An Aviation Journey

Peter Marosszéky FRAeS

Description

From the end of the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twenty first century spanning a period of 168 years and growing the world has seen an incredible advancement in technology associated with man’s efforts to conquer flight and ultimately space.
The first ascent of a hot air balloon powered by a propeller to the latest development in rocketry and the intervening discoveries and developments in between one has to be in awe of not only what has transpired but also the speed at which these occurred.
This book reflects a period of 60 years that the writer has experienced in that time, the changes in technology and the way we have adapted to these changes is inspiring resulting in a world where the yoke of distance and time has been harnessed.
The greatest challenges that now face the aviation world is the ability to teach and understand the new and in some cases the old technologies to the young aviators. Airlines and aircraft operators are faced with a constant challenge of not only obtaining the right people for the myriad of tasks but also to provide them with the appropriate levels of training regulatory compliance.

Sujets

• Personal Memoirs
• Adventure (Guyana)
• Biography
• Journey
• Planes
• Adventure
• Autobiography
• Pilot
• Boeing
• Aviation

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris AU
• Date de parution: 19 juillet 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798369491539
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

AN AVIATION JOURNEY
And a Love Affair with the Boeing 747
1946–2021 An Autobiography
Peter Marosszéky, FRAeS

 
Copyright © 2023 by Peter Marosszéky, FRAeS. 853502
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
Xlibris
AU TFN: 1 800 844 927 (Toll Free inside Australia)
AU Local: 02 8310 8187 ([phone] from outside Australia)
www.xlibris.com.au
 
ISBN:
Softcover
979-8-3694-9154-6
 
Hardcover
979-8-3694-9155-3
 
EBook
979-8-3694-9153-9
 
Library of Congress Control Number:2023908889
 
Rev. date: 05/15/2023
CONTENTS
Foreword
Dedication
Acknowledgements
 
Chapter 1Introduction to the Family
Chapter 2Qantas Airways Ltd
Chapter 3Pan American World Airways Inc
Chapter 4American Airlines Inc.
Chapter 5Return to Pan American World Airways Inc
Chapter 6United Airlines Inc.
Chapter 7Ansett International Airlines Ltd
Chapter 8Return to Qantas Airways Ltd
Chapter 9University of NSW
Chapter 10Aerospace Developments Pty Ltd
Chapter 11Australian Army
Chapter 12Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS)
Chapter 13The Adventure Continues . . .
 
Travel Log - 1968–2017

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FOREWORD
There are many interesting stories of people in all walks of life, be it personal, professional, or just about their lives. The following is my story on how my world developed from an early age.
The first powered flight occurred in 1852 by Henri Giffard, a Frenchman, in a Dirigible powered by a 3HP steam engine, then in 1903, the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk in a monoplane called the Wright Flyer powered by a four-cylinder water-cooled four-stroke internal combustion engine.
Of these 168 years of flight, I have been privileged to have participated for 60 of those years in aviation.
This book provides an insight into the life of an aviator/engineer and how his career evolved from a migrant refugee into an Australian citizen and became an engineer in one of the most demanding and exacting industries—aviation.
How it all started and its genesis is described in chapter 1, where the family background is the impetus to enter into the field of aircraft engineering and flight operations.
I have included my family life as it was a most rewarding contribution to my approach and understanding of human nature. Being raised in the bush with very limited wealth and resources was humbling and made me appreciate what we had.
On reflection, the opportunities presented to the family were remarkable, given we did not bring any special qualifications, except Dad’s pilot’s licence as a graduate officer from the Ludowika Military Academy in Budapest. Mum’s graduation diploma from the Pápa Reformed Church Technical High School (she was the only girl in the school) had topped the year and came first in a class of 42 to start a new life with. Australia was truly a land of opportunity and hope that put us all in good stead.
The defining moment of my life was the introduction into service of the Boeing 747 series aircraft in 1969, with Pan American World Airways Inc. This was the start of a 51-year experience with this magnificent aircraft, which continues today, and gave my life a special meaning and, I daresay, a privilege to be part of its history. How time flies. Tempus fugit.
DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this work to the memory of my mother and father, who endured difficulties not always appreciated nor understood at the time. They stand as the pillars of my life.
I also dedicate this to my family and hope that the memories will provide satisfaction and understanding of how this family evolved.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my young brother Dani for his patience and perseverance in searching and providing the photos; my brothers András and János who contributed to my work by critiquing and providing edits where it was needed; and my longtime friend and fellow colleague Doug Nancarrow, MRAeS, who has a distinguished career in aviation as an editor, pilot, and communicator and is also the general manager of the Royal Aeronautical Society of Australia.
I would also like to acknowledge Capt Richard de Crespigny, AM FRAeS, for his expertise and insights into the recording of information and presenting it as the written word.
I would also like to acknowledge a colleague, Les Fisher, for the assistance in compilation and printing of the draft manuscript.
A special thanks to my wife Dagnija for her tolerance and understanding for the commitment I put into producing this document.
 
