Plane Crazy Down Under » Virgin Blue 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 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 29: What’s in a Checklist? http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2010/04/06/episode-29-whats-in-a-checklist/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2010/04/06/episode-29-whats-in-a-checklist/#comments Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:21:35 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=427 Some in-cockpit audio provided by a listener triggered a discussion on the differences in pre-landing checklists (GUMPS vs BUMFTH vs BUMFOH vs whatever). All of Grant’s aviation books & manuals are still in boxes after moving house so he had to rely on his memory with predictable results. Talk about incentive to go out and . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 29: What’s in a Checklist?]]> Some in-cockpit audio provided by a listener triggered a discussion on the differences in pre-landing checklists (GUMPS vs BUMFTH vs BUMFOH vs whatever). All of Grant’s aviation books & manuals are still in boxes after moving house so he had to rely on his memory with predictable results. Talk about incentive to go out and get current again…

Given we couldn’t do a whole episode around the concept of “gas” in different countries, we also discuss recent aviation news items (so many to chose from lately) and have a collection of interviews we recorded at the RAAF’s Air Pageant at Point Cook.

Here’s how the episode hangs together this time:

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/2010/04/06/episode-29-whats-in-a-checklist/feed/ 0 1:49:47 Plane Crazy Down Under # 29 What's in a Checklist? aviation, australia, new, zealand, asia, pacific, flying, aircraft www.planecrazydownunder.com no no The Jetstarisation of QANTAS is not over yet http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2010/02/22/the-jetstarisation-of-qantas-is-not-over-yet/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2010/02/22/the-jetstarisation-of-qantas-is-not-over-yet/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:00:49 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=369 Thanks to an opportunity presented by Shashank Nigam, Grant’s just had an article about the ongoing Jetstarisation of QANTAS published on Shashank’s Simpliflying site.

It provides a background on the birth of Jetstar, its growth to date and how it is destined to consume more of QANTAS’ mainline routes & aircraft. Head on over to . . . → Read More: The Jetstarisation of QANTAS is not over yet]]> Thanks to an opportunity presented by Shashank Nigam, Grant’s just had an article about the ongoing Jetstarisation of QANTAS published on Shashank’s Simpliflying site.

It provides a background on the birth of Jetstar, its growth to date and how it is destined to consume more of QANTAS’ mainline routes & aircraft. Head on over to Simpliflying and check out the article.

Thanks to Shashank for giving us the opportunity to gain further exposure to the global aviation world, it’s very much appreciated :)

]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2010/02/22/the-jetstarisation-of-qantas-is-not-over-yet/feed/ 2 PCDU Episode 24: Misuse of Accents http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2010/02/04/episode-24-misuse-of-accents/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2010/02/04/episode-24-misuse-of-accents/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:06:19 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=340 Despite the annoying habit of our “day jobs” and families encroaching into our PCDU time, we’ve finally managed to get some time to record an episode. Steve even managed a marathon effort of post production to edit a coherent episode from our opinionated news discussion and an interview with Saj Ahmad. Go Steve! :)

Despite . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 24: Misuse of Accents]]> Despite the annoying habit of our “day jobs” and families encroaching into our PCDU time, we’ve finally managed to get some time to record an episode. Steve even managed a marathon effort of post production to edit a coherent episode from our opinionated news discussion and an interview with Saj Ahmad. Go Steve! :)

Despite my best efforts to drone on endlessly, Steve’s also managed to keep the episode under 2 hours, but not by much. Hopefully this will give you heaps of fun listening as you travel to & from work, mow the lawns or do your household chores :)

Here’s how the show came together this time:

