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 …
My Fourth of July.
My Fourth of July. While the United States celebrates its 250th year, July 4th also has special significance for me as an Australian. Historically, in 1918, the Australians fought at the Battle of Hamel under the leadership of General Sir John Monash. The battle saw …
In Reserve.
In Reserve. Sometimes anniversaries can slip by unnoticed. Sometimes this is not a good thing but at other times it is because you are so engrossed with the activity, that the day passes by without recognition. So it was for the day that marked …
Flight to Paris…Then and Now.
Flight to Paris…Then and Now. As I write this, I am at 38,000 feet in the “crew rest” of a Boeing 787, weaving my way to Paris from Singapore. 24 years ago, my first flight in Qantas was to Paris and yet while the planet …
Time and Space.
Time and Space. It’s a beautiful Parisienne morning, perhaps a little hot for the locals. Kirrily and I are sitting on a bench in the shade of an allèe of trees and there is music playing in the background. The lyrics repeat the word, “freedom” …
Why I Write.
Why I Write. To try and describe why I write in a “Short Thoughts” post seems counterintuitive. There are so many reasons, and a few hundred words seem at odds with providing adequate reasoning. However, I shall endeavour to make some sense of it all. …
San Francisco. A Second Home?
San Francisco. A Second Home? Only a sliver of moon was reflecting the sun’s rays and soon that glow would also slip away into the night. There was just enough light to see the cloud tops a few thousand feet below as we peered out …
ANZAC Day. Surrounded by Service.
ANZAC Day. Surrounded by Service. Another ANZAC Day has passed. The alarm stirred me at 2:45am as our son was in the Catafalque Party, standing guard for the Dawn Service. Then there was a march through city streets and another cenotaph and another service. As …
Forays into Film.
Forays into Film. As they say, blink and you’ll miss it. That is the best way to describe my film credit in the National Geographic IMAX production, “Living in the Age of Airplanes”. The movie was a massive undertaking by Brian Terwilliger of “One Six …
More Than a Flight. The Air Mail Centenary.
More Than a Flight. The Air Mail Centenary In 2014 I was honoured to lead a flight to commemorate the centenary of air mail in Australia. Here are some words I wrote about a flight that will long live in my memory and served to …
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