Pilot Mike Roberts: The Making And Unmaking Of A Tabloid Hero
MIKE Roberts is the Sun’s “HERO”. He’s the “CRASH PILOT” who “used his last moments to STEER his stricken jet away from flats and AVOID 20 youngsters playing in a park”.
But five die as the Cessana Citation aircraft crashed into Romery Close, Oprington, Kent. Mr Roberts is among the dead.
Grim news. But it’s not enough for the Sun which needs a hero. The accident investigation team have yet to ascertain what occurred, but the Sun knows.
“HOW DID WE NOT DIE?” asks the Mirror’s front-page headline. The Sun knows.
The Mirror hears the crew’s last transmission as a voice says: “We’re going in. We’re going in.” The aircraft is screaming like a “fighter jet”, the Mail hears it said. The Mirror hears the sound of a hurricane.
Patricia Harman has just returned home from a trip to Madeira. She looks at her home. “Oh my God,” she says. “A plane into the house.”
“It was either amazing flying or a pure miracle no one else was hurt,” says one eyewitness.
The Sun knows which.
With a hero it has a face to talk about tomorrow. Back in January, the pilot who crash-landed a British Airways Boeing 777 at Heathrow Airport was the hero.
By the weekend, captain Peter Burkill was pictured more than decade earlier cavorting with stewardesses.
Ex-air steward Gary May, who was at a party on a US stopover, told the News of the World: “It was a total sex-fest. Birds were always all over him. He was so good looking they called him Perfect Peter.
Readers were told: “After licking the chocolate off and soaping him down they also played an airline game with him, putting liquorice up his bottom.”
Mr Roberts might have died a hero – although dying in an accident is always a waste of human life – but he will he live on in the Sun…
Posted: 31st, March 2008 | In: Tabloids Comments (14) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:49 pm
When I was broke Mike took me to Paris for the France/England rugby match.He paid for everything including my drinks!My partner ,April ,and I had a stunning model ( Alison aged 18 ) staying with us.Mike popped round , met Alison—–3 months later he was still there !Millions of wonderful memories.
As Colin Herridge rightly observed ,Mike would not have made a good pensioner.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:23 am
I have just found out that Mike’s funeral is to be at 1315 on 28th April, Randalls Park, Leatherhead. If anyone requires any further information please contact Biggin Hill on 01959578525.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I too knew Mike a very long time, 47 years in fact, and whilst we were recently in phone contact, I hadn’t seen him in about four years when he visited me in France. He was the same old Mike, always joking and teasing but never with malice. I don’t believe he had a bad bone in his body and was the kindest, most generous person one could wish to meet. I too have been desperately trying to find out about funeral arrangements and was hoping someone on this site would have some information. Fortunately his parents are no longer around to have to cope with such a trajedy and at least they will now all be together. He had many friends and we will all miss him.
April 7th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Mike Roberts was my friend. I worked with him in the late 60,s and through the 70,s when he went through some stressfull times, he never lost his sense of humour and made light of things that would have broken lesser men .I enjoyed his wicked and personal greetings and admired his dogged determination to live his life as he wanted it. I still hope for the phone to ring and a cheery greeting “Morning Wanker ,hows your belly off for spots”. Cheers Mate ,better luck next time.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Hi I kenw Mike many years ago too and would like to show my respect so if any one could tell me also where his funeral will be held i would be gratful… Many thanks
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:04 am
I knew Mike 30 years ago and was involved with my family for many years, but I lost contact with him around 10 years ago. If anybody could tell me where his funeral will be held I would like to attend.
Thanks
April 1st, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Rod,
You are so right, Mike would have said just that, having known him for many years Mike just did what he did. He lived life to the full and was professional in all that he did, be it diving or flying, he hated the bullshit. He will certainly be laughing seeing himself front page news in “The Sun”, of all things. I will miss you.
April 1st, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Mike was a very close family friend and was the most wonderful, kind hearted man. Ian and Rod you are both so right…. Mike had an amazing sense of humour and is probably flying about in the skies as we speak, joking around
He used to take my mum, brother and I on many holidays in his jet and he is an excellent pilot and i’d trust him with my life. He has also been reunited with his beloved Mum and Dad which makes me smile! Love you lots Mike - you did a great job. xxxxxxxxxxxx <3 xxxxxxxxxxxxx
March 31st, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I knew and flew with Mike and knowing his sense of humour and view about the tabloids his first reaction on seeing todays Sun would have been ” what a load of b0llox”. Mike, like every highly trained, professional pilot would have done everything possible to get himself, his crew and passengers down safely…. thats professionalism not heroism.
Dear boy! We will all miss your wicked sense of humour
March 31st, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I met Mike, through my step father, he was a really nice guy and it is no surprise to me he took the actions he apparently did in the split seconds he must have had to play with.
I’m sure he never read the tabloids and whatever heaven he’s gone to he certainly won’t be making time to read the Sun’s Afterlife Edition, he’ll be far too busy flying around as he did down here, so it doesn’t really matter what they decide to churn out next.
Blue skies Mike.
March 31st, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I am sure we would all try to avoid killing someone else at the moment of our death. Shouldn’t every obituary say ‘hero/heroine’ then?
I am re writing my obituary, funeral service and headstone! I shall be Patch, wife, mother, daughter and heroine!
March 31st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I’m not coming back until you reveal more details about this interesting “airline game” in which one “puts liquorice up one’s bottom”.
March 31st, 2008 at 2:33 pm
No doubt they are, just as any British soldier who dies in Iraq is a hero, even if he was blown up while sitting quietly in a truck.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:41 am
I am sure that Mr Roberts was a good pilot who done his best to land his stricken plane as safely as circumstances allowed but he did land on a house which was only empty by chance. Is anybody who is the pilot of a plane that crashes now a hero regardless of the outcome?