1 00:00:01,930 --> 00:00:05,869 Speaker 1: The public has had a long-held fascination with detectives. Detectives 2 00:00:05,890 --> 00:00:08,050 Speaker 1: see a side of life the average person is never 3 00:00:08,130 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: exposed to. I spent 34 years as a cop. For 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: 25 of those years I was catching killers. That's what 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: I did for a living. I was a homicide detective. 6 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,050 Speaker 1: I'm no longer just interviewing bad guys. Instead I'm taking 7 00:00:21,070 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: the public into the world in which I operated. The 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,540 Speaker 1: guests I talk to each week have amazing stories from 9 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,230 Speaker 1: all sides of the law. The interviews are raw and honest, 10 00:00:29,530 --> 00:00:31,770 Speaker 1: just like the people I talk to. Some of the 11 00:00:31,830 --> 00:00:34,970 Speaker 1: content and language might be confronting. That's because no one 12 00:00:34,990 --> 00:00:38,390 Speaker 1: who comes into contact with crime is left unchanged. Join 13 00:00:38,409 --> 00:00:46,890 Speaker 1: me now as I take you into this world. Tim 14 00:00:46,990 --> 00:00:49,890 Speaker 1: Smith is probably best known as a former married at 15 00:00:49,970 --> 00:00:53,630 Speaker 1: first sight groom. Yes, I do watch the show. But 16 00:00:53,990 --> 00:00:56,950 Speaker 1: during his time on the show, audiences had no idea 17 00:00:57,020 --> 00:01:00,980 Speaker 1: about Tim's dark past as a helicopter pilot smuggling drugs 18 00:01:01,020 --> 00:01:04,700 Speaker 1: into the US. You can't make this story up. Eventually, 19 00:01:04,860 --> 00:01:07,270 Speaker 1: Tim got caught and ended up serving time in the 20 00:01:07,390 --> 00:01:11,210 Speaker 1: US maximum security prison as a federal inmate. It's a 21 00:01:11,270 --> 00:01:15,510 Speaker 1: wild story. Take a listen. Tim Smith, welcome to I 22 00:01:15,550 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 1: Catch Killers. Thank you very much, Gary. I got the 23 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: hard-hitting question first up. What's scarier, going on maths or 24 00:01:23,580 --> 00:01:25,900 Speaker 1: being locked up in the US prison system? 25 00:01:26,180 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 2: I would rather do 12 months in the US than 26 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:32,290 Speaker 2: three months on maths. With no word of a lie, 27 00:01:32,930 --> 00:01:38,830 Speaker 2: the people are nicer. The people are nicer. The food's 28 00:01:38,870 --> 00:01:41,290 Speaker 2: not as good, but I tell you what, yeah, it's 29 00:01:41,330 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 2: a lot less hassle in prison than maths. 30 00:01:44,050 --> 00:01:45,750 Speaker 1: Not as much treachery or danger. 31 00:01:45,770 --> 00:01:49,970 Speaker 2: You know, everyone's got their place and it seems to 32 00:01:50,010 --> 00:01:53,210 Speaker 2: flow pretty well in prison. Not so much on maths 33 00:01:53,450 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 2: in the back shadows. 34 00:01:54,940 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. There's a pecking order in prison. Yeah. Well, 35 00:02:00,140 --> 00:02:02,430 Speaker 1: we're going to delve into maths because I'm not going 36 00:02:02,450 --> 00:02:06,910 Speaker 1: to let maths contestant or whatever. What's the right word 37 00:02:06,930 --> 00:02:11,669 Speaker 1: for a participant? You're a participant. You're a character. Yeah. 38 00:02:11,850 --> 00:02:13,790 Speaker 1: You're a character. I'm not going to let the opportunity 39 00:02:13,850 --> 00:02:16,049 Speaker 1: pass by. And look, I want to get confessions out 40 00:02:16,090 --> 00:02:18,780 Speaker 1: of you today, but I'll put it up front. I'm 41 00:02:18,790 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: a maths fan. Are you? I like the series. 42 00:02:22,460 --> 00:02:25,730 Speaker 2: There's a lot of- It's amazing the amount of guys 43 00:02:25,750 --> 00:02:27,990 Speaker 2: that are running to an airport and say, look, can 44 00:02:28,030 --> 00:02:31,419 Speaker 2: I get a photo? It's not for me. My wife 45 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:34,020 Speaker 2: makes me watch it. I've most probably heard that about 46 00:02:34,060 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 2: a thousand times. 47 00:02:35,020 --> 00:02:37,739 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, it's not something you wear around as a 48 00:02:37,780 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: badge of honour, I suppose. Exactly. 49 00:02:39,300 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: Exactly. 50 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,850 Speaker 1: I've tried to sell it to people and go, just 51 00:02:42,889 --> 00:02:46,330 Speaker 1: watch it. Whatever stage your life is at that makes 52 00:02:46,350 --> 00:02:49,570 Speaker 1: you feel better about your relationship anyway. There's no question. 53 00:02:49,650 --> 00:02:52,830 Speaker 2: You will feel much better about yourself, your life, and 54 00:02:52,850 --> 00:02:55,230 Speaker 2: where you stand after you've watched a couple of episodes 55 00:02:55,290 --> 00:02:58,940 Speaker 2: of maths and watch us morons on there. 56 00:02:59,260 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: Well, the morons watching the morons because I sit at 57 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,090 Speaker 1: home and- And watch it and have a laugh at 58 00:03:07,130 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: other people's expense. It's all about the laugh. Yeah, good stuff. Now, 59 00:03:11,020 --> 00:03:14,660 Speaker 1: your life, it's been a life of adventure and I 60 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:16,950 Speaker 1: think people are going to be absolutely shocked about some 61 00:03:16,970 --> 00:03:19,580 Speaker 1: of the stuff that you got up to. I've sat 62 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,060 Speaker 1: opposite some really interesting characters in I Catch Killers and 63 00:03:23,100 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: I've heard most of us, well, all of us have 64 00:03:25,340 --> 00:03:28,190 Speaker 1: done stupid things in our lives. But some of the 65 00:03:28,220 --> 00:03:31,549 Speaker 1: things you've done, I think, take the cake. And I'm 66 00:03:31,590 --> 00:03:34,790 Speaker 1: talking about your exploits in the helicopter, which we're not 67 00:03:34,830 --> 00:03:37,350 Speaker 1: going to discuss at this stage. I want people to 68 00:03:37,390 --> 00:03:41,270 Speaker 1: understand who you are. We've had John Killick on the 69 00:03:41,310 --> 00:03:44,550 Speaker 1: podcast and he's become a good friend. John Killick, bank robber, 70 00:03:44,790 --> 00:03:48,570 Speaker 1: spent a long time in prison, but his greatest escapade 71 00:03:48,610 --> 00:03:52,940 Speaker 1: was escaping from Silverwater Prison in a helicopter that was 72 00:03:53,060 --> 00:03:55,500 Speaker 1: hijacked by his Russian girlfriend. And they landed in the 73 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: yard and he jumped on the helicopter and the shots 74 00:03:57,980 --> 00:04:01,060 Speaker 1: were being fired and took off. So that's one of 75 00:04:01,100 --> 00:04:03,630 Speaker 1: the crazy helicopter stories we've heard on this, but I 76 00:04:03,910 --> 00:04:08,090 Speaker 1: think yours almost matches that one. So- And as you 77 00:04:08,210 --> 00:04:13,559 Speaker 1: talk about that, that part of what he did actually 78 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:15,839 Speaker 1: flows into the United States and that's why they kept 79 00:04:15,860 --> 00:04:17,860 Speaker 1: me on the move so much is people getting broken 80 00:04:17,900 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: out with helicopters. Yeah. That's why they kept me in MAX. Ah, right. Yeah. 81 00:04:21,779 --> 00:04:24,250 Speaker 1: That's interesting. Okay. When you were inside, when you're in custody. 82 00:04:24,270 --> 00:04:25,289 Speaker 1: When I was inside. 83 00:04:25,779 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 2: All these stories about people getting broken out with helicopters, 84 00:04:28,779 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 2: and they figured I had access to aircraft, so I. 85 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,420 Speaker 1: Never went out in the yard for two years. Okay. 86 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:36,660 Speaker 1: That's interesting. Well, we're going to delve deep into that, 87 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,780 Speaker 1: but let's find out a little bit about your upbringing. 88 00:04:39,820 --> 00:04:42,660 Speaker 1: You grew up in a mining town in Queensland? 89 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 2: In Queensland, a little place called Marra, about two hours 90 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:51,260 Speaker 2: outside of Rockhampton, inland, the Coal Belt, Bowen Basin, deadliest 91 00:04:51,300 --> 00:04:52,420 Speaker 2: coal mine in Australia. 92 00:04:52,790 --> 00:04:54,550 Speaker 1: Yeah. As in, like. 93 00:04:55,260 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 2: accidents as an accidents in 72 the mine blew up 94 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,669 Speaker 2: and 14 were killed in 86 another 14 killed and 95 00:05:02,690 --> 00:05:07,070 Speaker 2: in 94 another 16 killed are they underground underground each 96 00:05:07,130 --> 00:05:09,770 Speaker 2: shaft blew up at different stages. 97 00:05:09,470 --> 00:05:13,130 Speaker 1: Yeah i've been in underground mines up at uh mount 98 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: isa and uh you know a kilometer under underneath the 99 00:05:16,860 --> 00:05:18,859 Speaker 1: ground it's a dangerous work environment isn't it. 100 00:05:19,140 --> 00:05:21,260 Speaker 2: It's especially in the gold in the in the in 101 00:05:21,300 --> 00:05:24,489 Speaker 2: the In the coal, you've got all the gases. 102 00:05:24,010 --> 00:05:27,670 Speaker 1: And, yeah, you couldn't pay me enough to do that job. 103 00:05:27,850 --> 00:05:30,690 Speaker 1: Tough breed of people that work in those. 100%. And 104 00:05:31,410 --> 00:05:35,270 Speaker 1: it's almost you see them down there and they think, yeah, 105 00:05:35,450 --> 00:05:38,450 Speaker 1: they're enjoying it. It's almost like they're institutionalised in that 106 00:05:38,710 --> 00:05:41,589 Speaker 1: they get paid good money. Yeah. But it's a shocking 107 00:05:41,630 --> 00:05:44,380 Speaker 1: environment to be working in day in, day out. Exactly. 108 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 2: They look at it as no big deal, very similar 109 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:51,630 Speaker 2: to me flying. Once you get comfortable doing whatever you're doing, yeah, it's– 110 00:05:51,900 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 2: But there is an inherent risk to it for sure. 111 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:57,870 Speaker 1: Yeah. The type of people that you would see in 112 00:05:57,890 --> 00:06:02,029 Speaker 1: the town and your parents, your family, what sort of environment? 113 00:06:02,070 --> 00:06:05,420 Speaker 2: Great town to grow up in, great people, had grandparents there, 114 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:12,070 Speaker 2: had great-grandparents, had lots of cousins. And it was one 115 00:06:12,089 --> 00:06:14,670 Speaker 2: of those small mining towns that back then it was 116 00:06:14,710 --> 00:06:17,830 Speaker 2: all about community. We didn't have any contractors. There was 117 00:06:17,910 --> 00:06:19,070 Speaker 2: no such thing as FIFO. 118 00:06:19,110 --> 00:06:21,150 Speaker 1: No, fly in, fly out. If you got a job, 119 00:06:21,190 --> 00:06:21,490 Speaker 1: you had. 120 00:06:21,430 --> 00:06:23,729 Speaker 2: To have a house in town and the town was really- 121 00:06:23,750 --> 00:06:26,349 Speaker 2: So that built a community. It built a community and 122 00:06:26,790 --> 00:06:28,370 Speaker 2: it was great for the years I was there. 123 00:06:28,510 --> 00:06:33,190 Speaker 1: Yeah. Schooling, it didn't rock your boat. You're out by 124 00:06:33,420 --> 00:06:35,860 Speaker 1: year nine. Year nine. How old were you there? 125 00:06:35,980 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 2: I would have been 14 and a half, I remember, 126 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,420 Speaker 2: when Dad came home and said, you don't have to 127 00:06:39,460 --> 00:06:39,900 Speaker 2: go back. 128 00:06:40,260 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. 129 00:06:40,620 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 2: And so I hated school from the day I started 130 00:06:43,620 --> 00:06:44,659 Speaker 2: till the day I ended. 131 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:46,050 Speaker 1: Yeah. What was it about it? 132 00:06:46,350 --> 00:06:49,690 Speaker 2: Look, I wasn't very smart, and that would lead into 133 00:06:49,710 --> 00:06:51,830 Speaker 2: a lot of things later on in life. I just 134 00:06:51,870 --> 00:06:54,630 Speaker 2: couldn't pick it up. They said that I had dyslexia. 135 00:06:54,810 --> 00:06:55,830 Speaker 1: Yeah. Or I had. 136 00:06:56,510 --> 00:06:59,900 Speaker 2: Yeah, just a learning disorder, which was really strange. And 137 00:07:00,420 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 2: back then they just didn't have the time to spend 138 00:07:03,620 --> 00:07:05,140 Speaker 2: and they figured you were going to work in the 139 00:07:05,180 --> 00:07:08,039 Speaker 2: mine anyway. So they just kept pushing you through grade 140 00:07:08,100 --> 00:07:09,290 Speaker 2: after grade until you got out. 141 00:07:09,610 --> 00:07:12,420 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. There was that bit of attitude, wasn't it? Well, 142 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: we won't waste on the academics. You're going to find 143 00:07:15,060 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: your way in a trade or something like that. Exactly. 