Donald E Bentley…..Clubman Extraordinaire
Don Bentley joined the Cronulla Model Aero Club about 1975 (he’s not really sure but his "VH" number supports that contention). He is one of only two life member of the club and he gained that honour (despite his protestations) simply because his peers saw him as the linchpin of our organisation. Don was Senior Vice President of the club for more than 20 years. Don is a toolmaker by trade but his expertise doesn’t rest there. There is little doubt that most members have his skill and ingenuity to thank for a myriad of miracles which have kept them in the air. It is to his well-equipped workshop that all sorts of disasters are taken and nursed back to health in circumstances where, without him, they would have ended on the scrap heap. His dedication to the progress of the club does not end there. He is the "curator" of our field and it is to him that our members owe a huge debt of gratitude for his work over the years which has provided us with an excellent flying venue. Everything about the place has "DB" stamped on it….The roller for the strip; the shelter shed; the gates and fencing; the toilet facilities; the list is endless. Maintenance of our facility is carried out by working bees of members as circumstances decree……and guess who organises them? Most members turn up with a rake or a shovel or the like…..Don arrives with a trailer load of gear, including a generator, a welder, a chainsaw and enough hand tools to put Hardwarehouse in the shade! Add to that the wherewithal for morning tea and you might have the picture. It has been said that no man is indispensable but you will not get any argument from CMAC members that Don Bentley puts that adage to the ultimate test. Donald E Bentley, we salute you. Text prepared by Allan Whitby with Don’s reluctant
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