In Aviation – Check Your Ego.
In Aviation – Check Your Ego. I was told early in my aviation journey that when you think you know it all, you are dangerous. Flight itself is not inherently dangerous, but it can be brutally unforgiving and cracking the door open to complacency is …
Aviation Terminology. What’s in a Name?
Aviation Terminology. What’s in a Name? Across the decades, aviation has continually sought to reduce the element of risk. When technology was the culprit, improvements were implemented and when the human element was seen as the weakness, new processes were created. ‘Human Factors’ became …
Monsters. When a Father Dies.
“I’m not your son, you’re not my father We’re just two grown men saying goodbye” James Blunt – “Monsters” I don’t reflect on the small hours of July 31st, 1991. After 34 years it still seems too raw. I had seen my fair share …
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 …
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 …
Beyond a Woman at War.
A Woman at War. I am neck deep in my latest manuscript and as I alternate between research and writing, I seem to sink further into the story. Unbelievably, it is my mother’s story. When I began writing my father’s biography, “Without Precedent”, I …
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 …
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