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/2010/02/04/episode-24-misuse-of-accents/feed/ 2 1:48:49 Despite the annoying habit of our “day jobs” and families encroaching into our PCDU time, we’ve finally managed to get some time to record an episode. Steve even managed a marathon effort of post production to edit a coherent epis[...] Despite the annoying habit of our “day jobs” and families encroaching into our PCDU time, we’ve finally managed to get some time to record an episode. Steve even managed a marathon effort of post production to edit a coherent episode from our opinionated news discussion and an interview with Saj Ahmad. Go Steve! :) Despite my best efforts to drone on endlessly, Steve’s also managed to keep the episode under 2 hours, but not by much. Hopefully this will give you heaps of fun listening as you travel to & from work, mow the lawns or do your household chores :) Here’s how the show came together this time: Robinson R44 crashes on a mountain beside a massive drop Men uninjured after chopper crash (Jeremy Sollars @ Lismore Northern Star via Warwick Daily News) Chopper incident ‘not so dramatic’ (Damian Bathersby @ Sunshine Coast Daily) Three men dodge death after their helicopter crash lands on the edge of a canyon ridge… two feet from a one mile drop Tiger’s IPO closes over subscribed – oh wow! Tiger Air offering overcomes doubts (Kevin Brown @ Financial Times) Blue skies for Tiger? (Stephen Bartholomeusz @ Business Spectator) Backing at home for Tiger Airways (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Tiger IPO closes fully subscribed (Australian Aviation) Australia’s “self-serve” passport gates not working well Self-serve passport gates ‘easy to cheat’ (Monique Ross @ ABCNews) SmartGate passport hits 1m milestone (Sydney Morning Herald) Lie down all the way to LA: Air NZ (Thanks to Mike for pointing out the article) RNZAF aerobatic team lose a pilot in a training crash DEATH OF AIRMAN – 3RD STATEMENT (Press Release from RNZAF) RNZAF loses pilot in Red Checkers crash (Australian Aviation) Pilot doused burning plane wreck (Michael Forbes @ The Dominion Post) Brother pays tribute to pilot (Manawatu Standard) Dead air force pilot was top trainer (TV NZ) Red Checkers Ground Aircraft (NZ Herald) Death with no regrets, says pilot’s family (Iain Hyndman @ Wanganui Chronicle) Scathing report released on the F35 JSF project JSF faces another scathing report (Australian Aviation) Some notes concerning Australia’s exposure to the risk that the Joint Strike Fighter is a failed project (Ben Sandilands @ Plane Talking on Crikey) We review a recent “Traffic Report” from the Australian Aviation magazine (our favourite aviation magazine :) VH-EBK (A330) withdrawn from QF domestic and repainted in JetStar colours in Manilla VH-OGA (a 767-300ER) withdrawn from service JetConnect withdrew it’s last 300 series 737 (ZK-JNC) which has gone to storage in Tucson – entered service with Australian Airlines on Dec 31, 1988 as VH-TJB “Fortitude” – transferred to JetConnect on Jul 29th 2004 Some new aircraft with funky names have arrived for Virgin Blue E-190 VH-ZPO = “Portia Macquarie” 737-800 VH-VUT = “Yabba Dabba Blue” 737-800 VH-VUR = “Star City” 737-800 VH-VUS = “Chitty Chitty Broome Broome” VB’s 737-800 VUA that was previously used for mile-high karaoke with the Black Eyed Peas as they toured Australia has been returned to normal configuration & colour scheme.  We have a chat with Saj Ahmad about 737/A320 re-engining and lots more  Instead of reading some listener mail, we review a recent discussion on our forum about Podcasting Beer between Turb, Grand Vizier, Scofreyjet and ourselves We have a stack of shout outs for this episode: Ms Dark Sarcasm (aka Jennifer Barry) had her first solo (YAY!). You can follow her flying adventures on her blog: A need for Airspeed David Optimal is now a Grade 3 instructor (YAY!). You can follow his news via his blog at DavidOptimal.com Robert Cigliano has started a new aviation podcast called The New Pilot Podlog Zyola from the Mile High Flyers podcast has been getting lots of her lady p[...] Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (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 15: And now for something completely different, here is the news http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/11/01/episode-15-and-now-for-something-completely-different-here-is-the-news/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/11/01/episode-15-and-now-for-something-completely-different-here-is-the-news/#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:37:51 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=192 We’re back to being our opiniated selves with a backlog of news stories to work through and discuss. Once again Bas Scheffers joins us for some of the news and to discuss a number of RA-Aus items. From Beavers to Tigers and even Kiwi Skyhawks doing battle with bureaucracy, we cover a diverse range of . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 15: And now for something completely different, here is the news]]> We’re back to being our opiniated selves with a backlog of news stories to work through and discuss. Once again Bas Scheffers joins us for some of the news and to discuss a number of RA-Aus items. From Beavers to Tigers and even Kiwi Skyhawks doing battle with bureaucracy, we cover a diverse range of topics including:

