The day was not so old today when the news of another airline's collapse filtered down the wire. There had been rumours circulating over recent days, but nothing untoward in an industry that is traditionally underpinned by third hand speculation. Even so, when the news was confirmed it was still a shock to the system, particularly for those caught in the cross-fire. Personally, it took me back ten years to when my old employer, Ansett Australia, ceased operations in the wee hours.

On that occasion I was left standing outside the terminal with the passengers as the automatic doors refused to budge despite limitless arm-waving at the sensor. Eventually I gained access under the watchful eye of a security guard, emptied my letterbox and was shown the door. All before 6am. It's a surreal experience to be standing on the footpath, in uniform and unemployed. The thoughts racing through the mind are difficult to harness; action needs to be taken, but what's to be done? Where to from here? Abandonment, vulnerability, confusion and grief all show their faces as the rational half of the brain endeavours to create a strategy to move forward from this mess.

As the announcement of Air Australia's collapse filled the air waves, that day on the footpath did not seem to be a decade ago. The corporate impact hardly registered with me as I felt immediate empathy for the staff. A number of the pilots at Air Australia were my workmates at Ansett, so the blow they have taken must be a bitter case of 'deja vu'. Once again they are asking, “Where to from here?”

For so many, aviation is more than just a job; it's a passion. As such, the loss of employment can be a twisted blend of fiscal uncertainty and a slap in the face by a cold-hearted lover. And similarly, both may take years to fully 'get over'.

If there is any solace, it may lie in the fact that many have been down this road before and have managed to regroup and rebuild. Resilience is so often a by-product of disappointment. It may be cold comfort in these first days when any sense of perspective is difficult to come by, but rest assured that the thoughts and good wishes of many are with you.

To the staff of Air Australia, stay strong and treasure those who really matter the most as they are the ones who will get you through.

Take care one and all.

Hi All,

Welcome to this week’s ‘Friday Flight Bag’. And what a week it’s been!

This week saw a huge response to both my post 'Moments' and the video from the solo charity flight around Australia. Meanwhile, the subsequent posts in the "Practical Pilot" and "Fatal Stall" series followed up the interest from the previous week. In fact all of this week’s posts were met with a great response.

Away from the keyboard, this aviation blog was very honoured to receive coverage at three very established aviation entities.

1. PCDU Podcast  Where I stopped by for a chat.

2. Karlene Pettit's 'Flight to Success' Where she is kindly profiling my background and the blog.

3. AirlineReporter.com Where I concluded the article on the Boeing 737.

I cannot thank these three tremendous organisations for their support as I start out on this online aviation journey. A reminder for everyone that Karlene Pettit’s book "Flight for Control" hit the shelves this week, so make sure that you visit her website and hear the latest on this new release.

So what’s for next week? Amongst other things, another instalment in the “Practical Pilot” series and a look at the Airbus A380 to balance the grass roots passion here at the blog. Thanks again for your support as it is your interest that keeps me writing. So tell your friends and spread the word and together we can share this journey of aviation.

Cheers for now,

Owen