Farewell sweet traveller...

Paul in Cairns 11th March 2005

It is with enormous sorrow and great love that the family of Captain Paul Norris, raise this site as a tribute to the Son, Husband, Brother, Uncle, or friend that we all adored.

Paul was one of the greats - a shiny star burning a bright path through life, his life tragically cut short along with 14 other passengers and crew in a plane crash in Far North Queensland, Australia, on Saturday 7th of May 2005, at the age of 34.

Paul was filled with enormous Generosity, Passion, Laughter and a huge love of life and people - his adored wife Fiona, his family and friends, and of course the second great passion in his life - Flying.

It was this passion for flying that found Paul in Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait, far from his home and wife in Sydney, pursuing his dream of being a Qantas captain one day, we are all sure that with his flying skills, and total professionalism he would have made that dream a reality.

Paul was not flying the plane that tragic day, he was off duty, and on his way to meet Fiona for their 4th Wedding anniversary (that very day) and it is cruelly ironic and saddening that a man that was never a passenger in life, was one on his final journey.

A Beautiful and totally fitting Memorial Service for Paul was held on Friday 10th of June 2005, for details click HERE

Our hearts go out to the families and friends of all 15 of the Passengers and Crew on VH-TFU Our Sincere condolences to all who lost loved ones.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew -
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

- John Gillespie Magee, Jr