Plane Crazy Down Under » V Australia http://www.planecrazydownunder.com Looking at the world of aviation from an Australia / Pacific point of view Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:34:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 CreativeCommons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ planecrazydownunder@gmail.com (Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com)) planecrazydownunder@gmail.com (Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com)) Aviation 1440 http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/images/PCDU_RSS_Feed_Logo.jpg Plane Crazy Down Under http://www.planecrazydownunder.com 144 144 An aviation based podcast with a focus on the Australia/Pacific area aviation, australia, new, zealand, asia, pacific, flying, aircraft Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) planecrazydownunder@gmail.com no no PCDU Episode 73: Oshkosh: The Greatest Show on Earth http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/08/20/pcdu-episode-73-oshkosh-the-greatest-show-on-earth/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/08/20/pcdu-episode-73-oshkosh-the-greatest-show-on-earth/#comments Sat, 20 Aug 2011 13:12:26 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=1277 Today Steve & Grant are chatting with Bas Scheffers, reviewing their experiences at EAA‘s AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. We talk about the long haul across the Pacific via V Australia 777 and Qantas A380, arriving in Chicago on their hottest day in 10 years and then hanging out with Rob Mark, his family and his ever . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 73: Oshkosh: The Greatest Show on Earth]]> Today Steve & Grant are chatting with Bas Scheffers, reviewing their experiences at EAA‘s AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. We talk about the long haul across the Pacific via V Australia 777 and Qantas A380, arriving in Chicago on their hottest day in 10 years and then hanging out with Rob Mark, his family and his ever watchful guard dog Simba (aka Steve’s new friend & house cat :)

From here Bas & Grant got to join the Bonanzas to Oshkosh group and fly from Rockford up to Oshkosh on the Saturday, landing on RWY 36 where even two days before the official opening, the aircraft parking spaces were filling up and the airport was a hive of activity. On the Sunday Rob, David Vanderhoof, Dan Web, Steve and his friend Mike all arrived having driven up from Chicago. Joining our friends at Firebase MyTransponder / Camp Bacon we set up the tent and settled into life in Camp Scholler, which is definitely something to be experienced at least once (& perhaps only once :)

Until we left on the Sunday at the end of the show, we were flat out experiencing the amazing sights, sounds & people that make up Oshkosh. We discuss the highlights and talk about trying to take it all in before winding up by reviewing our departure, our returns to Australia (including Steve’s flight with Milford from the FlightTime Radio show) and then our post-Oshkosh thoughts.

Titan II Control CentreFollowing this we have a recording Steve & Grant made with Rob Mark (also from CommAvia as well as JetWhine and the Airplane Geeks) before Steve presents an interview he recorded with Bill & Earlene Hankins about Bill’s time in Strategic Air Command. Titan II Launch Control PanelTowards the end of Bill’s time with SAC he was a commander of a Titan Missile complex. While some of the chat can be like watching the movies Strategic Air Command or Gathering of Eagles, his descriptions of the Titan’s launch environment are very much like those shown at the start of the movie WarGames.

Typical Titan II Launch ComplexIt also turns out that Bill and Earlene hosted Steve when he was an exchange student and then again when he returned to the USA to complete his US pilot’s licenses and instrument ratings. Titan II Combat Crew in ActionThe interview includes some discussion about N4223Q, a C172L Bill used to own and Steve got to fly a lot.

Steve's Favourite C172After all this we have a chat with Bas about the OzRunways app then mention Ryan Hothersall’s photos of the 787 and Rob Noonan’s heads up about the Australian aerobatic pilots who are getting ready for the World Aerobatic Championships in Italy later this year.Steve's favourite C172 tied down at its home base

]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/08/20/pcdu-episode-73-oshkosh-the-greatest-show-on-earth/feed/ 2 1:59:41 PCDU Episode 73: Oshkosh: The Greatest Show on Earth Oshkosh: The Greatest Show on Earth aviation, australia, new, zealand, asia, pacific, flying, aircraft www.planecrazydownunder.com no no PCDU Episode 33: Four Degrees of Separation from Ben Sandilands http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2010/05/28/episode-33-four-degrees-of-separation-from-ben-sandilands/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2010/05/28/episode-33-four-degrees-of-separation-from-ben-sandilands/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 06:02:43 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=542 In this episode we join noted aviation journalist Ben Sandilands from Plane Talking to review the latest news & information. When we called Ben, he was experiencing a heat wave of 11 degrees Celsius at his home in the mountains near Canberra. Meanwhile, here in Melbourne we were thinking winter was upon us as the . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 33: Four Degrees of Separation from Ben Sandilands]]> In this episode we join noted aviation journalist Ben Sandilands from Plane Talking to review the latest news & information. When we called Ben, he was experiencing a heat wave of 11 degrees Celsius at his home in the mountains near Canberra. Meanwhile, here in Melbourne we were thinking winter was upon us as the temperature dipped to 15 degrees Celsius. Four degrees of separation but a very different pair of perspectives on cold vs hot.

