I was unused to the
weather, which was totally different from what I had experienced in the Middle East and Europe. From December through to February the weather was marked by strong trade winds. There could be sudden squalls and at times so severe that aircraft had to be securely anchored to the ground to avoid damage.
Next, I flew for Ghana Airways, based in Accra, where my second daughter was born. Lifelong friends were made during this time and our family was complete. Unfortunately, there were no good high schools for our oldest daughter, and we had to leave Ghana and return to England. I was sorry to leave the position and disappointed to be leaving Ghana, who’s president, Kwame Nkremah, was a world figure and symbol of immense Hope for the future of the country, one of the first in Africa, to be free of colonial control.
I did not know where my next job would 
come from. However, the field of civil aviation had experienced enormous growth and I felt certain my now experience with two recognised international carriers would serve me well. I was offered a short-term contract in Singapore for Malaysia Singapore Airlines, based in Singapore.
I was then offered a permanent position based on the island of Borneo, Kota Kinabalu. The airline covered various routes within Malaya and Borneo. To the north we flew to Jesselton and to the south Kuching, Towan, Lutong and Notam. The airline had standardised on F27, Fokker Friendship, turboprop planes for its fleet covering short and medium range routes. The Fokker had an overhead wing configuration and was a replacement for the DC-3 Dakotas, which were being phased out, due to the number of accidents in which they 
were involved.
Our family life in KK was extremely happy and comfortable. The airline continued to go through re-organisations. It started as MSA (Malaysian Singapore Airlines) and subsequently split into two to become Malaysian Airlines and Singapore Airlines. I had a choice of joining either one and chose Singapore Airlines. In reality the choice had been made for me by senior personnel with whom I worked, who knew, in their wisdom, where I would best fit in and where the opportunities would be greater. Then as now, Singapore was the safest environment a family could ever wish for, with excellent schooling too. In all my long absences from home, I never worried about the safety of my wife or daughters.
