Plane Crazy Down Under » Bankstown

Pending GAAP to Class D conversion

Grant (Falcon124) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:17:35 +0000

In June of this year, Australia’s General Aviation Aerodrome Procedures (GAAP) airports are going to convert a US FAA based Class D airspace. We’re trying to arrange an episode dedicated to this topic before June but meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) have arranged a number of workshops around the country for pilots to learn about the changes and how they will affect them.

If you haven’t already, go to the CASA GAAP page and follow the links there to sign up. This is critical not only for any pilot who flies at these airports but even those who fly near them. You never know when you may have to divert to one. Besides, as Bas Scheffers points out in his CTAF(R) blog article on these workshops, it’ll be a great way to meet pilots in your area :)

Episode 8: Riding Our Segways

Grant (Falcon124) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:48:27 +0000

We thought we’d have this episode out within a few days of our previous one, but there was so many news items to review, so much to discuss and so many bits to splice together that it took a whole week to bring it to you. Weighing in at almost 2 hours, this episode has interviews, GA, follow ups and much much more.

With some brilliant segways between topics (and a few clangers), this episode includes the following items:

Changes after the Kokoda accident
- Australia pledges $2m for Kokoda airstrip upgrade (ABC News)
Virgin Blue and Delta rebuttal against Air New Zealand
- Virgin and Delta slam Air NZ attacks (Ari Sharp @ The Age)
As we predicted, JetStar are going to Fiji
- Qantas and Virgin Blue in Fiji fight (Steve Creedy @ The Australian)
- Jetstar to spoil V Australia’s Fiji flights? (Alex @ AusAviation)
Webjet pressured by competition to drop fees
- Pressure On Webjet As Zuji and Expedia Drop Fees (Martin Kelly @ Travel Trends)
Listener comments about laser pointers and aircraft
@DanWebbage from the Airplane Geeks provides feedback on United Airlines and their 747-400s on the Pacific route
@DanWebbage also gives us a report on a recent conference where he got to try different aircraft seats
Some QANTAS stories from mechanical to financial
The Australian Government is putting its travel management up to tender
Interview with Karla Courtney from the QANTAS Travel Insider
Tiger Airlines aircraft hits a flock of birds
- Bird strike grounds Tiger plane at Adelaide Airport (Sam Rodrigues @ Adelaide Now)
- Airplane hits flock of birds in Australia, take off rejected (AvioNews)
Airline review results are in
- Australians reveal their worst airline (Angela Saurine @ news.com.au)
Jetstar Pacific in Vietnam may have breached the law
- Jetstar Pacific told to quit using the orange star and ‘Jet’ logo (Look At Vietnam)
Interview with Shashank Nigam” from SimpliFlying
Final missing RAAF aircrew from the Vietnam conflict found and returned for burial

Student pilot makes emergency landing after engine fails (same pilot as the runway overrun reported a few weeks ago)

Observer has to fly King Air until pilot recovers (thanks to @DavidOptiimal and others for the inside story)
- Passenger flies plane after pilot passes out (ABC News)
Government is taking steps to halt inappropriate development on airports
- Airport building hopes reined in: Bankstown (Steve Creedy @ The Australian)
We mention some web sites:
- Owen Zupp’s website about his trip around Australia to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (There and Back)
- Noel Kruse has released some free flight training books online (Fly Better)

Episode 5: Jet Lag Recovery

Grant (Falcon124) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:41:05 +0000

Steve’s back from his trip to the USA and, despite some jet lag woes, he’s in the recording studio and the banter is flowing in our longest episode yet. Sadly, the first 15 minutes sound like Grant’s testing NASA’s new Interplanetary Internet and experiencing a really crappy connection. Not to worry, it soon clears up and the rest of the episode quite clearly reveals our usual commentary on this week’s local aviation news stories, including the following topics:

Airlines PNG Twin Otter crash at Kokoda
- Pilot in PNG crash had six months’ experience (Michael McKenna and Steve Creedy @ The Australian)
- Flyers may have lost their bearings (Steve Creedy @ The Australian)
Landing gear incidents @ Bankstown (YSBK)
- Planes Lose Wheels (The Torch newspaper)
Regional airlines worrying about aircraft
- Regional airlines face plane shortage (Steve Creedy @ The Australian)
Flying Doctor losing a contract
Steve discusses his visit to the TWiT Cottage and meeting Leo Laporte (go on gang, you *know* you’re jealous :)
Steve clarifies that he went to Eaker AFB while in the USA but named it incorrectly during his update on the previous episode
Steve talks about his flights with V Australia
- Tainted Virgin Blue chicken wraps induced births (Jamie Walker @ The Australian)
- Virgin-Delta joint venture to get a clear run (Steve Creedy @ The Australian)
We discuss an article by Andrew McLaughlin in the July issue of Australian Aviation magazine about United Airlines fighting to retain share on the Pacific route
Tiger is taking steps to improve its image
- Airline complaints head sky-high (Clive Dorman @ The Age)
V Australia wants to fly to Fiji
- V Australia applies for Fiji route (Greg Waldron @ Flight Global)
Grant talks about his experiences going to Sydney for the SimpliFlying/PCDU Tweet Up along side the Asia Pacific Aviation Outlook Summit 2009 conference
QANTAS links its frequent flyer program to the Woolworths loyalty program
- Qantas loyalty deal with Woolies a big seller (Steve Creedy @ The Australian)
AirAsiaX news
- Capital city rivals out to land Asia (Steve Creedy @ The Australian)
- AirAsiaX will boost its Gold Coast route
Malaysia Airlines getting stung by low cost carriers
- Discount rivals hit MAS results (Geoff Easdown @ The HeraldSun)
Laser taggers arrested
- Laser pointer accused faces court (ABC News)