There and Back

An Australian aviation adventure

The flight levels can be a deceptive place to fly. Travelling at respectable speeds with a panoramic view, it is easy to become complacent about the beautiful landscapes that slide beneath and those early aviators that crossed the country. As altitude dilutes the detail, miles click past seemingly without significance. Yet the pilot in us all still looks down to spot that river, or a dirt strip we visited in a past life. At some level we yearn to leave the stratosphere and regain the detail and sense of flight. For me, it convinced me to make the effort to fly ‘there and back’.

2010 will mark 100 years since powered flight was officially recognised as taking place in Australia. While the famous escapologist Harry Houdini claims the title of being first in March of that year, the lesser known John Duigan was the first native Australian to take an Australian-designed aircraft aloft in mid-July. The significance of the centenary was a tremendous motivator and the wheels were set in motion to undertake a flight to recognise this significant anniversary. But where to start?