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INTRODUCTION

Much of this book really was written in the sky. I had been in military and airline flying for over forty years, and on commencing the book, I was an airline captain: I was flying Airbus A330 and A350 airliners with Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Limited. The long flights between my home base of Melbourne, Australia, and the airline’s Hong Kong hub, by law, required a third pilot to be added to the crew to allow each pilot to take a break for a little over two hours in a discrete seat in the passenger cabin. While the captain rested, a specially qualified and experienced first officer was in charge of the flight deck: they would call the Captain in the event of a major problem, after carrying out initial emergency actions. Many of these flights droned through the night and, of course, sleep was desirable during a pilot’s break. However, during one long daylight flight I fidgeted, wide-awake in the passenger cabin that was darkened to allow people to sleep or watch the in-flight entertainment. I was bored and restless. I could only read or watch movies so much. An idea germinated. I rummaged through my flight bag for my computer and began to type.

I had flown a wide variety of civil and military aircraft, more than many other pilots, and enthusiasts of various backgrounds could find their stories interesting. In parallel, I had travelled a long and tortuous road from relatively humble beginnings to the command of an international airliner. I also desired to give readers of a non-flying background an insight into various aspects of military and civil aviation. I needed to do justice to the wonderful aircraft that I have flown – each a credit to the designer, manufacturer and the people who maintained it. So, at suitable times in an airliner’s passenger seat, in hotel rooms ‘down route’ or at home between flights, I wrote this book.

It can be difficult for pilots to write about their experience. Do they direct their work towards enthusiasts who have knowledge of the technical aspects of aviation, or do they simplify it, translating the language of the air so that a casual reader can appreciate and understand the story? I went ‘all in’ and included technical descriptions in varying depths of the aircraft that I have flown, aiming to make these intelligible to the non-pilot, but also informative to the enthusiast. Those who, like me, seemingly have hydraulic oil flowing through their veins instead of blood, should find them interesting. However, I have graduated the depth of description so that the non-pilot can sit in the cockpit with me from my early struggles with immaturity and lack of ability through to the twilight of a long and varied flying career. Through this book I hope that any reader can gain an insight into how these amazing machines that we take for granted function, and how the men and women in the cockpits and flight decks operate them safely and efficiently.

I was never formally at war, however, the Cold War between the ‘East’ and ‘West’ features prominently in my early life and my years as a military pilot, and naval flying was not without its hazards. The concept of mutual deterrence between NATO and the Eastern Bloc worked because, thankfully, nuclear war did not eventuate. By being in readiness with highly trained and motivated personnel, I like to think that the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force played a small part in that deterrence, particularly of the submarine threat.

This book is more about the aircraft than it is about me. It could be regarded as an educational ‘techno-biography’. I sincerely hope that the reader, of whatever age or background, finds the work informative, entertaining and, possibly, even inspiring.