Fortunately, we were all spot on with our news analysis, including such topics as:

  • Use of composites in airliners and the indications that it won’t really be effective for another 10 to 20 years
  • QANTAS still claiming that they’re going to get their 787-9s on a date that would be before Air New Zealand (the launch customer) despite Boeing making a statement contradicting this
  • The changes that are afoot with the Virgin Blue group being under new leadership:
    • Brett Godfrey’s farewell bash
    • John Borghetti not getting the top job at QANTAS but, perhaps, getting something better with running Virgin Blue
    • Fleet choices and the possibility that they’ll get A330s or B767s, especially on high density routes like Sydney to Melbourne
    • The likelihood that they’ll rebrand the group (Virgin Blue, V Australia, Pacific Blue, Polynesian Blue) under a single name
  • Singapore Airlines having veto rights over the name Virgin for any new international airline
  • Tiger Airways recording a profit and becoming more of a stable, solid threat in the market
  • Australia’s transport minister Anthony Albanese wanting to restrict cockpit access to only the two pilots flying and any check pilots or safety reviewers
  • The F35 and how Australia seems to be one of the few countries NOT getting upset about all the delays and problems

After chatting with Ben, we have an interview with James Baldwin & Glen Somerville from EmptyJets, an organisation that gives you the chance to get rides in charter aircraft that would otherwise be flying empty on positioning flights. From helicopters to Gulfstream Vs, they’re all on the list and well worth checking out.

After that we dive into the mail bag where:

  • Matt McCabe compares the cost of learning to fly here in Australia against the USA
  • Errol Cavit enjoyed the Red Bull show and will be catching up with us when he comes over from New Zealand (for a Sci Fi convention, no less)
  • Vince Bezzina who volunteers at the RAAF Museum at Point Cook was checking if we knew about the DC6 coming to Australia from South Africa. Oh yes, do we ever!

We also have a couple of shout outs to:

  • Damien Rose who is now a private pilot and on his way to a commercial license (and speaking of the cost of learning – Damien sold his house to fund all this! He must have a VERY understanding wife, that’s for sure :)
  • Steve Cooke from the Flying Podcast in the UK has released his latest episode on a topic that’s very important for Grant: ballooning
]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2010/05/28/episode-33-four-degrees-of-separation-from-ben-sandilands/feed/ 2 1:53:04 Plane Crazy Down Under Episode #33 Four Degrees of Separation from Ben Sandilands aviation, australia, new, zealand, asia, pacific, flying, aircraft www.planecrazydownunder.com no no PCDU Episode 21: London Calling http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/12/19/episode-21-london-calling/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/12/19/episode-21-london-calling/#comments Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:04:57 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=293

Regent Street in the snow (by Jon Curnow)

For the majority of our listeners it’s warm and getting warmer down here in the Southern Summer with Christmas just around the corner. Not so in London where it’s bleak and somewhat miserable (and that’s the economy, let alone the weather). Saj Ahmad from FleetBuzz Editorial . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 21: London Calling]]>
Regent Street in the snow (by Jon Curnow)

Regent Street in the snow (by Jon Curnow)

For the majority of our listeners it’s warm and getting warmer down here in the Southern Summer with Christmas just around the corner. Not so in London where it’s bleak and somewhat miserable (and that’s the economy, let alone the weather). Saj Ahmad from FleetBuzz Editorial is based in London and recently returned from the scorching skies of Dubai where he’d been attending the Dubai Airshow 2009. Saj generously took some time away from his family to record with us last Sunday (morning his time, evening our time), trying not to look out the window at the winter weather while we discussed the warmth Melbourne was experiencing. The discussion covers the Dubai Airshow, Middle East airlines and their flights to Australia, aircraft orders and the (then) pending first flight of the 787. It’s an enlightening chat and we’ll be sure to have Saj on again early in the new year.

In addition to our chat with Saj, we also recorded some news items to round out the episode. We actually recorded these on the same day the 787 flew and, thanks to the miracle of modern technology, have spliced it all together into a single show. Neat, hey! :)

Topics in this episode include:

As usual, our theme music track is “YouNameIt5″ by Brian Simpson (aka t3cat5) and our sound effects come from SoundSnap.com.

