What really goes on behind the curtains of the wild, wild, world of air travel? In this wide-ranging episode, we're joined by aviation expert Keith Tonkin - former military and commercial pilot, now Managing Director of Aviation Projects. He started his career in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), where he spent 15 years. He then spent 9 years flying internationally and domestically with Qantas.

Our presumption with this podcast series is in confronting complexity, we enable ourselves to better understand simplicity. And this episode highlights that. Following the tragic Air India crash in June, we sought out Keith to shed light on what may have happened, and to unpack the systems, people, and governance mechanisms that make modern aviation possible. Keith takes us through a bit of his background, what inspired him to fly as a young man, pathways for career progression for young prospective pilots, how the climate is affecting air travel, and the work he’s doing today in aviation consultancy.

We also dive into the inner workings of the aviation industry. Flying has become so ingrained in modern life that we seldom recognise the complex exercise in supply chain optimisation that it is. Every single flight is essentially an elaborate just-in-time exercise, with an immense number of moving parts that must go right, with a product that after all, is perishable. When you understand how much had to go right to get you that hot meal at 35,000 ft, you simply can't, (or at least bloody well shouldn't) complain about any little minor thing.

We hope you enjoy.