Air safety is taken extremely seriously around the world and has been since the early days of flight. This is why flying is one of the safest modes of transportation, due to years of focus and learning in this area.
Australia has a quite good reputation for air safety. Part of the reason is due to the relatively benign weather across the continent, but also due to the professionalism of people working in the industry.
A Film About Air Safety
The Commonwealth Film Unit put together this colour presentation back in 1962. It runs for a shade under half an hour and is a real window into Australian aviation of the past.
Titled “Safety Is No Accident”, it opens with shots of the most modern aircraft of the era, the jet powered Boeing 707. You’re then immediately inside a control tower, as an Ansett-ANA Lockheed Electra passes by, also a brand new type for the time.
There is plenty of air to air photography, including the Australian outback and Sydney of the past. General aviation aircraft appear, plus some TAA planes with their Day-Glo tails such as on the Fokker F27. Foreign carriers are present too, the brand new Comet 4 of BOAC appears, as well as TAI and KLM Douglas DC-8s.
In keeping with the air safety theme, there are hangar shots showing maintenance (where you can see local Vickers Viscounts), control tower shots, pilot training and more. It’s well worth a look at this one.
Overall Thoughts
Has much changed in the years since? Not really. Technology has certainly moved on, but a lot of things are largely the same. Even from a passenger perspective it is all very similar, apart from more security at the airport.
It is great that the Australian Government financed this film. I’m curious as to its intended market though. Was it for domestic consumption or something to show overseas? I wonder.
What do you think of this presentation on air safety in Australia back in the day? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
Like planes? See my “Does anyone remember” series.
Flight reviews your thing? Mine are all indexed here.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Featured image via Aussie Airliners.
