John (Jack) Iggulden died at Bellingen friday at the age 94. Jack was proud of the fact he was GFA #1 (think the first life member) and with his late brother Bill Iggulden (died 20+years ago) were responsible for the GFA manual of Standard Proceedures and the GFA instructors manual and while changes have occurred there is still a lot there from those Igguldens. They did a lot of negotiation with Sir Donald Anderson the then head of DCA on behalf of GFA. Their life was gliding.
His last flying in gliders was in his beloved ASK14 motorglider. He owned it till about 3 years ago always thinking he would be able to fly again. Mind was still OK buy body was failing. Unfortunately last time I say him was Ben Iggulden's (his nephew Brett's son) wedding about 4 years ago (Tom Iggulden -another son of Brett-was married last weekend who we all see on ABC TV reporting from China most weeks) The Igguldens and the Wills families from UK (Phillip and Justin in UK and Gavin in NZ) always had a close association and always there is still a special place for Lucy Wills in all our lives.(movie "Windborn" or better known as Lucy Learns to fly) My main times with the Iggulden's was at Keepit and Jack and Brett were like father and son. Can always remember Jack landed K14 and said he want to Boggabri and when Brett landed his LS4 I told Brett about Jack going to Boggabri- Then a a ding dong followed with Brett saying "You lying old bastard - you cut the turn point short" Jack responded with "I could see what the marker was behind the silo" To explain before camera verification in comps people would drive to the marker and put a L or X or T marker in close to tall silo and change every say 30min. Pilots would have to write down a time and the marker to prove they turned the marker!! Before being at Bellingen NSW the Igguldens came from Victoria where they did much of the early gliding around Tower Hill I seem to remember. There is old black and whit movie of Jack in a thermal then followed by a bit of a spin - no circuits those days!!!!! Jack spent time in Jail over the Port Phillip Bay development and he supported the greenies in early days around Bellingen. There was also a ABC ABC TV program done on Igguldens in there early days at Bellingen and they added gliding to the end of the program . If you go to dentist or before you go to sleep on operating table in hospital you may well see the label that says "PLANET LIGHTING BELLINGEN NSW " which is family company still going under Brett. Jack had daughter Reberta? (who also flew Libelle) and her children all did gliding at Keepit and do remember at least Graham Reece (Jack's grandson) did many solos. Jack's sister Grace died a few years ago and her husband Fred Hoinville wrote the book "halfway to heaven" (I think the book was written by Grace). There is something about the Olie "the Yellow witch" Jack did make a tape recording at Keepit of his version of history of Aust gliding. I think at some stage Edmund Schneider when he came to Australia lived under on of the Igguldens houses in Melbourne. I do know Jack was also a writer and wrote several books. He lived at "the Promisde Land" behing Bellingen. Funeral is 11am (I think) Thursday in Bellingen area and think a number of gliding types will be there to see the old bugger off. Ian McPhee 0428847642 PS my history may be wrong and I stand to be corrected. (Brett's number 0428268862)
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