Good morning, Good afternoon all members who have participated in sharing this petition around the world. This is a very long-winded introduction so please join me in sharing the living hell out of this post to all involved in this petition so that we can reach a goal set by Fuzzy Maiava.

Let me first introduce myself, My name is Arthur Birch, I am 71 years old and a retired Parking Inspector from NSW. I am a current long term Platinum Frequent Flyer with QANTAS.

Fuzzy Maiava has asked me to take over the challenge for personal reasons and his underlying personal health issues and also that of his daughter which I am sure you must also be aware of and my submitting this petition as an Australian citizen to achieve its primary goal to reach over 100,000 signatures so that we may present this petition to the Australian Government in order that Captain Kevin ‘Sully’ Sullivan (Ret.), First Officer Peter Lipsett, Second Officer Ross Hales, and Customer Service Manager Diana Casey receive the public recognition they so suitably deserve.

I have never met Fuzzy Maiava, Captain Kevin Sullivan, First Officer Peter Lipsett, Second Officer Ross Hales, or Customer Service Manager Diana Casey.

A Special Note: For those who don’t know who Diana Casey is and the reasons for her nomination in this category – Diana Casey is a Qantas Customer Service Manager who was off duty at the time of the incident and without disregard for her own safety and injuries, single handily picked up off the floor flight attendant Fuzzy Maiava, and off duty Qantas Captain Peter Casey and dragged them both to their seats and secured them both in. Diana then ran into the rear of the aircraft and secured passengers and children into their seats who were still in a state of shock and screaming for dear life.

I’m sure you will all agree with Fuzzy's recommendation that Diana Casey qualifies without question and should be recognised for her outstanding and remarkable contribution to the safety of others.

I now have nominated Captain Sullivan and his crew for Australia’s highest civilian Bravery award the ‘Cross Of Valour’.

I have flown with QANTAS for 50 years since I took my first flight to Fiji in 1970 while on leave in the Australian Army, and during this time I have flown over 1.5 million Kms around the world and half of that amount has been on QANTAS flights and aircraft.

The next time I board an aircraft anywhere in Australia of the rest of the world, I want to know that in the event of any unforeseen circumstances that the crew flying an aircraft will have my best interests to heart along with every other soul on board. This is a special poignant issue with the crew of QF72 and they should all be recognised.

The following is a FOOTNOTE I have written to address some issues on my nominating Captain Kevin 'Sully' Sullivan, First Officer Peter Lipsett, Second Officer Ross Hales, and Customer Service Manager, Diana Casey, as to why I personally think that Captain Sullivan and his crew need to be acknowledged and rewarded for the services to all passengers and crew onboard QF 72 on October 7th, 2008.

It is my personal opinion, that in the year 2020, being one of celebration for Qantas in celebrating its 100th anniversary that this should be a time of recognition for Captain Kevin Sullivan, First Officer Peter Lipsett, and Second Officer Ross Hales for the excellent manner in which they all worked as a team to perform their duties on the 7th October 2008. It should also be used as a template for recognition for all flight crews from Qantas in this celebratory year for the work they do in a time of need.

In this year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of QANTAS AIRWAYS, it should also seek to remind us of the history of Qantas, which despite the producers of the movie ‘RAINMAKER’ starring Dustin Hoffman in which he was quoted;... ‘like QANTAS never had an accident, ‘never lost a life’...and that this statement is totally untrue.

I personally have been flying with QANTAS for over 51 years and I have kept records of every single flight I have ever taken and that will include over 1.5 million Kms of which half has been on QANTAS aircraft. That is not much by many standards of some frequent flyers.

I have never met any of these crew members, but like my fellow travelers, I like to board a flight knowing that the crew will at all times do their best in trying circumstances to avoid a situation as Captain Sullivan did the day he took the controls of QF 72. Qantas might have you believe that it has an enviable safety record which it does not but in the words of John Gunn in three books published by University of Queensland Press:

a. The Defeat of Distance: QANTAS 1919-1939

b. Challenging Horizons: QANTAS 1939 – 1954

c. High Corridors: QANTAS 1954 – 1970

QANTAS has been involved in approximately 124 accidents in its history, involving the loss of approx 39 crews lives and 66 passengers' lives.

QANTAS does have a safety record “Nulli Secundus” (second to none) albeit given that there has not been a loss of life in a fatal accident in the ‘jet era’ but then QANTAS was not founded in the Jet era, it was founded in 1920.

Given that QANTAS is entering a new era of Longest flights non-stop over previously flown areas with multi-stops, it should be solemnly reminded that recently when QANTAS operated the first-ever Non-stop flight from Perth to London on 24th March 2018, that this was also the 91st anniversary of the first-ever fatal crash of a Qantas flight at Tambo in Queensland in 1927.

Now that we are in the celebratory year of the 100th anniversary of QANTAS it could be seen as a timely reminder to forget about the past and look forward to the future and in saying that I would be honoured to nominate

a. Captain Kevin 'Sully' Sullivan

b. First Officer Peter Lipsett

c. Second Officer Ross Hales

d. Customer Service Manager Diana Casey

For ‘The Cross of Valour’ Australia’s highest civilian Bravery award, for their roles as flight crew on QF 72 on 7th October 2008 for their collective acts of bravery, which saved the lives of all 303 passengers and 12 crew onboard.

It should be noted that Captain Sullivan has since retired from QANTAS and First Officer Peter Lipsett, Second Officer Ross Hales, and Customer Service Manager Diana Casey are still employed with QANTAS.

And that all four crew members qualify for this award, “... brave acts usually involve a deliberate choice to go from a place of safety to danger or remain in a perilous situation to provide help to another...” and that they all did just that until the aircraft could make an emergency landing at Learmonth in W.A.

Excerpts noted below from the Australian Bravery Decorations Nomination Forms:

“...There are four levels of awards for individuals, as well as an award to recognise the bravery of a group of people involved in a single incident. The awards, commencing with the highest, are:

� Cross of Valour

� Star of Courage

� Bravery Medal

� Commendation for Brave Conduct

“What is Bravery?

Brave acts usually involve a deliberate choice to go from a place of safety to danger or remain in a perilous situation to provide help to another.”

Captain Sullivan and his crew did just that and it’s now up to me to follow this through to obtain the recognition that we the People need.

Please spare me your time and share this with all your friends and in the interest recognition of a safer aviation industry so that my recommendation for the nomination of ‘The Cross of Valour’ be awarded to the crew of QF72.

Arthur Birch