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/2009/11/01/episode-15-and-now-for-something-completely-different-here-is-the-news/feed/ 15 1:33:07 We’re back to being our opiniated selves with a backlog of news stories to work through and discuss. Once again Bas Scheffers joins us for some of the news and to discuss a number of RA-Aus items. From Beavers to Tigers and even Kiwi Skyhawks [...] We’re back to being our opiniated selves with a backlog of news stories to work through and discuss. Once again Bas Scheffers joins us for some of the news and to discuss a number of RA-Aus items. From Beavers to Tigers and even Kiwi Skyhawks doing battle with bureaucracy, we cover a diverse range of topics including: QANTAS shareholders fail to block Dixon’s $3m payment Shareholders blast Qantas over Dixon payout (ABC News) Qantas shareholders slam Dixon payout (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Jetstar tight-lipped on Facebook ‘sacking’ (ABC News) RedBull AirRace returns to Perth in 2010 (see Tourism West Australia’s release) Rocket Lab Primed To Launch New Zealand’s First Rocket Into Space (Voxy.co.nz) Crash fears after 10 near misses a year in NSW (Sydney Morning Herald Qantas unveils Socceroos 747 (Australian Aviation) Jetstar plane evacuated after engine fire (ABC News) Virgin Blue 737′s nose wheel ‘disintegrates’ on landing Plane wheel ‘disintegrates’ on landing (ABC news) Virgin Blue hits back at ALAEA after wheel issue Virgin Blue denies plane wheel disintegrated Police guard staff after Tiger passengers left stranded (Mex Cooper @ Sydney Morning Herald) Qantas passengers stranded for 26 hours(Kate Schneider @ News.com.au) Next QANTAS A380s delayed due to technical issues Technical issues force delay to Qantas’s next two A380s (Australian Aviation) Qantas talks straight on Airbus problem (ABC News) Qantas A380 project takes out award (Australian Aviation) Russian jets ‘refused’ on Black Saturday (Melissa Jenkins @ NineMSN) General Aviation & RA-Aus round-up Australia’s centenary of powered flight to be celebrated at Diggers Rest between March 18th & 21st, 2010 (see Victorian government’s release RFDS enters jet age (Australian Aviation) The Last Super Beaver (Australian Aviation) Mayor calls for Jandakot curfew Bas reports on his experiences at the Jamestown airshow Discussion on changes coming up in RA-Aus (25nm over water, 600kg for non-ISA but no increase of weight to 760kg) Bas talks about the AeroScene flying group RNZAF A4 Skyhawks battle bureaucracy to get sold Update on RAAF Airbus KC-30 MRTT Third tanker enters conversion facility (Australian Aviation) Second RAAF tanker flies (Australian Aviation) $1bn industry package & early availability for a RAN Romeo buy 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 12: It’s not that late in Adelaide… http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/10/12/episode-12-its-not-that-late-in-adelaide/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/10/12/episode-12-its-not-that-late-in-adelaide/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:39:02 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=169 Despite his better judgement, Bas Scheffers comes back to hang out with us once again as we discuss some of the news items from the past week or so. Topics of discussion in this episode include:

Jetstar flight attendant gets in trouble with Facebook:

Jetstar attendant contacted 15yo passenger on Facebook (ABC News) Jetstar worker . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 12: It’s not that late in Adelaide…]]> Despite his better judgement, Bas Scheffers comes back to hang out with us once again as we discuss some of the news items from the past week or so. Topics of discussion in this episode include:

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

]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/10/12/episode-12-its-not-that-late-in-adelaide/feed/ 4 1:08:10 Despite his better judgement, Bas Scheffers comes back to hang out with us once again as we discuss some of the news items from the past week or so. Topics of discussion in this episode include: Jetstar flight attendant gets in trouble with Faceboo[...] Despite his better judgement, Bas Scheffers comes back to hang out with us once again as we discuss some of the news items from the past week or so. Topics of discussion in this episode include: Jetstar flight attendant gets in trouble with Facebook: Jetstar attendant contacted 15yo passenger on Facebook (ABC News) Jetstar worker in strife over Facebook incident (ABC News) Mile-high matchmaking: social networking service (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Jetstar eyes growth in Asia, India (David McIntyre @ Brisbane Times) Mid-air dramas trigger action: Qantas (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Qantas criticised over foreign butter (ABC News) Air New Zealand says demand recovering, no capacity cuts (Reuters) Investigations into fatal plane crashes begin (ABC News) Regional Express (REX) flying into Northern Queensland again: New airline arrives in town (Bianca Clare @ the Daily Mercury) New routes launched during the last week (Saturday 26 September – Friday 2 October) (from Airline Network News & Analysis – scroll down to the end of the article) Landing scare at Wagga airport (ABC News) Smelly, fat, seat-kickers worst plane passengers (ABC News) Boeing Receives Australian Industry Award For F-111 Support (Aero-News.net) Defence told to clean up creek contamination (ABC News) New delay for RAAF KC-30s (Australian Aviation) More news of air traffic system improvements Qantas calls for air traffic overhaul (ABC News) Qantas has called for ‘smarter skies’ (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Airlines to save millions as defence flight paths open (Sydney Morning Herald) Virgin Blue and The Black Eyed Peas join music’s Mile High Club (Access All Areas) Please note that 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 8: Riding Our Segways http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/09/11/episode-8-riding-our-segways/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/09/11/episode-8-riding-our-segways/#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:48:27 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=114 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 . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 8: Riding Our Segways]]> 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:

]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/09/11/episode-8-riding-our-segways/feed/ 0 1:49:06 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[...] 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 Qantas makes emergency landing in Perth (Geoffrey @ The West Australian) Qantas yields remain under pressure (Bill Lindsay @ The Australian) Qantas feels the heat from the east (Geoff Easdown @ the Herald Sun) Qantas braces for long haul in red: IATA figures (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Qantas yield contractions continue, but appear to have stabilised; SIA downgraded on yield squeeze (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation) Discounted tickets lure more to Qantas in July (news.com.au) It’s a Jetstar a rising at Qantas (Ben Sandilands @ Crikey) The Australian Government is putting its travel management up to tender Federal air travel tender to hit Qantas (Scott Rochfort @ the Sydney Morning Herald) More bad news for Qantas – Federal air travel tender up for grabs (eTravel Blackboard) Virgin hails move to tighten airfare policy (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) 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 Diggers’ bodies to return from Vietnam (news.com.au) Vietnam airmen’s remains flown home (Max Blenkin @ The Courier Mail) 39yr wait over as Toowoomba farewells Vietnam pilot (Sam Burgess @ ABC News) State funeral for Vietnam War airman (ABC News) http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/aircraft/series2/A84.htm About #2 Squadron in Vietname and more about #2 squadron History of Canberras with the RAAF Images of the Canberra that crashed Thanks to David Vanderhoof for the research Student pilot makes emergency landing after engine fails (same pilot as the runway overrun reported a few weeks ago) Plane makes emergency landing in paddock (ABC News) Man survives plane crash in Abbotsbury (Michael Chammas & Stacey Vanoska @ the Fairfield City Champion) Student pilot crash lands in paddock in Prospect (Vikki Campion @ the Daily Telegraph) NOTE: Thanks to @DavidOptimal for the info 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: Ba[...] Podcasts Steve Visscher & Grant McHerron (www.planecrazydownunder.com) no no PCDU Episode 6: Plugcast http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/08/30/episode-6-plugcast/ http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/08/30/episode-6-plugcast/#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:38:35 +0000 Grant (Falcon124) http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/?p=86 After almost two weeks we finally get another episode out, but this one should be worth the wait. We have our first guest discussion session (@MaxFlight from the Airplane Geeks Podcast) and we have our first interview (Carlo Santoro from the Flight Experience Melbourne 737 simulator). In addition to all this, we also discuss the . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 6: Plugcast]]> After almost two weeks we finally get another episode out, but this one should be worth the wait. We have our first guest discussion session (@MaxFlight from the Airplane Geeks Podcast) and we have our first interview (Carlo Santoro from the Flight Experience Melbourne 737 simulator). In addition to all this, we also discuss the following topics:

Our sounds come SoundSnap.com and our title track is “Younameit5″ by Brian Simpson (aka t3cat5).

