A Sense of Occasion and Sense of Purpose

Throughout my career, mainly in the Motor industry then with my security equipment/consultancy business when travelling plus of course private family travel, I always felt a Sense of Occasion, an adventure if you will.Pilots of aircraft commercial and military , I feel do their job with a Sense of Purpose.

With these thoughts, so it was that I read the book QF32 the story of engine failures on an Airbus, the largest of the series the A380, by its Captain one Richard Crespigny a very descriptive writer telling of his and associated personnels experiences in getting their stricken aircraft back to the safety of terror ferma and its attendant emergency crews and aircraft staff in order to clear the plane of endangered individuals – its passengers. A Scense of Purpose I would say.

As a passenger for the Austin Motor Company and later The British Motor Corpporation and because I mostly flew over eight hours to distant places, I traveled first class and so was 'Up front and Personal' a term I will use from time to time in this little story of mine.

A little house keeping,to say that most of my early career in the 1960's is covered in my blog space http://thinktrue2008.blogspot.com and covers mainly my time as first a graduate trainee and later a design engineer trucks, on going to represent The Austin Motor Company ; The British Motor Corporation around the World visiting over seventy countries in the fields of Service' Sales' Assembly plant monitoring and special operations and investigations where it called for one man to go in alone take action where appropiate. A period was spent with Chysler International in London and Geneva. Whew that covered a mutitude of sins I can tell you.

What matters in this story, is that after Technical College I somehow ended up as a product of the Graduate School of Thermodynamics and Related Studies at the University of Birmingham, England and a place where I really found my taste for matters outside the square and learned to say so. As at the Austin I seemed to be chosen as the union leader of some kind, which launched me into the fiery area of the big boys, well they said they were, anyway.

Here we go===== A story of Engineering daring do; Oil; Airplanes and their fliers and the Sense of Purpose and Ocassion, not forgetting the power and influence of major corporations and governments surrounding in the main AEROPLANES and their PILOTS.

Way back in ancient time, around early 1940's the United Kingdom and the USA decided to block the oil routes out of the middle east ie the Persian Gulf for any tanker sailing for the destination – Japan, a real time blockade to keep that country firmly at home. Later when I travelled, the Foreign Office requested we use the term The Gulf which we did I suppose, when we felt like it.

Told in full by Daniel Yergin in his book 'The Prize' The epic quest for oil money and power, I will give a few thoughts on Pilots sense of purpose and finite quantities of Coal and Aviation fuel. The story goes that a Japanese battle fleet left Tokio, led by an Aircraft Carrier and its Admiral and bound for Honalulu and the US Pacific fleet base.

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Off they went and when they got near, the Admiral (boss) said what is the American fleet doing,? nothing boss came the reply. Then the first critical question, how many tonnes of coal do we have?

Not a lot was the answer and a tonnage given. Well here was a situation of Sense of Purpose and a worry about finite quantity of coal. Nearer the target a new problem arose that of a finite amount of fuel for the light bomber aircraft. The boss was told they had X amount fuel and Y number of aircraft to attack sleepy Honalulu and its American Pacific fleet.

At about this time a bright spark came up with the idea that if , not all of the fighters came back then they would have sufficient fuel to take both fire power and much damage that could be inflicted by aircraft hitting the targets where the pilots could see available targets, aim their aircraft and get up Close and Personal. Well for the Emperor and little old Japan , young top guns volenteered and the rest is history as they say. Whoops, not quite, the dasterdly honorable deeds done, the fleet turned around and headed home and apparantly just making base with only a small amount of that finite load of coal.

Thinking about that 'Sense of Purpose' of those pilots one wonders what they thought as they targeted the American Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbour. My guess is, they totally concentrated on positioning their aircrafts to approach the targets side on, release projectiles then at the last moment they trimmed their aircraft, to the now very visible ship of choice and finally become 'Up close and Personal'.Whatever the world thought of their act, they were indeed aircraft pilots with a ' Sense of Purpose' and dedicated in placing their aircraft where they wanted it to be and a black Sense of occasion.

Many years later a similar incident occurred on the eleventh day of the ninth month in the year two thousand and one, now known as nine eleven (911) a number not lost on many, as a number all Americans know by heart as their national emergency number 911, nine one one and few are unlikely to forget in a hurry. OK, fellows after taking over the cockpits of passenger jets had the same objective as those 'Zero pilots' at Pearl Harbour. At best they could point the aircraft towards their target building and 'Get up close and Personal' . Again the rest is history, now in this year of 2015 the USA has started to move on.

The Boeing aircraft had very conventional controls that even a chap like me can understand and possibly handle. As the aircraft were not required to land and only change speed a little, then guide to their destination not far off the ground. Had the aircraft been of Airbus manufacture with controls like those of the Qantas Pilot on QF32, with its side control stick and hands off when you have decided your move and the computors follows that instruction, there would been little likelyhood of the terrible incident occuring.

Now lets have a lighter tale of two chaps in one little vehicle and one lady in an aeroplane – the time, the early to mid 1930's all with 'A sense of Ocassion' ; 'Sense of Purpose' and adventure. thrown into one. The story goes, that two well educated gentlemen A Cameron Gilg and Walter Kay with a little money, decided to drive a Soft top Morris Eight from London to Cape Town. The route would be down through France and Spain, over to Morroco, turn left along to Algeria, turn right and south heading for Kenya , Rhodesia and on to South Africa. A marvelous story of daring do with a Sense of Purpose and Occasion. An RAC publication – Turn Left – The Riffs Have Risen By A. Cameron Gilg. It took until 1981 for Mr Gilg, for the tail to be told.

Anyway, they arrived at the rail head south of Algiers where they met French Foreign Legion staff officers and of course with that rank there was a Hotel, which they booked in after the car had been covered against sand and dust. Beni-Ounif was the name of the town which was situated at the real begining of the desert Sahara and the place where at first the authorities were reluctant to let the two Englishmen and their tiny car proceed further, as this was definitely big car country.

Being inquisitive they looked down the register to 1930 and there behold was the signature of Amy Johnson, when apparantly she had to make her forced landing, for what I know not. There had only been five English visitors in those three years to the 1933 visit of the Morris eight.

Amy Johnson had to make a critical decision and it was furtunate that there was a flat rail head within sight of mountains. I wonder what was going through her mind as she approached level ground near the railway, that lady with a Sense of Purpose. There was a book with her log published all out of print – any ideas. The only definate thing I found was that her sponsor was Lord Wakefield , of Castrol Oil founder I wonder!. Well Amy got to Australia and the two lads with their Morris eight got to Cape Town via Salisbury , Southern Rhodesia and they went to a Rugby match, the visiting team was no less than from – you quessed it, Australia. On the third of September 1971 aboard a 707, QF168 Myself Patricia and our children Timothy and Samantha arrived Melbourne en route for Adelaide .A sense of occasion? Oh yes, because I expected a job with Chrysler Australia and ended up in Sydney with ,my old company BMC Australia as Export Manager for the change to Leyland Australia.

It was also a Sense of occasion because at Adelaide Airport we were some how met by a very nice couple ,who welcomed us to Australia. How times have changed and that act remains to this day in my work and papers for refugees. When ever I meet a person from say the Sudan pushing a Supermarket trolley, I always say hello and introduce myself, always receptive and more so, if I tell them I have travelled in their homeland- Great people all and here for the long run, whether they are standard migrants or asylum seeker cum refugees, the same applies and quite frankly I never ask, it just does not matter.

Only the other day a train arrived in Frankfurt or was it Munich Germany with refugees from Syria and a crowd of local people welcomed it verbably and with food and water plus a child handing out sweets to other children. Anyway one refugee, when asked what he thought of the welcome, he responded “Nice, very very nice.” Well now, that man would have started out with a Sense of Purpose and certainly ended up with a Sense of Ocassion. I know a couple of Prime Ministers who have been encouraged to think on these things and are at last taking appropiate action however small, since the photos of that boy dead on a beach.

Some where over there, is a family, a Mum and Dad and their children, who had set out from Syria with a Sense of Purpose, to reach the safety of a welcoming people. One day soon they will meet wth an Australian immigration official and the offer of asylum here. When they arrive, oh what a Sense of Occasion for them and all of us will have, as they step off the plane.

