He was born February 6, 1956 in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Capt. The flight engineer was Gordon Brooks, who had served as Vette's flight engineer on Air New Zealand flight 103 during the Cessna 188 rescue. It took some time, but eventually, Prochnow reported seeing light. Cutter died May 21, 2011 in the New Mexico city after a long battle with stomach cancer, said organizers of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, now held every October. The only other aircraft in the area that was able to assist was a commercial Air New Zealand flight. The flight had 88 passengers on board. All I needed to do was post the picture shown above. Accurate determination of longitude by observing time of sunset requires knowledge of latitude by observing sunset and noting the time in GMT one may determine longitude by assuming a latitude of the site. The only plane in the air space is Air New Zealand flight 308. I was almost born in a D-18 Twin Beech. The ubiquitous Staggerwing and, later, one of the first V Tail Bonanzas are the focus ofsome early memories. Jay doesnt want to fly alone anymore and proposes, by radio, to stop the journey and get back to San Francisco. 20, 1954 - Oct. 25, 2017Resident of ForesthillIt is with great sadness that we share the news of Marc Prochnow's unexpected passing. He was ferrying the Cessna from Pago Pago to Norfolk Island. Prochnow established the elevation of the Sun as four fingers as Vette measured the elevation of the Sun as two fingers. In the meantime, Gordon Vette (Robert Loggia), Captain for Air New Zealand, does an energic complain to his superior about his friend, First Officer Ross Mann (Michael Bishop), who has not yet been promoted as a Captain. Vette, a qualified navigator, contacted Prochnow and asked him to head toward the Sun and to report his magnetic heading. [6], In recognition of Vette's efforts, the New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association (NZALPA) awarded him an honorary lifetime membership in 1984 and the first Jim Collins Memorial Award for Exceptional Contribution to Flight Safety award in 1991. Northeast of the DC-10 initially and located by using sunset tables adjusted for altitude and VHF reception, b. Southeast of the DC-10 initially and located by using sunset tables unadjusted for altitude and VHF reception, c. Southwest of the DC-10 initially and located by using sunset tables adjusted for altitude and VHF reception, d. Northwest of the DC-10 initially and located by using sunset and declination tables adjusted for altitude and VHF reception. After many vain reassurings, Jay finally flies the morning after with Frank, who takes off quite roughly because of the fuel quantity higher than usual in the wings. Their stories are within this site along with a coupladozen others. At the outbreak of World War II, when much of General Aviation and the businesses that supported it came to a halt, Cutter Flying Service became a pilot training provider for the United States military to stay in business from 1941 to 1945. He was born in Marion on May 9, 1988, to Theodore Prochnow and Kimberley (Thomasson) Prochnow. She was born on November 7, 1961, in San Antonio, Texas to Randolph Ben Prochnow and Violet Rose (Jaschke) Prochnow. But Frank cannot lift the plane. In addition, Cutter Flying Service offered aircraft sales, line and fuel services to transient pilots as a Phillips 66 Aviation fuel dealer beginning in 1938, and aircraft maintenance to support the growing number of aircraft in the Southwest. After making an allowance for the different altitudes of the aircraft, the difference in sunset times between the aircraft and Norfolk Island was also noted. Below Bill & Will Cutter; WRC balloon w/chase crew; Bill & granddaughter, Brooke; Bill, surrounded by a balloon hoard is, again, the center of attention. Aboard what was really flight 103 (and not 308), there were also First Officer Arthur Dovey and Second Officer Gordon Brooks (later killed in the Mount Erebus, Antarctica crash on November 28, 1979). A great guy, good pilot. He was the owner and president of his family business, Ann Arbor Buick and Suzuki, until semi-retirement in 1998 when he entered into real estate management. [17] Mahon's final report was published on 27 April 1981, and it largely agreed with Vette's hypotheses. Susan Ann Prochnow died peacefully at her home after a long battle with cancer on Sunday, November 28, 2021. [6], Upon his return to ANZ in 1958, Vette served as first officer on a Douglas DC-6, simultaneously working towards his Flight Navigator Licence and Airline Transport Pilot Licence. He was also one of the first to suggest adding forward-looking capabilities to the GPWS,[6] since the lack of such a function left the crew of Flight TE901 with a mere six seconds to react before they crashed into Mt. Prochnow, previously a pilot in the United States Navy, had lost his bearings on a flight from Pago Pago to Norfolk Island when his Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) malfunctioned. Research into Air New Zealand Flight 901 crash. He did the same and noted the difference in heading between the aircraft as four degrees. Prochnow was able to make it to Norfolk Island with his remaining fuel. Im astounded that New Zealand wasnt prepared to immediately launch at least several rescue aircraft that all had a radio direction finder?!! Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. Fritz was born June 26, 1936 to Carl and . With a failed ADF and an overdue ETA, he was deeply worried. jay prochnow obituary November 6, 2020 0 Comments. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. More on this is found in Walker Bunch Part Oneherein. Movie Plot Summary: Gordon is a veteran and has been working for 33 years on Air New Zealand. There arent many! Imagine flying for more than 14 hours non-stop over the Pacific Ocean. Obituary of James M. Koch James M. Koch, 85, Winter Haven, passed Wed. Jan. 18th. You see nothing but the blue of the ocean around you. Expanding West, Cutter Aviation, Inc. located at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, first opened its doors in 1959 and offered aircraft sales, maintenance and charter to support the growing city of Phoenix. A map of the region, courses, and events is depicted in Figure 23 . We may conclude that the Cessna was: a. . weird!). No name in aviation is better known nor more respected in the American Southwest than Cutter. Your email address will not be published. The same thing can be said about Nadi, in Fiji, which is pronounced Nandi. It was presented in many networks worldwide. He believes that the Cessnas opaque canopy prevented Prochnow from sighting the DC-10. Justice Mahon even took a helicopter ride to Mt. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Jay Was my copilot on a world Airways DC-10-30 during a two month contract in the 80s with Malaysian air. When I first wrote Jays story he was alive albeit suffering from Prostate Cancer. In recent years, social network analysis has had its own distinctive theoretical and methodological underpinnings. Capt. Jeanne M. Vollert, age 80 of Wisconsin Rapids WI passed away peacefully on November 25, 2022, at Aspirus Riverview Hospital. He instructed the Cessna to point directly at the setting sun. View Details | Send Flowers. Sorry to say that Jay passed away from the effects of prostate cancer. This information comes from Stanley Stewarts excellent book. 2 Here is Christine Prochnow's obituary. The Cessnas time was reduced to sea level (as Prochnow would see sunset later owing to his altitude and his eastward displacement from Norfolk Island). Has Australian Airlines ever flown to Fiji? This was identified as Penrod, which was being towed from New Zealand to Singapore. Vette recognized that one can determine the difference of longitude between Norfolk Island and the Cessna by noting the GMT of sunset at the two locations. Your email address will not be published. My Dads company, Plains Airways, was William P Cutters counterpart. After 23 hours of flying, and almost out of fuelhaving used a lower speed to stretch out the Cessna's usual 22 hours of fuel[9]Prochnow landed safely at Norfolk Island. She was baptized and confirmed at St. James Ev. I was President of the Rotary Club of Wausau, Membership Chair, Grants Chair, Lets Dance Chair, Past President, Nominating Chair, 100 Year Anniversay Committee and other committees as needed.. Rendezvous over a towed ocean rig refined the position and Prochnow was directed to a heading to intercept Norfolk Island. Crisis on the Flight Deck . For more than a decade, he served as the companys president. In recent years Cutter also expanded operations into Texas. Erebus crash. Bill with a Damn Good Airplane (Howard DGA-15). It was hoped the DC-10 would be making a vapour trail to make it more visible. Thanks for taking the time! [21], Vette published two books on the Mount Erebus Disaster: Impact Erebus in 1983 and Impact Erebus II with John MacDonald in 1999. Each flight was captained by one of Air New Zealand's most skilled pilots, and commentary was provided by famous antarctic explorers such as Sir Edmund Hillary or Peter Mulgrew. At the same time, Cessna 771 is supposedly flying over Norfolk Island, at North of New Zealand. Then you realize you are lost in the middle of nowhere and youre in a very small Cessna agplane. Imagine flying for more than 14 hours non-stop over the Pacific Ocean. [3], By 1977, Air New Zealand had introduced a limited series of DC-10 flights over Antarctica as an exciting sightseeing trip for those who could afford it. Send flowers. [10][1], In 1980, the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators awarded Vette the Johnston Memorial Trophy for outstanding air navigation in recognition of his performance in the rescue. He informed Air Traffic Control (ATC), but at this point, there was no immediate danger. Jim Collins served as the captain of Flight TE901, the last scheduled flight of this series. University of Glasgow Graduation Ceremony. Required fields are marked *. In the case of the Cessna, the clouds from the outside are moving, but the use of background film is obvious. Aviation makes the worldamazingly small. Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. Prochnow had crossed the international date line, and the date was now 22 December. 