144 00:07:17,860 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 2: You'll have a set of steel cap boots on and 145 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,190 Speaker 2: be down the hole. So there's no point in spending 146 00:07:22,230 --> 00:07:22,940 Speaker 2: any time on you. 147 00:07:23,020 --> 00:07:27,230 Speaker 1: Yeah. Okay. So you're 14 or around 14 and you're 148 00:07:27,310 --> 00:07:30,790 Speaker 1: out of school. I don't imagine your parents would be 149 00:07:30,810 --> 00:07:33,260 Speaker 1: the type to let you just sit around and- No. 150 00:07:33,300 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: Fiddle your thumbs? No. 151 00:07:34,380 --> 00:07:36,730 Speaker 2: Dad said, well, you don't have school tomorrow, but you'll 152 00:07:36,850 --> 00:07:38,610 Speaker 2: head up into the backyard and I'm going to do 153 00:07:39,170 --> 00:07:40,210 Speaker 2: an extension on the shed. 154 00:07:40,270 --> 00:07:41,990 Speaker 1: You can start digging. 155 00:07:41,550 --> 00:07:44,810 Speaker 2: Rat hole holes. And so I got a job with 156 00:07:44,870 --> 00:07:48,110 Speaker 2: him and a plumber. So I became an apprentice plumber 157 00:07:48,230 --> 00:07:49,570 Speaker 2: for the first six months. 158 00:07:49,650 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. I think it's a good thing, getting those skills 159 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:54,420 Speaker 1: and a bit of hard labor, because it puts in 160 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,460 Speaker 1: perspective when you're making money doing something else. When I 161 00:07:57,500 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: know when I was in the cops because I was 162 00:07:59,140 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: a sparky. I'd worked in the building industry for six years, 163 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: became a tradesman. And I know when I was in 164 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:06,460 Speaker 1: the cops and people go on a tough day and 165 00:08:06,500 --> 00:08:08,750 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, you have no idea. Get on a jackhammer 166 00:08:08,790 --> 00:08:12,210 Speaker 1: all day and see what a tough day is. Yeah, exactly. 167 00:08:13,090 --> 00:08:15,930 Speaker 2: My grandfather had an old sawmill and I worked from 168 00:08:15,970 --> 00:08:19,410 Speaker 2: him since I was eight, like cutting fence posts for 169 00:08:19,430 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 2: the farmers, old rosewood. And that was tough work. So 170 00:08:24,180 --> 00:08:26,540 Speaker 2: I always had a job from eight onwards, yeah. 171 00:08:26,890 --> 00:08:30,030 Speaker 1: Okay. So growing up in the town, you're doing the 172 00:08:30,070 --> 00:08:32,930 Speaker 1: odd jobs. You never got your dream job of working 173 00:08:32,950 --> 00:08:36,589 Speaker 1: at a local service station. That was what you're aspiring to. 174 00:08:36,690 --> 00:08:37,130 Speaker 1: I know. 175 00:08:37,230 --> 00:08:40,110 Speaker 2: I can't believe that I put an application in and 176 00:08:40,150 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 2: they denied it. 177 00:08:42,740 --> 00:08:46,980 Speaker 1: I'll show them. What gave you a worldview or what 178 00:08:47,059 --> 00:08:48,819 Speaker 1: made you and how old were you when you decided 179 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: you wanted to see the world? 180 00:08:50,210 --> 00:08:52,850 Speaker 2: You know, we didn't even have a video shop in town. 181 00:08:52,890 --> 00:08:55,290 Speaker 2: We had a video van that used to pull up 182 00:08:55,370 --> 00:08:57,730 Speaker 2: to your driveway and then slide open the door and 183 00:08:57,770 --> 00:08:58,870 Speaker 2: then the movies would be in there. 184 00:08:58,950 --> 00:09:00,790 Speaker 1: So I guess it was movies. 185 00:09:00,850 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 2: It was watching movies like The Goonies and all these 186 00:09:04,429 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 2: movies based in– when I look at it, it was 187 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 2: all based in Northwest America and Canada. Yeah. So the 188 00:09:11,179 --> 00:09:15,670 Speaker 2: Northwest where the– You know, the green trees meet the ocean, 189 00:09:16,210 --> 00:09:20,959 Speaker 2: snow-capped mountains. From central Queensland, all that landscape looks so different. 190 00:09:21,059 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 2: I remember ordering a geographic– a National Geographic video on 191 00:09:25,460 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 2: Canada and seeing how clean the streams were. And so 192 00:09:29,220 --> 00:09:30,439 Speaker 2: that's really what started it. 193 00:09:30,500 --> 00:09:34,660 Speaker 1: Yeah, just seeing something you wanted to experience yourself. So, Aideen, 194 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:40,030 Speaker 1: that's fairly young for travelling. You saved up some money, 195 00:09:40,070 --> 00:09:42,820 Speaker 1: bought a one-way ticket. How did you go about it? 196 00:09:42,950 --> 00:09:43,929 Speaker 1: I bought a two-way ticket. 197 00:09:44,010 --> 00:09:46,230 Speaker 2: I flew into LA and I was supposed to be 198 00:09:46,290 --> 00:09:48,790 Speaker 2: home six weeks later, but mum knew that wasn't going 199 00:09:48,809 --> 00:09:51,969 Speaker 2: to happen. And in LA, that was the first, I 200 00:09:52,150 --> 00:09:55,790 Speaker 2: got there the second day of the Rodney King riots. Oh, okay. 201 00:09:55,830 --> 00:09:57,050 Speaker 1: That would have been an interesting time. 202 00:09:57,090 --> 00:09:58,949 Speaker 2: Yeah, I couldn't actually get to my hotel, so I 203 00:09:59,030 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 2: had a friend. up in Seattle and they said, oh, 204 00:10:01,660 --> 00:10:04,380 Speaker 2: come up to Seattle. It's safe up here. So I 205 00:10:04,420 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 2: flew up to Seattle and hung out with them for 206 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,460 Speaker 2: a while. And that sort of started my base in 207 00:10:09,500 --> 00:10:16,140 Speaker 2: the Northwest from Seattle, Vancouver, Tacoma, and all around there. 208 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:18,660 Speaker 2: It's just a fate that I landed there and met 209 00:10:18,700 --> 00:10:19,220 Speaker 2: some people. 210 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,370 Speaker 1: You said that your mum knew you wouldn't be back 211 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,050 Speaker 1: in six weeks. Was it something written in your. 212 00:10:25,270 --> 00:10:27,650 Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, because I never followed through on anything. And 213 00:10:27,690 --> 00:10:30,910 Speaker 2: I said, because I'd put a hold on my job 214 00:10:30,990 --> 00:10:33,250 Speaker 2: at the mine to go away. And I said, look, 215 00:10:33,550 --> 00:10:35,689 Speaker 2: I'll just go away for six weeks. I'll be back 216 00:10:35,730 --> 00:10:39,220 Speaker 2: and I'll pick that job up again. And she goes, 217 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:40,020 Speaker 2: you're not coming back. 218 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,340 Speaker 1: Do you ever think how different your life could have 219 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,059 Speaker 1: been if you did come back, work in the mines 220 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: the whole time? 221 00:10:45,820 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's that sliding doors or deja vu. I think 222 00:10:51,940 --> 00:10:55,380 Speaker 2: our destination is mapped out no matter what. I think 223 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,970 Speaker 2: you're always designed to do that. So I couldn't see 224 00:11:00,030 --> 00:11:03,150 Speaker 2: myself just sitting in that job, paying off a house, 225 00:11:03,270 --> 00:11:06,550 Speaker 2: and that wasn't the path for me. 226 00:11:06,570 --> 00:11:07,010 Speaker 1: Yeah. 227 00:11:07,650 --> 00:11:09,690 Speaker 2: It was never going to be on the cards. So 228 00:11:09,710 --> 00:11:12,030 Speaker 2: I can't look at what... Because I've got friends that 229 00:11:12,050 --> 00:11:14,980 Speaker 2: have been 30 years in the mines and they've done 230 00:11:15,260 --> 00:11:15,859 Speaker 2: quite well. 231 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 1: Yeah. 232 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 2: You know, that's their path and my path is very, 233 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 2: very different. 234 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 1: And you look at people that go that path of 235 00:11:22,860 --> 00:11:25,750 Speaker 1: that white picket fence and the two kids and the 236 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:30,410 Speaker 1: family pet and everything else and... Sometimes, I don't know 237 00:11:30,429 --> 00:11:32,810 Speaker 1: about you, sometimes I look at that life and think, yeah, 238 00:11:32,970 --> 00:11:35,550 Speaker 1: that wouldn't be bad. And I know people in that 239 00:11:35,610 --> 00:11:38,290 Speaker 1: life probably look at your life and think, oh, well, 240 00:11:38,410 --> 00:11:41,130 Speaker 1: you've done things I wish I did. It's interesting the 241 00:11:41,150 --> 00:11:43,910 Speaker 1: path that your life takes, isn't it? 242 00:11:43,970 --> 00:11:46,710 Speaker 2: You'll always peer over the fence and have a look 243 00:11:46,730 --> 00:11:50,210 Speaker 2: at the neighbours, whether it's the yard or what they're doing. 244 00:11:50,290 --> 00:11:53,370 Speaker 2: And that's in life itself. And with social media today, 245 00:11:53,390 --> 00:11:56,370 Speaker 2: always looking at somebody else and going, oh, should I. 246 00:11:56,370 --> 00:11:59,850 Speaker 1: Have done that? But- You find your level. 247 00:12:00,110 --> 00:12:03,050 Speaker 2: You find where it's supposed to go and everyone gets 248 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:04,260 Speaker 2: a choice to do what you want. 249 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: You said you landed with the Rodney King riots. Now, 250 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,660 Speaker 1: I still have memories of them because they were such 251 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,689 Speaker 1: a big, and I think it was the first type 252 00:12:13,730 --> 00:12:16,170 Speaker 1: of riots that were captured so widely in the media 253 00:12:16,230 --> 00:12:19,689 Speaker 1: and you saw some horrific situations. Did you see the violence, 254 00:12:19,809 --> 00:12:21,150 Speaker 1: people getting dragged out of the trucks? 255 00:12:21,490 --> 00:12:23,690 Speaker 2: I didn't because I just walked straight out of the airport, 256 00:12:23,730 --> 00:12:26,170 Speaker 2: jumped in a taxi and said, here's the name of 257 00:12:26,230 --> 00:12:28,390 Speaker 2: my hotel. And he just laughed and said, buddy, head 258 00:12:28,429 --> 00:12:29,890 Speaker 2: back in and get a ticket and get the hell 259 00:12:29,980 --> 00:12:32,860 Speaker 2: out of here. So I never even got to see LA. 260 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 1: That was your introduction. 261 00:12:34,059 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 2: LA was my dream. And the most I've seen LA 262 00:12:37,100 --> 00:12:40,079 Speaker 2: is on a prison bus heading to San Bernardino for 263 00:12:40,220 --> 00:12:42,689 Speaker 2: two hours heading through the traffic. That's all I've seen 264 00:12:42,730 --> 00:12:43,450 Speaker 2: of Los Angeles. 265 00:12:43,730 --> 00:12:45,770 Speaker 1: Not really the Hollywood Boulevard trip. 266 00:12:45,809 --> 00:12:49,910 Speaker 2: Yeah, I didn't get the star tour heading up through 267 00:12:49,929 --> 00:12:50,309 Speaker 2: the hills. 268 00:12:50,330 --> 00:12:53,150 Speaker 1: I got a completely different tour. Didn't they show you 269 00:12:53,170 --> 00:13:00,300 Speaker 1: the Hollywood sign? No, they didn't show me the Hollywood sign, yeah. Okay, there, 18, 270 00:13:00,300 --> 00:13:01,740 Speaker 1: how did you make a life for yourself? 271 00:13:02,100 --> 00:13:04,420 Speaker 2: I went over to England for a little while. I 272 00:13:04,460 --> 00:13:06,100 Speaker 2: just tripped around there for a little while. I came 273 00:13:06,140 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 2: back and I had a working permit for Canada. 274 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. 275 00:13:08,700 --> 00:13:12,250 Speaker 2: So I went up to Canada and started working. 276 00:13:12,550 --> 00:13:13,470 Speaker 1: Oh, God, I was young. 277 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:17,319 Speaker 2: It must have been 19, maybe 20. And I started 278 00:13:17,340 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 2: working up in Canada. It was a one-year work permit. 279 00:13:19,260 --> 00:13:22,330 Speaker 2: I met a girl up there and we got along. 280 00:13:22,429 --> 00:13:24,290 Speaker 2: So after the year was up, I had to come 281 00:13:24,330 --> 00:13:26,329 Speaker 2: back to Australia. So I'd been away about a year 282 00:13:26,370 --> 00:13:28,670 Speaker 2: and a half by the time I came back to Australia. 283 00:13:29,450 --> 00:13:33,130 Speaker 2: My girlfriend followed me and we stayed here a couple 284 00:13:33,150 --> 00:13:35,950 Speaker 2: of years before she said, look, my parents are really 285 00:13:36,070 --> 00:13:37,850 Speaker 2: old and I'd like to go back to Canada. I 286 00:13:37,870 --> 00:13:39,410 Speaker 2: want you to come. And so we had to get 287 00:13:39,460 --> 00:13:41,780 Speaker 2: married for me to move back to Canada. 288 00:13:41,940 --> 00:13:44,689 Speaker 1: Right. Yeah. Okay, tell us about your life over there. 289 00:13:44,950 --> 00:13:45,470 Speaker 1: It was shit. 290 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 2: I thought I'd made the worst decision because I got 291 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 2: there on New Year's Eve in 1997. The snow was 292 00:13:55,660 --> 00:13:58,620 Speaker 2: all black. Vancouver doesn't get a lot of snow. 293 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:00,260 Speaker 1: It was dark. It was cold. 294 00:14:00,580 --> 00:14:03,780 Speaker 2: I hated all my in-laws. I thought I'd made the 295 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:07,170 Speaker 2: worst decision. And it was really quite tough for the 296 00:14:07,210 --> 00:14:09,939 Speaker 2: first three or four years. Work was very seasonal. 297 00:14:10,220 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. 298 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:13,770 Speaker 2: Over the winter, you wouldn't get any work. But all 299 00:14:13,809 --> 00:14:17,610 Speaker 2: these events start leading into it. So I'd work construction 300 00:14:17,890 --> 00:14:19,710 Speaker 2: in the summer, and then in the winter, I'd get 301 00:14:19,770 --> 00:14:22,330 Speaker 2: laid off. And so then I started getting sick of 302 00:14:22,390 --> 00:14:25,229 Speaker 2: getting no money in the winter. So then I thought 303 00:14:25,290 --> 00:14:27,940 Speaker 2: I'd make up a fake resume and become a bartender. 304 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: Right. Okay. 305 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:32,820 Speaker 2: And so that's what I did to supplement my winter 306 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:34,460 Speaker 2: income from construction. 307 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,620 Speaker 1: Yeah. And what do I love? I love aviation. 308 00:14:37,940 --> 00:14:40,180 Speaker 2: I've always loved planes. So I got that resume and 309 00:14:40,220 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 2: handed out to all the bars at Vancouver International Airport 310 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 2: and got my first job. 311 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: You bought property over there too. 312 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:49,470 Speaker 2: I'd done this course, how to buy properties with no 313 00:14:49,510 --> 00:14:51,830 Speaker 2: money down. The financing is very different in the US 314 00:14:51,850 --> 00:14:54,530 Speaker 2: than it is here in Australia. You can actually buy 315 00:14:54,590 --> 00:14:57,310 Speaker 2: whatever you want over there. And the tax is really 316 00:14:57,370 --> 00:14:59,930 Speaker 2: simple to work out. So I was going down to 317 00:14:59,950 --> 00:15:02,750 Speaker 2: the U.S. looking for these properties and buying properties and 318 00:15:03,310 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 2: flipping them, but as well as working in the bar, 319 00:15:06,020 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 2: as well as working in construction and then traveling a 320 00:15:08,900 --> 00:15:11,100 Speaker 2: lot for these houses, yeah. 321 00:15:11,300 --> 00:15:13,180 Speaker 1: So you were building a portfolio. 322 00:15:13,460 --> 00:15:17,570 Speaker 2: Yeah, I had properties in the U.S. and in Canada, yeah. 323 00:15:17,590 --> 00:15:20,570 Speaker 1: Okay. And where did your life start to take a 324 00:15:20,610 --> 00:15:22,970 Speaker 1: different turn? Did your relationship break down or? 325 00:15:23,070 --> 00:15:26,050 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that bartending. And I think I'd played 326 00:15:26,090 --> 00:15:30,170 Speaker 2: it so straight for so many years. And the bartending 327 00:15:30,190 --> 00:15:33,850 Speaker 2: at the airport, I met a girl actually, we're still 328 00:15:33,890 --> 00:15:34,340 Speaker 2: mates today. 329 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. 330 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:37,100 Speaker 2: And I said, you know, we should go get jobs 331 00:15:37,170 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 2: in the city at some of these, you know, the 332 00:15:39,340 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 2: best nightclub we can find. And we'd make, you know, 333 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,660 Speaker 2: you make great money. So we actually went and applied 334 00:15:44,740 --> 00:15:48,370 Speaker 2: for this new nightclub that was opening up. We looked 335 00:15:48,390 --> 00:15:49,670 Speaker 2: like two out-of-work actors. 336 00:15:50,270 --> 00:15:51,730 Speaker 1: And how ironic. 337 00:15:51,290 --> 00:15:56,710 Speaker 2: That that was really the start into my contacts into 338 00:15:56,750 --> 00:15:57,410 Speaker 2: the underworld. 339 00:15:57,550 --> 00:16:00,850 Speaker 1: Yeah. So that bar performed like shit. Yeah. 340 00:16:01,130 --> 00:16:05,300 Speaker 2: I remember going back to Australia on holidays and then 341 00:16:05,340 --> 00:16:06,739 Speaker 2: the manager called me up and said, when are you 342 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:07,260 Speaker 2: coming back? 343 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:08,340 Speaker 1: The place is flooded. It's flooded. 344 00:16:08,910 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 2: And he actually hired this promotional team and they were 345 00:16:11,580 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 2: called Ecstasy. 346 00:16:12,500 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: It was four guys. 347 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,340 Speaker 2: I think three of them are dead now. And they 348 00:16:17,700 --> 00:16:22,770 Speaker 2: would just bring in their crowd. Basically, you have the bar. 349 00:16:23,370 --> 00:16:26,570 Speaker 2: These guys take the door. You look after the security. 350 00:16:26,790 --> 00:16:29,710 Speaker 2: And their crowd was Vancouver's underworld. 351 00:16:29,850 --> 00:16:35,300 Speaker 1: Okay. And called Ecstasy. Was that a play on? Oh, totally. Totally. Okay, 352 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:39,060 Speaker 1: so people, ecstasy knew what they were, the scene that 353 00:16:39,100 --> 00:16:39,860 Speaker 1: they were coming into. 354 00:16:40,060 --> 00:16:44,750 Speaker 2: And it was crazy because, you know, these guys would 355 00:16:44,790 --> 00:16:46,030 Speaker 2: travel with bodyguards. 356 00:16:46,170 --> 00:16:46,350 Speaker 1: Yeah. 357 00:16:46,390 --> 00:16:48,250 Speaker 2: There was a few guys that, you know, one guy 358 00:16:48,270 --> 00:16:50,410 Speaker 2: would have 10 bodyguards around him and when I'd have 359 00:16:50,470 --> 00:16:52,570 Speaker 2: friends come into the bar, I wouldn't like to bring 360 00:16:52,710 --> 00:16:55,310 Speaker 2: friends into the bar because they didn't understand the rules. 361 00:16:55,370 --> 00:16:55,550 Speaker 1: Yeah. 362 00:16:56,110 --> 00:16:58,150 Speaker 2: Don't make fun of the guy with the funny hat 363 00:16:58,210 --> 00:17:01,170 Speaker 2: over there because he controls those 10 guys around him. 364 00:17:01,730 --> 00:17:01,890 Speaker 1: Yeah. 365 00:17:02,350 --> 00:17:06,160 Speaker 2: And they'll kill you. And our money went through the roof. 366 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 2: As a bartender, I was making between $ 1, 000 and $ 2, 000 367 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 2: a night. 368 00:17:09,700 --> 00:17:12,100 Speaker 1: Right. So living the good life, were you still keeping 369 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:14,740 Speaker 1: the relationship going? It started to go down. 370 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,980 Speaker 2: I got into that nightclub life where you finished work 371 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 2: at 4 in the morning, then you had some drinks. 372 00:17:21,660 --> 00:17:23,660 Speaker 1: Stuffies. Yeah, you know. 373 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,929 Speaker 2: You mightn't get home till midday. You get some sleep. 374 00:17:26,970 --> 00:17:29,050 Speaker 2: You do it again the next night. Then I'm working 375 00:17:29,290 --> 00:17:30,090 Speaker 2: all during the week. 376 00:17:30,369 --> 00:17:30,510 Speaker 1: Yeah. 377 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 2: She wants to– she's moving into banking. We're just heading 378 00:17:34,140 --> 00:17:35,419 Speaker 2: in different directions. 379 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:41,300 Speaker 1: Right. Okay. When the cannabis growing exploits, when did that 380 00:17:41,340 --> 00:17:42,700 Speaker 1: start or how did that start? 381 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 2: You know, when I was buying all those properties, I 382 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,379 Speaker 2: had a fourplex in a little town in a place 383 00:17:48,420 --> 00:17:49,100 Speaker 2: called Mission. 384 00:17:49,300 --> 00:17:50,820 Speaker 1: Whereabouts does that give us a– Just. 385 00:17:50,700 --> 00:17:53,400 Speaker 2: Outside of Vancouver, about an hour and a half outside 386 00:17:53,420 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 2: of Vancouver. 387 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:54,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. 388 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,199 Speaker 2: And what I tend to find, I didn't understand when 389 00:17:57,240 --> 00:17:59,790 Speaker 2: I bought it is There's a lot of prisons around there. 390 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:02,810 Speaker 2: So when dad gets sent to prison, mum goes out 391 00:18:02,869 --> 00:18:05,450 Speaker 2: and rents one of the apartments off me. Dad gets 392 00:18:05,510 --> 00:18:07,490 Speaker 2: out of prison, moves in with mum. That's when I 393 00:18:07,530 --> 00:18:09,430 Speaker 2: meet him at about three in the morning because there's 394 00:18:09,450 --> 00:18:11,450 Speaker 2: a big fight going on. So I got so sick 395 00:18:11,490 --> 00:18:15,409 Speaker 2: of this building. I had a mate said, hey, we should. 396 00:18:15,310 --> 00:18:18,149 Speaker 1: Light it up. Light it up as in burn it 397 00:18:18,170 --> 00:18:19,450 Speaker 1: down or light it up as in? 398 00:18:19,580 --> 00:18:22,540 Speaker 2: Light it up as in make it hydroponic grow. So 399 00:18:22,580 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 2: that's what we did. I kicked all the tenants out 400 00:18:25,020 --> 00:18:26,980 Speaker 2: and then had 87 lights in there. 401 00:18:28,470 --> 00:18:33,010 Speaker 1: How risky was that? I know over in the United States, 402 00:18:33,290 --> 00:18:36,399 Speaker 1: I don't know of Canada, but I know cannabis is 403 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: legalized in a lot of places. Was it looked at 404 00:18:39,100 --> 00:18:40,060 Speaker 1: a serious crime? 405 00:18:40,460 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 2: It was and it wasn't because in the criminal world, 406 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 2: when you're getting into it, there's so much misinformation that 407 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,159 Speaker 2: you don't get any time, you get a ticket or 408 00:18:50,220 --> 00:18:55,369 Speaker 2: something for it. But They estimate one out of every 409 00:18:55,609 --> 00:18:58,129 Speaker 2: five houses was a grow house in Vancouver. So it 410 00:18:58,170 --> 00:19:04,710 Speaker 2: was just so widely done. And I don't know, it 411 00:19:04,750 --> 00:19:07,970 Speaker 2: was the largest cash cow for British Columbia. 412 00:19:07,990 --> 00:19:09,050 Speaker 1: Yeah. 413 00:19:09,190 --> 00:19:14,060 Speaker 2: It brought in more cash than mining, timber and fishing combined. 414 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: For it to make that sort of money, growing there or... 415 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,180 Speaker 1: exporting it, but was there high usage? Was it looked 416 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:24,970 Speaker 1: at as socially, was it frowned upon or was it 417 00:19:25,010 --> 00:19:26,109 Speaker 1: just accepted? 418 00:19:26,350 --> 00:19:29,790 Speaker 2: Look, it's legal now, but the whole idea was the 419 00:19:29,890 --> 00:19:32,010 Speaker 2: penalties were really low in British Columbia. 420 00:19:32,210 --> 00:19:32,370 Speaker 1: Yeah. 421 00:19:32,810 --> 00:19:36,470 Speaker 2: So with the penalties low, it made producing it really 422 00:19:36,830 --> 00:19:39,469 Speaker 2: easy because if you got popped, big deal. You're going 423 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 2: to get three to six months, maybe a year, whatever. 424 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,300 Speaker 2: It's first offense. It's no big deal. It comes down 425 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:46,740 Speaker 2: to that risk worth versus reward. It comes down to 426 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 2: that risk worth reward. So Vancouver at that time was 427 00:19:51,180 --> 00:19:54,629 Speaker 2: just crazy. Everyone was a broker. Everyone's selling weed. Everyone's 428 00:19:54,650 --> 00:19:57,270 Speaker 2: trying to get weed across the border because it went 429 00:19:57,310 --> 00:20:00,490 Speaker 2: from about two and a half thousand pounds in Vancouver 430 00:20:00,510 --> 00:20:04,109 Speaker 2: that if you could get it across that three-meter ditch 431 00:20:04,470 --> 00:20:07,670 Speaker 2: over on Zero Avenue, it would go from there to 432 00:20:07,670 --> 00:20:11,550 Speaker 2: 6,500 US per pound. So that was where the money was- 433 00:20:11,910 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 2: That was tripling it. 434 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:15,220 Speaker 1: To be made. Right. 435 00:20:15,460 --> 00:20:18,500 Speaker 2: And then from there, it spurned out. So if you 436 00:20:18,540 --> 00:20:22,100 Speaker 2: got it down to Oregon, that would go up to 8,000. 437 00:20:22,100 --> 00:20:25,280 Speaker 2: BC Weed in Texas was going for about $ 12, 000 a pound. 438 00:20:25,460 --> 00:20:28,430 Speaker 1: How much money were you making with your little hydroponics 439 00:20:28,650 --> 00:20:31,920 Speaker 1: operation in the- Look, I can't say that I teamed 440 00:20:31,980 --> 00:20:36,060 Speaker 1: up with a couple of idiots. Good fellas, but just idiots. 441 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,959 Speaker 2: Just big talkers, but when it came to, now I'm 442 00:20:40,980 --> 00:20:43,530 Speaker 2: a good gardener, but back then I wasn't a good gardener. 443 00:20:43,570 --> 00:20:47,010 Speaker 2: But these guys said they knew everything what to do, 444 00:20:47,050 --> 00:20:49,370 Speaker 2: but they weren't good business people. So when I'd add 445 00:20:49,430 --> 00:20:53,010 Speaker 2: up the bills at the end of paying for all 446 00:20:53,030 --> 00:20:53,510 Speaker 2: the lights. 447 00:20:53,530 --> 00:20:55,400 Speaker 1: Then you can't make a tax claim. I know. 448 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 2: And they would just see a pile of cash and 449 00:20:58,380 --> 00:21:01,090 Speaker 2: they'd go, no, we got expenses. I own the building 450 00:21:01,350 --> 00:21:03,530 Speaker 2: and I've been paying the electricity for the past four 451 00:21:03,570 --> 00:21:06,330 Speaker 2: months and all that stuff I've been paying for. So 452 00:21:06,350 --> 00:21:09,730 Speaker 2: they didn't understand and that partnership broke down pretty quickly. 