

Ernest V. 'Pop' West
- Description
Ernest (Ernie) Vilhelm West (1885-1961) was a Palmerston North architect and member of the Middle Districts Aero Club. His first flight was in 1909, when visiting the Crystal Palace, London, he flew in a Farman box kite. However, West did not learn to fly until 1935, at the age of 51, when he trained in a DH 60. Two of his sons lost their lives in the airforce during the Second World War. Darby West was killed in a flying accident in 1942 and Squadron-Leader Peter West, D.F.C., was shot down while on a loan reconaissance in 1942. A third son, Murray West joined the airforce in 1943. Ernie was reportedly the oldest active pilot in the world and earned the nickname 'Pop' West.
Identification
- Object type
- Image
- Identifier
- 2022P_ManawatuAeroClub_S6-F1_039231
- Archive
- Manawatū District Aero Club
- Date
- February 1938
- Digitisation ID
- 2022P_ManawatuAeroClub_S6-F1_039231
- Format
- B&W print
- Held In
- "Community Archives"
Taxonomy
- Community Tags