QF7474. Farewell to the Qantas Queen of the Skies. (Part 1)
QF7474. Farewell to the Qantas Queen of the Skies. (Part 1) A hallmark of the aerospace industry is its dynamic and ever-evolving nature. A little over a century has passed since the Wright Brothers made their momentous flights at Kitty Hawk in frail machines of …
Waiting in the Wings: A Pilot’s Final Chapters.
Waiting in the Wings: A Pilot’s Final Chapters. As I surveyed my study before sitting down to work on my manuscript, I could see that I needed to consolidate my various piles of paperwork. As is always the way, the search radius soon expanded things.to …
Returning to Ground Zero – The 9/11 Memorial.
Returning to Ground Zero – The 9/11 Memorial. In 2001, life was very different. Kirrily and I had only been married for four years, our children were yet to be born and I was flying Boeing 737s for Ansett Australia. To this backstory we stood …
Something New – The Big Apple.
Something New – The Big Apple. Having been flying for 45 years, it is always interesting to fly a different sector. The opportunity doesn’t present itself that often as networks for each aircraft type are fairly set; however, there was one port that had escaped …
A Calling.
A Calling. I had to complete a form the other day, detailing my qualifications and experience. As I wrote down various dates, times and places, one particular element jogged my memory and drew my attention. It was that I gained my Flight Instructor Rating in …
A Jumpseat Journey.
A Jumpseat Journey.. It was a different day at the “office”. Rather than flying the Boeing 787, I was tasked as a “Safety Pilot” as a new pilot strapped into the front seat to fly their first sectors on the aeroplane. For my part, I …
Warning Signs.
Warning Signs. Flight training for emergency situations can often focus on when things go bang! Major failures in the aircraft that err more towards the need for black and white action rather than nuance and potential ambiguity. The catastrophic engine failure rather than that intermittent …
Thoughts on Being Average.
Thoughts on Being Average. One of the most satisfying aspects of my duties with the Elementary Flight Training School (EFTS) is taking young cadets flying. These flights may be a short scenic flight, or an instructional flight that we call a “Pilot Experience”, or PEX. …
It’s All Relative.
It’s All Relative. It’s midnight in Sydney and 7am in San Francisco. 13 hours of flight time and 6512 nautical miles separate them. The world outside the flight deck is black, void of our friend the moon, who unknowingly illuminates the towering clouds for us …
Looking back at QF7474.
(Image: Seth Langdon via Facebook) Looking Back at QF7474. Today, July 22nd 2026, marks six years since Qantas Flight QF7474 departed Sydney for Los Angeles and ultimately, the Mojave Air and Space Port. While, at the time, I thought that Mojave was to be the …
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