High Corridors-Qantas !954-1970

[watch your6]

Omission

ALLEN George Urquhart( Scotty)

Born in Forgandenny,Scotland,he had a destinguished WW1 service in 71 Sqn RFC and 11, 47, 58 Sqns RAF. Also,in WW2, 23 Sqn. He came to Australia in 1929 and joined the select band of great aviation pioneers. Accompanied Kingsford Smith , in the "Southern Cross" trimotor Fokker in April 1931 to rescue airmail stranded in Koepang on the first official England- Australia Airmail Flight.. They landed back in Darwin on 25th. April ( Anzac Day) to the cheers of Diggers still celebrating their big day.
He joined Qantas in 1934 from the original Australian National Airways, where he had been chief pilot, and was (with Lester Brain) the guiding influence in developing and administering the sound flying procedures of the infant Qantas Empire Airways as it introduced on its new overseas routes the four-engined DH86 biplanes and, in 1938, the revolutionary and handsome flying boats. Scottie Allan used his flying boat experience with the Royal Australian Air force in World War II and was, as a member of the RAAF, part of the Qantas crew that ferried the first of the Catalina flying boats from the United States to Australia in 1941 ( on what was only the third ever direct crossing by air of the Pacific). He returned to Qantas after the war, first as London manager and then as controller of technical development before becoming, in 1952, assistant general manager and the airline's chief adviser on new aircraft types, retiring in 1961as deputy chief executive and general manager.