Plane Crazy Down Under – Page 9 – Looking at the world of aviation from an Australia / Pacific point of view

Advertise with PCDU during Avalon 2013

Plane Crazy Down Under will be presenting comprehensive coverage of this year’s Australian International Air Show, showcasing the products, services and personalities of this unique event

Advertising slots are available now for our daily audio and video editions

Our Avalon advertising package is competitively priced and includes:

Displaying your logo along with our other advertisers on a splash screen at the start of all Avalon 2013 video content we produce. At the end of each video we will also have each advertiser’s logo, company name & tag line displayed one after the other as part of the closing credits.
Reference to your company at the start of each Avalon 2013 audio episode we produce (eg: “Our Avalon 2013 content has been brought to you by … “) along with a brief spoken word promotion of your company during the audio episode that includes your company name & tag line.
Inclusion of your banner advert in high rotation on our web sites.

Our special event coverage episodes & videos typically attract significantly higher download number than regular content.Â Advertising on PCDU gives you the chance to promote your business directly to an aviation focused audience.

For pricing inquiries and further information:

Call Grant on +61 422 914 949

Email us at comms@southernskiesmedia.com.auÂ today!

PCDU Episode 99: RAAF C-130H – Into History

C130H Farewell Cover Art In November of 2012 the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) decommissioned their C-130H fleet, transitioning to the C-130J and reaching the end of an era for flight engineers & navigators in the Air Lift Group (ALG). We were fortunate enough to be invited to partake in some of the decommissioning events including a final media flight over Sydney Harbour, watching a formation flyby practice from RAAF Base Richmond’s control tower and the delivery of C-130H A97-011 to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook.

In the course of these events we obtained a number of great interviews with past & present air crew which are gathered here in our tribute episode to the C-130H in RAAF service.

Farewell 2012

As 2012 draws to a close come & spend a bit of time with Steve, Grant, Bas & ATC Ben as they wrap up the year with some new content, some discussions and a bit of fun. Itâ€™s another long episode but we think itâ€™s a pretty good way to send out the year :)

Check out Episode 98: Farewell 2012 for discussions about the recent administrative groundings of RA-Aus aicraft, interviews with skydivers, a chat with Dan O’Donnell (RAAF F18 pilot) and even a brand new “The View From The Lounge” segment by Anthony Simmons.

Click here to go to the show notes & play the episode

PCDU Episode 98: Farewell 2012

As 2012 draws to a close come & spend a bit of time with Steve, Grant, Bas & ATC Ben as they wrap up the year with some new content, some discussions and a bit of fun. It’s another long episode but we think it’s a pretty good way to send out the year :)

The episode unfolds as:

0:03:30 – We discuss issues CASA are having with RA-Aus that has seen a number of LSA grounded due to administrative issues, one of which was Bas’ own aircraft
0:21:35 – An update on the fight to save Aldinga Aerodrome
0:29:10 – An interview Steve & Grant recorded with Brian & Rick from Commando Skydivers at the recent Tooradin Aviation Day
0:40:33 – a chat we recorded with Dan O’Donnell (RAAF F18 pilot who also flies with Matt Hall Racing) and Angie Morino (from Aus Air Services)
0:57:42 – Anthony Simmons returns at last with The View From The Lounge #13: The Phantom Dolmades Roller
1:03:14 – Steven Pam has sent us a Christmas Greeting
1:04:54 – Steve, Grant, Bas & ATC_Ben discuss the View from the Lounge and Top Gun
1:07:17 – Bas talks about the latest updates to the OzRunways app and gives us his response to the “OzRunways for Android” lobby on Facebook
1:16:51 – ATC_Ben talks about becoming an On Job Trainer Instructor in the ATC world
1:21:34 – CASA have introduced a Notice of Final Rule Making regarding the use of EFBs in Australian skies (PDF) – and the news is good, according to Bas
1:32:12 – Tech in the cockpit comes up along with the inevitable IOS vs Android vs Windows 8 with Bas in the Blue Corner and Grant in the Red Corner. DING!!!!
1:33:16 – Ben Jones sends us a Christmas greeting
1:33:39 – Damien Rose also sends us a Christmas greeting
1:25:12 – We spend some time reviewing the highlights of 2012, including:
- Grant got his balloon license
- ATC_Ben went to the USA and Oshkosh 2012
- Steve got a C130 ride over Sydney
- Bas changed his work and lifestyle to focus on OzRunways, allowing him to work for himself and move to a property where he’s setting up a runway on the front yard (now, where have we heard *that* phrase before? :) )
1:43:49 – We look forward to 2013 and talk a little about our Avalon 2013 plans and how we’re always up for new sponsors for our Avalon coverage
1:50:13 – We give shout-outs to those who have helped us over 2012, including:
- Sponsors & Advertisers: JetRide Australia, OzRunways, , AvSoft & Adventure Wings
- Those who helped make AusFly such a success: QBE Insurance, Aero Refuellers & Narromine Shire Council
- Courtney Miller & Max Flight for inspiring PCDU
- Cathey Visscher & Kitt Loughman for their on-going support behind the scenes and their endless roles as “podcast widows”
- Of course, a big thanks goes out to our audience for doing us the honour of listening to our programme, supporting it, interacting with us and much much more

With 2013 practically on top of us, we’re going to enjoy some New Year celebrations and then get back to work on completing Episode 99 which covers the C130H retirement & is due out in late January.

