15/03/2019
Fun fact: Most people think Liam Ryan got the nickname, Flyinâ Ryan, because of his regular hangers â but thatâs not actually true. The nickname was coined about 5 years ago, when Ryan was employed as a Flight Dispatcher at a small airstrip 30km south-west of the Goldfieldsâ town of Leonora. One day, a trainee pilot named Hank Palmer (known as Hanky Panky to his mates) got into trouble while flying his dadâs old 1989 Valentin Taifun and needed emergency assistance. Apparently the landing gear had failed and Hank hadnât yet learned how to ditch the plane safely. Things looked grim indeed. He radioed down to the airstrip and got a hold of Ryan on the receiver. âMate, ya gotta help me. I canât land the plane and my fuel is running out fast.â Ryan answered âHold tight mate, Iâm cominâ for ya.â Like the lid on West Coast's 2019 GF credentials, he was off; using his lightning quick turn of pace to navigate the airstrip and gather supplies. With a length of rope coiled around his shoulder and a toothpick cocked confidently in his teeth, he positioned himself in the centre of the airstrip and looked up to the sky. He could see Hank circling at low attitude about 400 meters above. He starts counting down. âThree, two, one,â and with his trademark leap, he launches himself into the air. Like a tracer bullet, the little champ snaked up into the sky until BANG â heâs on the aircraft. He flashes the petrified pilot a broad smile. âDonât worry Mr Panky, youâre in safe hands mate.â Using his insane grip strength (which was on full display during THAT famous grand final passage I might add), he grabs onto the propeller and forces the plane to nose dive. âHold on!â he yells as the aircraft plummets toward the ground below. With mere seconds until certain death, Ryan uncoils the rope and lassoes it over the airstripâs radio tower. It catches the antenna and throws the plane into a spiral as it wraps around the steel frame. In a plume of smoke, the plane slides to a resting position safely on the runway. Heâs done it. Theyâre alive. With tears in his eyes, Hank pulls himself from the cockpit and thanks Ryan. âMate, I donât know what to say â that was incredible. The way you launched up to the plane. Absolutely amazing.â He pauses and laughs, âHaha, you know what? We should start calling you Flyinâ Ryan.â And as the story spread far and wide across the great township of Leonora, so too did the legend of Flyinâ Ryan: The hero. The Saviour. The Champion.
So there you have it. The true story of the origins of Flyinâ Ryanâs nickname.
