CECILE ‘Boz’ Parsons trained in Tiger Moths in Narromine NSW in 1940, captained bombers that completed sorties over Berlin in the Second World War and now flies for pleaseure over the skies of the Bellarine.
Boz is now also one of the oldest active pilots in the country.
Boz, Cecil’s childhood nickname, bought his Ocean Grove house in 1965 and has now flown, the entire Australian coastline with the exception of Esperance to Albany – although he has driven it.
He flies out of Barwon Heads.
Boz flew 2,000 military hours before changing direction.
At other stages the 91-year-old has also been a farmer, schoolmaster and (airborne) outback postman in the Northern Territory.
Asked whether he’s had any near misses in more than 3,000 civilian hours he has completed, he said: “No, not really.”
So what does he put that down to?
Flicking a pretend coin he says, “ a lot of chance, a lot of luck. It’s also being reasonably careful and competent and not taking risks.
“It’s assessing the situation.”
Boz flies his Piper Arrow out of Barwon Heads about once every fortnight.
His wife Barbara, 89, will often accompany him. A long time convert, she used to be less enthusiastic about his flying.
Now they will – literally - take off up to the New South Wales coast to visit family.
Boz, a former Geelong Grammar School teacher, has just released his biography Boz: Aviator, Farmer, Schoolmaster.
The book was written by former Grammer school colleague Neville Clark.
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