Flight Safety…and other Childhood Memories.
Post Sortie. Wal Bowles (Far Left) and Phil Zupp (Far Right) Flight Safety…and other Childhood Memories. The conversations around my home as a boy greatly influenced my outlook on aviation, although I wasn’t aware of that fact at the time. My Godfather, Wal Bowles, …
Qantas Boeing 747 Farewell – 5 Years On.
The Qantas Boeing 747 Farewell – 5 Years On. It’s cliche…everybody says it…but where does the time go? Yet, on July 22nd it will be 5 years since we departed Sydney to fly the final Qantas Boeing 747 to its resting place in the Mojave …
When Everything Old is New Again.
Qantas A321XLR Arrival. (Image: SYDSQUAD) When Everything Old is New Again. As the new Qantas Airbus A321XLR taxied in at Sydney Airport in the thrashing rain, my eye was caught by one of the less obvious details – its registration – VH-OGA. The markings, “VH-OGA” …
75 Years On. The Forgotten War – The Korean War.
75 Years On. The Forgotten War – The Korean War. As dawn broke on 75 years ago on 25 June 1950, the Korean People’s Army surged south across the 38th Parallel in unison with artillery fire. The Korean War had begun. Most Australians would’ve have …
RAAF Reserve. The Privilege of Service.
RAAF Reserve. The Privilege of Service. The pandemic of 2020 brought with it many challenges. However, personally, it brought one of the most positive experiences of my life. Having met with the major drivers behind the project at the Avalon Air Show in 2019, I …
Air India Flight 171. Investigation not Speculation.
Air India Flight 171. My posts always endeavours to consider the ‘positives’ in aviation, however, on this occasion, there is a change in direction. Once again, the broader media is demonstrating its ignorance of aviation matters in the quest for a quick headline. The crash …
Follow Your Dreams.
Follow Your Dreams. Once upon a time, there was a youngster, let’s call him “Alex”. Alex was the son a of a good friend and, at an early age, showed an interest in aviation. At the time, I was the proud owner of a …
We Never Stop Learning.
We Never Stop Learning. We never stop learning in aviation and the more I think about it, you never stop learning in life – or at least I think that you shouldn’t. My recent absence from posting any “Short Thoughts” has been due to undertaking …
Dumb, Dangerous or Different?
Dumb, Dangerous or Different? Commercial aviation is an endeavour knee deep in processes, procedures and policy. The intent is that little is left to chance through a methodical approach to decision making and problem solving. In the vast amount of cases, these techniques have …
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