Qantas treats war hero and former pilot to a special tour of their jet base to celebrate his amazing career after he turns 100

CENTURION Phillip Miller was yesterday treated to an emotional behind-the-scenes tour of the Qantas jet fleet at the company’s Mascot headquarters as part of a birthday bash 100 years in the making.

HE’S pretty fly for an old guy.

In honour of his 100th birthday, former Qantas pilot and hero WWII captain ­Phillip Miller was yesterday treated to an emotional ­behind-the-scenes tour of the jet fleet he helped pioneer.

The red carpet was laid out for Mr Miller at the Mascot headquarters of the company, which is celebrating its own 95-year milestone just a few years short of Mr Miller’s.

The veteran pilot flew for the Royal Australian Air Force in New Guinea before being poached by Qantas.

He retired 50 years ago and yesterday said the modern A380 passenger jets had little in common with the tin cans he used to command over the battlefields.

Phillip with his wife Dorothy. Photo: Toby Zerna

“Zero resemblance,” he said with a laugh.

Mr Miller was also instrumental in establishing Qantas’ first European routes and the flag carrier’s rigorous pilot training program.

A framed personal letter from Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, presented to Mr Miller at morning tea yesterday, ­celebrated the centenarian’s service to Australians at home and on the war front and credited him with ­helping make Qantas the ­airline it is today.

Qantas chief pilot Dick Tobiano yesterday described Mr Miller as an ­inspiration.

“We’re (Qantas) 95 years old so Captain Miller’s just a little bit older than us ... what an amazing career,” he said.

“Some of the things he would have seen in the early days, the ­pioneering days of aviation, are just remarkable.”

Phillip (squatting second from left) during WWII in Papua New Guinea.

Captain’s photo....Phillip during his career

Distinguished service...Phillip in uniform

Thank you... A framed letter written to Phillip from Qantas CEO Alan Joyce

Mr Miller yesterday recounted the time in the 1950s when he was forced to bite his tongue when the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, came into his cockpit in ­contravention of flight rules.

“Well, Prince Philip, my namesake, made a full tour of New Guinea at that time,” he said. “I was assigned as his pilot. He used the same crew throughout. Of course, he wandered around the aircraft and up into the cockpit where, legally, they shouldn’t be when you take off and land. But I didn’t feel like ­telling the prince to go back to his seat.”

Mr Miller said he talked at length about aviation with Prince Philip as he flew him from runway to runway.

“He was very interested in flying, conditions and so on,” he said.

The Queen also sent a ­letter to Mr Miller in ­recognition of his 100th birthday on July 6.

In his letter to Mr Miller, Mr Joyce wrote about ­Qantas’ first international services in 1935, saying: “Thinking about that milestone, I was struck by how ambitious it was.

“Yet just a few years later you were flying Qantas ­aircraft in the war effort in New Guinea, promoted to captain in circumstances that are beyond imagination for most of us today.

“Your memories are a unique link with a formative time in our company’s and Australia’s history.”

During the war, Australian forces were boosted by Qantas aircraft and crews over the battlefields of New Guinea — including the ­harrowing Kokoda Track.

“We were very much ­together back in those days,” said Mr Tobiano.

“Many of our pilots have military backgrounds and we still have a very good relationship with the military.”

Mr Miller’s family donated his military flying suit and boots to Qantas with plans to put them on display in the company’s heritage museum.

His story was relayed to Qantas by John Payne, a friend of Mr Miller’s from his local RSL branch who pieced together the remarkable tale during morning teas at a cafe in West Pennant Hills.