100 Years of Qantas

When delivery of the Dyak engine was delayed, the order was amended to one 504K with an Avro 547 Triplane substituted for the other aircraft. With McGinness as pilot with one paying passenger, the 504K, G-AUBG, departed from Mascot on 21 January 1921, while Fysh was in an accompanying Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e as pilot with Baird as passenger, arriving at Longreach on 6 February, continuing to Winton the following day. The B.E.2e was on delivery to Charles Knight, a Longreach stock and station agent. On the leg to Longreach, McGinness carried McMaster and Templeton as passengers with Fysh carrying owner Knight. 

‘There was something really luxurious about going upstairs on the 747 in particular’

The Triplane, G-EAQX later G-AUCR, cost £2,798 and had a somewhat dismal history. Following arrival in Sydney on 17 January 1921 on board the SS “Gilgal” it was test flown from Mascot by McGinness on 2 March 1921 but sustained undercarriage damage on landing. It was repaired with a more robust undercarriage and flown again on 8 April 1922. On 6 May 1922, Fysh flew the Triplane in the second Aerial Derby Meeting at Victoria Park Racecourse in Sydney gaining second place to Nigel Love as the winner in his Avro 504K G-AUCZ. Love, one of the AA&ECo partners, had earlier acquired land at Mascot, described by the selling real estate agents as a “bullock paddock”, which has evolved into Sydney Airport. 

Meanwhile, erection of the Qantas 504K powered by the 100hp Dyak had begun with G-AUBG later registered to Qantas at Longreach 28 June 1921. Acquired at a cost of £1,425, it was notable as the first Qantas aircraft. 

In the months ahead, Qantas faced financial challenges. The cost of the Triplane, combined with repairs following the undercarriage accident costing £200, used up nearly half of their £6,850 paid-up capital. Some income came from barnstorming at townships offering joy-rides for £3/3/-, a handy but erratic source of income. What was sought was a regular subsidised air service carrying passengers and mail in western Queensland. A tender for a £12,000 subsidy to operate over 575 miles was accepted on 2 February 1922, seeing the planning for the service commence in earnest. 

After attempts to locate a suitable aircraft to meet the November deadline, the aircraft selected were Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8s at a unit cost not exceeding £700 each, the first arrived at Longreach in early September 1922. The aircraft carried a pilot, two passengers and about 150 pounds of mail and freight. 

To augment income to help pay for the new aircraft, Fysh took to the skies over Sydney Harbour, yet again offering joy-rides, this time in the Avro Triplane from May 1922. The Triplane never flew with Qantas, instead operating these joy-rides over Sydney Harbour. Following the cancellation of its Certificate of Airworthiness, it was scrapped with its Beardmore engine removed, destined as a spare at Longreach for the forthcoming Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8s, with the fuselage used ingloriously for some years as a chicken coop. Qantas tried unsuccessfully to get compensation from Avro, stating it would not do business with Avro again unless an agreement was reached. There is no record of any payment being made, and it took until 1946 for Qantas to again use an Avro aircraft when it received its Lancastrians. 

The historic inaugural passenger service took place on 3 November 1922, with Fysh carrying Alexander Kennedy at the spritely age of 87 and Baird as an engineer. Kennedy was an early pioneer in central Queensland based at his homestead Bushby Park near Cloncurry and an early shareholder in the airline having subscribed £250, conditionally on being the airline’s first passenger. Kennedy travelled by train from Brisbane and, on the epoch-making day, arrived at Longreach at 5:00am to be kitted out. 

Like many other memorable occasions, the event did not go strictly to plan. The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 G-AUCF had three attempts at taking off, thwarted by a lack of power from its 160hp Beardmore engine on that warm November day. Undaunted, another F.K.8, G-AUDE, was pressed into use with Fysh as pilot en route to Winton 107 miles away. A landing then followed after another 132.5 miles at the bush town of McKinlay before the final 71-mile leg northwest to Cloncurry. The total flight time for the entire 310.5 miles was four-and-a-half hours. 