453 00:21:10,430 --> 00:21:14,170 Speaker 1: Tell us a story when your mates, the ones you 454 00:21:14,210 --> 00:21:16,980 Speaker 1: said that weren't the smartest pencils in the pack, were 455 00:21:17,340 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: inside and you were down, you just pulled up with 456 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,110 Speaker 1: a sealed box full of some seeds or plants. Some babies. Yeah. 457 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:25,390 Speaker 2: And they were about two inches high. There was 250 458 00:21:25,390 --> 00:21:26,369 Speaker 2: in that box. 459 00:21:26,690 --> 00:21:26,890 Speaker 1: Yeah. 460 00:21:27,390 --> 00:21:30,540 Speaker 2: And it's really funny because I wasn't a criminal. I 461 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 2: wasn't in the criminal world. Mum and Dad, I didn't 462 00:21:32,820 --> 00:21:34,060 Speaker 2: know anyone that was a criminal. 463 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 1: Yeah. 464 00:21:34,710 --> 00:21:37,350 Speaker 2: And so you would think that you would have that 465 00:21:37,490 --> 00:21:41,689 Speaker 2: level of calming and no big deal. And these guys 466 00:21:41,750 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 2: said they had it. 467 00:21:42,850 --> 00:21:44,750 Speaker 1: They were pitching to you. 468 00:21:44,770 --> 00:21:48,650 Speaker 2: They were pitching to me that we're cool, we're cool, calm, 469 00:21:49,369 --> 00:21:52,730 Speaker 2: you know, customers. So I came down, I had the 470 00:21:52,790 --> 00:21:55,369 Speaker 2: box and I pull out and then a cop car 471 00:21:55,410 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 2: comes wheeling in next to me. And I'm like, oh, 472 00:21:57,780 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 2: this can't be good. And so he got out and 473 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 2: I put all the plants on the hood of his car. 474 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 2: And he said, a couple of guys escaped from the 475 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:08,590 Speaker 2: prison and they've run through here. 476 00:22:08,650 --> 00:22:10,650 Speaker 1: Have you seen anybody? And I said, no, I haven't. 477 00:22:11,170 --> 00:22:11,850 Speaker 1: seen anybody. 478 00:22:11,890 --> 00:22:14,570 Speaker 2: But right then I seen my guys open the back door, 479 00:22:14,750 --> 00:22:17,050 Speaker 2: seen a cop car there, seen the box on the hood. 480 00:22:17,590 --> 00:22:21,020 Speaker 2: They went upstairs and started ripping everything out. I had 481 00:22:21,060 --> 00:22:23,260 Speaker 2: a chat with him for about five to 10 minutes. 482 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 2: By the time I got up there for the past 483 00:22:25,100 --> 00:22:29,260 Speaker 2: three days of everything we'd done, that ripped out. So 484 00:22:29,660 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 2: you didn't even give it a minute to see if 485 00:22:31,780 --> 00:22:32,919 Speaker 2: they're going to come in the door. 486 00:22:33,220 --> 00:22:39,470 Speaker 1: Yeah. Okay. It seems a bit of a comedy central. 487 00:22:39,510 --> 00:22:42,490 Speaker 1: What was the other time where The fully grown plants, 488 00:22:42,510 --> 00:22:44,540 Speaker 1: you had to move them and they're back in the 489 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:47,060 Speaker 1: convertible hanging out the back of the car. Oh, Todd Rushnell. 490 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: Todd died, actually. From a cop's point of view, I 491 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:54,210 Speaker 1: reckon they couldn't be that stupid, surely. It looks like 492 00:22:54,250 --> 00:22:55,430 Speaker 1: something out of Cheek and Chong. 493 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,740 Speaker 2: Well, I started lighting up all my friends' places. If 494 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,510 Speaker 2: I see a good deal, then I– Todd was a– 495 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:03,510 Speaker 2: he was a mortgage broker. He had a little one-bedroom. 496 00:23:03,530 --> 00:23:04,420 Speaker 1: He got divorced. 497 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,530 Speaker 2: He needed a side income. I said, we can blow 498 00:23:06,570 --> 00:23:07,460 Speaker 2: that back bedroom up. 499 00:23:08,470 --> 00:23:11,090 Speaker 1: So we did that and, you know, it looked pretty good. 500 00:23:11,109 --> 00:23:14,270 Speaker 2: So on the night that we're going to cut it 501 00:23:14,330 --> 00:23:16,229 Speaker 2: all up, I had a team of guys coming in 502 00:23:16,410 --> 00:23:19,290 Speaker 2: and we were going to chop it all up. Right then, 503 00:23:19,650 --> 00:23:21,970 Speaker 2: police pulled up and they were raiding. 504 00:23:22,230 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. not this house, the one next door. 505 00:23:25,900 --> 00:23:28,679 Speaker 2: But all my guys took off in the yard and 506 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 2: headed up the laneway. I thought, holy shit, they're raiding everything. 507 00:23:32,900 --> 00:23:35,300 Speaker 2: But it turns out next door they were raiding. Our 508 00:23:35,340 --> 00:23:37,669 Speaker 2: place that we were going to cut that night wasn't 509 00:23:37,730 --> 00:23:38,290 Speaker 2: on the list. 510 00:23:38,490 --> 00:23:38,670 Speaker 1: Yeah. 511 00:23:39,410 --> 00:23:42,830 Speaker 2: So then I said to Todd, like, we can't come back, 512 00:23:42,850 --> 00:23:44,550 Speaker 2: it's too hot, we'll take it out to my other 513 00:23:44,570 --> 00:23:47,550 Speaker 2: building so you get the stuff and bring it to 514 00:23:47,609 --> 00:23:49,810 Speaker 2: me down in Burnaby. And he goes, yeah, yeah, I 515 00:23:49,830 --> 00:23:51,619 Speaker 2: can take care of that. And he'd had a few drinks. 516 00:23:52,150 --> 00:23:55,690 Speaker 2: He had a Nissan 350Z, you know, those little hatchbacks. 517 00:23:56,350 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 2: I remember him coming down, knocking on my door. I 518 00:23:58,910 --> 00:24:01,340 Speaker 2: was living in a basement and I came walking upstairs 519 00:24:01,460 --> 00:24:03,939 Speaker 2: and I could smell it from the time I started 520 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,119 Speaker 2: walking from the backyard up onto the street. 521 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: And there he was. He had stuffed every. 522 00:24:09,140 --> 00:24:11,200 Speaker 2: Plant, and it was just hanging out the back of 523 00:24:11,220 --> 00:24:12,330 Speaker 2: a Nissan 350Z. 524 00:24:12,350 --> 00:24:14,910 Speaker 1: He had to drive through three suburbs to get to me. 525 00:24:15,290 --> 00:24:18,170 Speaker 1: These are fully mature marijuana plants. Didn't think of a 526 00:24:18,170 --> 00:24:21,550 Speaker 1: potential reason to stop from the cops. No, they were 527 00:24:21,590 --> 00:24:24,150 Speaker 1: just all hanging out the back. You couldn't see the back. 528 00:24:23,990 --> 00:24:26,209 Speaker 2: Of this convertible for weed plants. 529 00:24:26,609 --> 00:24:30,640 Speaker 1: Oh. The exploits. It does. And like it's referencing way back, 530 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: but Cheek and Chong, have you seen the movie? Yeah, totally. 531 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:37,139 Speaker 1: Two stoners. And look, we're talking about a crime and 532 00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:41,010 Speaker 1: don't try this at home. type thing, the message to people. 533 00:24:41,030 --> 00:24:44,170 Speaker 1: But the growing of the cannabis, I know, and I've 534 00:24:44,190 --> 00:24:46,609 Speaker 1: had people who've been involved in it from years gone by. 535 00:24:46,690 --> 00:24:50,270 Speaker 1: And one, Charlie Staunton, who was a former New South 536 00:24:50,310 --> 00:24:54,330 Speaker 1: Wales cop and ended up getting big time in the 537 00:24:54,369 --> 00:24:56,590 Speaker 1: drug trade, but cannabis. And he said, the irony of 538 00:24:56,630 --> 00:25:00,149 Speaker 1: the time I spent in prison was that it's now legal. 539 00:25:00,490 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 1: I'm serving time for something that's now been legalised. I'm 540 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,750 Speaker 1: not saying that's right, but Yeah, I look at it 541 00:25:07,790 --> 00:25:09,790 Speaker 1: and go, okay, well, I can have a bit of 542 00:25:09,830 --> 00:25:13,360 Speaker 1: a laugh about- Mine's the same story. Yeah, well, yeah, 543 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:15,820 Speaker 1: a couple of people trying to make some money out 544 00:25:15,859 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 1: of growing some cannabis. With the hydroponic set up too, 545 00:25:20,380 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 1: I didn't do a lot of work in drug work 546 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 1: in the cops, but I know at one point in 547 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: time when the cops woke up to it, why are 548 00:25:28,380 --> 00:25:31,420 Speaker 1: we just go to the electricity companies and say, why 549 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:33,660 Speaker 1: is this house drawing 10 times more power than every 550 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:37,160 Speaker 1: other house in the street? Totally. Flying over with infrared, 551 00:25:37,340 --> 00:25:41,770 Speaker 1: why is this house like glowing at night because of that? 552 00:25:42,150 --> 00:25:46,070 Speaker 1: And they were pretty easy to discover. They are, but 553 00:25:46,530 --> 00:25:49,429 Speaker 1: if you paid your power bill, they didn't bother you. 554 00:25:49,450 --> 00:25:53,720 Speaker 1: If you stole the power, you're up shit creek. Well, yeah, 555 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:55,899 Speaker 1: that was the other thing. And I saw a few 556 00:25:55,940 --> 00:26:00,030 Speaker 1: of them burn down when people had stolen power and 557 00:26:00,090 --> 00:26:02,030 Speaker 1: hadn't connected right and things had happened. 558 00:26:02,670 --> 00:26:05,290 Speaker 2: And the police weren't focusing on the grow houses. It 559 00:26:06,470 --> 00:26:08,510 Speaker 2: was a little bit of a free-for-all for a couple 560 00:26:08,550 --> 00:26:08,930 Speaker 2: of years. 561 00:26:09,070 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. So you've got into growing cannabis, but that's fairly harmless. 562 00:26:14,619 --> 00:26:17,419 Speaker 1: When you start talking about what your next venture is, 563 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:20,980 Speaker 1: when you're importing and getting it across the borders, can 564 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,119 Speaker 1: you tell us that journey? 565 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:27,220 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think everything is leading up to that confidence. 566 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:27,540 Speaker 1: Yeah. 567 00:26:27,740 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 2: You know, the growing, got away with that, made a 568 00:26:29,859 --> 00:26:33,050 Speaker 2: few dollars, lost a few dollars. But, you know, you're 569 00:26:33,090 --> 00:26:35,490 Speaker 2: sort of outsmarting the law no matter where you go. 570 00:26:35,570 --> 00:26:38,010 Speaker 2: I found it quite funny when I put weed on 571 00:26:38,030 --> 00:26:41,649 Speaker 2: the hood of the car and you see your confidence 572 00:26:41,730 --> 00:26:45,990 Speaker 2: is growing. And then it was one– then the nightclub 573 00:26:46,030 --> 00:26:49,540 Speaker 2: I worked at closed down and then one of these guys' brother– 574 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:54,929 Speaker 2: He bought this nightclub and this was essentially a nightclub 575 00:26:55,210 --> 00:26:56,790 Speaker 2: owned by gangsters. 576 00:26:57,109 --> 00:26:57,310 Speaker 1: Right. 577 00:26:57,369 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 2: And they wanted me to bartend there. They'd heard about 578 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 2: me at the last place and the crowd was really 579 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:07,859 Speaker 2: comfortable with me. So I went bartending there. And everyone, 580 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,179 Speaker 2: over the course of, say, a year, a year and 581 00:27:11,220 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 2: a half, you gained a lot of respect. I knew 582 00:27:14,340 --> 00:27:17,860 Speaker 2: who the players were. I knew how to serve. And 583 00:27:18,340 --> 00:27:20,780 Speaker 2: you knew who to take care of and what the 584 00:27:20,820 --> 00:27:24,460 Speaker 2: scores were. So I guess it was just, and then 585 00:27:24,540 --> 00:27:27,670 Speaker 2: as the bar shuts down, then certain people are allowed 586 00:27:27,690 --> 00:27:29,869 Speaker 2: to stay and, you know, have drinks. 587 00:27:29,910 --> 00:27:33,540 Speaker 1: Yeah. And then the conversations start. And are we talking like, 588 00:27:33,619 --> 00:27:36,020 Speaker 1: to give it perspective from the Australian point of view, 589 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:39,090 Speaker 1: a bar set up in King's Cross? Yeah, totally. Is 590 00:27:39,109 --> 00:27:42,850 Speaker 1: that the type of characters you're going to come through there? Yeah. Okay. 591 00:27:42,869 --> 00:27:46,330 Speaker 1: So working that bar, a lot of the bad guys 592 00:27:46,350 --> 00:27:49,170 Speaker 1: are hanging out, the gangsters. Yeah. You shut the bar 593 00:27:49,190 --> 00:27:51,610 Speaker 1: down but it stays open for certain people? That's where 594 00:27:51,630 --> 00:27:52,130 Speaker 1: it starts. 595 00:27:52,190 --> 00:27:54,340 Speaker 2: And I was just sitting in a booth with about 596 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 2: four others and they said, we need to get a 597 00:27:58,100 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 2: path across the border. 598 00:27:59,300 --> 00:27:59,379 Speaker 1: Yeah. 599 00:28:00,010 --> 00:28:02,570 Speaker 2: We need a helicopter. Like, does anyone know a helicopter? 600 00:28:03,030 --> 00:28:06,590 Speaker 2: And a helicopter for me has been a dream, like 601 00:28:07,010 --> 00:28:09,270 Speaker 2: to fly a helicopter or to get a helicopter license. 