]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/12/19/episode-21-london-calling/feed/ 0 1:38:57 Regent Street in the snow (by Jon Curnow) For the majority of our listeners it’s warm and getting warmer down here in the Southern Summer with Christmas just around the corner. Not so in London where it’s bleak and somewhat miserable (an[...] Regent Street in the snow (by Jon Curnow) For the majority of our listeners it’s warm and getting warmer down here in the Southern Summer with Christmas just around the corner. Not so in London where it’s bleak and somewhat miserable (and that’s the economy, let alone the weather). Saj Ahmad from FleetBuzz Editorial is based in London and recently returned from the scorching skies of Dubai where he’d been attending the Dubai Airshow 2009. Saj generously took some time away from his family to record with us last Sunday (morning his time, evening our time), trying not to look out the window at the winter weather while we discussed the warmth Melbourne was experiencing. The discussion covers the Dubai Airshow, Middle East airlines and their flights to Australia, aircraft orders and the (then) pending first flight of the 787. It’s an enlightening chat and we’ll be sure to have Saj on again early in the new year. In addition to our chat with Saj, we also recorded some news items to round out the episode. We actually recorded these on the same day the 787 flew and, thanks to the miracle of modern technology, have spliced it all together into a single show. Neat, hey! :) Topics in this episode include: The 787 finally flew – you can check out Boeing’s ‘first flight’ site for all the videos Jet star’s check-in system goes down and then a few days later, so does Virgin Blue’s: Check-in system problem delays Jetstar flights (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Airport chaos as system goes down (ABC News) Stranded airline passengers booked into hotels (ABC News) Expect major delays, Virgin tells passengers (ABC News) Airline struggles to clear backlog of flights (ABC News) Former doctor Geoffrey Edelsten crashes his helicopter on his first solo Lucky escape as Edelsten’s chopper crashes (ABC News) Geoffrey Edelsten in helicopter crash landing at Moorabbin Airport (Wayne Flower @ The Herald Sun) Delta & V Australia tighten their alliance in steps towards the full Delta-V marriage Virgin’s V Australia agrees key deal with Delta Air Lines (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) V Australia and Delta sign lounge and loyalty agreements (Australian Aviation) Discussion with Saj Ahmad Air New Zealand opens direct Sydney to Rotorua flights Rotorua: International Air Service Begins (Scoop NZ) Trouble on first Rotorua trans-Tasman flight (Stuff.co.nz) The Garuda pilot who was convicted for negligence in the cause of a fatal crash ha his conviction quashed Garuda pilot’s conviction quashed (Sydney Morning Herald) Garuda crash pilot obsessed with flying again (ABC News) Garuda pilot wins appeal against jail sentence The Australian Federal Government releases their eagerly awaited aviation white paper A National Aviation Policy Statement – the Aviation White Paper (download it from the federal government) Albanese releases Aviation White Paper (Australian Aviation) Sydney Flight Training Centre collapses leaving many students with debts (Pilot pupils left grounded after flight school collapse (Andrew Carswell @ the Daily Telegraph)) A DC-10 fire bomber arrives for the Victorian forest fire season DC-10 firebomber arrives at Avalon (Australian Aviation) Giant water bomber ready for fire season (ABC News) First use of a SkyCrane fire bomber this season (Air crane used on Blue Mountains blaze (ABC News)) David Vanderhoof’s aviation history down under segment (at last – Grant forgot to include it in episode 19 – ooops) Listener mail, including George from New Zealand with his super sexy Falco aircraft There’s a chartered Air New Zealand 747 flying to Oshkosh 2010 (details with Avtours Australia) and we’re dreaming of being on it (it’s only AUS$4k each including accommodation – anyone want to help donate to get us there? :) As usual, our theme music track is “YouNameIt5″ by Brian Simps[...] Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) no no PCDU Episode 19: Interview with a Vampire … Pilot (& Other Stories) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/12/05/episode-19-interview-with-a-vampire-pilot-other-stories/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/12/05/episode-19-interview-with-a-vampire-pilot-other-stories/#comments Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:27:37 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=264 Steve’s out sick (he must have eaten the fish :) so Grant’s flying solo on this one and cheating madly by assembling a few interviews and a slightly modified version of the Australia Desk segment we recorded for the Airplane Geeks’ Thanksgiving episode. The interviews include:

Matt Hall & Nigel Lamb Carlo Santoro from Flight . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 19: Interview with a Vampire … Pilot (& Other Stories)]]> Steve’s out sick (he must have eaten the fish :) so Grant’s flying solo on this one and cheating madly by assembling a few interviews and a slightly modified version of the Australia Desk segment we recorded for the Airplane Geeks’ Thanksgiving episode. The interviews include:

