It was barely six thirty in the morning as flight NZ 855 left the runway and took to the skies bound for Melbourne Australia, a little over three hours and a 1397 nautical miles away. I wouldn’t have chosen such an early flight but my choices were limited so here I was, racing the sunrise to the skies above New Zealand and the day ahead.

I still like flying, still enjoy listening to music and looking at the landscapes and blanket clouds beneath us as the plane drifts at seemingly pedestrian speeds from one place to the next.

Leonardo da Vinci once said, “For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” I reckon that’s just about right.