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 …
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. …
Navigating Beyond the Storm.
(Image: Rockwell Collins) Navigating Beyond the Storm. That time has come and again it has passed. The rigorous review of my aviation medical status which comes around every six months now that I have turned sixty. Having undergone open heart surgery in late 2022, there …
You Get Out What You Put In.
You Get Out What You Put In. It was January in Sydney and I was sweltering in my suit with a tie that was doing its best to choke me. I was just one lad in rows of grey uniforms sitting in the Centenary Hall …
Considering Your Options.
(Image: ATSB) Considering Your Options. They say that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line – or at least a great circle as we navigate the globe. However, while geometrically efficient, the straight line may not always be the best strategy in …
A Pilot’s Career – The Spirit Airlines Collapse.
Image: Spirit Airlines. A Pilot’s Career – The Spirit Airlines Collapse. To some outsiders, the career of an airline pilot can seem like a linear pathway – learn to fly and get a job flying a jet. While some have that express path, for the …
From Apollo to Artemis.
From Apollo to Artemis. (Image from video. NASA) It’s 1969 and it’s a grainy memory. In fact, the strongest memory is that my brother was allowed to stay home from school. Like millions around the world, I was watching a grainy image on our black …
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