  • Matt Hall & Nigel Lamb
  • Carlo Santoro from Flight Experience Melbourne
  • Nick Brau on flying hot air balloons over Melbourne city

The news items we covered include:

  • British Airways again discussing a merger with QANTAS
  • The US FAA wil be conducting an Air Safety examination of Australia’s air operations
  • 30th Anniversary of Air New Zealand’s DC10 crashing on the side of Mt Erebus in Antarctica
  • Virgin Blue likely to have a profit in FY09/10
  • QANTAS to purchase additional aircraft and will be assigning more of their 787s to Jetstar
  • QANTAS introduces the airport of the future concept
  • Airport capacity in Sydney and the need for a second airport
  • Australian Transport Safety Bureau provides interim reports on the QANTAS A330 ADIRU issues and QANTAS 747 oxygen bottle incidents
  • RAAF to purchase 14 F35 fighters even though Lockheed has admitted the project is running late
  • The first two Wedgetail AEW aircraft have been delivered
  • Last flight of the Caribou in Australia & it’s potential replacement

We hope you enjoy the show and we will return to our usual levels of interviews, discussions & opinionated news reviews in a week or so.

]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/12/05/episode-19-interview-with-a-vampire-pilot-other-stories/feed/ 0 0:58:22 Steve’s out sick (he must have eaten the fish :) so Grant’s flying solo on this one and cheating madly by assembling a few interviews and a slightly modified version of the Australia Desk segment we recorded for the Airplane Geeks’[...] Steve’s out sick (he must have eaten the fish :) so Grant’s flying solo on this one and cheating madly by assembling a few interviews and a slightly modified version of the Australia Desk segment we recorded for the Airplane Geeks’ Thanksgiving episode. The interviews include: Matt Hall & Nigel Lamb Carlo Santoro from Flight Experience Melbourne Nick Brau on flying hot air balloons over Melbourne city The news items we covered include: British Airways again discussing a merger with QANTAS The US FAA wil be conducting an Air Safety examination of Australia’s air operations 30th Anniversary of Air New Zealand’s DC10 crashing on the side of Mt Erebus in Antarctica Virgin Blue likely to have a profit in FY09/10 QANTAS to purchase additional aircraft and will be assigning more of their 787s to Jetstar QANTAS introduces the airport of the future concept Airport capacity in Sydney and the need for a second airport Australian Transport Safety Bureau provides interim reports on the QANTAS A330 ADIRU issues and QANTAS 747 oxygen bottle incidents RAAF to purchase 14 F35 fighters even though Lockheed has admitted the project is running late The first two Wedgetail AEW aircraft have been delivered Last flight of the Caribou in Australia & it’s potential replacement We hope you enjoy the show and we will return to our usual levels of interviews, discussions & opinionated news reviews in a week or so. Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) no no PCDU Episode 16: Rant on Steve, Rant on http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/11/15/episode-16-rant-on-steve-rant-on/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/11/15/episode-16-rant-on-steve-rant-on/#comments Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:08:59 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=227 Steve & Grant discuss all the latest news items that were of interest over the past couple of weeks. Steve also gets to have a few “c’est la vent” moments on some topics that were annoying him.

As if all that wasn’t enough, we also have a chat with Owen Zupp and reveal the winner . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 16: Rant on Steve, Rant on]]> Steve & Grant discuss all the latest news items that were of interest over the past couple of weeks. Steve also gets to have a few “c’est la vent” moments on some topics that were annoying him.

As if all that wasn’t enough, we also have a chat with Owen Zupp and reveal the winner of our first ever give away competition. Sorry, you’ll have to listen to the episode to discover who were the close runners up and who was the winner :)

So, sit back, relax and enjoy episode 16, in which we discuss:

As usual, our sound effects come from SoundSnap.com and our theme music track is “YouNameIt5″ by Brian Simpson (aka t3cat5).

]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/11/15/episode-16-rant-on-steve-rant-on/feed/ 16 1:29:50 Steve & Grant discuss all the latest news items that were of interest over the past couple of weeks. Steve also gets to have a few “c’est la vent” moments on some topics that were annoying him. As if all that wasn’t enou[...] Steve & Grant discuss all the latest news items that were of interest over the past couple of weeks. Steve also gets to have a few “c’est la vent” moments on some topics that were annoying him. As if all that wasn’t enough, we also have a chat with Owen Zupp and reveal the winner of our first ever give away competition. Sorry, you’ll have to listen to the episode to discover who were the close runners up and who was the winner :) So, sit back, relax and enjoy episode 16, in which we discuss: Jetstar engine fire forces evacuation at Newcastle airport (ABC News) Victoria launches bid for Red Bull Air Race (Australian Aviation) We both express displeasure that the Red Bull Air Race was not available online via web-streaming for Australians despite Channel 10 not showing it live V Australia to get 777-200LRs? We discuss Air New Zealand replacing its 737-300′s with A320′s Air NZ opts for Airbus (Australian Aviation) Air New Zealand to replace Boeing fleet with Airbus A320 (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Airbus knocks 50 per cent off New Zealand deal (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Air New Zealand’s Chris Nassenstein Tapped For Qantas Post (Aero-News Net) We discuss the political turn-around associated Victoria trialling heavy jet fire bombers Victoria to trial fire-fighting jet (The Age) Victoria commissions fire fighting jet (SBS) Giant water bomber to soak Victorian bushfires (ABC news) Water bomber could have saved lives (ABC News) Victoria looks to bigger fire bombers (Australian Aviation) It seems that it’s not just in the USA that airline pilots make silly mistakes Qantas pilots forgot to lower landing gear (ABC News) Qantas pilots forgot to lower wheels (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Pilots stood down over landing gear incident (Australian Aviation) We chat with Owen Zupp about our recent competition, the runners up and the big winner David Vanderhoof provides a look at “this week in aviation” Qantas will not be ‘Jetstarised’: Joyce (The Age) We discuss the expansion of Tiger Airways as they open new routes Tiger spreads wings to five biggest cities (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Tiger’s eyes on Avalon (Herald Sun) Tiger ups Melbourne & Sydney services, stalking Avalon? (Australian Aviation) Tiger to fly Melbourne-Brisbane (Australian Aviation) Tiger launches Adelaide-Brisbane (Australian Aviation) Steve has a major “What Cheese Me Off!” session about the advertising for Melbourne Airport (you can see the adverts as a banner on the Melbourne Airport website We discuss JAL’s new premium economy class seating on the Sydney to Narita route (thanks to Dan Web for the lead) Final F-111 exits deep maintenance (Australia Aviation) Boeing completes Wedgetail counter-measures testing (Australian Aviation) (plus a ‘heads up’ by David Vanderhoof) We review some listener mail As usual, our sound effects come from SoundSnap.com and our theme music track is “YouNameIt5″ by Brian Simpson (aka t3cat5). Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) no no PCDU Episode 9: Airplane Geeks Down Under http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/09/22/episode-9-airplane-geeks-down-under/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/09/22/episode-9-airplane-geeks-down-under/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:17:38 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=128 Andrew Temby

This episode we’re joined by Dan, David & Rob from the Airplane Geeks podcast to discuss airline news and have a great discussion about air traffic control issues here & in the USA. We also have interviews with Dr Bruce Searle, dean of the Australian Centre for Mission Aviation, and Andrew Temby, . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 9: Airplane Geeks Down Under]]> Andrew Temby

Andrew Temby

This episode we’re joined by Dan, David & Rob from the Airplane Geeks podcast to discuss airline news and have a great discussion about air traffic control issues here & in the USA. We also have interviews with Dr Bruce Searle, dean of the Australian Centre for Mission Aviation, and Andrew Temby, aerobatic pilot & owner of a YAK-52TW. Both were recorded at the Mission Aviation Fellowship airshow held at Coldstream Airport (YCEM) a few weeks back.

While Max Flight from the Airplane Geeks couldn’t be with us, having the other guys from the show record with us was a hoot and certainly generated a LOT of content for a future “Bloopers Only” episode. We’re definitely looking forward to recording with them again once our sanity recovers.

Dr Bruce Searle

Dr Bruce Searle

 

The topics discussed in this episode include:

Please note that our theme music track is “YouNameIt5″ by Brian Simpson (aka t3cat5) and our sound effects come from SoundSnap.com.

