Ron Gatty - Revision history

Moleski: /* Gatty and Isaac/Verrier */

2017-09-10T23:52:08Z

Gatty and Isaac/Verrier

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	Gatty was close to [[Verrier\| Isaac/Verrier]], especially in his last years. He was a good doctor--and intelligent, "which is not too common in Fiji."		Gatty was close to [[Verrier\| Isaac/Verrier]], especially in his last years. He was a good doctor--and intelligent, "which is not too common in Fiji."

	Gatty and Isaac/Verrier had a common hobby. ~~Gatt~~ is writing a massive tribal history of the other large island, Vanua Levu. It is 2000 pages in manuscript on his computer. It may turn out to be eight books, with one or two provinces in each book. Gatty thinks it will be useful to people trying to trace their roots (which is important for establishing native rights).		Gatty and Isaac/Verrier had a common hobby. Gatty is writing a massive tribal history of the other large island, Vanua Levu. It is 2000 pages in manuscript on his computer. It may turn out to be eight books, with one or two provinces in each book. Gatty thinks it will be useful to people trying to trace their roots (which is important for establishing native rights).

	When RG was working the the states, he would return frequently to Fiji to search for plants for Johnson and Johnson. He would see Verrier on those trips. Verrier had an attic full of "native stuff." He was quite a collector.		When RG was working the the states, he would return frequently to Fiji to search for plants for Johnson and Johnson. He would see Verrier on those trips. Verrier had an attic full of "native stuff." He was quite a collector.

Moleski: /* Remarks on Earhart and Noonan */

2017-09-10T23:51:34Z

Remarks on Earhart and Noonan

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	Met Amelia Earhart at least once. "All I remember of Amelia is a smile--charming and open."		Met Amelia Earhart at least once. "All I remember of Amelia is a smile--charming and open."

	Gatty also met Fred Noonan, who was a good friend of Harold Gatty. He never saw Fred out of control due to drinking. He and his father enjoyed themselves. Drinking was open and accepted. Noonan was a warm and competent man. Of course, Gatty was only 8 when Fred and Amelia disappeared. Clearly this recollection needs to be taken with a grain of salt. A young boy may not have stayed up late at night with the men.		Gatty also met Fred Noonan, who was a good friend of Harold Gatty. He never saw Fred out of control due to drinking. Fred and his father enjoyed themselves. Drinking was open and accepted. Noonan was a warm and competent man. Of course, Gatty was only 8 when Fred and Amelia disappeared. Clearly this recollection needs to be taken with a grain of salt. A young boy may not have stayed up late at night with the men.

	=== Offset method ===		=== Offset method ===
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	:: My guess is that Noonan did not know or follow this advice, and ended up with the 'plane out of petrol, going down in the sea.		:: My guess is that Noonan did not know or follow this advice, and ended up with the 'plane out of petrol, going down in the sea.

	:: Reminds me that I once asked Harold why he and Wiley Post carried no parachutes when they flew around the world in 1931. He explained that weight was one factor. He also said there was no Air/Sea Rescue service in those days, and few ships to find them and pick them up. Or over the vast expanses of Russia or Canada, they would at best land in very isolated territory. Made sense. (Harold was a great aviator/navigator, but a lousy daddy!) Still, I learned some things. Survival. That is not bad. I have survived a lot in my days. A lot of it, I think, has been Lady Luck. Some of my friends say a Higher Power has wanted to keep me around!		:: Reminds me that I once asked Harold why he and Wiley Post carried no parachutes when they flew around the world in 1931. He explained that weight was one factor. He also said there was no Air/Sea Rescue service in those days, and few ships to find them and pick them up. Or over the vast expanses of Russia or Canada, they would at best land in very isolated territory. Made sense. (Harold was a great aviator/navigator, but a lousy daddy!) Still, I learned some things. Survival. That is not bad. I have survived a lot in my days. A lot of it, I think, has been Lady Luck. Some of my friends say a Higher Power has wanted to keep me around!

	== Honiara ==		== Honiara ==

Moleski: /* A Provocateur */

2012-10-19T14:05:40Z

A Provocateur

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:05, 19 October 2012
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	<div align="center">[[Image:Gatty roger 02.jpg\|300px]][[Image:Gatty roger 03.jpg\|289px]]</div>		<div align="center">[[Image:Gatty roger 02.jpg\|300px]][[Image:Gatty roger 03.jpg\|289px]]</div>

			== 2012 update ==
			"My Fijian-English Dictionary, encyclopedic actually, is now used in all the Fiji schools. Progress is slow on my nine volume series of books Tribes of Fiji. I publish privately to keep the cost down for locals who are not book-buying types! Life is good. My wife, Janette, authored a book on Père Joachim Bouvet, S.J., the first ambassador from France to Emperor of China, and another book on Beaumarchais--all in French of course."

	== Links ==		== Links ==

Moleski: /* Remarks on Earhart and Noonan */

2012-03-29T12:21:41Z

Remarks on Earhart and Noonan

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:21, 29 March 2012
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	Gatty also met Fred Noonan, who was a good friend of Harold Gatty. He never saw Fred out of control due to drinking. He and his father enjoyed themselves. Drinking was open and accepted. Noonan was a warm and competent man. Of course, Gatty was only 8 when Fred and Amelia disappeared. Clearly this recollection needs to be taken with a grain of salt. A young boy may not have stayed up late at night with the men.		Gatty also met Fred Noonan, who was a good friend of Harold Gatty. He never saw Fred out of control due to drinking. He and his father enjoyed themselves. Drinking was open and accepted. Noonan was a warm and competent man. Of course, Gatty was only 8 when Fred and Amelia disappeared. Clearly this recollection needs to be taken with a grain of salt. A young boy may not have stayed up late at night with the men.