I personally hope that all in detention here, whichever way they arrived, will be pardoned and brought from from Manus; Christmas and Nuaru Isands plus Australian centres, and introduced to our incredible society.

Ah, yes was it the Frankfurter Hof I stayed at, way back in time and was it the Rhine Blitz I had arrived on from the north, maybe not, anyway , I had a Sense of Occasion, nice, very very nice.

There were two books published on the successful saving of stricken aircraft. One the story of the Qantas Airbus QF32, by Captain Richard De Crespigny, mentioned at the beginning of my blog The story by him of the,safe conclusion to a harrowing return to Singapore, landing and saving the lives of crew and passengers. The Airbus A380 had an engine on fire, in which the computors did their best to keep the engine running, for awhile, until the computor savvy Captain and crew, got the better of it. Mind you, had Singapore had the mighty Chubb Fire tenders , then it may have been easier for the tender to lob-in great quantities of foam, directly into air intake. Good result and I am certain it was a gratifying Sense of Occasion, to achieve what the crew did. I mention the Chubb tender, because ,my late friend and University Graduate school colleage, one Toney Marshall was the General manger at time of its development. Whilst we are on Aircraft, my main colleage in the Graduate School of Thermodyanics, still standing I gather, did work on the Concord engine air intakes, I will shut up here as I would go about the wonderful world of Shock Waves and how another chap and I took the first colour photograghs of Shock Waves in Air --------------------

The second recent book was by the Captain who ditched his US Airways Airbus A320-214, flight 1549,.on New Yorks, Hudson river and with the prompt assistance of the Circular Line ferry boat and others, all passengers and crew were safely evacuated. The book 'Highest Duty' and the Captain one Chesley 'Sully” Sullenberger, appeared with great fanfare a little later. Sense of Ocassion, certainly for all concerned, especially when they were assisted off the stricken plane plus for the Pilot and his family on meeting his President at a ball. This Captain as the Qantas fello used all his skills and knowledge of his aircraft to achieve a positive outcome. Good training of course.

I wrote to both these gentlemen -without response – saying how I enjoyed their books and asked two questions.

1. How many Left Hand threaded parts, if any, are in there a Rolls Royce Trent Jet engine.
2. What was the Nick-Name of the old Pan- American Pilots. No one seems to know.

Any ideas any one.

In my library there is indeed a book about a man and an aircraft type, which comes into the category of this blog title.

The book 'Duel in the Dark', the author Peter Townsend. First published by Harrap in 1986. Peter became Group Captain Peter Townsend , CVO; DSO; DFC and Bar and Equerry to HM King George V1 1944 to 1952.

The story is all about his relationship with a special operation at an airfield I know in Kent England. It was a Hawker Hurrican, Night Fighter Squadron which went up in the dark at the time of the 'London Blitz'. At that time, to make it more difficult for the German aircraft to spot,. The planes were painted Black. Eventually the Luftwaffe fighter planes were also pianted Black.

In the book there is a photo of a London street with its bombed houses partialy or completely demolished. It so reminded me of a street my late brother in law, one Alan Hall, took Patricia and

I, to see the street where he lived during that terrible period in Londons history. He showed us that even in the late 1990's the patching up of some and complete rebuild of others, was evident indeed.

Alans wife , the late sister of mine, of course knew Alans child hood home well enough. Their two children , I know not, they were not mentioned at the time. Good people my Sister and brother in - law.

Peter Townsend, I believe was the chap who wanted to marry Princess Margaret, but was thwarted by the PM of the day and the current occupier of Buckingham Palace, Regretfully her sister died a distressed woman, in my opinion. The good Peter Townsend married and went to live in France. What can I say.

Sense of Ocassion – Here is the story of Moi and Blue-Moon Jack a most risky encounter.July 2015 was the Blue Moon month and lived up to its reputation. On my local radio a young chap said have you heard the Barking Owls making their barking sound all night and Fox's too. Well animals and I am certain humans also, do odd tings on Blue Moon.