]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/09/22/episode-9-airplane-geeks-down-under/feed/ 4 1:30:06 Andrew Temby This episode we’re joined by Dan, David & Rob from the Airplane Geeks podcast to discuss airline news and have a great discussion about air traffic control issues here & in the USA. We also have interviews with Dr Bruce [...] Andrew Temby This episode we’re joined by Dan, David & Rob from the Airplane Geeks podcast to discuss airline news and have a great discussion about air traffic control issues here & in the USA. We also have interviews with Dr Bruce Searle, dean of the Australian Centre for Mission Aviation, and Andrew Temby, aerobatic pilot & owner of a YAK-52TW. Both were recorded at the Mission Aviation Fellowship airshow held at Coldstream Airport (YCEM) a few weeks back. While Max Flight from the Airplane Geeks couldn’t be with us, having the other guys from the show record with us was a hoot and certainly generated a LOT of content for a future “Bloopers Only” episode. We’re definitely looking forward to recording with them again once our sanity recovers.Dr Bruce Searle   The topics discussed in this episode include: A general discussion of airline issues down under with the Airplane Geeks Emirates and V Australia to codeshare on Tasman routes (Leithen Francis @ FlightGlobal) V Australia to Codeshare with…Emirates? (Dan Webb @ Things in the Sky) High fuel prices may clip recovery (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Premium passengers slowly return to flights (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Qantas CEO: See No Further Room For Capacity Cuts In This FY (Wall St Journal) INTERVIEW: Qantas CEO: Passenger Demand Higher Than Expected (Wall St Journal) Qantas jettisons JAL merger rumour (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Virgin in talks to buy $4b planes (Matt O’Sullivan @ The Age) Virgin Blue to buy 30 to 50 737s? (Australian Aviation magazine) Virgin Blue’s plan to seat more passengers (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Brett Godfrey true believer in 50pc Virgin share (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Talking about Air Traffic Control issues with Rob & David Staff shortage sparks national flight delays (ABC News) Flights delayed or cancelled as air controllers “unavailable” (Sydney Morning Herald) Sydney’s flight schedule ‘to return to normal’ (ABC News) Airservices, staff on collision course (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Virgin Blue to pursue AirServices Australia for compensation for its air traffic failures (Ben Sandilands @ Crikey) Military to lose airspace in $300m savings push (Cameron Stewart & Steve Creedy @ The Australian) David Vanderhoof presents “This week in Australian aviation history” covering the official approval for the establishment of the Central Flying School at Point Cook (now referred to as RAAF Williams) Grant went to the Mission Aviation Fellowship airshow at Coldstream Airport (YCEM) and recorded these interviews Dr Bruce Searle, Dean of the Australian Centre for Mission Aviation Andrew Temby, aerobatics pilot and owner of a Yak-52TW Matt Hall came 3rd at the Porto RedBull AirRace in Portugal – YAY! We discuss some military news Questions over F-35′s stealth capability (ABC News) Air Marshall Mark Binskin wants more fighters (Mark Dodd @ The Australian) F-111 maintenance blamed for creek contamination (ABC News) We review some of the “Traffic” entries from the latest Australian Aviation magazine OzJet 737-200s V Australia’s latest 777 RAAF KC30 MRTT Air New Zealand’s 767 with blended winglets Please note that our theme music track is “YouNameIt5″ by Brian Simpson (aka t3cat5) and our sound effects come from SoundSnap.com. Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) no no PCDU Episode 5: Jet Lag Recovery http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/08/16/episode-5-jet-lag-recovery/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/08/16/episode-5-jet-lag-recovery/#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:41:05 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=69 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 . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 5: Jet Lag Recovery]]> 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:

]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/08/16/episode-5-jet-lag-recovery/feed/ 3 1:15:48 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 Interp[...] 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 Flying doctor service loses $70m contract (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Royal Flying Doctor Service – history Royal Flying Doctor Service – Wikipedia 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) Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) no no PCDU Episode 4: Hand Propped http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/08/07/episode-4-hand-propped/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/08/07/episode-4-hand-propped/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:47:41 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=58 This week’s episode comes out a little late as Steve’s still in the USA and Grant was up in Sydney for the PCDU / SimpliFlying TweetUp that happened along side the Asia / Pacific Aviation Outlook Summit 2009. A great time was had by all who attended the event but now it’s back to work . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 4: Hand Propped]]> This week’s episode comes out a little late as Steve’s still in the USA and Grant was up in Sydney for the PCDU / SimpliFlying TweetUp that happened along side the Asia / Pacific Aviation Outlook Summit 2009. A great time was had by all who attended the event but now it’s back to work as there’s news to read, interviews to arrange and a podcast to produce.

This week’s episode includes the following topics:

