberta, Canada, he met my mum and they married in May 1943. He was posted back to the UK at the end of that year. After the end of World War II, he attended a civil aviation school near Southampton and obtained licences as a pilot and navigator, joining BOAC. His first flight was to Johannesburg via Tripoli, Cairo, Khartoum, Nairobi, Salisbury (now Harare, Zimbabwe), Johannesburg and back. This round trip took 12 days the crew maximum duty day was 12 hours. Crew changed at Cairo and Nairobi, and they waited for the next flight. He retired two years earlier than the then retirement age of 55 for pilots. He then wrote a book called Air Travel, How Safe Is It? He was a member of Surrey Border Lions Club and the Woking branch of the Air Crew Association. He is survived by his two daughters, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. CAPTAIN CHARLES WILLIAM HORNBY RATHBONE (19532019) Charlie was born in Birmingham and went to King Edwards Five Ways School. As a youngster, he was a cheeky chap with an appetite for mischief. Although a popular, easy-going pupil, he lacked drive and direction. This changed when his father took him to an airshow and he declared: Thats what I want to do. After a short stint in a local bank, he joined the RAF, flying the Hunter, Hawk and Phantom before transferring to helicopters. After flying search and rescue (SAR) at RAF Lossiemouth and in the Falklands, he was promoted to Squadron Leader and ended up as OC of the Central Flying School at RAF Shawbury. In 1992 Charlie left the RAF and went out to instruct with the United Arab Emirates air force. Moving back to the UK, he joined British International Helicopters in Sumburgh, soon becoming chief pilot, and this was where he met his wife Gina. Transferring to Bristow in 1998, when the SAR contract changed hands, he stayed in Shetland until 2006, when he converted onto the AS332L Tiger flying out of Aberdeen. Charlie lost his licence on medical grounds, but soon started his own business as an aviation consultant, doing helideck inspections and dangerous goods training for the offshore deck crews. He was seen by his colleagues as a great mentor, always willing to help others. Charlie was a true gentleman, a man of his word, with a magnetic personality. Perhaps thanks to his RAF career, he liked tradition and had some odd ones of his own, like swimming in the North Sea on New Years Day each year usually alone! Charlie fell seriously ill in May 2018 and was in hospital for several weeks, forcing him to give up work. He died on 24 February 2019, aged 65, leaving behind Gina and his children Andrew, Harriet, Jack and stepdaughter Debi. By Mike Buckley, Log Board member OBITUARIES Obituaries