There and Back dedicated to Aviation, Airmanship and the Craft of Flying - by Owen Zupp & Robert Brus

The target of $10,000 in funds raised by ‘There and Back’ for the RFDS has been achieved! Thank you to everyone who has contributed. As if ‘There and Back’ hadn’t kicked enough goals, this final milestone rounds of the flight with a wonderful sense of completion. The most recent donation was made by someone preferring [...]

Today is my first full day at home since the around Australia flight concluded at Bundaberg last Sunday. It has been a day of ‘administration’ and sending off those vital cheques to the RFDS. We are well within reach of the $10,000 target and the facility to donate to the RFDS will remain open a [...]

Over the last few days I have received lots of support and good wishes from folks as far afield as Africa. However, I received a very special wish from a little 6 year old girl from Bowral NSW named Ava. It came in the form of a card made with a lot of thought and [...]

Yesterday was quite a day! So much so that the first spare minute to blog about ‘There and Back’ this morning came today! Firstly, through a combination of cheques and online donations, a further $1,000 has been contributed to the Royal Flying Doctor’s cause. This amazing degree of generosity sees the total donations pass $3,000 [...]

With the days to There and Back’s departure on May 5th down to single digits, the interest from all quarters seems to be spiralling upwards. However, rather than a peak of frenzied activity, this coming week is really an opportunity to double check the preparation and attend to the growing media interest . It is [...]

As ANZAC Day dawned for another year, it once again called forth thoughts of those who have served and those who actively serve today both at home and abroad. The day has always held special significance in our home and will again this year. Though my late father was never one to march, he would [...]

Another milestone has been surpassed today when donations reached the $2,000 level! Thank you to all those who have contributed. As departure looms on May 5th, this is a great start that can only be built upon further when the Jabiru’s wheels leave the ground at Bundaberg in 12 days time. Thanks so much to [...]

Captain Harry Butler’s Red Devil As disappointing as yesterday’s announcement of the closure of Woomera’s airspace may be, there is no denying that when one door closes, another opens. My route will now head south from Streaky Bay to Port Lincoln on May 13th. The next day I will pay a visit to Minlaton, the [...]

Aviation is a dynamic field of endeavour and today I am reminded of that in more ways than one. Firstly, a sincere congratulations to Matt Hall with his superb performance to register second place in yesterday’s Red Bull Air Race in Perth. In a consumately professional performance, Matt flew a series of clean runs with [...]

It’s been a busy week for ‘There and Back’. Liaising with the RAAF and Airservices Australia regarding clearances and landing approvals and even squeezing in a breakfast interview with ABC radio. As the days count down, the interest in the flight seems to be increasing exponentially, with the website recording a massive amount of visits [...]