Well now, it was a unusually warm day at Blue Moon time and moi was having an afternoon rest , on a garden lounger and apparrantly fell asleep. Patricia was upstairs in bed. My dear lady was getting up and looked out of the bedroom window, to see a full mature big Red Bellied Black snake, approach a sleeping Mal, he looked up, went back a bit then went under my lounger and stopped, he was the length of my repose. I awoke to see Patricia at the window with her finger to her mouth Ssssh and pointed at the snake. I looked and said under my breath G'day, now bugger off, to which he lifted his head looked back at me and moved slowly along the house and into the foilage.

When out in the middle of winter they are at their most aggressive, our snake had a bump in his body, so probably had just taken a bird or mouse. I called him Blue Moon Jack, because only males are daft enough to be out in winter. The snake had a Sense of Purpose and I and Patricia certainy had a Sense of Ocassion. As Agatha Christies, Hercule Poirot, would say “A Situation Most Dangerous”

The next day Jack was out again sunning himself near by , half out of an old stump and grassy under growth and Patricia photographted him, a most magnificent example of an Australian Red Bellied Black Snake ---- named Jack.

Bye for now

Malcolm Mason

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Response and Responsibility

Many words have been spoken; written and illustrated, about people we elected to govern our societies, plus of course those  who have taken on Governance by direct force. Increasingly the same, has been said about people of  high positions in Industry; Religion; Royalty and society in general . At the bottom of the pile are the Moi's. like me. More correctly by me about the Moi's, as in  this blog.

All around the World the Moi's are sending messages, by many means of communication, these days. For me in the past, was in the main by letter, in an envelope with as many stamps as possible - depending on the patience of the Post officer. The idea being that in the post reception of important people, there was and is always a stamp collector, who hopefully will get the letter, as near the addressee as they can, to secure the stamps - after security checks of course.

Before I continue, I did in fact say in a previous blog, that my next would be about Ukraine, however I find it little boring. The Country which over the years, has a number of border changes, Ukraine-Poland; Poland- Ukraine , or was it the other way round.  Crimea, it had; taken away and given back, now taken again. It gave us Chernobal - The Nuclear Irresponsible, blow out and still has,is it ten others?. Its had an Orange revolution and a President who lived high on the hog  -- there must be more.
Now its a Russian speaking region , trying to break away, once more a possible change of boundary and they say with Moscow's help. Some silly buggers fired off an anti aircraft missile at an unidentified aircraft, with a head intended for fast moving fighter's, ie explodes with metal fragments to damage the  fuslage.
They apparantly did not know it was a commercial aircraft MH17, stupidly still routed over a war zone, when other airlines had re-routed clear, weeks before. Malaysian Airlines have a lot to answer for and Ukraine itself must investigate thoroughly.


This is all to do with 'Response and Responsibility'. Ah yes my late friend Kazimiere, was born in Ukraine? in a village that changed into Poland and probably back again. Any way he and his brother Bronic, walked over the Tata Mountains. Kazick to marry a Belgium lady and come to Australia and Bronic an English Lady and lived in Kiev and was Mountain rescue volunteer in his younger years   ---  Confused yet?.  I think only Russia understands the area, as did President Tito. the old Yugoslavia . Kazick died in 2008,and I wonder what he would have thought. My intellectual friend  who liked classical music (of course) and spoke Russian
Polish; French etc and was the author of my word Perfidy.

Now we have Greece and every one running around like chooks (Chickens) who have had their heads cut off. All very boring to a chap like me or say, people who are over extended with their Credit Cards, when the credit provider will send endless 'nameless' text messages and telephone calls , irrespect of due dates
with threats. All Greece has to do, as the credit card holder - simply start paying something,showing willingness to pay whatever sum they have available, on a regular basis. Suddenly it all goes quiet and the computors have a rest. Over simplified. I do not think so, just plain common sense.

Yes this is all to do with Response and Responsibility. That is to say , we all have a Responsibility to Respond to statements and ideas put out by others. The afore mentioned Responses on  both sides are of course debatable.

Now for some examples of the good and the bad.
Yes, this old fello, still believes people in high places,have a responsibility to respond to people who have taken the time to sit and Think and then write down as carefully as they can , their thoughts on subjects important to them and society. (In my case the World in General)

Now let us have a look at just few persons in high places who have taken time out to ensure their staff, on their behalf, Respond to some of this writers letters over the years.

