It's a bird, it's a plane... it's Nancy Bird Walton

Nancy Bird Walton was an aviatrix. A pioneer, the founder and patron of Australian Women Pilots' Association.

So it's not a big surprise when QANTAS the Australian flag carrier decided to name their first Super Jumbo after her. Registered as VH-OQA entered service on September 2008. The namesake attended it's naming ceremony. Nancy Bird Walton was in her 90's at that time. On that day, she made a witty remark "I've made my business to stay alive for today's ceremony" 2:28

It's a custom to break a bottle of champagne when a Christening a ship. It's no different to this particular aircraft. Responding to the smashing of a champagne bottle at the fuselage by a fellow female pilot, she said "I hope she didn't scratch it (the A380)" 4:05

A few months later in January 2009, Nancy Bird Walton passed away. Her namesake made a flypast, as a final respect.

The following year, in 4th November 2010, flying as QF 32 from Kingsford Smith (SYD) to Changi (SIN), Nancy Bird Walton encountered an engine failure. Fortunately, it landed safely.

Some see aeroplane just as a mode of transportation, a flying machine. Others see them like a person. Well aeroplanes have great stories too, if only they can tell you.

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Nancy Bird Walton naming ceremony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9mTTvrZ7cM

You can skip to 2:28 and 4:05

The Super Jumbo paying last respect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9_LSzU5Oqs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG2rNwOlZk8

The incident (it's an episode of Air Crash Investigation under the name Titanic in the Sky)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7FkTKQ-QRY

Wikipedia page on Nancy Bird Walton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Bird_Walton

And the crash

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas_Flight_32

Welcome home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htRujDrI6YM

Worth watching, an advert featuring A380
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDWqGS71n04
The biplane, usually flown by pioneer aviator like Nancy-Bird and an A380 the largest commercial airliner. 

p/s 

Sydney airport is named after Nancy-Bird's flight instructor Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.
QANTAS is the longest/oldest airlines. KLM was established earlier but suspended their operation during the World War II

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines_by_foundation_date