From English royalty to Elton John, former RAF pilot Michael Crymble's life has been about flying the rich and famous around the globe. Michael Crymble, who now owns Mandeville Aerodrome in Southland, previously flew VIPs around the world during a career in the Royal Air Force and as a pilot of private jets. ‘‘Since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I was always mad about airplanes,’’ Mr Crymble, 72, said while volunteering at Warbirds Over Wānaka. After three years as a co-pilot, at just 23, Mr Crymble became the RAF’s youngest captain to pilot a Hercules. ‘‘We were the first in and the last out,’’ Mr Crymble said.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 07, 2026 19:34 UTC