602 00:28:10,369 --> 00:28:11,129 Speaker 1: And I don't know. 603 00:28:11,270 --> 00:28:13,650 Speaker 2: I just, I said, yeah, I think I could do that. 604 00:28:14,130 --> 00:28:16,810 Speaker 2: And they looked at me and said, oh, can you fly? 605 00:28:16,830 --> 00:28:21,250 Speaker 2: I said, I flew an ultralight for about six hours 606 00:28:21,550 --> 00:28:22,450 Speaker 2: many years ago. 607 00:28:22,470 --> 00:28:22,930 Speaker 1: Yeah. 608 00:28:23,010 --> 00:28:24,580 Speaker 2: And I said, I reckon I could do it. I 609 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 2: can operate machinery. And I don't think it would take 610 00:28:27,740 --> 00:28:30,060 Speaker 2: me that long if you guys are willing to pay. 611 00:28:30,340 --> 00:28:33,399 Speaker 1: I've got to say that's a lot of confidence in 612 00:28:33,420 --> 00:28:37,940 Speaker 1: your ability. Like helicopters, the consequences of stuffing up on that, 613 00:28:38,230 --> 00:28:40,970 Speaker 1: probably a little bit more than the heavy machinery. Though 614 00:28:40,990 --> 00:28:43,650 Speaker 1: you can come unstuck in the heavy machinery. But okay, 615 00:28:43,690 --> 00:28:46,170 Speaker 1: so you're sitting around. How old were you at this stage? 616 00:28:46,830 --> 00:28:50,460 Speaker 1: I wasn't young. I was 28, 29. Okay. So let's 617 00:28:50,540 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: just set the scene, the group of colourful characters, let's 618 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,110 Speaker 1: describe them, sitting around. If only we had someone that 619 00:28:57,130 --> 00:29:00,090 Speaker 1: can fly a helicopter. I reckon I could. Is that 620 00:29:00,110 --> 00:29:03,030 Speaker 1: how it went down? That's exactly how it went down. Okay. Yeah. 621 00:29:03,150 --> 00:29:06,070 Speaker 2: So Chris said to me, go out and hire one 622 00:29:06,130 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 2: tomorrow and see if you can fly it. So I 623 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:13,500 Speaker 2: went to Chinook Flying School. I went out and hired 624 00:29:13,580 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 2: the Bell 47J, that story that you told about getting 625 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:20,940 Speaker 2: broken out, that exact helicopter. Piston driven, you know, the 626 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:25,380 Speaker 2: manual throttle machine. And it was a half an hour 627 00:29:25,660 --> 00:29:26,520 Speaker 2: introductory flight. 628 00:29:26,540 --> 00:29:28,620 Speaker 1: So you got an instructor there with you? Got an 629 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 1: instructor there. Yeah. 630 00:29:30,460 --> 00:29:33,690 Speaker 2: And yeah, went out for a half an hour flight, 631 00:29:33,730 --> 00:29:37,229 Speaker 2: flew into a creek of trees and he showed me 632 00:29:37,270 --> 00:29:39,130 Speaker 2: how you can hop around in logs and then get 633 00:29:39,150 --> 00:29:42,070 Speaker 2: yourself out of a tight spot. But, you know, I 634 00:29:42,110 --> 00:29:44,540 Speaker 2: was on the controls with him on the controls, but 635 00:29:44,630 --> 00:29:48,219 Speaker 2: I could feel what it was doing. Okay, so he's overriding. 636 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:51,900 Speaker 2: He's overriding it. But once I got above the trees, 637 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,020 Speaker 2: I could fly it. And he said, you've got really 638 00:29:54,060 --> 00:29:56,420 Speaker 2: good hands and feet. And that's what they say when 639 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:57,120 Speaker 2: you're a pilot. 640 00:29:57,140 --> 00:30:00,209 Speaker 1: You've got good hands. And that was from the excavator. Oh, 641 00:30:00,450 --> 00:30:02,970 Speaker 1: I could imagine. So, you know, you're using your feet 642 00:30:03,050 --> 00:30:05,190 Speaker 1: with the pedals to go. Independently of each other. 643 00:30:05,210 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, and then your controls operate your boom and your 644 00:30:07,860 --> 00:30:08,820 Speaker 2: slew and you've got to use. 645 00:30:08,740 --> 00:30:12,230 Speaker 1: Them all at once. Yeah. Okay, so you felt confident 646 00:30:12,430 --> 00:30:14,890 Speaker 1: after a half-hour crash course. After a half-hour crash course. 647 00:30:14,910 --> 00:30:16,570 Speaker 1: I shouldn't call it a crash course. It's probably a 648 00:30:16,570 --> 00:30:20,060 Speaker 1: bad omen for a helicopter. Okay, but how many training 649 00:30:20,100 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: sessions did you have before you put your hand up 650 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,160 Speaker 1: and said, hey, look at the wings on these? 651 00:30:24,700 --> 00:30:27,740 Speaker 2: I didn't have– I went back that night and said, yeah, boys, 652 00:30:27,820 --> 00:30:30,980 Speaker 2: I can do this. Like I literally– I signed on 653 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 2: that day. I said, I'm good to go. 654 00:30:33,820 --> 00:30:36,510 Speaker 1: Tim, don't mistake my laughing, laughing with you. I'm laughing 655 00:30:36,570 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 1: at you. That's ridiculous. Yeah. I know. 656 00:30:39,860 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 2: So everything started happening really quickly. What sort of helicopter 657 00:30:43,380 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 2: do you want? 658 00:30:43,900 --> 00:30:46,460 Speaker 1: I don't know. One with the blades. Yeah. 659 00:30:47,140 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 2: At first I said I'll go for the Bell 47J 660 00:30:49,300 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 2: because I just took a lesson in that. And obviously 661 00:30:51,940 --> 00:30:53,550 Speaker 2: that's what I'm going to learn on for the next 662 00:30:53,610 --> 00:30:56,270 Speaker 2: couple of weeks before we start the business. Went down 663 00:30:56,290 --> 00:30:58,030 Speaker 2: to Seattle and had a look at one of those. 664 00:30:58,890 --> 00:31:01,230 Speaker 2: And it just wasn't going to serve our needs. We're 665 00:31:01,250 --> 00:31:03,170 Speaker 2: going to have to have bags strapped on the outside 666 00:31:03,230 --> 00:31:03,970 Speaker 2: like mash. 667 00:31:03,990 --> 00:31:05,130 Speaker 1: Yeah. 668 00:31:05,510 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 2: And they're really slow. They only do about 60 knots. 669 00:31:07,890 --> 00:31:09,510 Speaker 1: Yeah. And they're not. 670 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:13,930 Speaker 2: Very, they're just, they're heavy. So I upgraded and said, yeah, 671 00:31:13,950 --> 00:31:17,030 Speaker 2: I need a Bell 206 Jet Ranger. Did you just 672 00:31:17,070 --> 00:31:18,010 Speaker 2: flick through a magazine? 673 00:31:18,170 --> 00:31:18,590 Speaker 1: I did. 674 00:31:18,810 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 2: It was my favorite helicopter as a kid. And they go, okay, 675 00:31:21,620 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 2: try and find one of those. 676 00:31:22,700 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: And I did. Okay. So I just, I really want to, 677 00:31:26,180 --> 00:31:30,260 Speaker 1: because if I'm missing the points here. So you've had, what, 678 00:31:30,380 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: half a dozen lessons roughly? Mostly a little less than 679 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 1: that at that point. 680 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:35,140 Speaker 2: Yeah. 681 00:31:35,590 --> 00:31:38,050 Speaker 1: You don't know a great deal about helicopters other than, 682 00:31:38,290 --> 00:31:40,450 Speaker 1: you know, I used to look at jet planes, but 683 00:31:40,490 --> 00:31:41,790 Speaker 1: I didn't know a lot about them. I was just 684 00:31:41,850 --> 00:31:43,930 Speaker 1: playing with them as a kid. But you're looking at 685 00:31:43,970 --> 00:31:46,030 Speaker 1: the helicopters, you've gone through and go, I think this 686 00:31:46,110 --> 00:31:48,930 Speaker 1: is the one that we need. Yep, totally. Never flown 687 00:31:49,290 --> 00:31:50,110 Speaker 1: one like that. 688 00:31:50,590 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 2: No, once we'd made the decision to do that one, 689 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 2: I went to the school and said, do you have 690 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:57,740 Speaker 2: this type of helicopter? And they said, yeah, we've got 691 00:31:57,800 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 2: one in the shed. 692 00:31:58,770 --> 00:31:59,370 Speaker 1: Okay. 693 00:31:59,410 --> 00:32:01,969 Speaker 2: So I quickly switched over and said, could you give 694 00:32:01,990 --> 00:32:03,070 Speaker 2: me a couple lessons in that? 695 00:32:03,110 --> 00:32:07,210 Speaker 1: Yeah. And what lessons is one thing. Did you ever 696 00:32:07,250 --> 00:32:10,650 Speaker 1: get qualified? Like, did you get a license for like, well, 697 00:32:10,670 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 1: you're running drugs, so you don't necessarily need the license. 698 00:32:13,180 --> 00:32:14,540 Speaker 1: You don't need the license. Yeah. 699 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 2: But night school for helicopters and aviation, weight and balance, 700 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 2: weather planning, air law and all that, that took part 701 00:32:23,620 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 2: at night. 702 00:32:24,290 --> 00:32:24,460 Speaker 1: Right. 703 00:32:24,730 --> 00:32:27,490 Speaker 2: I was bartending at night still. I was still fixing 704 00:32:27,550 --> 00:32:28,810 Speaker 2: up houses in Seattle. 705 00:32:29,210 --> 00:32:30,810 Speaker 1: What were the things you just said that can't be 706 00:32:30,830 --> 00:32:31,450 Speaker 1: that important? 707 00:32:32,210 --> 00:32:35,190 Speaker 2: I skipped all the night school stuff and I just said, look, 708 00:32:35,430 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 2: I just need the basics, how to get this off 709 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 2: the ground and I'll figure the rest out. And that's 710 00:32:40,980 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 2: exactly what I did. I didn't look at weather patterns. 711 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 2: I didn't look at weight and balance. I didn't look 712 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 2: at calculating fuel, nothing. 713 00:32:48,660 --> 00:32:51,459 Speaker 1: I know nothing about flying, but Tim, I reckon that 714 00:32:51,500 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 1: would be probably pretty important. 715 00:32:54,630 --> 00:32:58,770 Speaker 2: Looking back now, my weather pattern was I would just 716 00:32:58,810 --> 00:33:00,950 Speaker 2: slide the door of the hangar open. And if I 717 00:33:00,990 --> 00:33:03,290 Speaker 2: could see the mountains in the US, which were about 718 00:33:03,330 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 2: five miles away, we're good to go. Not realizing I've 719 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:09,520 Speaker 2: got to go 70 miles past there. So the weather's 720 00:33:09,540 --> 00:33:14,580 Speaker 2: going to change a bit. But that was my weather forecasting. 721 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:19,250 Speaker 2: I didn't listen to to any of the weather stations 722 00:33:19,290 --> 00:33:21,970 Speaker 2: that pilots listen to and then map out where you're 723 00:33:21,990 --> 00:33:23,110 Speaker 2: going and look at the winds. 724 00:33:23,650 --> 00:33:26,590 Speaker 1: None of that. We're good to go. Okay. I want 725 00:33:26,610 --> 00:33:29,070 Speaker 1: you to give us a very descriptive story once you've 726 00:33:29,110 --> 00:33:31,590 Speaker 1: gone back to the crew and said, I'm right to 727 00:33:31,630 --> 00:33:34,330 Speaker 1: go and what went down there, who you flew with, 728 00:33:34,510 --> 00:33:38,230 Speaker 1: where you went, how you hired your helicopter. When you 729 00:33:38,270 --> 00:33:41,010 Speaker 1: hire a helicopter, even when you're hiring a car, where 730 00:33:41,030 --> 00:33:43,130 Speaker 1: are you off to? I'm going up the coast or something. 731 00:33:43,570 --> 00:33:46,390 Speaker 1: What did anyone ask or was it off the records? 732 00:33:46,790 --> 00:33:50,230 Speaker 2: When you hire a helicopter, you can't– it's got to 733 00:33:50,250 --> 00:33:52,090 Speaker 2: be through a helicopter school because there's only one company 734 00:33:52,110 --> 00:33:56,170 Speaker 2: in the world that insure helicopters. So if you want 735 00:33:56,190 --> 00:33:57,710 Speaker 2: to fly it around on your own, you've got to 736 00:33:57,750 --> 00:33:58,410 Speaker 2: go buy one. 737 00:33:58,650 --> 00:33:58,870 Speaker 1: Right. 738 00:33:59,110 --> 00:34:01,070 Speaker 2: So that's what we did. We went and bought a 739 00:34:01,070 --> 00:34:05,330 Speaker 2: 206 Jet Ranger. We bought it off Blackcomb Helicopters in Whistler. 740 00:34:05,610 --> 00:34:07,670 Speaker 1: Yeah. Whistler, the ski resort. Yeah, yeah. 741 00:34:07,970 --> 00:34:10,890 Speaker 2: So we bought it off them guys and that in 742 00:34:10,930 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 2: itself was pretty amazing. It was– Such a beautiful helicopter. 743 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:16,360 Speaker 2: I think it was around 700 grand at the time. 744 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 2: And I took a drive up one afternoon with a 745 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:21,899 Speaker 2: buddy of mine to just go see if they'd done 746 00:34:21,940 --> 00:34:24,040 Speaker 2: all the work. I knew that it was coming up, 747 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:25,339 Speaker 2: that we were going to take possession. 748 00:34:25,510 --> 00:34:25,660 Speaker 1: Yeah. 749 00:34:25,930 --> 00:34:27,130 Speaker 2: And I was trying to get a hold of a 750 00:34:27,190 --> 00:34:29,450 Speaker 2: pilot that I knew to come over and fly this 751 00:34:29,690 --> 00:34:33,290 Speaker 2: down to the valley so that I could mess around 752 00:34:33,350 --> 00:34:34,950 Speaker 2: with it a bit in the flat ground. 