My maternal Grandmother was convinced that children needed to have a good education and often said to me, "the day you stop learning will be the day you start to die". It was not until later in life that I realised just how very wise she really was.
Our four children - Trish (and Steve), Mick (and Nez), Phil, and Ally (and Evan);
Our grandchildren (who have us securely wrapped about their little fingers) - Ashlyn, Declan, Campbell and ? (breaking news).
They are Consolidated's PBY Catalina, the Kawanishi H8K "Emily" (by far the best military flying boat of them all), and Howard Hughes' amazing 8-engined HK1 Hercules, the record-breaking Douglas DC2, Lockheed's graceful L1049 Super Constellation, the supersonic Anglo-French Concorde, and the unique Lockheed SR71 Blackbird.
Much of the romance of flight was lost when aircraft design moved from what the artist and engineer said should be done to what the accountant and economist said had to be done. With aircraft now designed to fly above 10,000 metres, passengers are crammed into seats that have proportions almost adequate for those less than 170 centimetres tall and 70 kilogrammes in weight and the only view is the back of the seat in front. Ho hum!!! I wonder who will have the first airborne McDonalds concession. Shudder!
My aviation dream is to fly leisurely across the Pacific on a Pan American Clipper, or from Australia to England on board a Short Empire or Sandringham flying boat with Qantas Empire Airways and Imperial Airways. Now, Pan Am and Imperial AIrways have both disappeared into the myths of time, and even that quintessential international airline Qantas is in the grubby, greedy hands of beancounters.
