On this Day…
On this Day… It’s just another day. February 6th comes and goes just as any other day would. However, for me, it will always hold special significance. For it was on this day in 1952 that my father came close to meeting his end over …
More than a Model.
More than a Model. It still holds pride of place in a display cabinet, more than half a century later. It is a tiny model of a Hawker Hurricane – nothing special to look at – but there hasn’t been a cabinet large enough ever …
Happy 100th, Dad.
Happy 100th, Dad. Dad was never a fan of cricket, so the concept of reaching a century would certainly been alien to him. And yet, today would have marked 100 years since he was born into a farming life on Queensland’s Darling Downs. Little did …
Aviation’s Grass Roots.
Aviation’s Grass Roots. Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 787 and Airbus A320 and 321. I have been very fortunate to be rated on a range of airliner types during my career. Even so, there is a very special feeling to return to grass roots aviation …
First Solo – 44 Years On.
First Solo – 44 Years On. Through planning or good fortune, I have generally flown on the anniversary of that first flight. On the 25th anniversary, I organised to fly a light aircraft in Queensland where I was on holidays. 40 years on, and …
Giving Back.
Giving Back. At my age, much of the conversation seems to centre around retirement. Personally, I have never considered retirement, it is more a case of changing focus and a large part of that will be continuing to give back to the industry that has …
Flight – Technology, Safety and Humanity
(Image: Simon Coates) Flight -Technology, Safety and Humanity. There is no disputing the enhancements in safety that technology has brought to aviation. One only has to consider the advent of Ground Proximity Warning Systems (GPWS) to appreciate the number of lives potentially saved by technology. …
Three Years On.
Three Years On. The light rain on the roof and the half light of this Saturday morning made it very tempting to roll over and go back to sleep. However, it was like 5am on any other morning and the motivation remained strong. This morning …
What a Night!
What a Night! It was a clear night, albeit moonless. The air was smooth, even near the equator, as we wound our way southward from Vancouver to Sydney. I have spent many hours aloft by night but this night was something different. Whether it was …
Solo Flight
Solo Flight. i have spent the last two weeks training young pilots towards their first solo flight. The young girls and guys of the Australian Air Force Cadets never cease to impress me – both in the cockpit and on the ground. For all those …
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