Capt. Rod Lovell

Forty-six seconds. That's how long Captain Rod Lovell had between an engine failing on take-off from Sydney in 1994 and ditching his DC-3, and all 25 people on board survived. Then comes the stranger half of the story: the Civil Aviation Authority responded by suspending his licence, and he has spent the decades since writing a book and fighting for vindication. It all happened 15 years before Sully made the same manoeuvre famous. Rod tells the story in a presentation of around 45 minutes with questions welcomed afterwards, and he's appeared on Weekend Sunrise and plenty of television and radio since. Based at Victor Harbor in South Australia, he suits after-dinner spots and any audience that likes a true story with teeth.