			=== Offset method ===
			:; From e-mail, 29 March 2012

			:: Something has been troubling me, on my mind, over these years. Not sure if I spoke to you about my father's advice to me, in boat or aeroplane, you should determine exactly your latitude and latitude of island you are aiming for. You should NOT set your heading directly to that island, but to one side. Then you will know whether to search to right or to left when you reach latitude of the island. He told me this was the tactic of old old sailing ships (when they knew in advance the latitude of the island.) It has troubled me whether Noonan knew NOT to aim directly for the desired island.

			:: The advice makes good sense to me. Latitude is easy, longitude even in my day, not so easy. (Harold published a star map with all the declinations, so I could always know my latitude, even with no sextant at hand.) Chronometers wound by hand, delicate instruments in a rough world, long time at sea, not so accurate, for longitude. We had to calculate their daily gain or loss of seconds by some means. If radio is not working, you may be in trouble. Tiny islands are tiny, and the Pacific is unimaginably gigantically huge, and vast. Can be terrifying, and very humbling.

			:: My guess is that Noonan did not know or follow this advice, and ended up with the 'plane out of petrol, going down in the sea.

			:: Reminds me that I once asked Harold why he and Wiley Post carried no parachutes when they flew around the world in 1931. He explained that weight was one factor. He also said there was no Air/Sea Rescue service in those days, and few ships to find them and pick them up. Or over the vast expanses of Russia or Canada, they would at best land in very isolated territory. Made sense. (Harold was a great aviator/navigator, but a lousy daddy!) Still, I learned some things. Survival. That is not bad. I have survived a lot in my days. A lot of it, I think, has been Lady Luck. Some of my friends say a Higher Power has wanted to keep me around!

			== Honiara ==

	RG is doubtful that the bones would have been taken to Honiara. It is an "outpost of nothing." The social problems there are a "Melanesian mess."		RG is doubtful that the bones would have been taken to Honiara. It is an "outpost of nothing." The social problems there are a "Melanesian mess."

Moleski: /* Links */

2012-03-28T14:39:37Z

Links

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	== Links ==		== Links ==
			* [http://web.mac.com/ronaldgatty/Fiji_Spice_Garden/The_Spice_Mans_Story.html "The Spice Man's Story."]
			* [http://web.mac.com/ronaldgatty/Fiji_Spice_Garden/Books_by_Gatty.html "Books by Gatty."]
	* [http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=197062 "How I became VAKATEVORO."]		* [http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=197062 "How I became VAKATEVORO."]

	[[Category:Biographical Data\|Gatty]]		[[Category:Biographical Data\|Gatty]]
	[[Category:Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts\|Gatty]]		[[Category:Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts\|Gatty]]

Moleski: /* A Provocateur */

2012-03-28T14:28:13Z

A Provocateur

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:28, 28 March 2012
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	<div align="center">[[Image:Gatty roger 02.jpg\|300px]][[Image:Gatty roger 03.jpg\|289px]]</div>		<div align="center">[[Image:Gatty roger 02.jpg\|300px]][[Image:Gatty roger 03.jpg\|289px]]</div>

			== Links ==
			* [http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=197062 "How I became VAKATEVORO."]

	[[Category:Biographical Data\|Gatty]]		[[Category:Biographical Data\|Gatty]]
	[[Category:Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts\|Gatty]]		[[Category:Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts\|Gatty]]

Rickerjones at 14:19, 12 June 2010

2010-06-12T14:19:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:19, 12 June 2010
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	[[Category:Biographical Data]]		[[Category:Biographical Data\|Gatty]]
	[[Category:Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts\|Gatty]]		[[Category:Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts\|Gatty]]

Moleski: /* A Provocateur */

2010-06-12T03:26:17Z

A Provocateur

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:26, 12 June 2010
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	<div align="center">[[Image:Gatty roger 02.jpg\|300px]][[Image:Gatty roger 03.jpg\|289px]]</div>		<div align="center">[[Image:Gatty roger 02.jpg\|300px]][[Image:Gatty roger 03.jpg\|289px]]</div>
	[[Category:Biographical Data]]		[[Category:Biographical Data]]
	[[Category:Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts]]		[[Category:Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts\|Gatty]]

Rickerjones at 15:09, 11 June 2010

2010-06-11T15:09:09Z

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	<div align="center">[[Image:Gatty roger 02.jpg\|300px]][[Image:Gatty roger 03.jpg\|289px]]</div>		<div align="center">[[Image:Gatty roger 02.jpg\|300px]][[Image:Gatty roger 03.jpg\|289px]]</div>
	[[Category:Biographical Data]]		[[Category:Biographical Data]]
	[[Category:Interviews ~~and~~ Anecdotal Accounts]]		[[Category:Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts]]

Rickerjones: Add catagory: Biographical Data, Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts

2010-06-11T15:08:26Z

Add catagory: Biographical Data, Interviews/Anecdotal Accounts

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:08, 11 June 2010
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			[[Category:Biographical Data]]
			[[Category:Interviews and Anecdotal Accounts]]