Tom Takes Off to Enjoy Retirement

By Anthea Gleeson, 'Toowoomba Chronicle'

With his kids grown and his government career behind him, 70-year-old Tom Redwood has completed his formation training and looks forward to spending his retirement in the sky. He owns a de Havilland Chipmunk and trained for five months at Aerotec, which offers joy flights and adventure rides in addition to flight training. Redwood says he was always interested in flying but "life just got in the way," but now he has time to fulfill his passion for flying. "Now that I am retired I can keep the dream alive," he said. His flight instructor, Matt Handley, said there are many locals who are interested in flying and in vintage planes, which he says are "more hands-on. These days everything is computerized, but this is real flying."

August 20, 2009