Outback air race

The Outback Air Race 2018 takes competitors from Brisbane to Broome

Flying an amphibian across 2,120 nautical miles of the driest continent on the planet might seem like a recipe for madness, but then John Daley is well used to pushing the envelope when it comes to water-capable aircraft – and good causes.

The retired Qantas long-haul pilot is well known in aviation circles as a key member of the Seaplane Pilots Association of Australia, and for his role in the dedicated team that restored and delivered a Catalina flying boat from its graveyard in Spain to the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach.