Pilots re-enact history for students

03 November 2009
By Martin Gunsberg

Model students ... Children from Longreach School of Distance Education and their special visitors in front of the restored 1919 Model T Ford.

Year 4 students from Longreach School of Distance Education (LSODE) recently enjoyed a trip down memory lane thanks to some high-flying visitors.

On August 18 Qantas A380 captain Don Hill and four other Qantas pilots visited the children in a restored 1919 Model T Ford.

The visit was part of a television documentary re-enacting the trek from Longreach to Darwin by aviator and businessman Sir Hudson Fysh and businessman Paul McGuinness in 1919.

Fysh and McGuinness' journey was so difficult, they thought there must be a better way to travel and in Longreach in 1920 founded airline Qantas with Fergus McMaster and W Arthur Baird.

Teacher Tamara Watson said the pilots' visit matched the theme of the week, the olden days.

'Students were filmed for the documentary in a classroom situation where they asked questions about the car, the olden days and the long trip the pilots were going to undertake,' Ms Watson said.

'Students learnt about transport back then and the challenges people faced. They also learnt about the history of Qantas.'

Ms Watson said the students were excited to see the car.

'Each student got a short ride and was able to feel what it was like to travel back then,' she said.

'Some students said they felt sorry for Don because the car had no air-conditioning or DVD player.'

The students from rural and remote areas of northwest Queensland gather in Longreach for one week a year, with some children travelling up to 12 hours to experience what it is like in a regular classroom.

The documentary is set to appear on Channel 7 and ABC next year. It is based on the book Fords and Flying Machines by Patricia Bernard whose contacts helped to organise the visit.