753 00:34:34,969 --> 00:34:35,129 Speaker 1: Yeah. 754 00:34:36,150 --> 00:34:39,359 Speaker 2: So when I got up there that afternoon, they said, yeah, 755 00:34:39,380 --> 00:34:43,170 Speaker 2: your helicopter's ready to pick up. So- I looked at 756 00:34:43,210 --> 00:34:45,230 Speaker 2: my mate in the car and said, what do I do? 757 00:34:45,610 --> 00:34:48,200 Speaker 2: They want me to pick the helicopter up. And he goes, 758 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:49,839 Speaker 2: what are you going to do? So I said, give 759 00:34:49,860 --> 00:34:51,440 Speaker 2: me the bag in the back. And he goes, what's 760 00:34:51,460 --> 00:34:53,220 Speaker 2: in the bag? I said, my gym clothes. But whenever 761 00:34:53,300 --> 00:34:55,200 Speaker 2: I walk through an airport, I always see a pilot 762 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:58,020 Speaker 2: carrying a bag. So I'm going to walk through. They 763 00:34:58,060 --> 00:35:02,450 Speaker 2: have the instructions. They have the instructions, weather patterns, all 764 00:35:02,469 --> 00:35:05,810 Speaker 2: the shutdowns. So I threw the bag in the back 765 00:35:05,850 --> 00:35:09,660 Speaker 2: of the helicopter and just proceeded to fire this thing up. 766 00:35:10,550 --> 00:35:13,390 Speaker 1: Okay, I've got a few questions, quite a few questions. 767 00:35:14,130 --> 00:35:17,370 Speaker 1: When you hire a car from an airport, let's say, 768 00:35:17,630 --> 00:35:20,130 Speaker 1: a new type of car, you tend to sit, okay, 769 00:35:20,230 --> 00:35:22,750 Speaker 1: there's an indicator there, how do you turn it on, 770 00:35:22,850 --> 00:35:27,020 Speaker 1: all that sort of stuff. Helicopters, I've flown in the 771 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:31,580 Speaker 1: police helicopters quite a few times. They're pretty complex little things. 772 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: Tell us what happened when you, okay, instead of getting 773 00:35:36,300 --> 00:35:37,879 Speaker 1: your mate to come up here and fly it down, 774 00:35:37,900 --> 00:35:40,910 Speaker 1: you're going to fly it back. It can't be that hard. Right. 775 00:35:41,330 --> 00:35:43,310 Speaker 2: Well, the first issue I've got is I don't have 776 00:35:43,350 --> 00:35:46,370 Speaker 2: a cheat sheet on starting because even an airline pilot 777 00:35:46,410 --> 00:35:48,489 Speaker 2: has a cheat sheet. I just got to go on 778 00:35:48,590 --> 00:35:50,810 Speaker 2: memory for what I can remember how to start it 779 00:35:50,989 --> 00:35:52,339 Speaker 2: and how to get the thing moving. 780 00:35:52,489 --> 00:35:55,880 Speaker 1: So I did that quite well. So I got it started. 781 00:35:56,140 --> 00:35:59,180 Speaker 2: Nobody died and I didn't blow the engine up. Next 782 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:04,359 Speaker 2: point is I didn't realize how emotionally attached companies get 783 00:36:04,420 --> 00:36:07,790 Speaker 2: to aircraft like boats and So this was their last 784 00:36:07,790 --> 00:36:09,370 Speaker 2: 206 that they'd sold. 785 00:36:09,170 --> 00:36:10,310 Speaker 1: And they're moving to A-star. 786 00:36:10,330 --> 00:36:13,969 Speaker 2: So everyone from the offices came out to watch this 787 00:36:14,010 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 2: takeoff and wave to the last 206 leaving. So about 788 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:21,279 Speaker 2: 15 people stand about 15 feet away. I thought it 789 00:36:21,300 --> 00:36:22,600 Speaker 2: was going to chop everyone's heads off. 790 00:36:23,060 --> 00:36:26,210 Speaker 1: I'm just cringing at the moment. Go on. But it was. 791 00:36:26,170 --> 00:36:29,910 Speaker 2: Mostly one of the best takeoffs I've ever done. Fluked it? 792 00:36:30,370 --> 00:36:33,090 Speaker 2: I fluked it. It just stepped into the air, right 793 00:36:33,110 --> 00:36:36,340 Speaker 2: side a little heavy, and as it just, I stepped 794 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:38,360 Speaker 2: up and then I backed out and then I turned 795 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:41,780 Speaker 2: and off I went and I started climbing out over Whistler. 796 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:44,879 Speaker 2: I was shaking at this point thinking, have I done 797 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:48,000 Speaker 2: everything right? And as I'm going through the gauges, I 798 00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:51,180 Speaker 2: look down on the right-hand side and the fuel gauge 799 00:36:51,219 --> 00:36:55,259 Speaker 2: said empty. And I've gone, holy shit. And right then 800 00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 2: I've leaned up and there's two fuel pumps up here, 801 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,060 Speaker 2: but it's a triple system. And the only thing that 802 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 2: could have killed me was that. 803 00:37:03,430 --> 00:37:03,640 Speaker 1: Right. 804 00:37:03,739 --> 00:37:05,770 Speaker 2: And I forgot to turn them on. And I was 805 00:37:05,810 --> 00:37:08,089 Speaker 2: already a thousand feet in the air by then. And 806 00:37:08,170 --> 00:37:10,310 Speaker 2: it was just– I turned them on instantly and the 807 00:37:10,330 --> 00:37:13,010 Speaker 2: fuel bounced up. Your mate wasn't with you at this stage. 808 00:37:13,060 --> 00:37:15,470 Speaker 1: No, he drove back. He was driving. I would have 809 00:37:15,489 --> 00:37:18,210 Speaker 1: volunteered to drive the car back. You bring the helicopter back. 810 00:37:18,270 --> 00:37:20,250 Speaker 2: Look, I was on the phone with him trying to 811 00:37:20,310 --> 00:37:22,239 Speaker 2: fly with my knee and said, I've got to get 812 00:37:22,300 --> 00:37:25,299 Speaker 2: back to Vancouver now and I don't know where to go. 813 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:29,069 Speaker 2: And he said, just follow the highway. So that's what 814 00:37:29,110 --> 00:37:31,770 Speaker 2: I did. I just I just followed the highway all 815 00:37:31,810 --> 00:37:34,029 Speaker 2: the way down. But I knew that YVR, which is 816 00:37:34,070 --> 00:37:37,689 Speaker 2: Vancouver International Airport, it had a ring around about 30 miles. 817 00:37:37,790 --> 00:37:39,070 Speaker 1: A no-fly zone. Yeah. 818 00:37:39,090 --> 00:37:41,480 Speaker 2: So I knew I was going to encroach on that 819 00:37:41,500 --> 00:37:43,480 Speaker 2: a little bit. So then I just went down to 820 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:46,900 Speaker 2: about 50 feet above all the trees. And there's a 821 00:37:47,100 --> 00:37:50,880 Speaker 2: really ritzy area called West Vancouver and North Vancouver. And 822 00:37:50,940 --> 00:37:53,550 Speaker 2: I just ripped across everyone's yards at about 50 feet 823 00:37:53,590 --> 00:37:56,370 Speaker 2: above the trees just to stay out of the way 824 00:37:56,410 --> 00:37:57,150 Speaker 2: of the airliners. 825 00:37:57,710 --> 00:38:03,410 Speaker 1: Yeah. How you're alive is... Like I am– I'm telling 826 00:38:03,430 --> 00:38:05,390 Speaker 1: you here, I'm laughing at you, not with you. This 827 00:38:05,469 --> 00:38:10,279 Speaker 1: is stupid. This is– in helicopters, you've got to look 828 00:38:10,340 --> 00:38:13,120 Speaker 1: out for power lines and that. You hear helicopters coming down, 829 00:38:13,380 --> 00:38:15,919 Speaker 1: hitting power lines. Yeah, I never even thought about those. Yeah. 830 00:38:16,020 --> 00:38:18,580 Speaker 2: I just– because a couple of times I've gone across 831 00:38:18,620 --> 00:38:19,839 Speaker 2: people's backyards, you're doing 125 knots. 832 00:38:19,860 --> 00:38:24,489 Speaker 1: Yeah. So you're doing 220 kilometres an hour. Yeah. And 833 00:38:24,530 --> 00:38:26,890 Speaker 1: you look like a fighter jet coming over. I'm like, oh, geez, 834 00:38:26,910 --> 00:38:29,710 Speaker 1: look at everyone's doing it. And I was really low, really, 835 00:38:29,750 --> 00:38:33,670 Speaker 1: really low. Did you? Did a couple waves, yeah. Yeah, 836 00:38:33,790 --> 00:38:37,960 Speaker 1: on your phone. Yeah, that's cool. I've seen in the 837 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:41,720 Speaker 1: police poll area, and I'm referencing my lack of experience there, 838 00:38:41,739 --> 00:38:43,219 Speaker 1: but in the times I've been there, they've got an 839 00:38:43,260 --> 00:38:47,220 Speaker 1: observer on board too that's checking things for like power 840 00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:48,980 Speaker 1: lines or things that they've got to look out for. 841 00:38:49,020 --> 00:38:52,430 Speaker 1: But you're just driving along. Okay, follow the highway, cut 842 00:38:52,469 --> 00:38:55,700 Speaker 1: across here. That can't be too bad. Yeah, I had 843 00:38:55,780 --> 00:38:59,140 Speaker 1: no clue how to get there except for roads. What was– 844 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:03,120 Speaker 1: adrenaline would have kicked in. You said you were shaking 845 00:39:03,180 --> 00:39:05,860 Speaker 1: at some point in time. But are you a thrill seeker? 846 00:39:05,890 --> 00:39:08,030 Speaker 1: Do you just like taking a risk like that? No, 847 00:39:08,110 --> 00:39:09,470 Speaker 1: I was never– Or are you just confident? 848 00:39:09,530 --> 00:39:12,469 Speaker 2: I was never a thrill seeker. I was just confident 849 00:39:12,830 --> 00:39:17,350 Speaker 2: and I wanted to do something and that was the 850 00:39:17,390 --> 00:39:20,469 Speaker 2: thing to do at the time. But I definitely– I 851 00:39:20,510 --> 00:39:22,779 Speaker 2: never played contact sports because I didn't want. 852 00:39:22,700 --> 00:39:23,939 Speaker 1: To get hit or hurt. Yeah. 853 00:39:24,180 --> 00:39:26,660 Speaker 2: I was always scared about getting hurt and now I'm 854 00:39:26,700 --> 00:39:27,910 Speaker 2: doing things that'll kill you. 855 00:39:28,630 --> 00:39:34,219 Speaker 1: Is this a... your mind, a calculated risk that you're taking? 100%. 856 00:39:34,219 --> 00:39:36,390 Speaker 1: And I can understand how you'd feel comfortable if you're 857 00:39:36,590 --> 00:39:40,230 Speaker 1: doing a lot on machines at the sticks of a helicopter, 858 00:39:40,330 --> 00:39:43,630 Speaker 1: but if the machine stops, you just stop. If the 859 00:39:43,650 --> 00:39:47,810 Speaker 1: helicopter stops, it's not good. It's not good, but there 860 00:39:47,910 --> 00:39:49,290 Speaker 1: are procedures in place. 861 00:39:49,330 --> 00:39:51,390 Speaker 2: You can do an autorotation, but I haven't actually learned 862 00:39:51,430 --> 00:39:54,009 Speaker 2: how to do that yet, and I'm not comfortable doing 863 00:39:54,030 --> 00:39:56,510 Speaker 2: it on my own. So if that was to happen, 864 00:39:56,710 --> 00:39:59,359 Speaker 2: I've just got to, at that split second, you've just 865 00:39:59,390 --> 00:40:02,960 Speaker 2: got to count on your abilities to do it. 866 00:40:03,660 --> 00:40:07,840 Speaker 1: Okay. You're up, I get the takeoff with your audience 867 00:40:07,860 --> 00:40:10,080 Speaker 1: there and you fluke that. You're up in the air, 868 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:13,219 Speaker 1: you're heading in the right direction and let's just fly 869 00:40:13,260 --> 00:40:15,839 Speaker 1: under the flight path. That can't be that complicated. Exactly. Yeah, 870 00:40:16,239 --> 00:40:19,310 Speaker 1: good thinking. Yeah, I come up with that. Yeah, it's 871 00:40:19,330 --> 00:40:22,690 Speaker 1: a great, great plan. How do you find the place 872 00:40:22,710 --> 00:40:25,009 Speaker 1: that you're looking for? Because in the air, it looks 873 00:40:25,070 --> 00:40:26,650 Speaker 1: a little bit different from the ground. Are you just 874 00:40:26,690 --> 00:40:30,589 Speaker 1: looking out for mere places or? It's really simple. I'm 875 00:40:30,950 --> 00:40:31,360 Speaker 1: sitting up. 876 00:40:32,230 --> 00:40:35,170 Speaker 2: Going across the backyards of West Vancouver and North Vancouver. 877 00:40:35,310 --> 00:40:38,489 Speaker 2: From there, it dives down, and I can see the 878 00:40:38,550 --> 00:40:42,439 Speaker 2: city of Vancouver right there, Stanley Park, 1,000-acre park right there. 879 00:40:42,980 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 2: So the United States is that way. 880 00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:44,879 Speaker 1: Yep. 881 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,680 Speaker 2: This little airport that I needed to go to, and 882 00:40:48,719 --> 00:40:52,180 Speaker 2: then the border rent from there all the way. And 883 00:40:52,340 --> 00:40:54,320 Speaker 2: you've got to think, I'm up on top of the mountain. 884 00:40:54,390 --> 00:40:56,970 Speaker 2: I can see where the border's going. I just roughly 885 00:40:57,010 --> 00:41:01,160 Speaker 2: picked a 45-degree angle. that I figured if I punched 886 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:04,700 Speaker 2: through those mountains, I'd come out near that airport that 887 00:41:04,739 --> 00:41:07,340 Speaker 2: I wanted to be at, this little uncontrolled manned airport. 888 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:10,120 Speaker 2: So that's exactly what I did. I just roughly went 889 00:41:10,180 --> 00:41:13,820 Speaker 2: on a 45-degree angle. I didn't look at the compass. 890 00:41:13,969 --> 00:41:17,430 Speaker 2: I didn't go, you need to be heading 260. Didn't 891 00:41:17,450 --> 00:41:20,310 Speaker 2: look at any maps. I just went, US is there. 892 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:24,279 Speaker 2: Canada's back that way. I need to go to this 893 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:26,400 Speaker 2: little airport. If I go too much that way, I'm 894 00:41:26,420 --> 00:41:28,820 Speaker 2: going to end up in the US. So about a 895 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:29,439 Speaker 2: 45-degree angle. 896 00:41:29,719 --> 00:41:33,020 Speaker 1: Yeah, but aren't you meant to talk that shit like 260, 897 00:41:33,020 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 1: taking off and call sign? 898 00:41:35,140 --> 00:41:40,020 Speaker 2: I just stayed low and just cruised. Because a part 899 00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:43,070 Speaker 2: of it was it's a very small community around that, 900 00:41:43,530 --> 00:41:44,930 Speaker 2: and they would hear my voice. 901 00:41:45,469 --> 00:41:50,230 Speaker 1: Yeah. So I just decided to stay off the air. Yeah. 902 00:41:50,710 --> 00:41:53,680 Speaker 1: And fly. And hopefully not run into anyone. Well, lucky 903 00:41:53,700 --> 00:41:55,660 Speaker 1: you didn't cross the border into America. You might have 904 00:41:55,700 --> 00:41:57,140 Speaker 1: got shot down by a fighter plane. 905 00:41:57,540 --> 00:42:01,550 Speaker 2: Well, they were on my headsets. I could hear would-be 906 00:42:01,590 --> 00:42:04,110 Speaker 2: naval base. I could hear F-16s on my headset. 