Inspirational story

1/4/2009

The battle being waged by pilot Barry Cardno (1987-91) to beat the odds and fly again is now the subject of a book which was launched in Wanaka last week.

The former topdressing pilot was been the centre of media attention as national current affairs television crews and print media clamoured to tell his tale.

Barry Cardno - flying high again

Barry is a familiar figure to Wanaka residents and aerial enthusiasts — many of who have said his exploits were worthy of a book. His autobiography Let Fly! details his courageous comeback after he crashed a top-dressing plane in a Taupo paddock in 1995.

The crash left him with a broken back and incomplete paraplegia. He has feeling in his legs and can stand with callipers, but cannot walk.

Let Fly! evolved from his bureaucratic battle with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission to regain his pilot’s licence. Much of his book deals with the systemic faults he believes are endemic at the two authorities and the personal frustrations he experienced when dealing with them.

Barry flew solo again in 2006 and a year later he regained a full unrestricted general aviation licence. Writing a book was a way of telling others about his ‘‘full circle’’ quest to fly again. Like many other strong-willed characters, Barry’s setbacks have made him more determined to succeed.

Let Fly! acknowledges the mentors and friends who have inspired Barry during his fight against adversity – the likes of Sir Tim Wallis and Burwood Hospital’s Spinal Unit head, the late Prof Alan Clarke. Both men were also left disabled after serious flying accidents and fought back to fly again.

Like Sir Tim and Prof Clarke, Barry has put himself forward as a role model to help others overcome their ‘‘perceived’’ disabilities. He helped found Kiwis Can Fly — a registered charity which encourages the disabled and disadvantaged to share the freedom, joy, and accomplishment of flying.