Qantas acquired three Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 aircraft powered by the 160hp Beardmore engine. The aircraft had a maximum weight of 2,811 pounds and a maximum speed of 88mph at 8,000 feet. A total of approximately 1,650 F.K.8s were built during World War I, but few saw civil use with only eight registered in Britain. In Qantas service they proved reliable but were challenged in the Queensland heat, seldom achieving a rate of climb above 500ft/min, less on hot days. To remedy overheating, a larger radiator, coupled with a header tank, was installed to collect steam if boiling occurred. 

Services gradually expanded to new destinations following granting of further subsidies, dictating the need for additional aircraft. On 31 January 1925 following the award of a £17,000 subsidy, the route expanded by 250 miles to Camooweal, the inaugural service began soon after on 7 February using Airco D.H.4 G-AUBZ. On 28 May 1925, Qantas advised Queensland Premier William Gillies of their intention to extend services from Camooweal to Brunette Downs, NT. Other subsidies followed, launching new routes and destinations in Queensland and the NT requiring new aircraft. Typical expansion saw two D.H.61 Giant Moths, VH-UJB “Apollo” and VH-UJC “Diana” join the fleet, with D.H.60G Moth VH-UGW operating Daly Waters to Birdum Creek, NT, from 3 December 1931 until March 1932. These were in addition to other aircraft types introduced on other routes. 

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Qantas is the third oldest airline in the world, with its first flight in 1920. Only Dutch carrier KLM and Colombia’s Avianca have been operating longer

Expanding beyond airline operations, Qantas made the innovative decision to modify and build aircraft at Longreach under Arthur Baird’s leadership. One project saw the modification of D.H.9C G-AUFM during 1926-27, streamlining the fuselage, moving the pilot’s position aft of the three-seat passenger cabin, together with other changes improving performance. More ambitious, was the move to build complete aircraft. An agreement with De Havilland saw the construction of seven aircraft, four D.H.50As and three D.H.50Js commencing in 1926 using De Havilland supplied drawings and metal fittings and equipment. Qantas constructed the wood components using both local and imported timbers. A royalty payment of £100 was paid to De Havilland for each aircraft. Qantas acquired three of the aircraft, the remainder delivered to other customers. After a hesitant, and at times fragile start, Qantas was now in a stronger position to expand operations further afield. 

International Aspirations 

The prelude to a major change saw an order placed by Qantas with De Havilland on 23 September 1933 for one D.H.86 four-engined biplane. The D.H.86 was the first four-engined aircraft built by De Havilland, designed and constructed in just four months to an Australian government specification requiring a fast 10-seat aircraft capable of safe operations across the Java and Timor seas. The maiden flight of the prototype D.H.86 took place from Stag Lane on 14 January 1934 flown by Hubert Broad. 

The expansion to overseas operations saw the registration of QANTAS Empire Airways Ltd (QEA) in Brisbane on 18 January 1934 with £200,00 in capital, with ownership of 49 per cent held each by QEA and Imperial Airways Ltd, with 2 per cent held by Sir George Julius (an Englishborn Australian mechanical engineer). 

On 19 April 1934, QEA received a £318,426 subsidy over five years to operate a Singapore-Brisbane service, to commence in eight months using D.H.86s. Fysh indicated, as a precautionary measure to safeguard passengers, the weight of mail would limit the load to two crew plus eight passengers, reducing to five passengers for the Timor Sea crossing. QEA ultimately received five D.H.86 aircraft, named (carrying the prefix RMA for Royal Mail Aircraft), VH-USC “RMA Canberra”, VH-USD “RMA Brisbane”, VHUSE “RMA Sydney”, VH-USF “RMA Melbourne” and VH-UUA “RMA Adelaide”. One other D.H.86, VH-USG, crashed on its delivery flight six miles from Ilfracombe, Queensland, at Barsdale Station on 15 November 1934. All four onboard, three crew and one passenger, were lost, including Imperial Airways pilot Captain A R Prendergast. 

