Easy, Obie, I never doubted my ability, but my ability was never required, QF was/is a funny sort if institution, you get hold of a young bloke and "Qantasise" him (or her) and they have little conception of a world outside that. This is not a personnel attack on any individual just a observation I made at the time I was there. Of course it could have all changed, I am talking the middle ninties here. The whole time I was at QF I felt a outsider, a "backyard boy" as they called us, I never took it personally, every airline has its own way, and was glad for the money and the job with 4 growing sprogs. When you flew around the "backyard" we had different aircraft types, some had hubcaps, (the B727) some were untrustworthy little mongrels (the 9) but flying the 747 was sort of like having a old EK Holden, and was as boring as bat sh^t, and I used to look at some of the crew that took themselves so very seriously, and wonder how they would cope with a DC9 check list from OOL to BNE (which is equivalent to being a one armed paper hangar) you did not have time to be serious, these people were simply trained in another way, for another job, and it was interesting to note the difference. I guess in a round about way I was really commenting on the "The way we did it in AN" comment, I know it got up QF peoples noses, and that was my reason to be fairly careful in what I said or did, and to perfectly honest you felt a bit ashamed and probably suffered a little from a hurt ego, one minute your a skipper, next a second officer, and no spring chicken at that, sh^t happens and it happened to us, and walla, no career anymore and too old to get one. I have long since moved on, but the posts on AN and TN bring back a lot of memories, and perhaps some regrets, but life goes on, and cheers to you young blokes, may you have as much fun as we did.
