Australian Flying

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General aviation faces a challenge that as yet we haven’t been able to measure. In the coming months, the size of the economic fallout from the COVID-19 restrictions will become apparent. GA’s best weapon to fend off this crisis remains the passion o

Earlier this year, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released a statistical analysis report that shows fatalities in general aviation are in decline. Covering the years 2010-2019, the report states that although GA accidents increased sli

1 Helipad proposed for Darling Harbour 2 Pipistrel co-operates on Hydrogen Shuttle 3 Aviation mourns Simulation Pioneer 4 Prominent Physician appointed to Angel Flight Board 5 VoltAero opts for Pusher Configuration on Cassio 6 Loss of Control pinpoin

Textron Aviation successfully flew the prototype Cessna 408 SkyCourier twin turboprop utility aircraft for the first time in May this year. The SkyCourier took off from the company’s east campus Beech Field Airport, piloted by Corey Eckhart, senior t

As this article goes to print, I’m desperately hoping that we are all able to drag out the charts again (or fire up the electronic flight bag if that’s how you roll). But even if we can’t fly, we can always dream of it and have a plan, and the combin

The air show schedule for Australia and most countries in the world was thrown into disarray earlier this year by social-distancing requirements enforced to combat the spread of coronavirus. With most countries implementing bans on outdoor gatherings

Flying instructor, member of the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame and pioneer of the Australian Women Pilots Association (AWPA), Senja Robey BEM, folded her wings earlier this year, dying at home on 14 April at the age of 93. A flying instructor of e

Italian manufacturer Tecnam has introduced a diesel engine option to their P Twenty-Ten range. The P2010 TDI turbo-diesel will be added to the 180-hp and 215-hp avgas models of the four-seat high-wing. Continental's new liquid-cooled and turbocharged

I doubt there’s a pilot in the world who hasn’t played the game of “what would you buy if money was no object?” In my mind’s eye I can see my own hangar, with the Beech Staggerwing tucked away in the corner, partially blocked by the Cirrus Vision Jet

Pilot supply shops–either brick-and-mortar or online–are special places to aviators that mean almost nothing at all to the general public. They are part bookshop, part video store, clothes shop, electronics shop, newsagent, gift shop and camping stor

The world is looking for an alternate to leaded avgas for three reasons. First, leaded avgas, which is manufactured from a non-renewable resource, is expensive to produce and buy; second, it pollutes the environment; and third, it is hard to access,

If you asked 100 pilots at a flying club barbeque (ah, those were the days!) to name a GA twin, 99 of them would answer with Baron, a Piper with a Native American name (Aztec, Seminole, Twin Comanche), a Cessna starting with 3 or 4, or perhaps Parten

Several months ago, just when many Australians and our wildlife were beginning to recover from disastrous droughts and bushfires, the world began to be exposed to the COVID-19 virus, which has inflicted a huge toll on human lives and national economi

From Garmin comes an aviation portable GPS unit that promises much more than just navigation accuracy. In May, Garmin introduced the latest addition to their distinguished family of portable GPS units: the aera 760. Designed with the co-operation and

An aircraft piston engine needs fuel, air and a spark to operate. Simplistically, fuel is provided by gravity or a fuel pump driven by the turning engine, air sucked in by the combustion process through the carburettor, and spark by the magnetos whic

From mid-March, almost overnight the world changed. Things we all took for granted were suddenly restricted, illegal, not available or in shortage. The view from my window changed dramatically. One day I was in our office at Fyshwick with our team of

If ever there was a sector of the aerospace industry entitled to feel underwhelmed by attention and support it would surely have to be general aviation. Not only is the sector as a whole the focus of a flood of negativity when it does score some atte

In considering my column for this edition, I looked out my window and at the FlightRadar24 app and was disheartened by the real impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on our industry. There certainly aren’t as many aircraft in the skies, even though

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) have ordered two Bell 412s which will be dedicated to remote area SAR, and will be delivered in time for next year’s fire season. This follows an increase in demand for the services of rescue helicopter