907 00:42:05,190 --> 00:42:08,570 Speaker 1: Okay. You've landed. How did you feel? Oh, bad. 908 00:42:09,239 --> 00:42:11,430 Speaker 2: The confidence is just going up and up and up. 909 00:42:11,570 --> 00:42:12,529 Speaker 2: You're king of the hill now. 910 00:42:13,070 --> 00:42:15,150 Speaker 1: Yeah. You're at the top of the pile. Do you 911 00:42:15,170 --> 00:42:18,790 Speaker 1: think a little bit overconfident? Oh, 100%. Oh, good. I'm 912 00:42:18,810 --> 00:42:21,100 Speaker 1: glad you acknowledge that. Tom Cruise and Goose had nothing 913 00:42:21,180 --> 00:42:25,680 Speaker 1: on me and Terry. The first run, drug run, what 914 00:42:25,700 --> 00:42:29,549 Speaker 1: was the plans? Nighttime, what daytime? The plan looked good. Yeah. 915 00:42:29,820 --> 00:42:33,739 Speaker 2: It was executed absolutely horrible. It was shit from the 916 00:42:33,780 --> 00:42:36,120 Speaker 2: time we took off till the time we got back. 917 00:42:37,060 --> 00:42:39,859 Speaker 1: Run us through. So you've picked up the helicopter, you've 918 00:42:39,950 --> 00:42:42,989 Speaker 1: bought the helicopter, and I would take it that's with 919 00:42:43,330 --> 00:42:46,969 Speaker 1: all the people involved in the operation contributing to the 920 00:42:47,170 --> 00:42:50,170 Speaker 1: purchase of the helicopter. Totally. They got their pilot now. Yep. 921 00:42:50,969 --> 00:42:53,979 Speaker 1: You've got the helicopter. Okay, now we're ready to roll. 922 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:54,920 Speaker 1: What do you do? 923 00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:59,760 Speaker 2: I go and pick, I hated, I didn't hate flying 924 00:42:59,780 --> 00:43:01,719 Speaker 2: that thing, but that thing scared the shit out of me. 925 00:43:02,090 --> 00:43:02,220 Speaker 1: Why? 926 00:43:02,260 --> 00:43:06,790 Speaker 2: I just wasn't that confident in it, but I told 927 00:43:06,870 --> 00:43:08,890 Speaker 2: everyone else I was confident. So when I'd go look 928 00:43:08,910 --> 00:43:11,610 Speaker 2: for new landing spots, I would take my pickup. 929 00:43:11,930 --> 00:43:12,089 Speaker 1: Yeah. 930 00:43:12,570 --> 00:43:14,730 Speaker 2: It's very simple to take the helicopter out and go 931 00:43:14,750 --> 00:43:17,359 Speaker 2: and have a look, but the less I flew that thing, 932 00:43:17,420 --> 00:43:20,080 Speaker 2: the better. So I drive around and go, look, this 933 00:43:20,100 --> 00:43:21,960 Speaker 2: looks like a good place for a helicopter to get in. 934 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:26,420 Speaker 2: So I'd picked a little town called Cultus Lake, and 935 00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:27,960 Speaker 2: it's a little town on the edge of a lake. 936 00:43:28,219 --> 00:43:31,700 Speaker 2: And I picked an old quarry that we could do 937 00:43:31,719 --> 00:43:34,380 Speaker 2: the first pick up from. And that's where we're going 938 00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:38,400 Speaker 2: to pick the drugs up from. Unfortunately, I couldn't get 939 00:43:38,500 --> 00:43:40,759 Speaker 2: down to the US where they wanted me to drop 940 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:42,940 Speaker 2: them off. So they were just going to send me 941 00:43:43,020 --> 00:43:46,400 Speaker 2: coordinates on where they wanted me this to go. 942 00:43:46,580 --> 00:43:48,680 Speaker 1: Right. Okay. So you couldn't go and check where you 943 00:43:48,700 --> 00:43:52,400 Speaker 1: were landing. They were sending you coordinates. They sent me coordinates. Yeah. 944 00:43:52,860 --> 00:43:55,810 Speaker 2: Part of the issue there as well is I didn't 945 00:43:55,850 --> 00:43:58,989 Speaker 2: know how to work the GPS or those big screens 946 00:43:59,770 --> 00:44:00,589 Speaker 2: on the helicopter. 947 00:44:00,670 --> 00:44:01,569 Speaker 1: Don't worry about that shit. 948 00:44:01,850 --> 00:44:03,790 Speaker 2: I had no clue how to do that. So we 949 00:44:03,830 --> 00:44:08,140 Speaker 2: went to a fishing store and bought the handheld Garmin GPS. 950 00:44:09,440 --> 00:44:12,299 Speaker 2: And my mate held it and I said, all these 951 00:44:12,380 --> 00:44:15,480 Speaker 2: numbers down here have got to match these numbers up here. 952 00:44:15,560 --> 00:44:18,529 Speaker 2: So you just tell me left, right. And when we 953 00:44:18,590 --> 00:44:21,509 Speaker 2: get to the longitude and latitude, we'll just work our 954 00:44:21,550 --> 00:44:24,250 Speaker 2: way along till everything matches up and that'll be our spot. 955 00:44:24,350 --> 00:44:27,810 Speaker 2: And that was our navigation. And we're still mates today. 956 00:44:28,050 --> 00:44:29,710 Speaker 1: Yeah. We're your two lunatics. 957 00:44:30,510 --> 00:44:33,090 Speaker 2: So Terry just sat with me that morning and I 958 00:44:33,150 --> 00:44:35,690 Speaker 2: offered him the job and I said, nobody else could know. 959 00:44:37,890 --> 00:44:40,210 Speaker 2: And then as we strapped into the helicopter, because I 960 00:44:40,230 --> 00:44:42,069 Speaker 2: didn't know how to turn the lights on either. We 961 00:44:42,090 --> 00:44:45,770 Speaker 2: couldn't find the heat, the lights or the navigation. So 962 00:44:45,810 --> 00:44:47,049 Speaker 2: Terry had a flashlight. 963 00:44:47,719 --> 00:44:48,440 Speaker 1: We had big. 964 00:44:48,340 --> 00:44:51,400 Speaker 2: Coats on and he would take my gloves on and 965 00:44:51,500 --> 00:44:53,739 Speaker 2: off so I could use my fingers to start this. 966 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:57,299 Speaker 2: But we knew in the middle of winter, no heat, 967 00:44:57,520 --> 00:44:58,920 Speaker 2: no lights, no navigation. 968 00:44:58,980 --> 00:45:04,280 Speaker 1: Freezing. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So nighttime takeoff with your torch, 969 00:45:04,380 --> 00:45:07,480 Speaker 1: with your- With the torch, with everything. And it was- 970 00:45:07,500 --> 00:45:11,739 Speaker 1: You got the drugs loaded in the back? Well, it 971 00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:13,000 Speaker 1: was a complete debacle. 972 00:45:13,180 --> 00:45:16,140 Speaker 2: I sat, all morning I flew around because the guy 973 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:17,830 Speaker 2: picking the drugs up was running late. 974 00:45:17,910 --> 00:45:18,069 Speaker 1: Yeah. 975 00:45:18,570 --> 00:45:22,029 Speaker 2: So I'm burning fuel. It was just, I sat for 976 00:45:22,050 --> 00:45:24,790 Speaker 2: about three hours. I flew over a federal penitentiary, which 977 00:45:24,810 --> 00:45:27,270 Speaker 2: you're not allowed to do. And then I ended up 978 00:45:27,340 --> 00:45:30,219 Speaker 2: parking up on top of a mountain for about an 979 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:32,739 Speaker 2: hour while Terry went and smashed some windows in this 980 00:45:32,820 --> 00:45:35,200 Speaker 2: old building. They had holes all through it. until I 981 00:45:35,260 --> 00:45:37,560 Speaker 2: looked on the map to see where we were sitting 982 00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:39,680 Speaker 2: waiting for this load to come in. Had a big 983 00:45:39,739 --> 00:45:42,750 Speaker 2: round mark around it. That was a Canadian bombing range 984 00:45:42,790 --> 00:45:46,510 Speaker 2: for the 18 Warthog. So that was an active bombing 985 00:45:46,570 --> 00:45:49,880 Speaker 2: range that I was sitting in. And Terry was breaking 986 00:45:49,920 --> 00:45:52,760 Speaker 2: out the windows. Why was he breaking out the windows? Well, 987 00:45:52,780 --> 00:45:55,450 Speaker 2: he just went over to do that. And all the 988 00:45:55,510 --> 00:45:57,810 Speaker 2: holes in the building, clearly it was getting demolished. 989 00:45:57,830 --> 00:46:00,549 Speaker 1: But it wasn't. It was target practice for the A-10 990 00:46:00,770 --> 00:46:02,630 Speaker 1: Warthog fighter jet. Okay. 991 00:46:02,890 --> 00:46:05,270 Speaker 2: And that was active. And I fired the helicopter and said, 992 00:46:05,290 --> 00:46:08,930 Speaker 2: we can't sit here. They're dropping bombs. So then we 993 00:46:08,969 --> 00:46:12,470 Speaker 2: left there. Then finally it would have been eight o'clock 994 00:46:12,489 --> 00:46:16,270 Speaker 2: in the morning. They said, okay, the van's moving through Chilliwack. 995 00:46:16,310 --> 00:46:18,310 Speaker 2: And I went and I flew over Chilliwack and I 996 00:46:18,350 --> 00:46:21,410 Speaker 2: could see the van making its way through the streets 997 00:46:21,430 --> 00:46:24,089 Speaker 2: and to the back of the town. But I could 998 00:46:24,160 --> 00:46:27,700 Speaker 2: also see three cop cars all around. And so I 999 00:46:27,739 --> 00:46:30,640 Speaker 2: seen him drive up around the back and then start 1000 00:46:30,680 --> 00:46:32,360 Speaker 2: making his way into the quarry. 1001 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:32,700 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1002 00:46:33,270 --> 00:46:35,509 Speaker 2: And I looked at Terry and said, mate, we've got 1003 00:46:35,530 --> 00:46:37,090 Speaker 2: to make a decision. We've got to get down there. 1004 00:46:37,110 --> 00:46:40,650 Speaker 2: So I just nosedived the helicopter straight down towards the ground, 1005 00:46:40,790 --> 00:46:44,310 Speaker 2: flew in on the road, and then flew up behind 1006 00:46:44,370 --> 00:46:44,850 Speaker 2: the van. 1007 00:46:44,870 --> 00:46:45,890 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1008 00:46:46,070 --> 00:46:49,069 Speaker 2: The stupid thing is I parked the helicopter facing the 1009 00:46:49,110 --> 00:46:52,460 Speaker 2: van with the rotors spinning over the van, but I 1010 00:46:52,500 --> 00:46:54,759 Speaker 2: couldn't see the police behind me because you're strapped in 1011 00:46:54,800 --> 00:46:55,400 Speaker 2: pretty tight. 1012 00:46:55,440 --> 00:46:56,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you haven't got the view. 1013 00:46:56,520 --> 00:46:58,340 Speaker 2: You don't have the view. 1014 00:46:58,900 --> 00:47:01,540 Speaker 1: And I'm yelling at him, get the bags in, get 1015 00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:02,460 Speaker 1: the bags. Yeah. 1016 00:47:03,130 --> 00:47:06,239 Speaker 2: The adrenaline is through the roof at this point. And 1017 00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:09,000 Speaker 2: we finally get the helicopter load in about 30 seconds, 1018 00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:11,819 Speaker 2: but it feels like it takes three hours. And I 1019 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:14,630 Speaker 2: pop up in the air and I just do a 1020 00:47:14,660 --> 00:47:17,489 Speaker 2: vertical takeoff. And then we head out over the lake 1021 00:47:17,530 --> 00:47:20,790 Speaker 2: and we're heading south. So, yeah, we're not talking at 1022 00:47:20,810 --> 00:47:23,510 Speaker 2: this point. I'm pretty stressed. 1023 00:47:23,780 --> 00:47:23,890 Speaker 1: Okay. 1024 00:47:25,219 --> 00:47:27,009 Speaker 2: But the reason I bring up the fact that we 1025 00:47:27,030 --> 00:47:30,150 Speaker 2: weren't talking is because later on that day we'd be 1026 00:47:30,190 --> 00:47:32,830 Speaker 2: talking a lot and we thought we were the new 1027 00:47:32,890 --> 00:47:34,970 Speaker 2: swinging dicks of the world. 1028 00:47:35,070 --> 00:47:35,310 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1029 00:47:35,850 --> 00:47:39,040 Speaker 2: On the way down, Terry's got the compass. He's got 1030 00:47:39,440 --> 00:47:43,080 Speaker 2: the navigation. And I rounded a corner and hit some wind. 1031 00:47:44,110 --> 00:47:47,219 Speaker 2: Normally you wouldn't fly into wind like this, but clearly 1032 00:47:47,239 --> 00:47:49,560 Speaker 2: I hadn't looked at wind charts and this thing was 1033 00:47:49,700 --> 00:47:52,980 Speaker 2: pulling me down. Terry could see me fighting with the 1034 00:47:53,020 --> 00:47:55,480 Speaker 2: helicopter to keep it off the power line, those big 1035 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:58,600 Speaker 2: power lines that run through the mountains. But it just 1036 00:47:58,660 --> 00:48:02,570 Speaker 2: kept slamming me into the side and I didn't think 1037 00:48:02,620 --> 00:48:04,029 Speaker 2: I was going to be able to keep it in 1038 00:48:04,070 --> 00:48:06,350 Speaker 2: the air. And he could see I was pretty stressed. 1039 00:48:07,080 --> 00:48:09,000 Speaker 2: And as we got to the end of there, it 1040 00:48:09,040 --> 00:48:10,859 Speaker 2: took about five minutes to get out of that wind 1041 00:48:10,900 --> 00:48:14,640 Speaker 2: and then I ducked in this other little valley and 1042 00:48:14,660 --> 00:48:16,830 Speaker 2: I got out of that wind and I just sort 1043 00:48:16,870 --> 00:48:20,230 Speaker 2: of heart stopped for a minute. And then I looked 1044 00:48:20,310 --> 00:48:22,350 Speaker 2: over at Terry and he just had a real worried 1045 00:48:22,370 --> 00:48:24,149 Speaker 2: look on his face and I said, what's up, mate? 1046 00:48:24,770 --> 00:48:27,110 Speaker 2: He goes, oh, we've been going the wrong way. 1047 00:48:28,010 --> 00:48:29,790 Speaker 1: I said, are you kidding? Where have we got to go? 1048 00:48:29,850 --> 00:48:30,190 Speaker 1: And he said. 1049 00:48:30,670 --> 00:48:33,370 Speaker 2: We're about 10 miles back the other way. I said, 1050 00:48:33,550 --> 00:48:34,930 Speaker 2: do you mean I've got to go through the same 1051 00:48:35,030 --> 00:48:38,330 Speaker 2: wind as we just came through? And we did it 1052 00:48:38,390 --> 00:48:38,870 Speaker 2: for no. 1053 00:48:38,750 --> 00:48:40,489 Speaker 1: Reason at all. He goes, I'm really sorry. You're risking 1054 00:48:40,510 --> 00:48:43,710 Speaker 1: your life. Yeah. So back through the wind we go. Yeah. 1055 00:48:44,810 --> 00:48:47,350 Speaker 2: And we eventually found where we needed to drop drugs. 1056 00:48:47,969 --> 00:48:50,210 Speaker 2: After phone calls to Canada and everything, it turned out 1057 00:48:50,250 --> 00:48:53,069 Speaker 2: it was some guy's house. Him and three mates were 1058 00:48:53,090 --> 00:48:55,239 Speaker 2: going to walk out in the backyard, wave to me, 1059 00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:57,340 Speaker 2: and I could land over there and then pull the 1060 00:48:57,380 --> 00:48:59,160 Speaker 2: bags out and they were going to take off. They 1061 00:48:59,180 --> 00:49:01,960 Speaker 2: had some trucks and stuff there and that's what I did. 1062 00:49:02,380 --> 00:49:06,260 Speaker 1: What a great run operation. I can't see any failings 1063 00:49:06,320 --> 00:49:09,550 Speaker 1: or potential failings in that. It was a shit show. 1064 00:49:09,910 --> 00:49:13,780 Speaker 1: So how much did you make from that? Made about 1065 00:49:13,780 --> 00:49:16,620 Speaker 1: $ 75, 000 that day. Right. That day, yeah. And so when 1066 00:49:16,660 --> 00:49:19,210 Speaker 1: you're saying you're talking a lot afterwards, you're high-fiving each 1067 00:49:19,250 --> 00:49:20,270 Speaker 1: other thinking you're right. 