Pauleen @cassmob

An intriguing, if lengthy, story of just one Bomber Command crash during WWII. #worldwar2 #RAAF

Reflections on the A to Z challenge 2025 As so often happens with me and these challenges, my theme is only forming when the starter’s gun goes off. Friends who are more thoughtful and prepared, often have their own program already mapped out, and many posts written. I hadn’t planned to join in this year though I’d had an idea back in January but decided it would be too political and contentious.

My reflections on the challenges of collating and writing my posts for this year's A to Z challenge. #AtoZchallenge #personalhistory #travel

YVR, YYC, YWH, YCLQ My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. YVR Vancouver International Airport, Sea Island, Richmond, Vancouver, Canada We were very excited to finally get to see Canada and this was our gateway in 2017, after RootsTech in Salt Lake.

From snow in Canada to a remote part of Australia. #AtoZchallenge2025
#personalhistory #travel

XXXIV, BXF, KNX, BRT and MCY My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. How many countries have we visited by flying into an airport? XXXIV Feel free to blip over this list, and perhaps read the stories below…

My first helicopter ride and some Top End visits as well as countries visited in this #AtoZ2025challenge #travel #personalmemories #NorthernTerritory

My A to Z themes to date Somewhat to my surprise, this was my 9th participation in the A to Z blogging challenge, so I thought I'd revisit the topics I'd written about over the years. A to Z 2025 Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with, using IATA codes where they’re available. This is an aide memoir of our travels for ourselves and our family.

My A to Z themes to date

Somewhat to my surprise, this was my 9th participation in the A to Z blogging challenge, so I thought I'd revisit the topics I'd written about over the years. A to Z 2025 Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with, using IATA codes where they’re…

WWK, WHO, WIL, and WHY My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. WWK Wewak Airport (also known as Boram Airport), Wewak, PNG Wewak was another airport we travelled to specifically for visits to family.

From PNG to ski planes and how we did so many trips. #AtoZchallenge #pesonalhistory #travel

VCE, VN, and Valiant ANZACs My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. VCE Venice Marco Polo Airport, Venice, Italy On previous holidays to Venice, we had arrived by train, but in 2018 we flew in from Barcelona, via Rome with Alitalia.

From Europe to Asia. From Peace to War. #AtoZchallenge2025 #personalhistory #travel #Venice #Vietnam #ANZACDay

UAS, United Airlines and LAS My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. UAS Samburu Oryx or Samburu Buffalo Springs? Kenya, Africa There is some conflicting information about this airstrip in the Samburu National Reserve as there are/were…

UAS, United Airlines and LAS

My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. UAS…

THR, TSR, Talair, and a plane crash My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent.   THR Mehrabad International Airport, Tehran, Iran It’s been informative to learn from Wikipedia, that some of the airports we flew into in the 70s have changed and also have different names.

Flying can be scary either at international airports or small "bush" airstrips. #AtoZchallenge2025 #personalhistory #trave; #Gurney

SYD, SIN, SZB, SGN, SLC, SFO My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent.   SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney, NSW, Australia I hadn’t been to Sydney until 1968, when I went to a conference for a university group.

All the Ss we've visited. #AtoZchallenge #personalhistory #travel

RAK is for Marrakesh My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. RAK Marrakesh Menara Airport, Marrakesh, Morocco We had a wonderful time on our 10 day tour of Morocco but it was super busy so in some respects we were happy to be at Marrakesh airport for our final few days at Barcelona.

RAK is for Marrakesh

My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. RAK Marrakesh…

QANTAS             My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent.   A promotional postcard from our 1974 trip. Many people would be familiar with the Qantas airline, whether they fly often or not.

Australia's national carrier has national and personal significance. #AtoZchallenge2025 #travel #personalhistory #qantas

POM, PER and PRG My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. POM Port Moresby International Airport, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Moresby airport, more commonly known as Jackson’s, was my first introduction to Papua New Guinea.

Port Moresby, Perth and Prague - visits across the years. #AtoZChallenge2025 #personalhistory #travel

NBO and NYK My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. NBO Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya. We always joke with our family that they can get work anywhere, so long as it’s somewhere we can visit.

Today we're in Africa and visiting the equator. #AtoZchallenge2025 #travel #personalhistory

MAD, MRS, MNL and MAG My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. MAD Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, Madrid, Spain I’ve decided to use my Facebook posts to illustrate the joys of travel from Down Under to Europe in 2018.

