Sixty Years On.
Sixty Years On. My late mother loved to recount how I was born at 8:30am in the midst of a violent thunderstorm. In my teenage years she blamed that storm on what she described as my belligerent traits – I prefer to think that I …
Two Years On.
Two Years On. Two years ago to the day, I was beginning to stir in the dark surrounds of the Intensive Care Unit. I could hear the nurses debating whether to remove the breathing tube that had kept me ventilated through the hours of surgery. …
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 …
“It’s a Weird Life.” ….when a Husband and Wife are both Airline Pilots.
Images: SydSquad. “It’s a Weird Life.” …when a Husband and Wife are both Airline Pilots. A few weeks ago, I had just arrived home from Dallas and the next day saw my wife departing for Los Angeles. With her in her uniform and me …
The Qantas Boeing 747 Farewell…Four Years On.
747 Farewell. Image by Seth Jaworski. The Qantas Boeing 747 Farewell…Four Years On. A lot can happen in four years. A global pandemic can arise and subside and an aviation career can enter a 400-day holding pattern when the surgeon’s scalpel beckons. Still, the passage …
UFOs – “Have you ever seen anything up there?”
Click for the Video. UFOs – “Have you ever seen anything up there?” I had an enquiry through my website this week and it was one of the most common questions that I receive – “Have you ever seen anything up there?”. This question probably …
Accepting Reality.
Accepting Reality…….and yes, that’s me. 😃 As the cold weather has well and truly arrived in my region, I have retreated into the indoor comfort of the gym. I have never been a huge fan of gyms, preferring the open road, although the warmer …
D-Day. A Royal Air Force Pilot’s Recollections.
D-Day. A Royal Air Force Pilot’s Recollections. One of the great privileges that has accompanied my foray into writing has been the opportunity to meet the most fascinating people. One such person was the subject of my first book, “Down to Earth”, was one such …
Returning to Ground Zero – The 9/11 Memorial.
Returning to Ground Zero – The 9/11 Memorial. In 2001, life was very different. Kirrily and I had only been married for four years, our children were yet to be born and I was flying Boeing 737s for Ansett Australia. To this backstory we stood …
Back Seat Driving.
Back Seat Driving. It’s been a challenging few years. Along the way, the pandemic intervened in spoiling our best laid plans for a significant holiday for our 25th wedding anniversary. Recently, my wife and I were very fortunate to be able to make up for …