It’s amazing what you can uncover from the quiet achievers in our community.
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I recently interviewed aviation legend Harvey Else regarding his acceptance of an Order of Australia Medal (OAM).
After getting the formalities out of the way, I turned to him and said, “So what do you get up to these days?”
He simply smiled, picked up a book and casually said, “Well, I’ve just written this.”
Entitled ‘Helicopter pilot - on the edge’, the book recounts the incredible highs and lows of Harvey's half-century career as a pilot.
The book looks at Harvey’s humble beginning’s working in his father Fred’s garage in Cundletown.
From there, Harvey details his transition to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and dreams to become a pilot.
Readers will be taken on a journey from his time as he RAAF Medical School in Victoria to his return home to manage the garage following his father’s death.
You’ll also read about Harvey's gig as a flying instructor in the Manning and the formation of the Manning River Aero Club.
Each chapter looks at how he handled the role of instructor on both fixed-wing and rotary wing aircraft.
But perhaps the most interesting details follow Harvey’s work in Antarctica with the Australian National Antarctic research expeditions.
His role was to position surveyors and geologists along the mountainous ranges by helicopter.
Harvey doesn’t shy away from his tribulations.
Harvey had several close calls with mechanical failures, forcing him to land helicopters in a swamp, crocodile infested river and in the ocean.
He was seriously injured in a crash in Taree in 1961. It left him in a coma for several weeks.
A massive heart attack in the 1980s resulted in open-heart surgery and the loss of his pilot licence.
Harvey said he methodically typed out 590 pages of the book over a 12 month period.
“Each chapter is a different story of its own - it might be a job in Tasmania then go to the highlands of Papua New Guinea,” he said.
Harvey painstakingly looked over the pages numerous times to ensure the book was factually and grammatically correct.
He is yet to decided how many copies will be printed and when they will come available.
The launch of Harvey’s book will be at Club Taree on Saturday, February 23, between 1.30pm and 3pm.
Harvey received an OAM on Australia Day for his service to the aviation industry and the Taree community.
Now at 90 years of age, he can add published author to his long list of credentials.
