Blackadder
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- Dec 2, 2008
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http://www.news.com.au/national-new...-gordon-phillips/story-fnii5s3x-1226671679616
WHEN Captain Gordon Phillips stepped out of his Qantas A380 coughpit in Sydney on Wednesday morning, a small piece of Australian aviation history came to end. The moment marked the end of an incredible 45-year career for Capt Phillips who, until that moment, was the longest-serving Qantas pilot still in the job.
Capt Phillips, 64, was given a rousing cheer by his passengers as he completed his final flight, ending a remarkable journey that began as a teenager on a farm in Swan Hill, Victoria.
With a childhood dream to fly, the then 16-year-old applied for both the air force and Qantas, which had just begun its cadet program. He was accepted into both, but chose the civilian route.
The following year he relocated to Sydney to begin training at Mascot and less than two years later was presented with his wings by the then Governor-General Lord Richard Casey at a ceremony inside a Qantas hangar at Sydney airport.