Australian Flying - July 2018

australianflying.com.au 57

July – August 2018 AUSTRALIAN FLYING

DSO and DFC. Cecil, I think
held a commercial pilot licence
and was still an active f lyer – he
knew about light aircraft.
Anyhow, the prosecution were
trying to show that Placo’s pilot
was in the left-hand seat and was
therefore PIC. With this objective
they got Zingi into the witness box
... a bad mistake as it turns out.
Prosecution: Mr Harrison did
you witness the deceased boarding
the aircraft?
Zingi: Yes I did
Prosecution: Perhaps you
could tell the court who was the
first to enter the aircraft.
Zingi: Certainly. It was one of
the young ladies.
Prosecution: And which door
did she enter through?
Zingi: The right hand door.
Zingi glances at Cecil Margo
and, for a moment, they exchange
a f leeting smile. They both know
where this cross-examination
is heading.
The prosecution then leads
Zingi, step by step, through the

sequence of who entered

the aeroplane in what

order and through

which door. Of course

they had all entered

through the right

hand door.

Finally, the

prosecutor reaches his

moment of triumph

• the pinnacle of
  his lengthy cross-
  examination what will
  prove that Placo’s pilot
  was in the left hand
  seat, and therefore
  the PIC, and therefore it was all
  Placo’s fault, and therefore Placo
  must compensate the families of
  the disceased.
  Prosecutor: Mr Harrison, are
  you asking this court to believe
  the preposterous notion that in
  order to f ly the aircraft my client’s
  son entered the aircraft from the
  wrong side and scrambled over the
  other seat in order to get into the
  pilot’s seat. Surely, if he was the
  pilot in command he would simply

have entered the aircraft from the

other side.

Zingi: No, sir, the aircraft only

has one door.

Prosecutor: Splutter, gurgle,

um, ah. Right. Now we will

proceed to my next point ...

Cecil Margo pulls out a

handkerchief and makes a big

thing of blowing his nose. Zingi

turns away and has a coughing fit

into his sleeve. Both are trying to

contain their mirth.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Virginia

Airport near Durban was

where Max Kolb stored his

Cherokee 180.

ABOVE: A Cherokee 235

similar to the one used in

Jack Jay’s fatal beat-up.

BRUCE PERKINS