CHAPTER 1
Introduction to the Family
The good fortune throughout my life has been manifested by many serendipitous events, starting with the family’s migration to Australia primarily because of economic necessity and forward thinking on behalf of our parents Jenó and Viktoria Marosszéky. It was a very adventurous move and fraught with difficulties associated with migration after the Second World War from war-ravaged Europe and the leaving of a homeland that is steeped in history with very close and well-developed family bonds.
This came about because some happenstance and opportunities presented themselves in the aftermath of the war, and the desperate times made life and existence extremely difficult, especially for a family with very young children born on the road, so to speak, in Germany.
I was born on 7 January 1946 in the township of Bád Aibling, in the middle of a very deep winter. There were 2 m of snow outside the farm barn where Mum and Dad were billeted.
Mum was about to give birth to me, so Dad went off to find a friend who was an obstetrician. Unfortunately, because of snow build-up, he did not make it back in time, so the farmer’s wife delivered me. Bád Aibling was a small spa town with Roman baths, hence the name Bad, on the main road between Münich and Salzburg. It also had a large airfield, where the surrendering Luftwaffe had to demobilise their aircraft.

Mum and I, Hilperting – 1946
Soon after this, we moved to Hilperting, where my younger brother András was born on 17 February 1947. The need to relocate again came from the need to find work and suitable living quarters, and this was to the town of Wurzburg, where my sister Viktoria was born on 18 October 1948.
At the end of the war, Dad, being a pilot, felt he had to relocate to the west to escape the spectre of falling under communist-controlled Eastern Europe. He was also joined by some of his brothers and cousins.
My parents, who were from military families, came from Hungary. These families were to endure the brunt of the terror of communism where they controlled parts of Europe, including Hungary. Our parents made the decision to flee Hungary after the war, eventually deciding to migrate to Australia with two of Dad’s brothers and three cousins, along with their young families.
The decision on the part of Dad was made in the town of Wurzburg, where he happened upon a ‘queue in the street’ outside the Australian consulate, where the Australian government was seeking suitable migrants to come to Australia to work.
Dad joined the queue, and when it was his time to be interviewed, obvious questions were asked, specifically relating to military background and any possibilities of war crimes committed. This was dealt with, and when Dad revealed his military service and his career as a pilot and he presented his credentials, the interviewing officer was impressed and suggested to Dad that Australia was looking for experienced pilots.
With his qualifications and experience accepted, they issued him with a travel authority for passage as a migrant for the family. Also, a letter of introduction to Qantas Airways was offered as the airline was in need of experienced pilots. Dad consulted with Mum, and they decided to jump at the chance, despite the fact that Australia was a mystery to them.
Dad was actually looking for an opportunity to go to the USA, Canada, or South America to work as a pilot. However, this was an unexpected genuine job offer. This also resulted in his brothers Emil and Alexander, who were also in the military, to apply for migration; Emil was also a pilot, and Alexander was a naval officer, a captain. Dad’s three cousins, Daniel Ügray, Emil Vásárhelyi and wife Bórcsa, and Lászlo Takáts, along with their young families, also signed up to migrate.
These families were to come out on different ships, some before and some after our journey.

Capt Alexander Marosszéky – 1943
The families, along with hundreds of other refugees, relocated to Naples in Italy, where they embarked on their journey.
It was not any easy journey. There were young children on board, and many of whom suffered and died because of a combination of lack of medical aid, poor food, infections, and disease. And as it turned out, there was no doctor as the individual who claimed he was medico did so under false pretences.
My parents felt the same level of opportunities in this new country, as well as the USA, Canada or South America were an unknown quantity due to the number of migrants wanting to go there. With sponsored passage, they travelled aboard the US transport ship SS Gen R M Bla