Taking Leave Tomorrow
Taking Leave Tomorrow
Anyone anxious to contact Sherm tomorrow will find him on leave.
Anniversaries are for remembrance. But on this eve of the twenty third 24th, it just seems that list of comrades who are ailing, infirm, or who have left on their last journey this last 12 months is a little long to be adequately remembered amid the pressures of work.
So, tomorrow will be spent reflecting once again on those faces, the smiles, the places, the tears, the joys and the unity of these 23 years.
Yes….”Wouldn’t have missed it for quids”….sums it up, but only in part.
An aging Sherm does miss pilot unity. Does miss the days when the Minister would take a phone call from the AFAP Technical VP. Does miss lost friends. Does miss those who will never return to Australia. Does miss the days when CAO 48 actually was seen as a limit, not the norm. Does miss the days before the balkanization of the workplace saw so many awards, AOCs, contracts, agreements and outsources that it scarcely seems likely that anyone has an overall picture. Does miss the technical excellence of DCA and the major airlines, once the hallmark of the industry. Does miss the days when airlines were run by technical people who hired the best business brains to support them, not replace them. Does miss the days of friendly, not bitter competition.
But no-one should miss the stagnant growth of the regulated world. The days when you'd never get a jet job if you weren't hired by 27.
And yes there’s some misty-eyed nostalgia in there too. Yep-mindless but still there. How could you not miss the pre-FOQA days when you could ease the 727 effortlessly up to M.88 with a 350 kt descent to 20 miles just to get in on time, or even better, beat the opposition? How could you not miss seeing the northern lights from the cockpit of your very own 777 as your track across the top of the world takes you deep into the Arctic?
And as anniversaries are a time of hope and optimism too…..let me urge upon those who read this, and their friends, and those who disagree…..to reflect on the 2 years ahead til the 25th anniversary and make a pledge to use those 24 months well to heal, to commit to less inflammatory posts, to less pontificating on the sins of others, to see things from the other guys point of view, to unite, to forgive and to reconcile. Internicene war whether hot or cold is never pretty, rarely profitable and always generous in the list of fallen wounded, lost and bitter. We need less of this, not more.
So yes, Sherm will have a day of reflection tomorrow. Should you wish to catch sight of this greying aviator, hang around the MCG around 2200 hrs where if there is any justice at all…..Sherm will be singing the Bomber’s song to mark victory over the Tigers.
Safe flying
Sherm