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Editorial 
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Our youngest son has a commercial pilot's licence. Regretably, he is not working in that field.  It's catch 22. No experience, no job.  No job, no experience.  However, I know he will not give up his dream.  As a family we have flown thousands of miles and it never ceases to amaze me that a 400 tonne Jumbo Jet can take to the air like a bird.

The history of aviation is crowded with individulas bursting with determination and courage.  In the early days you needed both. Now we can fly from A to B in comfort in just a few hours.  It was not always that way.   I hope this month's article helps you to appreciate your next flight.

I will be flying to St. Louis in August and know that I will be appreciative of all that is involved in getting me from the West Coast of Canada to the USA. I have given myself an attitude adjustment.

Even if you have never flown, the article will make you shake your head at how it was and how it is now.   Enjoy your next flight.

Feature Article  The Luxuury of flying.

Ladies and Gentlemen.  Welcome aboard Flyer 1. 1904 Your pilot  is Orville or Wilbur Wright.  Your flight will last 5 minutes.  This craft is not equipped with any safety features including  brakes or instruments and definitely  refreshments will not  be served.  It is unnecessary to strap yourself in on take off as we do not supply seatbelts.  The cockpit is open and we hope you are wearing appropriate warm clothing.

Flash forward to  1919.  
Welcome aboard. We take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped us to build the runway.   Your pilots will be  John  Alcock and Arthur Brown.
We will be  taking off   from Newfoundland, Canada. The flight will last  19 hours and we will require volunteers to climb out on the wings  to remove ice from the engine air intakes.

Flash forward again.
1928  This is your pilot  speaking Kingsford Smith. From here in Oakland, California   myself and  three friends will fly home to Brisbane, Australia with astop in Hawaii and Fiji.   Approximate flying time 83 hours .  If we are successful I will form the Australian National Airways  and provide service from Sydney to Brisbane for 9 pounds 13 shillings. One way.   (Sorry I can’t find out the equivalent today’s rate.)

Not just a man’s world. 
One hour of dual flying instruction cost  $5.00  One hour solo was $3.50.  $5.00 was a week’s wages for the average family. Somehow Amy Johnson   managed to pay for lessons and was the first English women to gain both a commercial
and private pilots licence.  She made up her mind to fly  from England to Australia  solo.  11,000 miles  in a  single  engine Gypsy Moth    Her success is  a truly amazing story

It was  1930, her plane  had no heating, no brakes, no lights, no  life jacket and an  open cockpit.   She carried a few maps and spare parts.  She landed in Darwin 20 days after leaving England.

Alarming information
Today when we travel, we comment on the seat size, the food, crowded cabins, time spent waiting at airports and may be the   costs of flight.  Instead of grumbling, give a thought to the early pioneers who made it all possible.

Just think about it, as you sit in your padded reclining seat moving at 900kmh (560mph)  at a height of  3066m (10,058 ft). and outside air temperature of –37c ()-35f.

On board entertainment.
If you prefer not to think about those things you can be entertained with a personal 12 channel audio system, a choice of 6 movies and a variety of mindless games. Blankets, cushions, snacks and drinks offered by smiling staff in very smart uniforms.

Make the most of the meal and think about earlier aviators who carried a few sandwiches and flask of tea.  During research and reading about flying I did not come across one mention of how pilots or crew dealt with the lack of toilet facilities. Perhaps it will always be a mystery.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome aboard.  Enjoy  your flight.  Aviation has come along way.
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3)  Sites for more information
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http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/amy-johnson/page3.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumbo_jet#Facts_.26_trivia
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4) Did You Know Quick Fact / Question
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A 747-400  Jumbo Jet has six million parts (half of which are fasteners) made in 33 different countries.

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5) Gifts and Goodies
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