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Qantas’ first international flight was between Darwin and Singapore in May 1935 on a De Havilland 86. It took two days with a stopover in Rambang, Indonesia

Qantas overseas services commenced on 25 February 1935, with Captain Lester Brain in VHUSF departing from Singapore arriving in Darwin the following day. The historic northbound flight was flown by Captain G U Allan in VH-USC, noteworthy as the first international service from Australia crewed by Australians. The first D.H.86 carrying passengers departed from Archerfield on 16 April 1935 under the command of Captain H B Hussey. Qantas identified these aircraft as the D.H.86 Commonwealth Class, operating on a route from Brisbane to Singapore. After a 7am departure from Brisbane the aircraft flew to Cloncurry and Darwin (both overnight stops), Koepang, Lombok Island (overnight stop), Sourabaya, Batavia then the longest 515-nautical mile sector to Singapore. From Singapore, the link to London was maintained by Imperial Airways. However, the D.H.86 was soon embroiled in controversy. The loss of Qantas’ VH-USG in Queensland combined with accidents suffered by Holymans Airways D.H.86s lead to the type’s temporary grounding in Australia, much to the chagrin of the British aircraft industry. To fill the breach, Imperial Airways Armstrong Whitworth XV Atlantas temporarily operated the SingaporeDarwin sector, with the D.H.86s eventually cleared for a return to service. In 1938, the baton was passed to a far more suitable aircraft for international services. 

This next advancement saw a new international fleet offering a substantial increase in capability with the order placed for the Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat. Registered VH-ABA to VH-ABF, the six aircraft were delivered to Qantas during 1938, named “Carpentaria”, “Coolangatta”, “Coogee”, “Corio”, “Coorong” and “Cooee”. With accommodation for five crew plus 15 passengers, they offered superior range and comfort. The first service offering a final destination of Southampton left Rose Bay on 5 July 1938 with VH-ABG commanded by Captain Lynch-Blosse. On 4 August, the inaugural flight of the Empire Air Mail Scheme departed from Rose Bay commanded by Captain Brain. The route with an elapsed journey of four days was Sydney, Brisbane, Gladstone, Townsville (overnight stop), Karumba, Groote Eylandt, Darwin (overnight), Koepang, Bima (on Soembaya Island), Sourabaya (overnight), then Batavia to Singapore. To entice travel, a Sydney-UK return fare of £342 was offered, a not insubstantial amount in those days. Qantas again operated the Australia-Singapore legs with Imperial Airways completing the route to Southhampton, the entire journey taking nine-and-a-half days. It was an incomparable way of leisurely air travel, visiting exotic ports and cruising at low altitudes for wonderful sightseeing opportunities. 

It was an era that would soon sadly end with the outbreak of World War II. Qantas would now face new major challenges, contributing to the maintenance of Australia’s links to the world during the conflict. Beyond that, the dynamic advances in aviation would see Qantas progress and expand, offering aircraft, routes and speeds beyond Fysh and his fellow founders’ dreams 100 years ago.

1939–2020

The Spirit of Anzac 

Neil McMaster, founding chairman of Qantas, wrote that the formation of the airline had been: “inspired by the spirit of Anzac”. And true to its founding spirit, the airline rallied in support of Australia during the dark days of World War II. 

Although the Royal Australian Air Force utilised numerous Qantas aircraft during the war, the airline maintained, as best it could, vital passenger and freight services throughout the war. 

The early years of the war saw Qantas’ international network cut in response to the dangers of flying over Europe and the Middle East. Shifting focus to trans-Pacific and Asian destinations, the airline gradually withdrew from a number of routes between 1939 and 1941, as the theatre of war expanded. 