1068 00:49:20,290 --> 00:49:23,469 Speaker 2: Oh, once we dumped it off and I managed to 1069 00:49:23,610 --> 00:49:26,220 Speaker 2: clear the power lines and the trees and then start 1070 00:49:26,260 --> 00:49:29,720 Speaker 2: heading back to Canada, we had Sweet Home Alabama playing 1071 00:49:29,780 --> 00:49:36,850 Speaker 2: on a Yui Boom. We just saw we discovered– Bread, fire, air, 1072 00:49:36,989 --> 00:49:39,549 Speaker 2: and everything. It was crazy. 1073 00:49:39,570 --> 00:49:41,850 Speaker 1: You were both bit up yourselves. Oh, 100%. We've got this. 1074 00:49:41,890 --> 00:49:42,950 Speaker 1: This is not that hard. 1075 00:49:42,989 --> 00:49:46,430 Speaker 2: We just did something that every kid, you know, this 1076 00:49:46,450 --> 00:49:47,919 Speaker 2: is how arrogant you were. 1077 00:49:47,940 --> 00:49:48,220 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1078 00:49:48,700 --> 00:49:50,839 Speaker 2: Everyone sits there in the back of the plane heading 1079 00:49:50,880 --> 00:49:54,540 Speaker 2: to Bali going, if the pilots get fucked, I can 1080 00:49:54,560 --> 00:49:55,239 Speaker 2: fly this thing. 1081 00:49:55,420 --> 00:49:56,819 Speaker 1: We've all said it. Yeah, yeah. 1082 00:49:57,000 --> 00:50:00,069 Speaker 2: But rarely anyone gets to do it. We've all watched 1083 00:50:00,239 --> 00:50:07,010 Speaker 2: like the classic movies like Godfather, Blow, Made in America, Goodfellas, 1084 00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:12,670 Speaker 2: all of those, you know, what was it? There was, yeah, Blow, 1085 00:50:12,710 --> 00:50:14,310 Speaker 2: which was the Johnny Depp one. 1086 00:50:14,330 --> 00:50:16,330 Speaker 1: Yeah, Made in America. 1087 00:50:16,350 --> 00:50:20,990 Speaker 2: Made in America was Tom Cruise with the cocaine quarterbacks. 1088 00:50:21,090 --> 00:50:25,250 Speaker 1: Yeah. There was one other famous movie, Scarface. Yeah, yeah. 1089 00:50:25,530 --> 00:50:27,649 Speaker 1: You know, Tony Montana, he had a 206 in that. 1090 00:50:27,710 --> 00:50:30,810 Speaker 1: So you were rolled up all into that. We were. 1091 00:50:31,580 --> 00:50:34,160 Speaker 2: We've all sat there and watched those movies and thought, 1092 00:50:34,530 --> 00:50:37,140 Speaker 2: I can do that. But could you really do it? 1093 00:50:37,930 --> 00:50:38,850 Speaker 2: We just did it. 1094 00:50:39,350 --> 00:50:41,890 Speaker 1: There's things in those movies I thought I could do, 1095 00:50:42,030 --> 00:50:46,170 Speaker 1: but not what you just did. Right. To me, that's, okay, 1096 00:50:46,230 --> 00:50:49,180 Speaker 1: there's one thing, you know, believing in yourself, but don't 1097 00:50:49,219 --> 00:50:53,780 Speaker 1: let your belief outrun your abilities. Right. Flying a helicopter, 1098 00:50:53,820 --> 00:50:57,560 Speaker 1: I just think, okay, okay. I'd see myself more in 1099 00:50:57,580 --> 00:51:00,360 Speaker 1: the shootout situation rather than flying the helicopter that I 1100 00:51:00,380 --> 00:51:03,080 Speaker 1: didn't know how to fly. Well, you're living the dream, 1101 00:51:03,320 --> 00:51:07,149 Speaker 1: living the dream. Your death was always around the corner? Yeah. 1102 00:51:07,530 --> 00:51:11,550 Speaker 2: Because another couple of blokes died about- A month later 1103 00:51:11,590 --> 00:51:14,310 Speaker 2: in a helicopter in a 206 bringing back 400 kilos 1104 00:51:14,330 --> 00:51:14,710 Speaker 2: of coke. 1105 00:51:14,830 --> 00:51:18,630 Speaker 1: Because that became the big thing, didn't it? The extra 1106 00:51:18,870 --> 00:51:21,489 Speaker 1: money you'd make for getting across and then the helicopters 1107 00:51:21,630 --> 00:51:25,129 Speaker 1: running the drugs across the border. Oh, the backload. Yeah. 1108 00:51:25,370 --> 00:51:27,530 Speaker 2: I was making 100 grand a day just running weed. 1109 00:51:27,810 --> 00:51:27,969 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1110 00:51:28,030 --> 00:51:30,640 Speaker 2: Until they pitched to pick up 200 kilos of coke. 1111 00:51:30,780 --> 00:51:33,279 Speaker 1: Now, you made a decision not to go down that path. 1112 00:51:33,320 --> 00:51:35,020 Speaker 1: What was that decision based on? 1113 00:51:37,180 --> 00:51:40,500 Speaker 2: It was a very calculated decision. Basically, my wardrobe was 1114 00:51:40,560 --> 00:51:44,540 Speaker 2: full of money that I couldn't spend. And I was 1115 00:51:44,600 --> 00:51:47,800 Speaker 2: just looking at a wall of money that I had 1116 00:51:47,940 --> 00:51:51,529 Speaker 2: nowhere to spend it. So what's the point in adding 1117 00:51:51,570 --> 00:51:53,870 Speaker 2: more money to it when I can't even spend this money? 1118 00:51:53,890 --> 00:51:56,810 Speaker 1: Yeah. And if I get caught with that, I'm going 1119 00:51:56,830 --> 00:51:57,890 Speaker 1: to do 20 years. Yeah. 1120 00:51:58,010 --> 00:52:00,350 Speaker 2: I'm okay with 100 grand a day. At some point, 1121 00:52:00,370 --> 00:52:03,230 Speaker 2: you've got to realize- I'm okay. I don't need a 1122 00:52:03,270 --> 00:52:04,790 Speaker 2: pay rise. I'm good to go. 1123 00:52:05,070 --> 00:52:08,650 Speaker 1: And the cocaine, the sentence would be higher too, I 1124 00:52:08,670 --> 00:52:09,029 Speaker 1: would imagine. 1125 00:52:09,070 --> 00:52:12,529 Speaker 2: You're running into a completely different– pills and powder is 1126 00:52:12,590 --> 00:52:16,569 Speaker 2: where you start– the money, they'll offer me $ 450, 000 for 1127 00:52:16,969 --> 00:52:17,810 Speaker 2: one hour's work. 1128 00:52:18,070 --> 00:52:21,700 Speaker 1: Yeah. And that's hard to turn down. And so when 1129 00:52:21,739 --> 00:52:25,080 Speaker 1: you got– because we've seen the movies where they've just 1130 00:52:25,180 --> 00:52:26,940 Speaker 1: got so much cash coming in, I don't know what 1131 00:52:26,960 --> 00:52:28,799 Speaker 1: to do with it. You shoved it in suitcases and 1132 00:52:28,860 --> 00:52:32,719 Speaker 1: it's in the walls and it's everywhere. Yeah. What perception 1133 00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:35,600 Speaker 1: have you got on life? Are you just thinking how– 1134 00:52:35,719 --> 00:52:38,040 Speaker 1: like I see a lot of people that go into 1135 00:52:38,060 --> 00:52:42,719 Speaker 1: that criminal world, make their money, and I've sat down 1136 00:52:42,760 --> 00:52:44,779 Speaker 1: with people who have been caught and going deeper and 1137 00:52:44,820 --> 00:52:48,160 Speaker 1: darker than what you've got. But I think you've made 1138 00:52:48,200 --> 00:52:50,580 Speaker 1: your money. You could have walked away from it. Why 1139 00:52:50,620 --> 00:52:52,759 Speaker 1: didn't you walk away from it? The initial was to 1140 00:52:52,780 --> 00:52:56,090 Speaker 1: get a foot up and start making something for yourself. 1141 00:52:56,630 --> 00:52:59,339 Speaker 1: Is it the adrenaline that keeps you in there or– 1142 00:53:00,100 --> 00:53:01,700 Speaker 1: It's no different than that coal miner. 1143 00:53:01,760 --> 00:53:06,880 Speaker 2: You get so comfortable with the process and the risk 1144 00:53:07,500 --> 00:53:10,259 Speaker 2: that you've managed it all. You've managed the risk. You've 1145 00:53:10,300 --> 00:53:14,060 Speaker 2: managed the process. You've managed what will happen. But it's 1146 00:53:14,120 --> 00:53:17,609 Speaker 2: all based on lies and misinformation when it comes down 1147 00:53:17,620 --> 00:53:19,180 Speaker 2: to the sentence and everything like that. 1148 00:53:19,360 --> 00:53:20,650 Speaker 1: Yeah. Because I. 1149 00:53:22,510 --> 00:53:25,969 Speaker 2: Felt like I never wanted to get in the drug business. 1150 00:53:26,350 --> 00:53:29,609 Speaker 2: It was more about the helicopter and doing something that, 1151 00:53:30,080 --> 00:53:32,500 Speaker 2: people say couldn't be done. I should have flown with 1152 00:53:32,540 --> 00:53:34,779 Speaker 2: Dick Smith around the world instead of doing that. 1153 00:53:35,180 --> 00:53:39,299 Speaker 1: Well, I was thinking about that prepping for the podcast. 1154 00:53:40,120 --> 00:53:42,120 Speaker 1: You had the skills to fly a helicopter. You could 1155 00:53:42,140 --> 00:53:47,090 Speaker 1: have had a real interesting career flying it legitimately and 1156 00:53:47,150 --> 00:53:50,070 Speaker 1: having some fun and adventures that way. Yeah. Did it 1157 00:53:50,090 --> 00:53:54,469 Speaker 1: cross your mind? It's always crossed my mind, but the 1158 00:53:54,489 --> 00:53:56,830 Speaker 1: cards weren't in it for me. Were you worried about 1159 00:53:56,910 --> 00:54:00,230 Speaker 1: being the knock on the door or the- blokes in 1160 00:54:00,270 --> 00:54:03,560 Speaker 1: the black overalls kicking doors in with shotguns pointed at you? 1161 00:54:03,700 --> 00:54:06,460 Speaker 2: Well, a bunch of things started happening. Our first ground 1162 00:54:06,500 --> 00:54:09,819 Speaker 2: crew got hot and they were all under investigation, so 1163 00:54:09,860 --> 00:54:12,580 Speaker 2: they all ran. They ran to Spain and different places. 1164 00:54:13,040 --> 00:54:16,469 Speaker 2: That sent off a little tickle in me, but my 1165 00:54:16,550 --> 00:54:20,290 Speaker 2: handlers sort of put it all straight and said, don't worry, 1166 00:54:20,330 --> 00:54:24,850 Speaker 2: we've got a new team coming. Nobody said anything and 1167 00:54:24,870 --> 00:54:29,969 Speaker 2: they've all taken off, so you're Our operation hasn't been compromised. 1168 00:54:29,989 --> 00:54:30,670 Speaker 1: I'm like, okay. 1169 00:54:31,650 --> 00:54:39,220 Speaker 2: You start to get really comfortable with just cat and mouse. 1170 00:54:39,430 --> 00:54:41,879 Speaker 2: What's the worst that's going to happen? And you really 1171 00:54:41,960 --> 00:54:46,219 Speaker 2: justify it. So you understand that in America that the 1172 00:54:46,239 --> 00:54:49,569 Speaker 2: Kennedys made all their money running moonshine from Canada down 1173 00:54:49,590 --> 00:54:50,089 Speaker 2: in the US. 1174 00:54:50,150 --> 00:54:52,290 Speaker 1: Yeah, I know. Historically. Back in the days. 1175 00:54:52,710 --> 00:54:55,890 Speaker 2: And you sell it to yourself as we're just the 1176 00:54:55,950 --> 00:54:58,049 Speaker 2: modern day moonshiners of the north. 1177 00:54:58,460 --> 00:55:03,900 Speaker 1: Right. And so you don't really think about it. And 1178 00:55:04,340 --> 00:55:08,120 Speaker 1: from a moral point of view, you didn't think about, okay, well, 1179 00:55:08,600 --> 00:55:11,919 Speaker 1: I'm a drug dealer, like drug running. Yeah, I didn't 1180 00:55:11,960 --> 00:55:12,560 Speaker 1: think about it. 1181 00:55:13,060 --> 00:55:16,100 Speaker 2: Crossing into pills with powder was a different animal alone. 1182 00:55:16,140 --> 00:55:18,400 Speaker 1: Because you would have seen the damage that can be 1183 00:55:18,440 --> 00:55:19,739 Speaker 1: done there. Yeah. 1184 00:55:19,800 --> 00:55:23,540 Speaker 2: So just doing the weed and making that sort of coin, 1185 00:55:23,860 --> 00:55:27,370 Speaker 2: I was– I mostly was getting very addicted. 1186 00:55:27,430 --> 00:55:28,830 Speaker 1: You know, you'd gamble in the morning. 1187 00:55:28,850 --> 00:55:32,080 Speaker 2: Basically, I'd fly back, put the helicopter away, and then 1188 00:55:32,120 --> 00:55:33,779 Speaker 2: I'd drive into the city because I used to live 1189 00:55:33,800 --> 00:55:36,200 Speaker 2: in the city. You'd stop off at a casino and 1190 00:55:36,380 --> 00:55:40,819 Speaker 2: start playing blackjack at $ 10, 000 a hand because that's the 1191 00:55:40,890 --> 00:55:42,630 Speaker 2: only thing that can get your adrenaline. 1192 00:55:42,650 --> 00:55:46,190 Speaker 1: You're chasing the rush. You're just chasing the rush. Yeah. Yeah. 1193 00:55:46,580 --> 00:55:49,600 Speaker 1: Did you start using drugs yourself? Was that part of 1194 00:55:49,719 --> 00:55:53,220 Speaker 1: bringing you down? A little bit, but I really kept 1195 00:55:53,260 --> 00:55:56,130 Speaker 1: a cool head through that flying part. 1196 00:55:56,170 --> 00:55:58,890 Speaker 2: You really did need to. And I looked at it 1197 00:55:58,930 --> 00:56:02,410 Speaker 2: like a business and I was like a fighter pilot. 1198 00:56:02,830 --> 00:56:06,750 Speaker 2: I had to have a clear head. I had a 1199 00:56:06,790 --> 00:56:10,130 Speaker 2: lot of stress going on, so I wouldn't go out 1200 00:56:10,170 --> 00:56:13,140 Speaker 2: with the boys or anything like that. until I knew 1201 00:56:13,219 --> 00:56:16,399 Speaker 2: I had 10 days of clear weather or something like that. 1202 00:56:16,500 --> 00:56:19,260 Speaker 2: So I was quite disciplined in that regards. 1203 00:56:19,280 --> 00:56:24,120 Speaker 1: Well, that's probably the difference between your crash. Living and dying. Yeah. Well, 1204 00:56:24,140 --> 00:56:26,299 Speaker 1: I was going to describe the crash, but it was 1205 00:56:26,540 --> 00:56:28,759 Speaker 1: too horrific, I won't tell you, but it probably crossed 1206 00:56:28,780 --> 00:56:31,640 Speaker 1: your mind. Tim, we might take a break here. A 1207 00:56:31,800 --> 00:56:34,779 Speaker 1: bit of a spoiler alert. You did get caught. Yes. 1208 00:56:35,180 --> 00:56:39,060 Speaker 1: I know. Like people listening to this will be thinking 1209 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:44,839 Speaker 1: the criminal mastermind, you and your mate, mate, Tezza, but yeah, 1210 00:56:44,950 --> 00:56:48,410 Speaker 1: it did come crashing down. We'll talk about that. Talk 1211 00:56:48,430 --> 00:56:51,790 Speaker 1: about your time in the US prison system because I 1212 00:56:51,830 --> 00:56:55,230 Speaker 1: don't know. I know the prison systems over here, but 1213 00:56:55,489 --> 00:56:59,290 Speaker 1: the American US prison systems have a horrible reputation and 1214 00:56:59,330 --> 00:57:02,830 Speaker 1: there's some bad places you can find yourself in. So 1215 00:57:02,950 --> 00:57:05,750 Speaker 1: we'll talk about that. And then the other sentence you 1216 00:57:05,790 --> 00:57:11,049 Speaker 1: got on maths as a contestant. And more importantly, like 1217 00:57:11,090 --> 00:57:14,220 Speaker 1: we've seen there, I appreciate your honesty. Talk about what 1218 00:57:14,239 --> 00:57:17,360 Speaker 1: you're doing now and turning your life around and see 1219 00:57:17,400 --> 00:57:20,080 Speaker 1: if you've got any other adventures planned. For sure. Fly 1220 00:57:20,100 --> 00:57:23,070 Speaker 1: to the moon or something like that. We'll take a 1221 00:57:23,110 --> 00:57:29,070 Speaker 1: break and we'll be back for part two. Thanks very much. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.