]]> http://www.planecrazydownunder.com/2009/08/30/episode-6-plugcast/feed/ 2 1:14:11 After almost two weeks we finally get another episode out, but this one should be worth the wait. We have our first guest discussion session (@MaxFlight from the Airplane Geeks Podcast) and we have our first interview (Carlo Santoro from the Flight [...] After almost two weeks we finally get another episode out, but this one should be worth the wait. We have our first guest discussion session (@MaxFlight from the Airplane Geeks Podcast) and we have our first interview (Carlo Santoro from the Flight Experience Melbourne 737 simulator). In addition to all this, we also discuss the following topics: Bodies of the passengers on the Airlines PNG Twin Otter crash at Kokoda are returned Kokoda crash victims arrive home (Paul Millar @ The Age) ‘Bubbly’ pilot broke down barriers (Michael McKenna and Natasha Bita @ The Australian) Fellow pilots remember Kokoda crash victims (Sarah Elks and Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Virgin Blue to drop their code share with United (thanks to @DanWebbage for the lead) Virgin Blue to end codeshare partnership with United (Brendan Sobie @ FlightGlobal) QANTAS profits drop dramatically Qantas profit plunges 88pc, misses market forecasts (Bill Lindsay @ The Australian) Qantas shares defy profit plunge (Bill Lindsay @ The Australian) Qantas says LA and London routes behind profit nosedive (The Australian) Boeing Tells Qantas 787 Will Fly This Year (Aero News Network) Qantas targets costs as profit tumbles (Matt O’Sullivan @ The Age) Flight Centre also has a dramatic drop in their profit Flight Centre hits financial crisis turbulence (Michael Janda @ ABC News) Flight Centre optimistic on travel sector recovery in fiscal 2010 (Bill Lindsay @ The Australian) We talk briefly about travel agents vs online travel planning and Grant shamelessly plugs Cloud 9 Travel in Melbourne, his favourite boutique travel agency Falling profits are the norm at the moment with Macquarie Airports and Air New Zealand also earning less than expected Macquarie Airports hit by fall in asset values, air traffic (Iain MacDonald @ The Australian) Air New Zealand posts 90pc profit slump (ABC News) Air NZ rejects cartel charges (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) We discuss military flying in New Zealand, including the RNZAF 757, selling their A4 Skyhawks, their success with the Kaman Seasprites, buying the RAN’s A4s and the RNZAF’s A4 formation aerobatic team Australia and New Zealand getting closer to having open borders between them Cheap NZ flights as Tasman union looms (Josh Gordon @ The Age) @MaxFlight from the Airplane Geeks Podcast bravely agrees to chat with us and be recorded Do you think you have what it takes to save the day when your flight crew “eat the fish” but want to be sure in advance? Flight Experience Melbourne provide a 737 simulator and instructors to help you find out. Grant interviews Carlo while sitting in the sim Regional Express tries to expand into Queensland again Rex’s second tilt at Queensland: Regional Express (Steve Creedy @ The Australian) Optus launch a 3rd satellite Ariane 5 Rocket Launches Satellite Duo for Japan, Australia (Justin Ray @ SpaceFlightNow) QANTAS passenger tries to open door in flight Midair drama: man restrained on Qantas flight (ABC News) Man tries to open door on Qantas flight (Yahoo!7 News) Bomb scare on Singapore Airlines Bomb scare: Passengers herded to back of plane (ABC News) We hope the winds drop further (Wind causing flight delays: Qantas (ABC News)) Our sounds come SoundSnap.com and our title track is “Younameit5″ by Brian Simpson (aka t3cat5). 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