By 1942, as the war in the Pacific grew to encompass most of Asia, the majority of Qantas’ remaining overseas services ceased. As the conflict raced towards Singapore and Indonesia, Qantas worked to evacuate personnel, and aircraft, from danger. Qantas’ water-based flying boat facilities were damaged beyond repair when Japanese forces bombed Darwin on 19 February 1942. The airline lost a number of aircraft to enemy fire, while a Qantas crew was lost operating an Imperial Airways Short Empire Class Flying Boat, which disappeared on 28 February 1942. 

Throughout the conflict, Qantas pilots and crew continued to face the dangers of war; with the airline maintaining vital supply lines to Java and Burma. Qantas’ Catalina flying boats, with a range of 5,600 kilometres (3,032 nautical miles), were utilised for longer distance supply flights. 

When hostilities ceased in 1945, Qantas started to rebuild. In collaboration with the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), the airline recommenced services between Australia and the UK – a welcome return to normality for both air travellers and mail services. 

Domestically, Trans Australia Airlines (TAA, later Australian Airlines) was established in 1945. Owned by the Australian government, the carrier’s first flight took to the air in 1946 and sought to further connect populations across the vast Australian continent. Qantas became fully government-owned a year later. 

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The first flight between Brisbane and London took off from the capital of Queensland on 13 April 1925 and took 12 days

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Qantas was one of five airlines to become founding members of the Oneworld Alliance in 1998, along with American, British Airways, Canadian Airlines and Cathay Pacific

Worldwide service 

In 1946, Qantas introduced the L-749 Lockheed Constellation “Connie” to its fleet, ushering in a new level of comfort for international travellers. The aircraft’s innovative pressurised cabin allowed it to fly higher than the non-pressurised aeroplanes it replaced (24,000 feet), allowing it to avoid most weather systems and greatly improving passenger comfort. 

However, despite the appeal of the Connie, president and chief pilot of the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Bob De La Hunty says Qantas’ choice of a US built aircraft over British-made rivals caused something of a stir. 

“Australia usually bought from the UK … Since the British had no airliner at the time to compare with the American product, the Australian government reluctantly approved the purchase of the Constellation. The long-distance and weather was a huge factor (in Qantas’ choice) and since the Constellation had long range and was pressurised it had to be the only choice,” De LaHunty says. 

Qantas initially utilised the Constellation on flights to London – following the Kangaroo Route flight path. The airline later expanded Constellation services to cover Indian Ocean Wallaby Route flights, linking Australia and South Africa. 

Qantas withdrew from domestic duties in 1949 to focus on international growth. Qantas’ domestic counterpart – TAA – took on the airline’s remaining intra-Australian flights utilising pressurised Convair 240s, which they had purchased in 1948. 

TAA later went on to acquire turboprop-powered Vickers Viscounts; and competed directly with Ansett-ANA under the government’s Two Airline Policy. This Menzies-era policy limited the number of carriers operating between capital cities to the two incumbents. 

Meanwhile, Qantas’ international expansion continued apace, as the airline took delivery of the improved Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation from 1954. The new aircraft took over the Kangaroo Route, with Qantas introducing a Tourist Class cabin aboard; reducing the cost of long-haul travel. 

The range and relative comfort of Qantas’ Super Constellation fleet made it instrumental in establishing regular Southern Cross Route transPacific flights – linking Australia’s east coast with America’s west. 

Qantas’ Super Constellations made headlines when the airline commenced an around the world service. On 14 January 1958, two aircraft departed Melbourne, simultaneously inaugurating the new service. 

Super Constellation VH-EAO flew eastbound, while fleet mate VH-EAP set off westbound. Having reached London, the aircraft arrived back in Sydney on 20 January – bringing Australia closer to the world than ever before. 

The hot rods 

The late 1950s saw a turning point in global travel. While ocean liners still held the lion’s share of the international Australian travel market, Qantas’ flight network began to draw passengers away from ships. Bolstered by the success of pressurised airliners, Qantas looked at jet aircraft to secure its future. 

In the early ’50s, Qantas considered the De Havilland Comet I. But following a series of tragic Comet I disasters, Qantas shied away from an order. 

