A series of 32 images and accompanying descriptive narratives created over a period of 3 1/2 years. Photographs depicting observations, thoughts and reflections during a period of transition and change. Now a permanent collection of 21 photographs held by Virgin Australian Airlines at the company's head office. The remaining 11 being donated to the Virgin Australia Airlines endorsed charity, A.I.M.E. ( The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience), to facilitate further fundraising. The collections launch was held at the Virgin Village headquaters in Brisbane on 27JUL 2015.

1. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
An Embraer 190 aircraft with Flight
Crew just moments before “Clear to
close”. Mean while, a Pit Crew Leader
“Whiskey” is en-route to check on the
stripping of another newly arrived aircraft
in SYD. It’s noisy and hectic outside on
the “The Apron”, (the area on the tarmac
aircraft park to facilitate boarding and
disembarkation) and our Pit Crew must
be ever on the alert when moving in
and around aircraft at the gates or those
parked out on the hardstand, (another
name for “Apron”). As Cabin Crew, we
also must maintain attentiveness within
our surroundings. This we call “Situational
Awareness” and together with well-honed
communication skills, make for arguably
the most important “Non Technical Skills”
we possess. As a Cabin Crew Instructor
facilitating CRM, (Crew Resource
Management or NTS / Non Technical
Skills as we now call it), I believe there is
so much we can learn from these guys.
Vigilance
“He is most free from danger, who, even
when safe, is on his guard.”
Publilius Syrus

2. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
Our MEL Pit Crew hard at work loading
Boeing 737 800 - YFF. Sometimes I watch
these people possessive of such an
important task, working and marvel at the
manner in which they move seamlessly
in and around each other. Only a team of
people truly attentive and watchful of their
surroundings can be relied upon to work
so effectively in this environment.
Awareness
“Whether you call it Buddhism or another
religion, self discipline, that’s important.
Self-discipline with awareness of
consequences.”
Dalai Lama

3. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
Boeing 737 800 - VOW with Pit Crew on
the apron in SYD. I’m just about to board
this “Red Bullet” and then proceed home
after attending a 3-day “Train The Trainer”
- CRM (Crew Resource Management)
conference. In 2-½ hours time I’ll see my
girl, lovely Leanne. Her love, support and
encouragement sustain me when I’m
away. Whether it be operating as Cabin
Crew or facilitating training as a Cabin
Crew Instructor.
- I so can’t wait to see her!
Sustenance
“From women’s eyes this doctrine I derive;
They sparkle still the right Promethean fire;
They are the books, the arts, the academes;
That show, contain and nourish all the world.”
William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s lost

4. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
The First Officer carries out his pre flight
“Walk Around” for this Airbus A330 on the
apron in PER prior to boarding and then
our subsequent departure. Such a big
aircraft dwarfing a member of the crew
who will safely carry me home! Having
spent the last 2 days facilitating “Jump On
Board”, (Induction day training), I return
home now, travelling as a passenger or
“Paxing” as we call it, to MEL. En route,
I reflect upon my own “Journey” and the
honour of introducing a new group of
Cabin Crew to the company. I recall my
first day and how I felt embarking upon a
new career. So much has happened since
then. The wonderful irony is that I had the
privilege to co-facilitate with the Instructor
who facilitated my own induction! As I
contemplate this quirk of fate, I wonder
further (and especially now that I’ve
recently turned 50), where my own life’s
journey will subsequently take me?
Life’s Journey
“Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road
for you. You must travel it by yourself.
It is not far. It is within reach.
Perhaps you have been on it since you
were born, and did not know.
Perhaps it is everywhere - on water and
land.”
Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

5. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
An absolutely dreadful day weather wise
here in Hobart! As I watch this Boeing 737
800 - BZG depart for SYD, I contemplate
the conditions we’ll encounter later as
we climb out of HBA en-route for MEL.
Turbulence isn’t something that overly
concerns me but I’m fully aware that it
can be of concern for some. I fly with
highly skilled and experienced Flight
Crew, (Pilots), whose expertise I respect
immensely and my training has me well
versed in how to handle any bumps we
may encounter. I have every confidence
that everything will be alright.
– And anyway; “Every day is beautiful
at 40,000 ft”!
Faith
“You must not lose faith in humanity.
Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops
of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not
become dirty.”
Mahatma Gandhi

6. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
Caterers Preparing an Airbus A330 for
departure out of SYD. I’m Paxing home
now after being called out yesterday for a
3 sector day and then an overnight. As I
await the arrival of my Boeing 737 aircraft,
it’s great to have this much larger aircraft
at a gate up so close and to see our
catering colleagues in action. Every thing
around me is so very different to when
I began this profession! I notice these
days, we have someone from the catering
company come on board to check that
all is loaded correctly. Such a responsible
task and so genuinely appreciated. Truly,
they’re the “Angels on our shoulders!”
Angels
“Sometimes we are like an angel with one
wing, and we necessarily need the other
wing of a similar angel to keep flying.”
M. K. Soni

7. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
Pilot and Cabin Crew en-route to Boeing
737 800 - VUV in SYD prior to terminal
extension completion. I’m so very
fortunate to fly with people possessive
of such a diverse range of skills and
backgrounds. I have so much respect
for our Pilots who spend many hundreds
of hours and many thousands of dollars
attaining the necessary experience before
they can even apply to seek endorsement
on commercial aircraft such as those we
operate. “Our Cabin Crew also possess
highly developed people skills and a
multitude of life experiences”. This enables
not only seamless interaction with all they
encounter but a truly holistic appreciation
of any situation that may present
within the cabin.
Respect
“The companies that survive longest are
the ones that work out what they uniquely
can give to the world not just growth or
money but excellence, their respect for
others, or their ability to make people
happy. Some call those things a soul.”
Charles Handy

8. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
A SYD “L.A.M.E. (Licensed Aircraft
Mechanical Engineer), converses with the
Flight Deck of Boeing 737 800 - VUR just
prior to facilitating push back with the PPU
- (Power Push Unit). The vital importance
of communication between both parties,
so apparent! Especially at this time of day
when the gates can be busy and visibility
upon and around the apron area is so
limited.
Communication
“The single biggest problem with
communication is the illusion that it
has taken place.”
George Bernard Shaw

9. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
Yesterday I facilitated CRM (Crew
Resource Management) with a First
Officer Pilot training colleague up in
BNE. This morning we were to be paxing
home, (both just riding as passengers).
Operational requirements necessitated
both he and I be called out just prior to
departure and consequently, I’ve operated
back home as Cabin Crew and with him
flying our Boeing 737 800 aircraft in the
“FO’s”, (First Officer’s), seat. Working for
an airline is all about flexibility and in all
reality it’s really just like show business as;
“The show must go on!” It’s great now to
be home and to have the weekend off.
- I so can’t wait to spend some time with
my girl !!!!
Flexibility
“Despite my firm convictions, I have
always been a man who tries to face facts,
and to accept the reality of life as a new
experience as new knowledge unfolds.
I have always kept an open mind, a flexibility
that must go hand in hand with every form
of the intelligent search for truth.”
Malcolm X

10. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
The sun peers momentarily through the
clouds after a spectacular downpour
as 2 Pit Crew members prepare to load
some specifically labelled cargo aboard
Boeing 737 800 - VUS. The mateship and
camaraderie our Pit Crew display is truly
something wonderful to behold!
Two years back as part of my Crew
Resource Management facilitator role,
I was fortunate when able to shadow a
Pit Crew Leader, or “Whiskey” for the
day. Their job requires of them to work
safely together in pretty well most of the
conditions that nature may afford. I have
immense respect for these guys!
Mateship
“We are all visitors to this time, this place.
We are just passing through. Our purpose
here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to
love... and then we return home.”
Australian Aboriginal Proverb

11. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
Having stripped this Boeing 737 800 - YFG,
a Pit Crew member moves purposely now
toward the terminal with a barrow full of
luggage en-tow. I wonder whether there
is a pre-determined purpose for us all?
Professionally, my purpose is quite well
defined. I feel privileged to provide a safe
and ultimately enjoyable travel experience
for all I encounter. However, sometimes I
ask myself; “What more for me”? I guess
from time immemorial many greater
minds than mine have contemplated this
question?
- My hope is that in some way, I’m able
to make some particular contribution. As
I’d to say when lecturing in photography
at RMIT University; “With some luck,
hopefully I can leave the room a little tidier
than how I found it”
Purpose
“You are here in order to enable the world
to live more amply, with greater vision, with
a finer spirit of hope and achievement.
You are here to enrich the world.”
Woodrow Wilson

12. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
During a brief moment of sun between
showers, Pit Crew work industriously in the
vicinity of 2 of our Boeing 737 800 Aircraft.
In the old company livery, VOL taxies past
in the background. VIA in the foreground,
being also prepared for departure. What
a gargantuan task to transform our airline
to that which it is today. The changes have
been momentous. As I peruse this scene
before me, I reflect upon the tireless work
and dedication of all whom I‘ve the honour
to serve with.
Change
“Change will not come if we wait for some
other person or some other time. We are
the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are
the change we seek.”
Barack Obama

13. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
Flight Crew board Boeing 737 800 - VUV
to undertake cold start pre flight checks
in MEL prior to a morning departure.
I wonder where this aircraft will “Terminate”,
(end up), at days end today? My day
will see me Paxing, (travelling as a
passenger), to BNE for a C.A.S.T.
(Crew Alertness study Team / Fatigue
Risk Management), committee meeting.
Sometimes our days can be long but
when I fly with great crew it makes for the
most wonderful of learning experiences!
I’ve been so truly blessed to work alongside,
learn from and glean amazing insight from
people I could never have imagined I’d
have met!
Insight
“When you want wisdom and insight as
badly as you want to breathe, it is then
you shall have it.”
Socrates

14. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
A SYD Pit Crew member awaits instruction
prior to pushing this Boeing 737 800 back
for departure. As I peruse this scene,
I reflect upon the importance of mutual
understanding of procedure and
subsequent teamwork between him
and the Flight Crew of this aircraft.
Yesterday, I co-facilitated Crew Resource
Management / Non-Technical Skills to
a group of Initial Course Cabin Crew.
As CRM / NTS Instructors, we always
work in tandem, with a Pilot and Cabin
Crew together sharing the instructional
responsibilities. The similarities paralleling
both scenarios being but one of many
situations we as airline employees must
understand and always appreciate.
Mutual Respect / Understanding
“When people honor each other, there is
a trust established that leads to synergy,
interdependence, and deep respect.
Both parties make decisions and choices
based on what is right, what is best, what
is valued most highly.”
Blaine Lee

15. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
Two SYD Pit Crew team members prepare
to “Strip” Boeing 737 800 - VUZ. The
tarmac / Apron area is an incredibly loud
and noisy environment and hence the
vital importance of hearing protection
as depicted here. This of course is a
considerable impediment upon the
individual team members’ awareness of
their surroundings. What impresses me
so much about these so very important
members of our operational team, is how
they look out for each other. The regard
in which all Pit Crew; “Watch each other’s
backs” when working in and around this
potentially dangerous environment is truly
inspiring.
Looking Out For Each Other
“The purpose of life is not to be happy.
It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be
compassionate, to have it make some
difference that you have lived and lived
well.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

16. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
A Pit Crew member drives past en-route to
dropping off commercial cargo this hot SYD
morning. We’ve now 45 minutes remaining
of a 2-hour wait and having purchased a
small birthday present for my loved one in
the terminal, I sit here on board awaiting
our next sector. I consider the activity
going on around me and how there are so
many people working to keep the arrival
and departure of all our aircraft on time, on
track and how I’m part of this extensively
diverse team. I contemplate just how they
also, are possessive of families and loved
ones. I’ll be home this evening after 3 days
away and tomorrow’s Leanne’s birthday,
I so can’t wait to see her.
Relationships
“I have had the world lie beneath my
clumsy boots and saw the red sun slip
over the horizon after the dark Antarctic
winter. I have been given more than my
share of excitement, beauty, laughter and
friendship. Each of us has to discover his
own path – of that I am sure. Some paths
will be spectacular and others peaceful
and quiet, who is to say which is the most
important? For me, the most rewarding
moments have not always been the great
moments, for what can surpass a tear on
your departure, joy on your return, and a
trusting hand in yours?”
Sir Edmund Hillary

17. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
The last remnants of a storm move across
the MEL / Tullamarine landscape. Our
Pit Crew move safely now out onto the
tarmac, the very real risk of lightning strike
having abated. Sometimes the weather we
experience out in the wide-open spaces
where airports are generally located can
be only described as awesome. Visually,
the conditions appear so truly majestic
and ultimately so very humbling.
As I’m no great exponent of English
expression, often I’m at a loss to describe
successfully in literary terms, all I witness
and experience. Hence my desire to
capture visually and reflect upon later,
that which I encounter. This not only
environmentally but also personally as
a human being. I hope the images I’m
capturing with nothing more than a mobile
phone go somewhere near to articulating
my thoughts, experiences and feelings.
Articulation of Experience
and Reflections
“The difference between the right word
and almost the right word is the difference
between the lightning and the lightning rod”
Mark Twain

18. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
MEL Pit crew prepare Boeing 737 800 -
YID for an on time departure. It’s a very
warm day out on the tarmac and our
Pit Crew colleagues would certainly be
maintaining awareness of their hydration
levels. On particularly hot days, the
conditions within the aircraft’s hold are
definitely challenging and out on the
tarmac, temperatures can reach levels
where the potential for heat stroke and
exhaustion must certainly be guarded
against. As Cabin Crew, we operate
within an environment where relative
humidity ranges somewhere between
8-15 %, (human beings generally are
“comfortable” within levels that range
between 40-60%) - So it’s very dry on
board and to avert the risk of dehydration,
consumption of adequate fluids each
sector is a consideration we’re always
mindful of. This coupled with working
within a cabin altitude of around 8,000 ft.
also certainly contributes towards the
empathy we feel for our Pit Crew colleagues
on exigent days such as these.
Empathy
“It’s not so much the journey that’s
important; as is the way that we treat
those we encounter and those around
us, along the way.”
Jeremy Aldana

19. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
Our Pit Crew hard at work loading aircraft
as the remaining fog burns away on this
frosty MEL morning. There appears an
almost balanced tranquillity apparent in
the scene before me. I’m fully aware that
out there on the tarmac, the noise level
would be considerable and being a cold
morning, would be less than hospitable.
However, somehow all I’m witness to
appears calm and purposeful. The aircraft
are being loaded and are heading off to
where they need to. Much effort by our
many dedicated Ground Crew staff has
gone on behind the scenes to create
this. The 2 Pit Crew members seem in
harmony with their surrounds.
- It’s going to be a beautiful day!
Harmony
“Through our eyes, the universe is
perceiving itself. Through our ears, the
universe is listening to its harmonies.
We are the witnesses through which
the universe becomes conscious of its
glory, of its magnificence.”
Alan Wilson Watts

20. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
As I look out through the overwing window
at 14F, (or as we say “14 Fox” / “14 Foxtrot”),
I notice our Pit Crew as always, hard at
work. They’ve finished loading our aircraft
now and it appears they’re heading off
to load another. I contemplate the Crew
Resource Management / Non Technical
Skills training I will be facilitating in SYD
later today and wonder how it will all pan
out. I’ve been so wonderfully fortunate, I
could not have foreseen the direction my
life would have taken 6 years ago but here
I am and what a wonderful experience
it’s been! I work with wonderful people.
My day, if not forever stimulating enough
interacting with students whose questions
I’ll contemplate later in class, will be indeed
as much so, when operating as Cabin
Crew later this week, when I’ll have a myriad
of interesting people on board to learn from.
If every voyage begins with a first step, I
guess the rest of this week’s journey of
discovery is about to begin for me.
Direction
“If you are successful, it is because
somewhere, sometime, someone gave
you a life or an idea that started you in the
right direction. Remember also that you
are indebted to life until you help some
less fortunate person, just as you were
helped.”
Melinda Gates

21. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
This is my view from 8 “Fox” as I arrive
back in MEL having paxed home. I’ve
been away for 2 days training CRM (Crew
Resource Management) in BNE and as
I watch the Pit Crew in action here, I’m
reminded of how soccer players within a
successful team work together on the field
of play. The marvellous synchronicity that
exists when each knows where the other is,
their obviously well rehearsed drills serving
to add both cohesion and certainty to their
forays. “OTP”, (or “On Time Performance”
as it is known within the commercial
aviation industry), is a significant and very
important aspect of day to day operations
and as our airline (along with all airlines
for that matter), is constantly being judged
by it, every possible effort is made to
ensue we get away and arrive on time.
My aircraft has arrived 3 minutes early!
The surreal evening glow out on the apron
making what I’m witnessing, all the more
impressive.
Synchronicity
“Synchronicity is an ever present reality for
those who have eyes to see.”
Carl Jung

22. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
A crepuscular glow surrounds Boeing
737 800 - VUG. I watch on as the MEL Pit
Crew move about the apron preparing this
aircraft for loading and I reflect upon the
prior occupations of some of my Cabin
Crew colleagues. So many from such
a diversity of life backgrounds. Indeed
many are in fact ex Pit Crew and Ground
Crew and that makes their understanding
of airline operating procedures so truly
invaluable! Along with teachers, nurses,
ambulance personnel, ex- military and
people from various customer service
backgrounds, (to name but a few); our
resource group is indeed composed of
a myriad of skills and life experiences.
They’ll all be represented within the group
I’ll be facilitating in SYD tomorrow and I
marvel at the anecdotes they’ll inevitably
share. What an incredible opportunity for
learning!
Diversity
“We are all the same and we are all different.
What great friends we will be.”
Kelly Moran;
The Tiny Caterpillar and the Great Big Tree

23. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
A MEL Pit Crew member pauses
momentarily and then proceeds to the
nose of this Airbus A330 aircraft just prior
to push back. As I watch him pass, I’m
struck by the comparison in scale within
the scene before me. One small man
alongside such a large vehicle. A machine
possessive of so much that make us as
human beings impressive. Our ability to
transport across vast distances not only
quickly but also comfortably and safely.
As I prepare to sign off and drive home
I reflect upon just how amazing the era
I live in is.
Human Beings and Technology
“One machine can do the work of fifty
ordinary men. No machine can do the
work of one extraordinary man.”
Elbert Hubbard

24. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
I’m to PAX home, (i.e. travel as a
passenger), after training CRM / NTS in
SYD. I’m fortunate enough to watch two
of my Cabin Crew colleagues diligently
undertake “Cold Start” / Pre-flight Checks
on the Boeing 737 800 BSI (Boeing Sky
Interior). There are a raft of crew positional
responsibilities that make certain, safe
operation of our aircraft. Each crew
member ensues and then communicates
that their “Checks are good” before
approval to board is given and then the
aircraft subsequently departs. Working in
the cabin environment requires not only
belief in your colleague’s abilities but also
trusting in the knowledge that they will be
there for you no matter what and whatever
the situation. It’s a little like the line from
the movie “Black Hawk Down”;
– “No one gets left behind”!
Responsibility
“Responsibility and Trust - these two
are like Yin and Yang, together perfectly
complete, and each one requiring the
presence of the other.
The next time you mistrust someone,
consider this - does that person feel
responsible for you in any way? If the
answer is yes, then go ahead and trust
them. Very likely, they are looking out for
your best interest.”
Vera Nazarian - The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

25. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
Having communicated to our Captain that
his work is complete and that our aircraft
is now “Good to Go”, this BNE engineer
or L.A.M.E. (Licensed Aircraft Mechanical
Engineer), makes way across the tarmac
on this hot BNE day. Two years ago I
undertook a shadowing exercise with
a MEL based Engineer for a day. I was
so truly impressed by the extent of
knowledge licensed aircraft engineers
possess regards the technical aspects of
our aircraft. Their quiet self assuredness,
a truly salient aspect of their approach to
work being something I’ve admired and
have constantly sought to emulate daily
within my own endeavours. Along with
our Flight Crew, they are so qualified and
particularly in their case; require multiple
aircraft endorsements to carry out their
duties.
Knowledge
“Shall I teach you what knowledge?
When you know a thing, say that you
know it;
When you do not know a thing,
Admit that you do not know it.
That is knowledge.”
Confucius

26. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
After Paxing home, (travelled as a
passenger), from SYD and having
completed 2 days away training, it’s so
nice to be home with my loved ones.
Proceeding through the gate 9 door, I look
back over my shoulder and consider the
Boeing 737 800 aircraft that has carried
me home. I feel such an affinity for this
aeroplane and so love flying on it. I’m
led to believe they’re one of the most
produced commercial aircraft ever. My
Father flew as Cabin Crew aboard the
Boeing 707 and my Father in Law, as a
Flight Engineer aboard the Boeing 727,
(both aircraft that much of the current
Boeing 737’s design can be linked back
to) and as such, there’s a certain feeling
of being involved with something that’s
unique and stood the test of time. Each
day when I fly, I carry in my back pocket, a
photograph of my parents in uniform when
they were working for airlines back in the
1950’s – truly they fly with me! I guess it
means we’re all part of the same family!
Family
“I see the friends I made over the years
who have become family today, people
I became acquainted with who have
achieved so much in their lives. They
taught me something with each meeting.”
Akshay Kumar

27. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
At dawn, the solitary figure of a MEL Pit
Crew Member opens the cargo hold of
Boeing 737 800 – VOK and prepares for
loading and subsequent dispatch. Correct
loading of a commercial aircraft with
freight, baggage and sometimes-even
animals, is a task that requires not only
strict adherence to Standard Operating
Procedures but also a comprehensive
knowledge regards potentially dangerous
goods. Consequently, all that operate
in and around our aircraft, or whose
responsibility it is to ensue the safe
loading of that which is loaded on and
off them, are required to undergo training
relevant to such. Along with my Flight
Crew colleagues, (pilots), I myself as a
Cabin Crew member must also satisfy this
training requirement. This serves only to
further extend the high regard I hold for
my Pit Crew colleagues.
High Regard
“We can do things the cheap way, the
simple way, for the short- term and without
regard for the future. Or, we can make
the extra effort, do the hard work, absorb
the criticism and make decisions that will
cause a better future.”
Mike Rounds

28. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
The forward hold of Boeing 737 800 - VOX
is secured by the Pit Crew prior to departure
out of MEL. Yet again, people relying on
each other on the apron to get the job
done safely and effectively. I recall when I
first began my career as Cabin Crew. That
very first day, I knew absolutely no one!
It appeared so daunting embarking upon
a new career not knowing a soul. Our
initial training as expected was certainly
challenging with so much information
to process and learn. Regulations,
procedures, drills, - It seemed I’d never
learn it all! Very quickly, as a training group
we got to know each other. It also became
apparent that to survive the course, we’d
need to work together, providing both
support and encouragement. On that first
day our lead instructor stated; “Before today
it’s unlikely that any of you knew each other
but it’s highly likely that today you’ve met
someone with whom you’ll remain friends
with for the rest of your life!” Prophetic
words indeed I reflect upon often, as truly
I have met and made some incredible and
wonderful friends flying.
Friendship
“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead.
Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow.
Just walk beside me and be my friend.”
Albert Camus

29. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
A Pit Crew member proceeds past this
Embraer 190 aircraft on his way to another
aircraft. Our Boeing 737 aircraft is about to
depart and I reflect upon the training I’ll be
delivering in SYD tomorrow. The new
content I’ll be facilitating I find quite
interesting, as it explores effective decision
making. In the safety critical role such as
that carried out by our Pit Crew, effective
decision-making skills are practiced and
considered constantly. Skills indeed vital
to the safe operation of their
responsibilities. My immediate task is to
be fully conversant with this new material.
I think I’ll read through the notes one more
time on the way up to SYD.
Decision Making
“In a moment of decision, the best thing
you can do is the right thing to do.
The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
Theodore Roosevelt

30. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
As I sit in my window seat, (14 Fox), just prior
to Paxing, (i.e. travelling as a passenger), up
to SYD to facilitate CRM, (Crew Resource
Management) training, I notice a Refueler
refuelling our Boeing 737 800 aircraft just
prior to boarding. A highly responsible
undertaking requiring acute safety
awareness. Consequently, I’ve much
respect for those whose duty it is, to
reliably and conscientiously undertake
this task. We too, being Cabin Crew,
must be also; “On our game” when this
is occurring. There are certain procedural
safety protocols required of us during this
time, many of which our guests on board
I’d imagine would be quite unaware of.
I feel a sense of pride as I observe the
crew operating my flight carrying out all
that is required of them in this regard.
Their diligent adherence to duty making
them true safety professionals.
Diligence
“Diligence is the mother of good fortune,
and idleness, its opposite, never brought a
man to the goal of any of his best wishes.”
Miguel de Cervantes
17:42

31. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
The Captain, wearing his “Hi-Vis Vest”
carries out the “Walk Around” pre flight
inspection prior to departure out of OOL.
In this case, a “Tug” will assist by pushing
the aircraft back. Not long back, I ran into
an esteemed Cabin Crew trainer/colleague
during an overnight. He now works as a
Flight Manager aboard our “Long – Haul”
Boeing 777 aircraft. For the duration of my
initial training, he also was my instructor
and mentor. His unfailing support and
encouragement inspired me and I learnt
so much from him! – Truly a gracious
man possessive of not only empathy and
humility but also a wonderful array of life
and people skills. Over dinner, I mentioned
how I’d been working on a series of
images depicting my daily experiences
along with the recollections and reflections
associated with each image. He asked
me how I went about my “self-imposed
undertaking” and I used this image to
illustrate my approach. Subsequently, we
sent on this image as a text message
attachment to his 10-year-old son.
Encouragement
“Our chief want is someone who will inspire
us to be what we know we could be.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
12:36

32. Mark Adrian Langtry
Australia b.1963
Digital C type print
A SYD Pit Crew Leader/ “Whiskey” casts
a lonely figure as solicitously, he prepares
to undertake pre flight checks and then
load this, a Boeing 737 800 aircraft. Many
are the paths our lives may follow. In
the end however it’s been myself that’s
determined that which my destiny would
be. The choices I’ve made, (hopefully
well informed and intentioned), have
determined where my life has taken me.
- “I am the master of my fate: I am the
Captain of my soul,” (as quoted by Nelson
Mandela from William Earnest Henley’s
poem in the film “Invictus”), hauntingly
rung within my mind when creating this
image. Once, travelling from SYD to PER,
the lawyer of Nelson Mandela, George
Bizos was aboard our aircraft. Being a
long sector and early, we were not busy.
Politely, I introduced myself and he invited
conversation. I blessed the stars for this
fortuitous opportunity as he shared first
hand, some of the philosophy that the
great man espoused. Sincerely, his spirit
of generosity humbled me. When alone
some times I reflect how truly providential
my life has been.
Solitude
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
and I choose the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference.”
Robert Frost