12 of 1983: The Honourable Thomas Peter Thomas Mahon v. Air New Zealand Limited and Others from the Court of Appeal of New Zealand", "Investigating and Preventing Organizational Accidents", "The Significant and Key Role of the Prosecutor in Upholding the Rule of Law", "Abridged Transcript of a Sundstrand, Model B Cockpit Voice Recorder, Serial No. It starred Scott Bakula as Jay Prochnow (which was changed to Perkins in the movie) and Robert Loggia as Gordon Vette. Both were Beechcraft dealers in the early days. Debra J. Prochnow age 66 of Bloomington, IL passed away peacefully with her family by her side at 4:50 PM on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 at her residence. Prochnow pointed the Cessna to magnetic heading 274 degrees as Vette steered his DC-10 toward the Sun and read his magnetic heading as 270 degrees. Required fields are marked *. Vette agreed to help in the search for the lost Cessna. A movie was made of his flight delivering a Cessna model 188 AG Wagon. Had the producers and director availed themselves to technical advisors it could have been a really WOW movie. Marc also loved his two cats very much.A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 3 p.m. at Chapel of the Hills, 1331 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA 95603A celebration of life will be scheduled at a later time. 2047 Obituaries Search Winter Haven obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. Burial will be at Immanuel Cemetery at a later date. Im astounded that New Zealand wasnt prepared to immediately launch at least several rescue aircraft that all had a radio direction finder?! Also, too bad they dont give many precisions about the real event: no date is given at any time. It is an excellent movie to watch with the family, and will keep you restless at key moments. His colleague crashed on takeoff but was unharmed. You have funeral questions, we have answers. The major airport in the American Samoa is in a city called Pago Pago, which is actually pronounced Pango Pango, as accurately depicted by the actors. Vette reasoned that if he marked the points at which he established and lost contact with the Cessna, he could find the location of the Cessna. The long trip would be completed in four stages. As neither Prochnow nor the crew of the DC-10 had any real idea of where the Cessna was, the crew had to devise creative ways to find it. [19] Vette's career also suffered, as his crusade for truth had ended friendships and caused conflicts with Air New Zealand, his employer at the time. In an interview some years after the accident, Vette described Collins as "one of the most cautious pilots in the world. Prochnow had a colleague who was flying another Cessna 188 alongside him. Both pilots will be guided by the ADF just installed on both planes with masking tape! Movie links Jay Parkins (Prochnow) played by Scott Bakula, is something of a daredevil flyer. Funeral arrangement under the care of Frank Family Funeral Home. We are sad to announce that on September 1, 2021 we had to say goodbye to Christine Prochnow (Roselle, Illinois). in a small single place single engine aircraft. Copyright 2020 Billy Walker | All rights reserved. In case there are people sensitive to the shenanigans of youth, young Cutters activities during this period will be left to the imagination. Prochnow was directed to fly northwest during this interlude as he was regarded as being southeast of Norfolk Island. He alerted AATC and declared an emergency. The Sun began to set. Space limits including all the details of the crisis confronted by Prochnow and all the refinements employed in the search. Produced by Anasazi Productions. Vette published a book about the Flight 901 disaster, called Impact Erebus. You see nothing but the blue of the ocean around you. That photo is the essence of my aviator pal, Bill Cutter, and the reason he is so revered in the aviation community. I worked with Captain Jay Prochnow at good ol America West. This gave Prochnow's exact position. Here are the main differences between the real event and the movie depiction. Accepting New Patients Schedule an Appointment Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. Vette served as an adviser to Mahon during the proceedings,[4] and his findings proved especially influential. The captain was the late-greatGordon Vette,* the first officer was Arthur Dovey, and the F/Ewas Gordon Brooks. The movie depicts his departure (and Franks balked departure) as occuring after Christmas Day. "[7] In fact, it was soon discovered that the airline changed Flight 901's route, after the flight briefing without informing Collins, putting Mt. A pioneer barnstormer who gave the Navajo Indians their first taste of flight, the late William P. Cutter began a family tradition in aviation that has no equal. He will be deeply missed and forever in our hearts.Marc was preceded in death by his mother Betty Lou Prochnow and his nephew Jay Prochnow. Above: Im flying the Val Vista Lakes ballon with MM almost ready to launch below me. With rudimentary methods, such as the sun orientation and the VHF radio (with a range of 200 nautical miles), the search is hard. I just watched the movie. Thank you for checkin in and reading Bill Cutters story. Before the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926, most aviation activity in the United States was completely unregulated and lacked standards for pilot licensing, aerial navigation and airspace, aircraft registration, aviation businesses and air charter operators and as a result safety and consumer protection in any aviation activity was at an all time low. There was only one aircraft in the vicinity, Air New Zealand Flight 103, a McDonald-DouglasDC-10 travelling from Fiji to Auckland. (NAN-AKL). It was during this time that young Bill was enrolled at New Mexico Military Academy in Roswell. In fact, the term used to describe an aviation business serving General Aviation at an airport a Fixed Base Operator or FBO comes from that original 1926 act. He continued searching; after locating more homing beacons from other islands, he realized his ADF (automatic direction finder) had malfunctioned and he was now lost somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. 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