747 ‘Likes’ and a Reward

Most of us have a special appreciation for the Boeing 747 (often referred to as the “Queen of the Skies”) so we were rather amused to discover that our Facebook page is currently “liked” by 747 people. Neat! :)

Don’t forget that our 750th “Liker” is going to get a PCDU cap sent out to them while at the same time, we’re going to give away a free “Trial Introductory Flight” with Aus Air Services at Tooradin to a random Australian from amongst all our fans. We’d offer it to all of you but there’s not much point unless you can get down here to Melbourne to claim it, right? :)

So thanks to everyone who’s “liking” our Facebook page. It’s a great place to find out what we’re up to and what aviation news items from down under have caught our eye.

QF 747-400ER Engine Run Up — A 747-400ER doing a run up at Avalon

PCDU Episode 97: Journos & Aeros

We have a variety of content for you in this episode including:

0:03:50 – A great chat we recorded with Andrew McLaughlin, previously co-owner and deputy editor of Australian Aviation and now a freelance aviation writer
1:00:59 – Kathy Mexted went flying with Anatole Mills from Warbird Air Adventures and got to experience some aerobatics in a Nanchang (NOTE: Kathy can also be found at kascribe & Kathy Mexted Photography)
1:33:48 – Grant had a chat with Mike Dunn, General Manager & Chief Pilot of Heli-Serv after being an air-to-air photo shoot with one of HeliServe’s aircraft
1:43:07 – We review some of our listener emails:
- Daniel Pearson asked about where to find a list of Australian air shows so we pointed him at Allan Van’t Padje’s “Australian Air Shows” page on Facebook
- Mick (aka Bom1) is jealous of Steve’s C130H ride
- Rob Lawrie pointed us to the SAAA’s Chapter 1 in Sydney and linked us to their Facebook page
Grant gives a shout out to the gang at the Stuck Mic Avcast and the Hangar 49 podcast to say thanks for the birthday wishes
Steve notes that Larry Beyer (USAF Retired), a friend of his from the USA when he was living in Arkansas, passed away recently & will be greatly missed

The music featured in Kathy Mexted’s segment is “Pool Party” by CC Martini.

Fighter Pilot: Mis-Adventures Beyond the Sound Barrier with “Serge,” an Australian Top Gun

ep096 cover art — Check out “Serge’s” book, it’s great

Episode 96 has been released and it features a long chat we recorded with ‘Mac “Serge” Tucker’ about his career as an F18 pilot with the RAAF, his book “Fighter Pilot” and his views on drones & the future of air combat.

There’s lots of great content in this chat including some that’s funny, some that’s contentious and more than a few items that may make you stop & think. Check out the episode and then go out & pick up a copy of Serge’s book “Fighter Pilot”.

Click here to go to the show notes & play the episode

PCDU Episode 96: “Serge” – An Australian Top Gun

It takes a special breed to push an F18 out to the edge of the envelope, fly missions ranging from surface attack to dog fights and then blow off steam with your squadron mates. It’s certainly not Top Gun but it does make amazing fodder for a book that highlights the good, the bad and the crazy.

Just such a book has been written by ‘Mac “Serge” Tucker‘ and it’s called “Fighter Pilot: mis-adventures beyond the sound barrier with an Australian Top Gun”

Steve & Grant chat to “Serge” about being a fighter pilot, flying & partying hard, blowing off steam and dealing with bureaucrats. We also cover:

The size of the fighter community in Australia and the camaraderie that has developed among them
The mentoring that occurs within the community covering both technical & behavioural aspects of being a fighter pilot
The interaction of fighter pilots with pilots from other parts of the RAAF
Serge’s career progressing from high school through basic training in the CT4, progression to the Aermacchi MB 326H (the Macchi) and on to the F18 via a stint on the Nomad.
Wing Commander Ross Fox’s influence as Serge’s mentor and the impact of his death in an F18 mid-air collision
Serge’s thoughts on the Australian Army & Royal Australian Navy
Working with the fighter pilots from the USA & comparing USA pilots with RAAF pilots
Old timer stories and their influence on current procedures
RAAF exchange pilots flying F15s & F22s with the USAF
The F35 JSF and its issues with kinematics
Drones and their use in the military environment
How the military have missed out on changing their operations & equipment to deal better with the Middle East environment & the modern political power dynamics
Serge’s love of hang gliding
Transitioning from being a fighter pilot to being an airline pilot
His final flight: a one-on-one dogfight with Matt Hall

Going North (with help from our friends :)

Episode 95: Northern Exposure has been released at last! With so many chats & interviews from Oshkosh 2012 (& 2011 :) plus the introduction of a new Team PCDU member, it was a huge effort for Steve to edit it. Heck, even Grant had a lot to do when writing up the show notes.

In this episode, we tag along with ATC_Ben on his visit to Oshkosh 2012, discussing his journey there & listening to a few of the interviews he recorded (yes, we’re still jealous we couldn’t get there!). We then introduce long-time listener Damien Rose who’s joining us as our Queensland correspondent & lives about 2,000km north of PCDU HQ. Finally, we play a few of the interviews Steve & Grant recorded at Oshkosh 2011 to help us feel a bit better about not being there this year (nope, still jealous! :)

Click here to go to the show notes & play the episode

PCDU Episode 95: Northern Exposure

Steve & Grant go north of Melbourne thanks to the aid of some members of Team PCDU, both current & new. First up we tag along with ATC_Ben on his visit to Oshkosh 2012, discussing his journey there & listening to a few of the interviews he recorded (yes, we’re still jealous we couldn’t get there!). We then introduce long-time listener Damien Rose who’s joining us as our Queensland correspondent & lives about 2,000km north of PCDU HQ. Finally, we play a few of the interviews Steve & Grant recorded at Oshkosh 2011 to help us feel a bit better about not being there this year (nope, still jealous! :)