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| Biggles story saved crash pilot | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A pilot whose light aircraft crashed into a tree on a Dundee golf course has attributed his lucky escape to his love of the Biggles adventure stories. | |
| Vince Hagedorn struck the tree on the 15th hole at the city's Caird Park Golf Course, with his two-seater aeroplane at about 1650 BST on Wednesday. | Vince Hagedorn struck the tree on the 15th hole at the city's Caird Park Golf Course, with his two-seater aeroplane at about 1650 BST on Wednesday. |
| The 63-year-old told BBC Scotland he copied his landing from a story about the fictional WWI flying ace. | |
| Mr Hagedorn, from Essex, ran low on fuel after coming across bad weather. | Mr Hagedorn, from Essex, ran low on fuel after coming across bad weather. |
| He had been flying from his home in Chelmsford to visit his daughter in Findhorn, in the north of Scotland, who had been coping with a family death. | He had been flying from his home in Chelmsford to visit his daughter in Findhorn, in the north of Scotland, who had been coping with a family death. |
| I feel I'm very lucky to walk away Vince Hagedorn | |
| The incident at the course, in a large area of parkland on the outskirts of Dundee, sparked a large emergency response, with police, fire service and ambulance staff attending. | The incident at the course, in a large area of parkland on the outskirts of Dundee, sparked a large emergency response, with police, fire service and ambulance staff attending. |
| Firefighters placed a 44ft ladder against the tree to reach the stranded pilot. Nobody else was injured in the incident. | Firefighters placed a 44ft ladder against the tree to reach the stranded pilot. Nobody else was injured in the incident. |
| Mr Hagedorn, who was taken to Dundee's Ninewells Hospital for a medical assessment, said he felt lucky to have escaped with only a minor head injury. | Mr Hagedorn, who was taken to Dundee's Ninewells Hospital for a medical assessment, said he felt lucky to have escaped with only a minor head injury. |
| The pilot had been due to land at RAF Kinloss, but had to divert after encountering changeable weather conditions along his route. | The pilot had been due to land at RAF Kinloss, but had to divert after encountering changeable weather conditions along his route. |
| Mr Hagedorn said he thought several altitude changes he had to make along the route as a result increased the fuel consumption of his aircraft. | Mr Hagedorn said he thought several altitude changes he had to make along the route as a result increased the fuel consumption of his aircraft. |
| 'Enemy lines' | |
| He found himself left with no choice but to make his first emergency landing at the golf course, after a failed attempt to put down at Dundee Airport. | He found himself left with no choice but to make his first emergency landing at the golf course, after a failed attempt to put down at Dundee Airport. |
| Recalling one of Captain WE Johns' adventures about James Bigglesworth, Mr Hagedorn said: "There's a story where Biggles has his engine shot up over enemy lines. | Recalling one of Captain WE Johns' adventures about James Bigglesworth, Mr Hagedorn said: "There's a story where Biggles has his engine shot up over enemy lines. |
| "He tries to get back to the airfield and doesn't quite make it and ends up with no height over a wood. | "He tries to get back to the airfield and doesn't quite make it and ends up with no height over a wood. |
| Firefighters used a long ladder to reach the stranded pilot | Firefighters used a long ladder to reach the stranded pilot |
| "What he does is he flies into the wood, and, as he flies into the wood, he pulls the stick back to pancake onto trees - and I just did that. I just stalled into the tree." | "What he does is he flies into the wood, and, as he flies into the wood, he pulls the stick back to pancake onto trees - and I just did that. I just stalled into the tree." |
| Mr Hagedorn added: "I feel I'm very lucky to walk away." When asked if he would ever fly again, the pilot added: "If I had a plane, I'd be up there tomorrow." | |
| Pat Walmsley, of Tayside Fire and Rescue, told BBC Scotland the pilot was very lucky. | Pat Walmsley, of Tayside Fire and Rescue, told BBC Scotland the pilot was very lucky. |
| "When we got to the pilot he was conscious and able to speak," he said, adding: "He did help us a lot with the rescue, putting the harness on for himself and it made it a lot easier for us to get him out of the predicament he found himself in." | "When we got to the pilot he was conscious and able to speak," he said, adding: "He did help us a lot with the rescue, putting the harness on for himself and it made it a lot easier for us to get him out of the predicament he found himself in." |
| Mr Hagedorn was praised by golfers for preventing the plane from coming down on nearby houses and roads. | Mr Hagedorn was praised by golfers for preventing the plane from coming down on nearby houses and roads. |
| Greg Martin said: "It's incredibly lucky. The pilot has not just saved his own life, but avoided a catastrophe. | Greg Martin said: "It's incredibly lucky. The pilot has not just saved his own life, but avoided a catastrophe. |
| "It is a miracle he is alive. He must have been pretty capable at handling that aeroplane. | "It is a miracle he is alive. He must have been pretty capable at handling that aeroplane. |
| "The pilot must have seen what was ahead and kept away from the built-up areas. He deserves credit." | "The pilot must have seen what was ahead and kept away from the built-up areas. He deserves credit." |
| The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been notified about the incident. | The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been notified about the incident. |