A.     HRH  Charles The Prince of Wales.
         Always his responder, acknowledges the letter and very important the subject - indicating it had been
         read or  briefed upon - With a thank you. This shows his good breeding and  interest in his
        correspondants thoughts and ideas.  A good man, the future King  of the UK and Commonwealth is
        an extraordinary man of great intellect and vision. His book HARMONY, still available.
        In my opinion, of course,is only held back by a rather stubborn old lady, who refuses to abdicate -
        2015 would be a good year and on 22 August, my eigthieth and from Scotland the Brave no less.

B.    Ex President Bill Clinton.
       Almost never failed for one of his correspondence staffers, to acknowledge and thank  me mentioning
       the subject, with a short comment once or twice.

C.   Ex President Nicolas Sarkozy
       Another man of stature, who responded to my essay and blog    think - A Proposal for a Major Change
      within the World Financial System and matters relating.
      Of course the letter was written by the Chef du Cabinet and when he was President of the EU. Another
      good man of great inttelect and vision.
D.  The list is very nice with most Australian Prime Ministers; Certainly the UK Prime Ministers in the past
      and the President of Indonesia.
There are others of course and a wooden spoon list of people who never respond, to any thing and are relegated to below the bottom line of the Responsibility and are possibly none real achievers anyway. 

A bit complicated at times, like life itself. Response and  Responsibility is important  to all thinking people and to any non educated persons who have ideas and feelings, that should be listened to by all of us. Most important of all  -----  Responded to, with respect.

See you next time.

Malcolm E Mason        July 2015

TOYOTA - Lead Vehicle Supplier To Terrorists

Over the years we have all viewed International News Broadcasts, on the activities of Terrorists, Worldwide. Almost without exception- in my opinion- the high mobility of these people  was and is, the use of four wheel and two wheel drive, light trucks of Japans TOYOTA manufacture.
I must say at the very begining of my desertation, that I know, some of the vehicles used are of USA origin in the form of Hummers and others left by the American Armed Forces. These will in time, simply deteriorate and become useless, without US parts etc support, which of course I assume they will not get and maybe the reason why IS are beginng to use old Hummers as suicide vehicles.
TOYOTA, it is clear to me at least, are supplying the bulk of light vehicles and new ones at that and are vehicles fully backed up with parts and accessories. They are suppled in thousands around the Terrorist Hot Spots of the World. This trade must STOP, immediately.
My blog http://thinktrue2008.com Title: Inoperative - Anti Terrorist Measures, covers a wide range of strateges to combat the IS operations. I invite all people involved in the fight to kuwell the devastating actions of these wicked people.
I am purposely going to keep this blog short and to the point.
Trained and experienced Worldwide in the motor industry, with the British Motor Corporation and Chrysler International in Manufacture - Sales - Service - Design - Strategs and Planning, I can categorically say that TOYOTA, know and/or have the means to know, where every vehicle is destined/located. This especially true if fleets of one specification  leave the factory.
There are no if and buts or protocols to hide behind. All is daily revealed by IS themselves with their extraordinary access to the Internet and World News organisations around the World, who soak up the images with enthusiasm. All free PR for IS and other Terrorist Groups. The results of which, I think will lead to their downfall in time. Only recently a Politician was talking the talk on tackling IS, whilst the media showed IS training clips and not our forces in training and action against these terrible people.
It would be super, if people like me, could get such support from my own government and others. Mind you it was nice the see the Kurdish fighters ISOLATING IS by cutting off a supply route to a town in Syria.
Fight back has started sensibly, so someone has read my blog.
My call, is to ask all Presidents; Prime Ministers and those in  High Office. to demand on Japan and TOYOTA in particular --------- STOP the supply of their vehicles to Terrorist Organisations, with immediate effect.
A strategy that would get their attention, would be to revoke the operating licensees of all TOYOTA factories and assembly plants, around the World.    FIN
As always, these words are my opinion only, how say you  TOYOTA
Malcolm E Mason- Australia.  July first 2015.

German Wings - Clipped Literally

Another Airline Crash, more loss of life. This time a subsidery of Lufthansa when all 150    passengers and crew died on flight 9525 =  Barcelona to Dusseldorf crash landed in the southern French Alps.