In 1959, the airline made history as the first non-US carrier to take delivery of the Boeing 707, and also wet-leased several BOAC Comet 4s that same year. 

De La Hunty says that Qantas’ 707 order was unique: “Boeing built for Qantas 13 special versions of the 707 designated 707-138. They were a bit shorter (fuselage) and had longer range than the standard 707.” 

The 707-138s (-38 being Qantas’ Boeing customer code) were just over three metres shorter than the standard 707-100 model. To achieve this special design in a cost-effective manner, Boeing blended the standard Boeing 707 and KC-135 tanker – which already employed a shorter fuselage. De La Hunty says it was this innovative solution that allowed a limited edition of just 13 aircraft to be developed at a reasonable price.

With JT3D-3 turbofans installed, Qantas’ 707-138 pilots had 76 kilonewtons of thrust at their disposal. With the shortened fuselage cutting the aircraft’s weight considerably, the -138s enjoyed a unique performance profile, which De La Hunty says led to them being nicknamed “the hot rods”. 

The 1960s saw Qantas expand its international services further. Lockheed Electra aircraft inaugurated New Zealand flights in 1961, while 707s commenced jet flights to Hong Kong and Tokyo. 

Simultaneously, the airline’s piston-driven Super Constellations were relegated to lesser routes; and were ultimately retired in 1963. However, Super Constellations had remained on the Wallaby Route even after jets superseded them on the Kangaroo and Southern Cross services. 

TAA followed Qantas into the jet age in 1964, taking delivery of the Boeing 727. The following year Qantas took delivery of its first 707-338. This newer variant enjoyed improved range and performance compared to the standard -100 model, and thus Qantas was able to accept the aircraft without the extensive modifications required for the -138s. 

Australia’s ‘Queen of the Sky’ 

The 1970s were a decade of change for the aviation industry. As the revolutionary Boeing 747 ushered in a new era of air travel worldwide, Qantas found itself at the forefront of innovation. 

“Globally, the 747 prompted the radical restructuring of airfares from a centralised and regulated IATA model in the early 1970s to a decentralised and deregulated model by the 1980s,” comments David Crotty, curator of the Qantas Heritage Collection. 

“The impact of charter operators and discounting … opened up new markets as international air travel became affordable to more Australians. The 747 provided a step change in capacity for Qantas, providing more people the opportunity to fly than ever before.” 

Like the 707-138 a generation earlier, Qantas had worked hand in hand with Boeing to customise the 747 for its specific needs, resulting in the airline’s customised 747B model. 

Crotty continues: “From late 1968, Qantas had technical representatives stationed at Everett. They attended design meetings and the Qantas 747B incorporated about 300 design changes, including the extension of the upper deck by 20 inches to allow for 10 windows each side instead of the three fitted on the original version.

707

Qantas welcomed its first jet, the 707-138B, in 1959. In July 1959, the first 707 flight took off from Sydney to San Francisco with a stop in Nadi, where it continued to Honolulu before making it to California

“This change became standard and is acknowledged in 747 designer Joe Sutter’s book. Sutter also wrote that ‘We paid a lot of attention to Qantas’ when it came to suggested design changes.” 

Qantas incorporated further design changes in its 747s, including a lower deck galley, which Crotty notes “freed up more space on the main passenger deck”. This space was utilised for innovative passenger facilities, such as Qantas’ shaving room; complete with mirrors and power points. Additionally, the airline fitted a stylish first-class lounge on the upper deck of its first 747Bs. 

The capacity of Qantas’ jet fleet proved invaluable in 1974 when the airline assisted in the evacuation of Darwin following Cyclone Tracy. 

“Qantas evacuated 4,925 people of the total of about 20,000. The capacity of the 747 allowed more people to leave in fewer flights – including the then world record of 673 people on one 747,” Crotty reflects. 

747s all the way 

In the late 1970s, Qantas went all in on the 747, retiring its 707s and turboprops to create the world’s first all-747 airline. The airline acquired new Rolls-Royce RB211 powered 747-238s, with the first taking to the air in 1979. Two years later, two 747-SP38s took to the skies for the Red Roo. 

