The Australian aviation community is mourning the loss of Bob Tait OAM, one of the country's most beloved aviation educators, who died on 6th May 2026 aged 84.
Bob's love affair with aviation began in the small North Queensland town of Innisfail, where as a boy he would race his pushbike to the aerodrome whenever a DC-3 passed overhead. That childhood wonder never left him, it simply found a larger stage.
After learning to fly on Tiger Moths and building thousands of hours in bush charters, Bob found his true calling in the classroom. His study guides, covering the full range of private and commercial pilot theory subjects, became the standard reference for generations of Australian student pilots. His classes were legendary: structured around storytelling, punctuated by laughter, and remembered long after the exams were done. Bob had the unique ability to make complex subject simple, and would often sit in his office thinking of new ways to explain subjects to students struggling with their theory.
"I teach in parables," he explained. "I start by telling a story, and the story brings out the point. They don't forget that. And if you can toss in the odd laugh, well, that's good too."
Beyond the classroom, Bob was a deeply accomplished pilot, aerobatic display flyer, aircraft restorer, founder of the Queensland chapter of the Australian Aerobatic Club, and holder of an Australian altitude record. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia and inducted into the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame.
He will be greatly missed, leaving behind a rich legacy that has touched so many in the aviation community. Blue skies and tailwinds Bob.