A direct flight from

this part of Downunder to almost anywhere else should be possible. We may not be able to go from here to London without refuelling yet but we should be able to hop across "the pond" to the Kiwis or up to Singapore, Hong Kong or Tokyo. Perhaps we could go to Los Angeles or Vancouver too.

Apparently they are now "talking about it". I won't hold my breath. There is one direct flight to Singapore at present. It is also the most expensive option. This seems ridiculous but it is actually the case. It is actually cheaper to fly to another state and then fly from there - even though the distance is greater.

I was in my teens before I flew on an aircraft. That first flight was on an old "Fokker Friendship"...the plane that flew between the island we were living on and the mainland. 

Nobody had thought to prepare me for the experience. I don't suppose anyone had even thought about it. My sense of balance, not the best at any time, did not like the sensation of taking off, of circling. It is also a rough trip at the best of times because of the variation between land and sea. I was not a happy cat. I actually felt ill, very ill. Landing was not much better but at least I knew we would soon be on terra firma again. I have never enjoyed flying ever since. The same thing has happened every time I have flown. It is a long time since I have been on an aircraft. My siblings take it in their stride. They go places. They do things. Of course I have to admit there has been no reason for me to fly anywhere. There has been no opportunity either. I have not been on holiday in more than twenty years. Plans to go on one have been thwarted more than once...and are now being thwarted again. Grrrrrowl!

But direct flights to places would benefit many people. We might have more people come here if they could just fly straight in without the need to change planes. Bringing in goods might be cheaper.  It would certainly be cheaper to send goods out. That would be a huge benefit to our farming community and the fishing industry. 

This morning I was woken by planes flying in. This happens sometimes when they need to change the flight path coming in from the east and north-east. It happens when the times need to change. The airport, once situated "out in the country", is now in a very urban area. The first house Middle Cat and her husband lived in was directly under the flight path and very close to the airport. My BIL could hear the plane he was going to catch arrive at the airport and then leave for the airport. This was before all the security measures they now have in place and he was catching the "red eye express" to the next capital city. 

We still do not use planes in quite the same "commuting" way that North Americans or Europeans do...and perhaps they do less now that Zoom meetings are possible. Our airports are perhaps not quite the same. I don't know. They are still interesting places. It still amazes me that those heavy objects can actually fly. If they can fly direct to somewhere I want to go then maybe I will get the chance to go...but I am not looking forward to take off.