The -SP’s shortened fuselage hinted at its unique flight characteristics. Qantas found the aircraft well suited for shorter runways. This made it a solid choice for Wellington, New Zealand, while its 10,800-kilometre range allowed the airline to utilise the special performance aircraft on direct flights between Sydney and Los Angeles from 1984. 

Yet despite the characteristics of the 747-SP, the airline had already set its sights on bigger things – which in Qantas’ case meant larger 747s. 

“Qantas acquired the 747-338 as part of its fleet renewal program in the early 1980s. It offered significant fuel savings and the capacity for additional business class seating on the extended upper deck,” comments Crotty. 

Resplendent in a revised livery (used by the airline until 2007), Qantas accepted its first 747-338 in November 1984. The final example joined the fleet in 1987, with Crotty noting: “Only six were acquired, as the major fleet upgrade was focused on the next generation 747-400 series, which was not available for delivery until 1989.” 

Leap forward 

In 1985, Qantas ended its ‘all 747’ status and acquired the Boeing 767. Considered a highly efficient twinjet, the 767 became a mainstay of the Qantas fleet – remaining with the carrier until December 2014. 

Compared with the 747s, Crotty says, the 767 offered “greater fleet flexibility, reduced operating costs and better capacity matching for routes such as Noumea and Manila. It provided greater service frequency without expanding capacity and was particularly suited to the trans-Tasman route”. 

In 1989, Qantas took delivery of its new flagship – the 747-438. The Boeing 747-400 revolutionised the Qantas fleet, ushering in a modern two-crew flight deck, fuel saving RB-211-524 engines and distinctive winglets. 

The first example, VH-OJA (which now resides as a static display at HARS), was accepted by the airline in August 1989. It then undertook a record-breaking direct flight from London to Sydney. 

“OJA was another great leap in range, reducing the number of stops to the UK and making it non-stop to the US west coast,” comments De La Hunty. “It also showed the way towards non-stop UK flights, with the 787 today.” 

The 1990s were characterised by deregulation in Australia, and in preparation for aviation deregulation, Qantas and Australian Airlines merged in 1992. 

Crotty says Qantas saw this as an opportunity for “strengthening its overall size and revenue-generating capacity in an environment where it faced much greater competition on international routes”. 

“For the government, the merger would increase the value of the two airlines prior to a projected partial privatisation (later a full privatisation). Operationally, the two airlines merged well, and former Australian Airlines executives occupied senior Qantas positions, most notably James Strong (who became CEO),” he adds. 

To achieve a smooth merger, Crotty says the board “adopted a single brand strategy across the entire airline as Qantas, The Australian Airline”. 

“There was a two-phase plan to merge and rationalise engineering functions between Sydney and Melbourne and the fleet was also rationalised to fewer types,” he adds. 

This plan included the eventual sale of Australian’s Airbus A300s, which were replaced on domestic duties by Qantas 767s, which worked in tandem with the former Australian Airlines 737-376 and 737- 476 fleet (-76 was Boeing’s customer code for Australian). 

21st century Qantas 

The year 2000 was a year of change for Qantas, with the airline abandoning its long-held Boeing-centric approach and turning to Airbus. 

A historic order for 12 Airbus A380s made headlines across the country, while the airline also ordered Airbus A330s. For its part, Boeing picked up an order for six 747-438ERs – making Qantas the only airline to order the passenger variant of the extended range jumbo. 

In 2001 Ansett collapsed, leaving Qantas as the only full-service domestic airline in Australia. The increased demand meant the airline’s older 747-238s and 747-338s were regularly seen on domestic duties.

‘The 747 provided a step change in capacity for Qantas, providing more people the opportunity to fly than ever before’

Between 2002 and 2006, Qantas revived the Australian Airlines brand. Utilising five Qantas 767- 338s, the airline operated full service, all-economy flights between Australia and Asia. 