Spain, France and PNG...any familiar airports for you? #AtoZchallenge2025
#personalhistory #travel

LOS, LAE, LGW, LHR, LAX, LIS My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. LOS Losuia Airport, Trobriand Islands, Milne Bay District, Papua New Guinea In my first year living in Papua New Guinea I had two opportunities to visit Losuia on Kiriwina Island.

Some very large and often intimidating airports and a couple of small ones from PNG. #AtoZ2025challenge #travel #personalhistory

KHI, KTM, KVG, KTJ My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. KHI      Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, Pakistan Karachi was part of our flight to Rome in 1974 and 1977.

Two special adventures - one in Kenya in 2013and another in Kathmandu in 1977. #AtoZchallenge #personalhistory #travel

JFK, JAB, JAI and JAL My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. JFK      John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, USA We first flew into JFK in 1992 on our long-service leave holiday.

From a scenic flight in Kakadu National Park to JFK airport New York. #travel #AtoZchallenge #personalhistory

IAD and IST My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. It may not be apparent so far, but I’ve mostly been adding airports in the chronological order in which I/we have visited them.

Two diverse cities: Washington and Istanbul. #AtoZchallenge #travel #personalhistory

HGU, HKG, HAN My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. HGU Kagamuga International Airport, Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, PNG Mt Hagen became one of our visiting places because my sister-in-law was teaching there and later married there at one of the coffee plantations.

Two Asian airports and another in Papua New Guinea #AtoZchallenge #travel #airports

GUR, GAZ, GKA,  GGW, GCN, GOV My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. GUR Gurney Airstrip/Airport, Milne Bay District, Papua New Guinea Gurney has great military significance for Australia in World War II.

We've flown into or out of many airports starting with G. From Gurney in Papua New Guinea to Glasgow in Scotland. #travel #personalhistory #AtoZchallenge

FCO and FRA My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. FCO     Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy We have arrived at Rome airport twice, once in 1977 and once in 2000.

When memory poses a conundrum even with two minds working on the problem. Frankfurt and Rome. #AtoZchallenge2025 #personalhistory #travel

EDI and EBB My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. Since I've been playing catch-up having joined the A to Z party late, I'm relieved to reach a letter that only involves two flying experiences for me.

Two very different places: Edinburgh and Entebbe. #AtoZchallenge #travel #personalmemories

DPS, DRW, DXB, DUB, DEL My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. DPS Ngurah Rai, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia We first visited Bali in 2005, a few years after the…

From Darwin to Dublin, airports offer challenges and "entertainment". #AtoZchallenge #Travel
#Flying

CDG, CNS, CMN, CHC, CHX, Canada heli My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. CDG Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France We have visited CDG a couple of times over the years.

Let's visit Paris, Morocco, New Zealand and Canada. #AtoZchallenge #travel #personalhistory

BNE, BKK, BME, BCN, BOS, BNZ My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent. BNE Brisbane Airport, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Brisbane has been my most frequently used flight hub for both internal and international flights, largely because it’s been closest to where I’ve lived over many years.

Travelling from PNG to Australia, Spain and the USA. #personalhistory #travel #AtoZ2025challenge

ACF, ATH, AMS, AKL, ADL, ASP My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. ACF[i] Archerfield, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Archerfield is significant to me because it’s where had my first experience of flight in 1968. A friend who had been in the Air Force cadets took me up in a single engine Cessna, soon after he obtained his licence.

Airrports in Australia, NZ, Greece and the Netherlands from 1968 to 2021. #AtoZChallenge2025

A to Z 2025 Theme Reveal Chatting to a friend on Facebook a few days ago, brought out my inner travel agent and changed my mind about participating in the 2025 A to Z challenge. Obviously, I'm going to have to get my skates on to catch up. My theme is Airports, Airstrips and Airlines I’ve known and flown. It will be a retrospective on my travelling years from 1968 onwards.

A belated addition to the 2025 A to Z challenge with my theme reveal. Airports, Airlines and Airstrips. #personalhistory #AtoZchallenge2025

Today's the day. Off to #Connections2025 for catching up with genimates and great learning opportunities. Time to settle in before we start tomorrow.

Posed staff safety photograph, 1930s, showing a railway shunter standing between wagons. If they were to come together he would be crushed.

#OnThisDay 1883 London, Chatham & Dover Railway shunter Withers was squeezed between wagons, after an engine reversed without warning.

His first name wasn't given in the record - nor the location; these 'incidental' details don't seem to have mattered at the time.

#Railway200