US Air Medal – Five Years On.
US Air Medal – Five Years On. Even five years on, I find it difficult to believe. Having pursued so many dead ends, that the award of the US Air Medal should take place in 2018 after so many years of research was a landmark …
The Old Blokes in the Corner.
The Old Blokes in the Corner. I was fortunate in that the era in which I learnt to fly was populated by mentors with a wealth of experience. Back then, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) went through a series of name changes from the …
An Airport Comes to Life.
An Airport Comes to Life From my perch on the 8th floor I can see across the International Terminal at Sydney as the airport is coming to life. The rain on the window obscures the view slightly but the flashing lights of the ground vehicles …
Next Generation.
Next Generation. In times past, for generations the sons of blacksmiths became blacksmiths and the offspring of farriers became farriers. Today, sons and daughters can follow their mothers and fathers onto the flight decks, if they so choose. Both Kirrily and I being examples of …
Five Down…Five to Go.
QF127 (Image: Flightradar24) Five kilometres down…five to go. My limbs, heart and breathing have settled into that wonderful rhythm where the endorphins of the exercise gods are in control. The night is crystal clear and the brilliant moon almost casts my shadow with the …
Quietly Efficient.
Quietly Efficient. My dad was a man of few words but when they were uttered – you listened. He wasn’t one for social settings and small talk, preferring the solitude of a good book, or crafting something from wooden crates on his garage bench. …
Halfway and Hopeful.
Halfway and Hopeful. The halfway mark has been reached. Three months ago, I was in ICU having undergone major surgery. In three months, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) can commence proceedings to review my case for returning to the sky. Almost without exception, the …
6th February 1952. Air Combat Over Korea.
71 years ago today, my father went very close to losing his young life – and I wouldn’t have been born to write these words. He was looking for a downed comrade on the white North Korean snow who had been forced to eject from …
Clipped Wings.
Clipped Wings To the north and south, dark clouds with ragged bases bubbled high into the upper atmosphere. The ongoing rumble of thunder was intermeshed with the sudden cracks that follow lightning weaving to the ground. In a gap between nature’s tantrums, a patch of …
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