Jetstar was created in 2003 in response to low-cost carrier Virgin Blue. Initially operating Boeing 717s, Jetstar rapidly grew off the back of a sizable Airbus A320- family order. Originally intended as an Australian domestic low-cost carrier, the airline has expanded to cover numerous international destinations (replacing Australian Airlines) as well as establishing a variety of overseas subsidiaries. 

To ensure a profitable future, Qantas and Jetstar pinned their hopes on the Boeing 787. Jetstar took on a fleet of 787-8 models from 2013, while Qantas commenced 787-9 flights in 2017. 

The last decade has seen many highs and lows for the airline. Industrial relations was a major issue, peaking in 2011 with the grounding of the entire Qantas mainline fleet. 

Other major incidents include an uncontained engine failure aboard a Qantas A380 operating QF32 in November 2010. Its safe return to Singapore Airport was widely praised – with the pilots gaining hero status. 

After several years of expansion, COVID-19 has marred the airline’s 100th anniversary. The downturn in travel led to the premature retirement of the entire 747- 438ER fleet, and the long-term mothballing of the airline’s A380s. 

The impact of the virus – which has devastated air services worldwide – is severe, with the airline posting a staggering $2 billion loss due to aircraft write downs and the impact of COVID. 

But Qantas has enjoyed high degrees of profitability in recent years – including a record profit in 2018 of $1.6 billion (before tax). The airline is well positioned to survive COVID and emerge from its tumultuous 100th anniversary year to take on the next decade. 

Here’s hoping the Spirit of Australia will endure well into the next century.

Captain Clark

Captain Laurie Clark, now 97, was one of Qantas’ most decorated pilots during his 37-year career with the airline. He was among a generation that powered Qantas from its struggling pre-war days into one of the world’s most successful aviation companies. In particular, he was responsible for delivering and testing new aircraft as well as flying models as diverse as DC2s, DC3s, DC4s, Super Constellations, 707s and 747s. 

“I was always going to be a pilot. It was always my goal,” he says. “I scored my first flight as a passenger in a DC2 from Sydney to Adelaide when I was working for a fire protection company and they sent me across to Adelaide. It was an epic flight for me and I never looked back from there. I just loved flying. It just seemed to be my destiny in life.” 

After leaving the Air Force when the war finished, he bumped into an old co-pilot who told him that he’d just scored a job at Qantas. “He said ‘why don’t you join me?’ And they signed me straight away! I was there for 37 years,” Clark says. 

Clark soon rose up the ranks to be handed perhaps the most important job at the airline: overseeing deliveries of new aircraft and those acquired from other airlines. It was his job to ensure the money Qantas was paying was well spent, and to double-check the purchases were in top condition. 

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Years Captain Laurie Clark flew for Qantas

“For delivery flights we would go up to Seattle and meet the aircraft on the production line,” he says. “Then we’d go through it from top to bottom, inside and out alongside the engineers. When we were happy, we would take it on a test flight and then delivery. Boeing treated us very well because we saved them a lot of money on the faults we found. They treated us like kings! Everywhere we went there was always a new car.” 

Perhaps the highlight was taking delivery of Qantas’ first 747SP in 1981, which is still Clark’s favourite aircraft. “It had no idiosyncrasies or quirks or anything like that. It was a big, sturdy airplane that you could trust. You could feel it through the controls as you flew it,” he adds. 

His other famous milestone was being one of the flight crew for the first-ever, nonstop eastbound trans-Pacific flight in 1976, in a Boeing 747-238. Though the flight had its problems. 

“One engine failed on us an hour and a half out of Seattle, and we finished up on three engines. We took it in our stride. If we lost another, you’d have to put it down somewhere,” Clark says. 

Qantas, he reflects, was “part of his life” and he counts himself among the 50 or 60 early pilots that helped the airline grow into what it is today. What advice would he give the next generation, looking to build a budding career in aviation? 

“Start off building model airplanes,” he jokes. “And work your way up.”