TAA, or Australian Airlines as it has more recently become known has now celebrated forty years of airline service. What is generally not remembered nowadays is the political and funding traumas that marked its early years. In this three-part series we relive the birth of Australia’s ‘other’ domestic airline, examine the aircraft and operating decisions

For about one hour on a recent Saturday afternoon, I was able to join their ranks and savour the delights of the corporate heavy iron pilots when I had the pleasure of flying Canadair’s Challenger 601. And in the words of Canadair demonstration pilot, Captain Bruce Boehm, “Getting used to flying the 601 is about

Quo Vadis, Rmraam? Conceived as the ultimate standoff air-to-air missile the sophisticated and deadly Amraam has the distinction of being the subject of political bickering unseen since the sixties’ F-111 programme. Amraam was developed to fulfill a crucial role in the air defence of the Free World and without viable alternatives the repeatedly threatened cancellation

At the cessation of hostilities in late 1945 the three Armed Services began discharging men in line with a general winding down. Large amounts of equipment were thus literally dumped in the sea or in some cases burnt. 1946 saw large numbers of RAAF bombers and fighters being declared surplus. Sales of these surplus aircraft