Another day dawns and in many ways this day is no different to any other.
Except....this particular day offers a reminder that it behoves us all to reflect on things beyond our immediate circumstances from time to time. Things that have passed, yet cast long shadows, and things ahead, that offer great hope. Friends that have gone, fond remembrances of myriad foreign skies that offered a welcoming challenge when it seemed Australia's skies were closed to many. Continuing yet hidden sadnesses in the hearts of those who made choices whose after-effects seem to linger way beyond the immediacy of those times, yet with no way to clean the slate.
Next year will be the 25th time that this day has meant a lot to me and to others.That gives us a year to think and act on things that could, and that's
could not
will.....make August 24th next year a real day to remember.
Imagine....
Some form of truth and reconciliation forum to finally heal old wounds in a way that despite our best hopes, time alone has not in these 24 years, and will not.
A unified professional pilot body in Australia sending a single message on standards, safety, human factors, infrastructure etc to industry, CASA, government, IFALPA, ICAO et al
I can imagine that and I can certainly imagine that I don't want one more year to go by without decent steps forward in both areas.
So many threads here have their origins in the absence of one or both of these foundation stones for the future.... so this is not a day for snappy points scoring responses, or "get over it" rants. Such outpourings from little narrow grey minds have not served us well and will not.
An opportunity is here.....these pages can be used to build up as well as tear down. Our voices can matter, can heal and can build.
Our choice, your choice......yet if we want a decent future there really is no choice.
Captain Sherm