  • Tiger Improves its Act
  • Remains of last missing RAAF airmen returned from Vietnam
  • Merpati Twin Otter crashes
  • Bangkok Airways ATR72 crashes at Koh Samui
  • RNZAF Upgrades Tech Training Fleet
  • Hand Propping Accident
  • Steve Visscher presents an update from the USA including flying an old tail dragger, seeing more C130s than the RAAF could ever own and starting the long flights back home
    • ]]>     http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/08/07/episode-4-hand-propped/feed/ 0 0:33:44 This week’s episode comes out a little late as Steve’s still in the USA and Grant was up in Sydney for the PCDU / SimpliFlying TweetUp that happened along side the Asia / Pacific Aviation Outlook Summit 2009. A great time was had by all [...] This week’s episode comes out a little late as Steve’s still in the USA and Grant was up in Sydney for the PCDU / SimpliFlying TweetUp that happened along side the Asia / Pacific Aviation Outlook Summit 2009. A great time was had by all who attended the event but now it’s back to work as there’s news to read, interviews to arrange and a podcast to produce. This week’s episode includes the following topics: Jetstar launches world first SMS based boarding pass Jetstar’s SMS boarding passes (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Comparing Geoff Dixon with Alan Joyce at QANTAS Qantas boss a cautious optimist (Matt O’Sullivan @ The Age) Global aviation faces slow return to profits: Dixon (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Joyce rules out Qantas merger (Matt O’Sullivan @ The Age) Alan Joyce kills off IPO plans amid Pacific rationalisation forecast (Ross Kelly @ The Australian) QANTAS fights back Qantas vows to slug out fare ware (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Qantas relaunches branded website (The Age) Qantas business blitz to hit Virgin (Steve Creedy @The Australian) Swine Flu impacts air travel and Cathay Pacific struggles Asia-Pacific travel recovery falls foul of flu (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Times are turbulent for Cathay as it faces storm (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Virgin fights back, raises money and has a health scare V Australia Launches New One Way Fares to USA Virgin share offer takes flight (Matt O’Sullivan @ WA Today) Food poisoning scare on Virgin flights (ABC News) Tiger Improves its Act Complaints drop as Tiger Airways listens to customers (John Wright @ The Courier Mail) Remains of last missing RAAF airmen returned from Vietnam Missing Vietnam airmen’s remains found (ABC News) Merpati Twin Otter crashes Plane wreckage found in Papua (ABC News) Bangkok Airways ATR72 crashes at Koh Samui Pilot killed as plane skids off runway (ABC News) RNZAF Upgrades Tech Training Fleet NZAF to Upgrade Aircraft for Training (Aviation Today) Hand Propping Accident Cessna takes off without pilot (ABC News) Steve Visscher presents an update from the USA including flying an old tail dragger, seeing more C130s than the RAAF could ever own and starting the long flights back home Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) no no     PCDU Episode 3: Flying Solo http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/07/31/episode-3-flying-solo/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/07/31/episode-3-flying-solo/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:23:28 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=45 We were a little delayed because Grant was trying to do it all this week, but better late than never. With Steve in the USA, Grant was flying solo and discovering that he missed having someone to put the gear up on take off.

    This week’s episode includes the following topics:

    Air New Zealand joins . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 3: Flying Solo]]>     We were a little delayed because Grant was trying to do it all this week, but better late than never. With Steve in the USA, Grant was flying solo and discovering that he missed having someone to put the gear up on take off.

    This week’s episode includes the following topics:

    ]]>     http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/07/31/episode-3-flying-solo/feed/ 0 0:23:08 We were a little delayed because Grant was trying to do it all this week, but better late than never. With Steve in the USA, Grant was flying solo and discovering that he missed having someone to put the gear up on take off. This week’s episod[...] We were a little delayed because Grant was trying to do it all this week, but better late than never. With Steve in the USA, Grant was flying solo and discovering that he missed having someone to put the gear up on take off. This week’s episode includes the following topics: Air New Zealand joins Tiger to say that Delta teaming up with V Australia (Delta V) is bad, but QANTAS stays out of it Qantas aloof as Air NZ joins Delta V opponents (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) QANTAS 737 de-pressurises during flight Engineers probe Qantas midair mishap (ABC News) Jetstar upsetting Kiwi pax with baggage charges Bags cost shocks traveller (Rebecca Lewis @ the New Zealand Herald) It’s official, Regional Express (REX) is the world’s best regional carrier Rex ruled the world’s best regional carrier (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Virgin Blue 737 loses a nose wheel Safety fears raised after plane wheel falls off (ABC News) Brett Godfrey announces he’ll retire from Virgin Blue Brett Godfrey to retire from Virgin Blue (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Virgin Blue to raise capital Godfrey to quit as Virgin raises capital (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) John Holland Group wins Virgin Blue’s Embraer maintenance work John Holland in 10-year deal to maintain Virgin Blue’s Embraer jets (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Macquarie Airports to separate from the Macquarie Group Macquarie Airports takes over management from Macquarie Group (Allison Jackson @ The Australian) Sydney airport traffic declines; Melbourne rises (Business Day) Airports fly against economic downturn (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) PelAir chosen for Ambulance Victoria contract Pel-Air Chosen As Preferred Contractor By Ambulance Victoria (Aero-News) Steve Visscher presents an update from the USA, including flight comparisons and the TSA Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) no no     PCDU Episode 2: Aero Neuro What??? http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/07/22/episode-2-aero-neuro-what/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/07/22/episode-2-aero-neuro-what/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:12:42 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=17 Surprisingly less than one week after our first episode was released, we’re releasing our second episode. During this one, we discuss the following items:

    Singapore Airlines to fly A380 to Melbourne

    Superjumbo threat to Qantas stepped up (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) British Airways cutting flights to Australia British Airways to cut flights to Australia . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 2: Aero Neuro What???]]>     Surprisingly less than one week after our first episode was released, we’re releasing our second episode. During this one, we discuss the following items:

    ]]>     http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/07/22/episode-2-aero-neuro-what/feed/ 0 0:34:27 Surprisingly less than one week after our first episode was released, we’re releasing our second episode. During this one, we discuss the following items: Singapore Airlines to fly A380 to Melbourne Superjumbo threat to Qantas stepped up (St[...] Surprisingly less than one week after our first episode was released, we’re releasing our second episode. During this one, we discuss the following items: Singapore Airlines to fly A380 to Melbourne Superjumbo threat to Qantas stepped up (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) British Airways cutting flights to Australia British Airways to cut flights to Australia (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Garuda ends their only flight to Darwin Plea for Garuda to retain Darwin flights (Daniel Bourchier @ the Northern Territory News) Tiger Airlines protests V Australia’s agreement with Delta Tiger Airlines out to disrupt Delta Airways deal (Geoff Easdown @ the Courier Mail) Virgin’s joint venture deal with Delta has upset Tiger (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Steve says Tiger Airways’ reality show is terrible but he’s going to keep watching it (Airways) Virgin Blue halts shares and appears to be seeking more money Virgin defers on call for funds (Matt O’Sullivan @ WA Today) Virgin goes to Gulf for cash (Adele Ferguson @ The Australian) Push for second Sydney area airport to be at the Richmond RAAF base Airlines push for second airport at RAAF base (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Wikipedia information on RAAF Richmond airbase RAAF Sabre jet flies again Temora Aviation Museum Australian RAAF Sabre Flies Again (AVweb) We comment on Robyn Riley of the Sunday Herald Sun panning Air New Zealand’s Nothing To Hide campaign QANTAS ground staff in Perth are upset with management leaving them to deal with angry passengers Perth ground staff lash Qantas inaction (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Jockeys smuggle beer onto REX flight and drink them while returning from a responsible drinking course Drunken flight lands jockeys in hot water (ABC News) Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) no no     PCDU Episode 1: And so it begins… http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/07/16/episode-1-and-so-it-begins/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/07/16/episode-1-and-so-it-begins/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:54:35 +0000 admin http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=8 Weighing in at a whole 27 minutes and 18 seconds, here’s the first episode of the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast. During this episode, we discuss the following news items:

    Emirates EK407 tailstrike – the Captain tells his story and we comment on fatigue issues The RAAF’s first F/A-18F Super Hornet rolls off the production . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 1: And so it begins…]]>     Weighing in at a whole 27 minutes and 18 seconds, here’s the first episode of the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast. During this episode, we discuss the following news items:

    • Emirates EK407 tailstrike – the Captain tells his story and we comment on fatigue issues
    • The RAAF’s first F/A-18F Super Hornet rolls off the production line plus comments on the pending F-111 & DH4C Caribou retirements
    • Tiger Airways adds a 7th aircraft to get an incredible increase in capacity out of Melbourne and their reality TV show launches
    • QANTAS has bad customer service (and associated PR) in Perth following a lightning strike on an A330, cops freight fines in Canada and has an A380 go around at LHR
    • Jetstar apologises for their bad service in New Zealand
    • Virgin Blue’s V Australia is experiencing low yields so far
    • Delta operates their first flight into SYD

      • ]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/07/16/episode-1-and-so-it-begins/feed/ 4 0:27:19 Weighing in at a whole 27 minutes and 18 seconds, here’s the first episode of the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast. During this episode, we discuss the following news items: Emirates EK407 tailstrike – the Captain tells his story and we c[...] Weighing in at a whole 27 minutes and 18 seconds, here’s the first episode of the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast. During this episode, we discuss the following news items: Emirates EK407 tailstrike – the Captain tells his story and we comment on fatigue issues The RAAF’s first F/A-18F Super Hornet rolls off the production line plus comments on the pending F-111 & DH4C Caribou retirements Tiger Airways adds a 7th aircraft to get an incredible increase in capacity out of Melbourne and their reality TV show launches QANTAS has bad customer service (and associated PR) in Perth following a lightning strike on an A330, cops freight fines in Canada and has an A380 go around at LHR Jetstar apologises for their bad service in New Zealand Virgin Blue’s V Australia is experiencing low yields so far Delta operates their first flight into SYD Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) no no