Australians love the story of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, the man whose name is immortalised at Sydney airport. To many, he was simply "Smithy", a larrikin with a cheeky grin and a zest for living, famed for his 1928 crossing from California to Brisbane in his three-engined Fokker, the Southern Cross. It was an immense distance, and over water … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: The Man Who Saved Smithy
HARS Albion Park
The CAC Wirraway and its cousins – a photo story
Way back in the middle of June, fellow blogger GP Cox of Pacific Paratrooper posted the story of Pilot Officer John Archer, 4 Squadron RAAF, who managed to shoot down a Japanese fighter - believed at the time to be a Mitsubishi ‘Zero’ - from a Wirraway, an Australian built military trainer come general purpose aircraft. Read … Continue reading The CAC Wirraway and its cousins – a photo story
Qantas B747-400 VH-OJA Retires
Being more of a night owl than an early bird, there needs to be a compelling reason for me to tumble out of bed before sunrise. Sunday 8th March was one of those days. The City of Canberra, the first Boeing 747-400 to be acquired by our national carrier Qantas, was due to land at … Continue reading Qantas B747-400 VH-OJA Retires
The Reluctant Retiree 