
Hopefully it won’t be a month before we have our next episode out for you.

Hopefully it won’t be a month before we have our next episode out for you.

In this episode we have the first few of our AusFly content and we’ll be having more in future episodes as we arranging interviews with the exhibitors we missed out chatting to during the event. Everyone was kept busy by the steady stream of people so there wasn’t much time to stop & chat.
The full content of the show includes:



All photos in these show notes (including the episode title image) were taken by Phil Buckley. Thanks mate :)
We had a fantastic time at AusFly over the 14th to 16th of September at Narromine Airport. Our AusFly Radio was played live over the PA system and livestreamed to the Internet thanks to LiveATC.net and our Shoutcast feed.
Congratulations to all the organisers & volunteers from the SAAA who helped make it happen, along with the sponsors, exhibitors & display pilots plus all the people who showed up to attend the event. With over 300 aircraft pre-registered it was estimated that over 400 aircraft flew in. The aero club produced over 500 meals on the Friday night in addition to the pizza guy selling out & the burger n chips cart doing a roaring trade. Fantastic!
Now the planning starts for next year’s event. Bring it on!
After three years of lamenting the hassles involved in getting to the West Coast of Australia to report on aviation happenings wwwaaayyy over there on the other side of the big empty, we’ve finally done something about it: we’ve set up a PCDU-WestCoast office and found someone just as aviation-crazy as we are to run it :)
In this episode we introduce Ben Jones who is based in West Australia and has a long and fascinating history of aviation. Clearly it’s in his blood as most of his family are into aviation while Ben himself is a pilot, home builder, member of the RAAF reserve and much much more. He’s even started a blog called WA Aviator to record his aviation activities ‘over there.’
There’s more to the episode than introducing Ben, however, and here’s what you’ll find in it:
We also have a very special announcement about AusFly: We’ve been invited to attend and provide commentary, narration and general radio services during the show. We’ll be there with a PA system, low powered FM transmitter and a live-stream to the Internet via LiveATC and our MyRadioStream link. Check it out at:
Finally, at 1:24:13 we have a few shout outs to cover:

In addition to Helene’s chat, we also have Steve’s interview with Peter Sobey from Sharp Airlines, Grant’s chat with Chris Dewhirst (the first man to fly a hot air balloon over Mt Everest) and a new View from the Lounge.
Get on over to PCDU Episode 92: Helene Young – A Novel Approach to Flying and check it out!
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Kathy Mexted joins Steve & Grant to interview Helene Young, a Dash-8 pilot who’s written three great books based around pilots flying for Australia’s border patrol in the far north of Queensland. In addition to being a captain with the regionals, Helene has managed to juggle her home & social life with work and writing, producing three great books in a relatively short period of time.
We also have interviews with Peter Sobey (Chief Flying Instructor at Sharp Airlines) and Chris Dewhirst (first man to fly a balloon over Mt Everest) along with a brand new View From the Lounge segment (also about balloons).

All this and more in PCDU Episode 91: New Horizons :)
After a number of years and the inevitable stumbling blocks that life throws at us, Grant has finally become a balloon pilot having completed his check flight up at Mildura just the other day. From how the final stages of solos & check flight unfolded to a comparison of “first solo” moments, Steve & Grant talk briefly about the realisation that a new license & $5 can now buy you a beer…
Meanwhile, Bas & AntCB join Steve to talk iPad aviation apps, Pieter Johnson interviews Australians at Farnborough 2012, Steve & Bas talk to Peter Gibson from CASA about the new Class 2 Medicals, we talk to Aviation Australia about their training courses & Aviation Careers Expo and Grant chats with Alan Joyce (no, really! :)
Steve’s been considering buying an aircraft so he got together with Anthony Crichton-Browne and Ben Morgan to discuss the costs of owning an aircraft. After that we’re joined by Kathy Mexted to interview Justin Sheedy about his book “Nor the years condemn” before heading off into a discussion of various items (including Grant getting on his soapbox about ‘aircraft snobs’). It’s worth sticking around to the very end for a huge, 5 minute mega-blooper reel at the end :)
Way back in April, Steve & ATC_Ben flew “Ben Air” from Lilydale (YLIL) to Temora (YTEM) for the RA-Aus NatFly 2012 event, leaving Grant behind in Melbourne attempting to recover from bronchitis. While not as vibrant as 2011, there was still plenty of activity to keep Steve & Ben busy recording lots of great content. Join us to check out all the light aircraft fun.
