Dick smith criticizes chopper pilot for 'risky' flying
Dick Smith has launched criticism at Richard Green's "risky" flying history after his good friend and filmmaker John Davis was killed in a crash on November 7.
Green and his wife Carolyn, who featured in a Sunday Night story in 2014, also perished in the crash.
It is not yet known what caused the chopper to go down in the NSW bushland near Cessnock.
After news emerged that Richard had a record of dangerous flying Dick Smith said he was shocked.
Green had reportedly hit power lines, almost collided with other aircraft and flown with a damaged rotor.
"What did worry me was when fellow helicopter pilots phoned me and said on a number of times he had damaged the rotor system of his helicopter and he then flew the helicopter now I am amazed because that is incredibly risky," Smith said.
"He was what I call a brilliant genius but sometimes with people like that they lack a little bit of common sense."
In an interview with Sunday Night in 2013, Richard Green said he was very safety-conscious.
"No I don’t take risks even though I can get into very tight locations.
"If I thought there was a risk of getting into a problem I wouldn’t be doing it. "
John Davis was a new friend of the Greens, an explorer, a greenie, and the ultimate outdoorsman.
He was famous among Australian adventurers for being the first to climb Ball’s Pyramid off Lord Howe Island, a challenge set by Dick Smith.
Last Saturday John and his wife Felicity joined Richard and Carolyn at a protest against a coal mine in Northern NSW.
Afterwards, Richard offered to fly John home to Sydney to film coal mines on the way, while Felicity drove the car home.
"When they left you know it was clear blue sky the most beautiful evening, no wind, nothing, it was just perfect.
She and daughter Sophie knew Davis might get waylaid doing filming, but launched the search with Dick Smith and the police after Davis still wasn't home Monday morning.
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"Felicity rang me and mentioned that John was missing"
"I thought something bad has happened, something terrible had happened because now it was over 24 hours later"
Search and rescue authorities say there was no word or signal from the chopper.
Even though, according to Richard, it was equipped for emergencies.
They received the terrible news on the Monday night that Davis and the couple had been found dead.
"They rang back and spoke to Sophie and Sophie told me yes it was the helicopter and everybody had died. They were all in the wreckage."
"Absolutely, just absolutely devastated."
"We’ve been together for 45 years so yeah, it’s a long time," John's wife said.
Dick Smith said this accident marked "a terrible time for conservation in Australia".
"John Davis was a very close friend of mine since I was 19 years of age."
But John's family say they don't hold anyone responsible for the crash.
"There's no malice, it's just a terrible accident," John's daughter Sophie said.
"To think that they’d go up as volunteers to do something that had no self- interest, to do something for our children and grandchildren and then be involved in this terrible accident, it’s just so sad."
'''The family of John Davis is asking supporters to contribute to his last film - a scientific exploration of climate change.
Viewers who would like to help with funds or skills, should go to his website: ''' www.energy-without-carbon.org
Richard and Carolyn Green spent the last 20 years documenting the extraordinary unknown places of Australia. Richard's beautiful photographs feature on his website: www.richardgreen.net.au
In December, Dick Smith is releasing Balls Pyramid: 50 Years of Exploration, his new book on the race to the top of Balls Pyramid.
Balls Pyramid is a 2000 foot pinnacle of rock, stretching out of the sea near Lord Howe Island.
In 1964, Dick and a party of young Venturers tried but failed to scale the sea mount. In 1965, his close friend John Davis led the first successful climb to the top.
