Self-published, this book lacks the polish a professional publishing house would have given it.
However, if you read past disjointed sentences, a few repeats of text and some incorrect words, Bill and contributors have recorded his fascinating flying career.
Bill began his obsession with flying at a young age - his mother tells how as a toddler he would hold two clothes pegs together to form a Tiger Moth.
During his schooling in South Otago he was far more interested in making and flying model aircraft than studying and Bill openly admits he only went to school ''to eat his lunch''.
While his teenaged mates couldn't wait to buy cars, Bill became the proud owner of a Tiger Moth plane just before his 18th birthday.
From his early days, and right through his flying career, a natural instinct for flying probably saved his life many times over.
One delightful, hair-raising yarn recalls a trip to Stewart Island in the Tiger Moth. After leaving the beach, Bill did some aerobatics to clean the sand and debris out of his aircraft but had not factored in a layer of grease his life jacket was coated with.
Hanging on his harness while inverted, the grease rubbed off on the straps of his flying harness, which slipped to the end of their length.
The only thing stopping him falling out was the webbing being doubled over at the ends.
Unable to reach his pedals or joystick, Bill had to wait for the aircraft to fall from the sky, plonking him back in his seat, so he could recover it.
I doubt Bill would fit into today's climate of rules and regulations, as he ignored many of those which did not suit his thinking, much to the annoyance of officials and flying instructors.
However, particularly in the helicopter days, Bill was an industry pioneer, improving his flying by trying, rather than by reading about it in the classroom.
After gaining his commercial pilot's licence, Bill flew fixed-wing planes from Te Anau for Ritchie Air Services and had plenty of associated adventures.
A little luck made up for a lack of schooling when Bill sat his commercial helicopter licence.
His mate sat the test a week earlier and copied the questions, which had not changed by the time Bill sat his test.
The venison days, flying for Sir Tim Wallis, were filled with adrenaline, risk, hard work and hard play. Many of Bill's stories are quite frank in the telling and may not appeal to everyone.
Moving from a Hiller to a Jet Ranger marked the start of his commercial helicopter flying.
Fires, floods, rescues and myriad jobs in between - sometimes funny, sometimes heroic often involving danger - it is easy to agree Bill was a most fitting recipient of the MBE.
- Stephen Jaquiery is ODT illustrations editor.
