Cricket Charter
Airline captain and former Test player for New Zealand Tania Woodbury takes us on a flight with a special cargo…
At least once a year, NZ airline pilots are assigned a “standby/call” roster. 28 days of no scheduled flying, but the requirement to be available for duty, often at short notice, to cover sickness, flight disruptions (weather/breakdowns etc) or schedule changes after the roster has been published. In Auckland, we have around 10 Airbus Captains on Call each roster.
On Wednesday my first indication something was up was an email “Charter Brief” with details of a Melbourne to Christchurch flight. Checking my roster notifications confirmed I had been assigned a duty on Thursday to fly an empty Airbus A321 to Melbourne, pick up 64 passengers and baggage, and fly them to Christchurch. Given the current COVID circumstances and closed borders, my curiosity was aroused, and a check with the passenger manifest confirmed my suspicions…the 64 passengers were the Australian and English squads flying to NZ for the World Cup.
The timing, early February 2022, reminded me that it was almost exactly 30 years previously that I had played in my second (and last) Test match, against England in New Plymouth… February 1992. It was a happy coincidence… I’m sure the crew scheduler who assigned me the duty had no idea I was a former cricketer, and it could have gone to any of the Captains on call. It was just luck that I was the one chosen.
On the day, the A321 with just 2 pilots and 5 cabin crew on board left Auckland at 1150am for the 4 hour flight to Melbourne. The boarding of the 2 squads and their equipment was under Covid restrictions, with the English team at the rear of the aircraft, and separated from the Australian team at the front.
The flight to Christchurch was just under 3 hours (with favourable tail winds) landing at 8.20pm to a lovely clear evening. Disembarkation was again staggered due to Covid requirements, with both teams having to quarantine in managed isolation for 10 days. Due to these requirements, I was unable to talk to any of the players, which was a shame. Our not requiring to isolate is dependent upon not having left the aircraft in Melbourne, or mixing with passengers.
Hopefully with “bubble protocols” the teams will be able to carry out limited trainings during the quarantine period so they can be close to their best before the World Cup begins. The next morning, my co-pilot and I flew the aircraft (empty) back to Auckland.
My flying career was both the brake and the accelerator of my time playing cricket. After playing schoolgirl and club cricket in Wellington, my move to a flying job in Nelson took me away from an organised women’s competition for several years. It wasn’t until I moved to Auckland in 1988 to join Ansett NZ that it became possible to play again. The years away were a big handicap to my cricket development, and had I known that a place in NZ squads was in my future, I would have tried to keep playing….perhaps in lower grade Men’s competition, or even trying to commute across Cook Strait to continue playing in Wellington.
My time with the NZ team began with selection in the touring squad for the Shell Rosebowl in 1991. The games were in Hobart and Melbourne, but I didn’t make the playing team for any of them. It was a great learning experience, and gave me a first look at the fitness and professionalism of the top class Australian team at that time.
The following season, I was faced with a dilemma. I was incredibly keen to continue to develop as a player, and force my way into the playing 11, given the English team were touring NZ for a one-day and Test series. Unfortunately this coincided with my opportunity to upgrade to Captain in my airline job. After much soul searching, I came to a decision, and made myself unavailable for selection for the one day games and first test.
As NZ were playing England, I was studying hard for my final command checks, which I successfully passed in January 1992. Ansett NZ were generous enough to then give me time off work to play in the Second and Third Tests against England in Whanganui and New Plymouth.
Subsequently, I moved to Christchurch for work, and a season with the St Albans club, and the Canterbury rep side, but I struggled to make my way in what was a very strong Canterbury team. Perhaps I would have been better staying with Auckland, where I led the pace attack, but I made some lifelong friends amongst my southern team mates. The years away from the game had restricted my cricketing development compared with my peers, and when I was told that I wouldn’t be needed for the following year’s World Cup side, it confirmed that it was time to retire from cricket and concentrate on my flying.
Subsequently I continued as a Captain for Ansett NZ, then onto Freedom Air, eventually joining my current airline in 2008. I spent 12 fantastic years flying the world as a long-haul international pilot on Boeing 767s, and 777s, before a Covid enforced return to the Airbus A320 in 2020.
I absolutely enjoyed my time playing first class and international cricket, but I regret not being able to go further in the game, possibly due to my relative lack of experience when I reached the top level. In my heart of hearts, I knew my future was always in aviation, and so it has turned out, but the cricket memories and friendships endure, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.
