Vic: Plane crash brothers were close: partner

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2009
Vic: Plane crash brothers were close: partner

By Kellee Nolan and Jeff Turnbull

MELBOURNE, Dec 7 AAP - Two elderly brothers on an evening joy flight have died in an
ultralight plane crash in northern Victoria.

Ted and Alan Berryman, both from NSW, were killed when their ultralight went down near
Yarrawonga after taking off on a planned two-and-a-half hour flight on Sunday evening.

Their bodies were found in the wreckage at Burramine, six kilometres from Yarrawonga,
about 8.45am (AEDT) on Monday.

Ted, 58, who lived and worked in Yarrawonga, was recently joined by his 60-year-old
brother who is believed to have gone there to help him build hangars at the local airfield.

Yarrawonga Airfield manager Peter McLean said he had told Ted flying conditions were
fine before the brothers took off around 6.30pm on Sunday.

"He flies around here, he was building hangars around here, he's been a good bloke
and he was a very competent pilot," Mr McLean told Network Ten.

Alan, from Lightning Ridge and Ted, from Manildra, were close, said Alan's partner
of 15 years, Carol Ramsey.

Ms Ramsey says she believes Alan was helping his brother with a building project.

"I'm not sure, to be perfectly honest, because when those two got together you never
knew what was going to happen," Ms Ramsey told AAP.

"They were pretty close."

Ms Ramsey said Alan did not fly planes.

"I'm pretty sure it was Ted's ultralight," she said.

Alan was a "jack-of-all trades", who did building and welding jobs around town.

"He was happiest when he was on a big machine, like excavators and things like that,"

Ms Ramsey said.

Lightning Ridge Bowling Club manager Ray Brown said Alan, known as Hooky, had lived
in the town for many years, was sociable and well-liked and would be sadly missed.

"I didn't know he'd left for Yarrawonga ... I think he was here last week, he comes
into the club just about every day for lunch."

Ken Pidcock, the chief flying instructor at the Orange Ultraflight Centre, near Manildra,
defended ultralight aircraft, saying they were very sophisticated machines.

They are administered by Recreation Aviation Australia which operates under the auspices
of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Mr Pidcock said ultralights can be bought in kit form but they are inspected by authorities
in the course of construction.

"It is the fastest growing sector of aviation and training is almost identical to general
aviation," Mr Pidcock told AAP.

"They are not unlike a Cessna 150 and are equipped with modern implementation."

Police are investigating the crash.

AAP kn/jxt/pmu/it/de

KEYWORD: ULTRALIGHT WRAP

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