New Zealand aviation pioneer was the real deal

New Zealand aviation pioneer was the real deal

Evan Gardiner (Richard Pearse' great nephew) presents a family perspective on the controversy over Richard Pearse's pioneering efforts to fly. He defends Gordon Ogilvie's position and discredits the publication of Errol Martyn by maintaining that the latter only retained part of the interview with Richard Pierce, and that his argument about the lack of credibility of the witnesses does not hold. "Gordon Ogilvie's book The Riddle Of Richard Pearse records no less than 48 eyewitness accounts that were able to personally testify to witnessing Pearse's aircraft development and subsequent attempts at powered flight over the period 1902 to 1904. A number of these witnesses have sworn an affidavit to their testimony. A few were able to date their testimony very accurately because they had left the area after 1904. You can say what you like about the "sins of memory" - misattribution, suggestibility, bias, etc - but 48 is too high a number for all to be misled, misinformed, over- imaginative, senile, lying or stupid."