.In this case , I believe we had a situation, as per my tweet.

German Wings and Budget Airlines – Too many Airlines; Planes; Flights & over Scheduled, stressed out Crews – Heart Attacks & now Pilots Mental Breakdown – Wake Up World.

This is a classic case of a 'Situation' waiting to happen, within the Budget fleets around the world. This is particularly true in Europe, where there appears to be a 'Mob' of companies with aircraft, criss croosing Europe in an ever frenetic way. Goodness one can hardly see the blue sky for the vapour trails of aircraft passenger carrying and empty schuttles.

Ever increasing flights; ever increasing schedules for ground and aircrews, leading to ever increasing stress on all. This is all propagated by the endemic endeavour to reduce costs.  We all know about meals or the lack of them on these flights. We do not know of any maintainence  shortcuts taken on servicing and or extending the periods between service schedules.

What we do know is that it is easy to recruit young entusiastic cabin crews, who for  a relatively short time, will work any hours; any where at any price.

German Wings appears to have come up with a new one. Cabin crew - one senior experienced pilot, with one very junior co-pilot  ( On a Commercial Flight ) at probably lower pay rate by some margin. Hang on said a friend,the other day, that might not be quite true, wasn't there an incident or in air colllision off the Cannary Islands, some years agoe where there was a problem with a Senior pilot and Rookie. In this tragic case Luthansa knew the young man had problems of a possible mental nature.

Defies belief Lufhansa did not stand him down, a long time agoe.

I will now tell you a story as near as my 79 year old memory can recall. Sad to say, it is a Lufthansa story, with a schedule and routes that could be challenged by a route scheduler. Any way here goes.

A number of years agoe, my wife and I were visiting England, having arrved off the Le Havre – Portsmouth ferry one day, we saw a very nice B & B, in a lovely area of Hampshire,about 100 klms from Londons Heathrow Airport.

Lovely house in a forest and upon retiring for the night we noticed that a wardrobe in our bedroom was painted with pastal coloures in the Barvarian style. After breakfast we sat for a while and talked to the lady of the house and somewhere the subject of Airlines of all kinds came up. The lady was an ex Stewardess, First class, I assumed by her manner and that little aire of authority. So what did husband do, a pilot for Lufthansa came the reply, he is German and very dedicated, I said yes and I'm sure he puts in a full day and that brought forward a story, with the good lady saying-

Only recently and  or it happens on occasion. Up at 5.00 hours and off to Heathrow to do the London – Madrid at 8.00 hours. 14.00 hrs  Madrid – Milan. 17.00 hrs Please shuttle an aircraft to Amsterdam then the normal flight to London arriving 22.00. Up at 5.00hrs  to do a normal day.

Yes ,he does it for Germany. This pilot who had a new child, I think was treated like a number, even though he was senior pilot.

The young man on the German Wings flight 9525 had problems of his own, which apparantly had been indicated to Lufhansa. He wanted to be counted – I believe he was pushed too far by schedules and fatigue and cracked under the strain leading to him crashlanding  and Clipping German Wings literally, if only to bring to notice the practises of Budget Airline Operations.

Sorry Lufhansa, but was it not one of your pilots who had a heart attack on landing in Sydney, some years agoe.  

Another little story on Budget carriers and their staff. A friends son in France , with great joy, joined a budget airline – six months later he was leaving, saying it was all too much – go here go there and at the end if a day fill in on another flight etc. It seems all budget carriers push their aircraft and their sftaff to the limit or pretty well near it.

I call on all the 'Air Authrotities' to regulate very strongly, the carriers operations in all areas.

I once wrote an article, a little criptic I must admit, indicating sometimes they could fly empty planes, on the Non-Return of fares of no show customers. My dear departed sister once said on canceling a trip – oh no, they never refund for anything- cheap enough though. And my niece trips off England to Greece at the drop of a hat, to see her boyfriend quite frequently, adding to the pollution in  the skies.

What has this got to do with 9525, Plenty, in that it is clear Lufhansa and carriers like them, do not always listen to the concerns of staff, they just look at the bottom line, which must be a scary thing in Budget operatons.

