Veteran, 93, returns to the skies decades after piloting bombers in WWII
Updated
Back in the air some 70 years after piloting Lancaster bombers across Europe in WWII, Howard Hendrick is still passing flying tests.
When the war ended, the serviceman promptly married his English sweetheart and took up a commercial flying career until 1954.
After his commercial career ended, it would be another four decades before he climbed back into a cockpit.
"For many years, I was too busy with family life," he said.
"But after my wife died, I had a joy flight, and the pilot was surprised at how much I remembered. He said 'Why don't you come and fly again?' So I did."
After recently celebrating his 93rd birthday, Mr Hendrick said he enjoyed taking a monthly flight under the supervision of a co-pilot.
However, he is keenly aware that his health could interfere with his passion for aviation at any time.
"The last time I flew was [earlier this month], and I had an off-day [and] I got a few things wrong," he said.
"I'm on a restricted or learner's permit, and I have to go up with an instructor.
"One day, the instructor will say 'Howard, I think for your own safety you should stop', and he could say that any old time.
"But while he hasn't said it, well, I'll see how I go."
Tim Laidler is the chief flying instructor who escorts Mr Hendrick on his monthly flights and feels certain he would be capable of getting a full licence if he wanted to.
"Howard is incredible … he's an interesting old fella", Mr Laidler said.
"He's always looking for improvement — crosswind landings are new to him and he works hard on it, as it takes a bit of skill.
"But it helps keep his cognitive skills up to speed."
Strict childhood made transition to life in the RAAF easier
Mr Hendrick grew up on a fruit block in Renmark in the 1920s, with no electricity or running water connected to the house.
He recalls the hardship his English-born mother faced, arriving in a new country, and raising three children without support.
Facing war time challenges, Mr Hendrick maintains that a disciplined family upbringing served him well in the military.
"We were frightened [of my father]", he said.
"He was an ex-army sergeant in World War One, and he was sudden death … he never spoke twice.
"We knew when he said something, he meant it."
Determined not to become a frontline soldier like his father, Mr Hendrick registered for flight training at the tender age of 19, just a few years into WWII.
"I've always had a weakness for flying. I used to read any book to do with the subject," he said.
"I didn't like the thought of being in the navy, so my brother and I volunteered for flight crew."
Their training included learning to pilot the iconic Tiger Moth aircraft, meteorology, navigation, and armaments.
"In those days they had a lot of problems with guns getting stuck, so you had to know how to pull apart a gun in mid-air, fix the problem, and get shooting again."
With an average of just 20 per cent of trainees selected to go on to become fighter pilots, Mr Hendrick said tensions ran high among recruits.
"In my life I've been so lucky in so many ways … first to be chosen as a pilot, because my brother had all the qualifications I had, and he didn't get through."
Vigilance key to surviving dozens of bombing missions
When he eventually took to the skies above Europe, Mr Hendrick said he faced just as many risks as his friends fighting on the ground.
"One of my best friends was a prisoner of war, and I've heard his story many a time," he said.
"A lot of our pilots were taken, and I always dreaded that and hoped I wouldn't have to bail out. I did 31 bombing trips over Germany."
The challenges of avoiding enemy aircraft were just as great as the patience required to stay in the cockpit for long periods of time, with some bombing missions taking up to nine and a half hours.
Mr Hendrick said vigilance was the key to surviving missions.
"We were flying at 20,000 feet, often at night, and there were many air collisions … two aircraft going down in balls of flame, and that keeps you very alert."
A combination of skill and good luck saw Mr Hendrick remain unharmed throughout the war that killed 60 million people worldwide.
Mr Hendrick now lives independently in his home at Pyap in the Riverland with the assistance of his children.
He said he was thankful to still be able to enjoy his lifelong passion.
"I'm in reasonable health and do all my own housework, but one of the girls comes up every third week and helps me with the hard jobs, and it makes it easier for me to live as I do today," he said.
"I'm just grateful to still be able to fly."
Topics: world-war-2, history, renmark-5341
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