We’ve been a little busy lately and it’s been a while since our last episode, so to make up for it we’ve released this rather chunky episode of aviation goodness covering the Pacific Airshow Gold Coast 2024 event. It’s just like the old days when our episodes were long and the pause button was your friend…
The episode unfolds as per the details below. Enjoy!
0:01:11 – Steve & Grant chat about what’s been happening, why it’s taken so long to get this episode produced, Steve’s new radio show (yes, radio!) called The Clear Signal, our fun at the Pacific Airshow Gold Coast with Brian Coleman (from the Journey is the Reward show and the Airplane Geeks) who joined us from California, despite immigration’s best efforts, and what to expect from the interviews we collected. Oh yes, did we mention the beers?
0:06:15 – Jeff Boerboon updates us about what’s been happening since last year, the Yak-110’s appearance at Shellharbour, and how air shows can inspire the next generation of pilots.
0:12:17 – Air Commodore Micka Gray talks to Grant about his career since Pitch Black 2014 when he was last on the show, the RAAF’s approach to air shows (both their own as well others they display at), and the benefits RAAF receives from their displays at last year’s Gold Coast show in particular as well as their other appearances in general.
0:19:05 – Gary Cooper, a former RAAF pilot who has been awarded the USAF’s Air Force Cross twice, and the Australian Defence Force’s ground combat medal, talks to us on Vietnam Veterans’ Day about his career and the situations he was in that lead to those three medals. From flying Norsemans and Junkers 52s in Papua New Guinea to joining the RAAF, the multitude of aircraft he flew and then becoming a Forward Air Controller until he left the RAAF after Vietnam and returned to flying with various airlines around the world. Gary’s story is amazing and it was an honour and privilege to talk with him.
0:31:37 – Steve introduces the next block of interviews.
0:32:16 – We talk with Craig Hobart, the President of the Southport Flying Club, about the history of the club and the airport, the club’s structure, the types of operations conducted at the airport (including medivac and rescue services), its importance to the area, and its involvement with the Pacific Airshow Gold Coast event. He also gives us a look at what the future holds for the airport and the club.
0:47:20 – Steve catches up with Mark Newton and Angela Garvey from the Freedom Formation Display Team about their displays at this year’s and last year’s air show, the changes that have happened since last year, Angela’s career and how she joined the team, women in aviation, the team’s sponsors & supporters, and how the team trains and conducts their display.
1:04:54 – Grant introduces the final block of interviews.
1:05:51 – Mandy Henschel from the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service returns to the show and gives us an update on the amazing developments in their community service and taking on a Police Air Wing contract.
1:10:30 – Scott Andrews is one of the rescue crew members in the back of the Westpac helicopter who talks to us about his career, the efforts involved in becoming a crew member, the training they undertake, and what it’s like to be on the end of the hoist when performing a rescue.
1:17:21 – Kurt and Matt from SydSquad, who provide a livestream of aircraft movements at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith international airport (YSSY). The guys talk about their show, how it came to be, spotting at Sydney, their audience engagement, and their fund raising for the Little Wings charity.
1:21:34 – Steve & Grant wrap up the episode chatting about SydSquad, the amazing Gary Cooper and how he and the other Vietnam veterans were poorly treated by the government, and what to expect from our next show, some of which we’ve already recorded.
Links:
- Pacific Airshow Gold Coast: https://pacificairshowaus.com
- Steve’s new radio show called The Clear Signal: https://www.clearsignal.com.au
- The Journey is the Reward show: https://thejourneyisthereward.org
- The Airplane Geeks show: https://www.airplanegeeks.com
- Southport Flying Club: https://southportflyingclub.com.au
- Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service: https://lifesaver.org.au
- SydSquad: https://www.sydsquad.com.au
- Little Wings Charity: https://www.littlewings.org.au
Credits:
- Introduction voice over by Kevin Hillier: http://howdypartnersmedia.com.au
- Closing credits by Terry Daniel: http://yourvoiceover.com.au
- Episode artwork photos by Steve Visscher
Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com
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.