All condolences to the friends and relatives of the passengers and crew that fateful flight, which was crash landed on a  Mountian in  France in March 2015. May they rest in peace.

May I quote John Ruskin  in 1819 - 1900

“It's unwise to pay too much but it's unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money that is all.

When you pay too little you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was  incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It cannot be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well worth adding something for the risk you run.

And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.”

Those passngers happy with their cheap flight, paid the ulitmate price and I believe the Airline should be held accountable. Only recently there was a case where six Australian navy personal (junior ranks, except one}. They commited suicide whilst under medical observation for medical illness alcohol and ICE, one was actually sent to sea in an armaments section. All should have been. discharged into the care of their families and civilian dioctors. So similar to the Lufhansa situation.

Now let us see what can be done, short of closing them all down. A few ideas from this ex I.A.P.A

member, who over the years has travelled First class to Cattle class around the Word; experienced four air incidents and a number of terrorist events and interogation in Viet Nam (non combatant)

Here are some ideas for ALL carriers big and small, budget or not.

1.                  Upgrade Medical, physical and mental, stadards and examination  by Regulator Doctors, with random checks for alcohol and drugs (ICE in particular these days).

2.                  Both Airline and Regulator Doctors, listen very carefully to the staff. Any hint of problems –

medical; drugs and family matters – Act immediately by removing staffer from duties in areas of Flights; Maintainance and Armamets. Better to cancel a flight than take risks, like German wings, appear to have done.

3.                  Terrorist proof door to Cockpit – A mechanical lock -press button- with say seven digits. The Pilot on each flight, sets the numbers and of course changes them  each time the first pilot talkes control. Maybe for emergency purposes the number is given to the cabin captan via a location, pre determined.

4.                  Never, never ever leave a 'Rookie” young pilot in charge of a commercial passengr aircraft- never.

5.                  In future cockpit design, how about a caravan type toilet. A  hatch for passing refreshments etc, main fusalage to cockpit.

And so we come to the Captain of that fateful flight, of which very little is know. Did he go to the toilet or did he go to talk to the children, who woud have loved to meet 'Captain Marvel' Strange how on such a short journey, he would have to leave cockpit at all. Oh dear what mistakes we all make at some time or other – that spare of the moment thing when we take our eyes off the game and in his case flying an aircraft from one European city to another.Not realising any danger, except of course, that of leaving a young relatively inexperienced fello in charge of a passenger aiorccraft

I hope my thoughts and ideas will be of use, out there in the big world.

I have journeyed with many airlines and visited the 'Cartwheeling' city of Dusseldorf  when I was with the Austin Motor Company and Bruggamen AG? . I still think of the young chap , one Rupert Wulf, yes thats was his name, drove a VW and had a girlfriend, who could chat for an endless time without .taking a breath. I wonder if they ever married and have grand children. It was these kind people who sent a massive bunch on Carnations on our wedding day – memories- too many I'm afraid. Ah yes names Herr Schmit.Buurgellews and Fuchs all people who made me confide nt on my early foreign visits.

Again my condolences to all involved in the loss of friends and relatives and course special thoughts for the parents of the chldren.

Thats it for now. See you next time.

Malcolm E Mason

Mogood, NSW 2538, Australia.

NB. We are deep in a forest, on a river and can set the clock by the passing of a local tubo prop service, Sydney down the coast and on to Melbourne. When we are by the river in summer, and we hear the 15.00 hrs into Moruya, we know its time return to our house, to have a cup of tea . A far cry from Aubiterre in the Charante, with its sky full of vapour trails and the frenetic, schedules of Europe.  Wasn't that a marvelous add by Virgin Rail – Fly by Train. I wonder what Sir Richard Branson would have to say to my blog. Such a long long time since we met briefly in the Virgin Islands in the early seventies when he was looking for a building for a recording studio and I from Australia promoting Mini Mokes, as we had a good customer down in Barbados.

And now I must get dwn to the job of stoping Toyota selling fleets of vehicles to terrorist organistions around the World. I have raised the subject in my writings before, but now I really must get the message out. The other day I was saying to a Sudanese chap, Toyota sell fleets of 20 or so at a time to known groups such as I S. He responded, that in his Country it is more like hundreds.

Bye for now.