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Issue 381: A Special AW139 & The Legacy of Fokker
In the last episode of Australian aviation (small a), we witnessed snap lockdowns, border closures and the industry hurtling towards a cliff edge disaster that was the end of JobKeeper. This month, somehow, things seem eerily calm. Domestic aviation has staged a near-miraculous resurgence, with Virgin hiring 150 more cabin crew, Jetstar edging towards more capacity than pre-COVID and Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce doubling down on his promise to get Project Sunrise off the ground. People are back at work. Aircraft are in the air. Australians are booking holidays again.
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And we’ve even got a once-in-a-lifetime yet distinctly old fashioned price war sending ticket fares down to their lowest levels in a decade. Good news if you work in the industry, but confusing as hell if you’re a journalist covering it. Right now, there’s more twists and turns than the last series of Line of Duty (which, if you haven’t, you really must watch). As I sit down to write this, we’ve just recorded one of our highest ever traffic days online, as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said pre-budget that Australia’s borders won’t open until 2022. How’s that for a cliffhanger ending?
The part of my job I enjoy the most though is the magazine. It’s here we can pause, breathe and dig a little deeper into what’s happening, taking a longer-term view of the industry. This month, our star writer Chris Frame has two features. First up, he examines LifeFlight’s new Special Mission Helicopter, VH-XIA, an AW139 enhanced with James Bond style gadgetry that makes it one of the most advanced search and rescue aircraft in the country. Just months into its tenure, it was sent to tackle the 100-year storm that lashed Australia’s east coast weeks ago. Secondly, Chris publishes a story that has become something of a long-term pet project for him, examining the history and legacy of Fokkers, and in particular their special relationship with Ansett.
We also present our women in aviation special, examining the current situation for females in the aviation industry. It all leads up to the launch of our new podcast, Sky’s The Limit, where we’ll be interviewing some of the biggest and most influential women in the industry. One of the first guests will be Australia’s first female airliner pilot, Deborah Lawrie. Ahead of her appearance, we sit down to chat to her for the magazine. Lawrie won her seat in the cockpit following a gruelling, 10-month legal battle with Ansett that many say led to Sir Reg’s demise.
Finally, all our regulars are back in fine form. Dave Prossor examines wet weather conditions in Right Hand Seat; Tony Arbon analyses a packed and varied register, including a Sikorsky Blackhawk UHS; and Kirsty Ferguson discusses the change in HR departments sparked by COVID.
Enjoy the issue,
Adam.
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