Australian Flying

I wonder if the people in power in 1996 had any idea what monster they were creating when they decided to have the national aviation authority focused on safety and nothing else. It probably seemed like a great idea at the time, but was likely a visc

The struggles the aviation community has with CASA have reached the point now where it is clear that a lack of a co-ordinating body to keep regulation in check is at the root of the problem. This reader articulates it quite nicely. Hi, Steve. Talking

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Michael McCormack introduced a bill to the House of Representatives in late February proposing to amend the Civil Aviation Act 1988. The bill seeks to amend the Act to take into acco

AirVenture Australia has switched its annual event to Parkes, NSW, scheduled for 20-22 September 2019 The moves comes after only one year at Cessnock in the Hunter Valley. The reason for the change has not been made clear. “We look forward to again h

Ken Cannane, Executive Director of the Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Business Association (AMROBA) believes that effective regulation can lead to jobs growth in the aviation sector. Cannane said in a communique to AMROBA members in March t

Everyone in the southern hemisphere (and beyond) involved in aviation knows what the word “Avalon” means, although officially the event is known as The Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition. Avalon is a biennial six days

Familiarity is a strange concept. The term describes that top-of-mind recall of where things belong, sometimes instinctively. Pilots familiar with a particular aircraft type can land with a blocked pitot tube, find a landing light switch in the dark

Cessna’s C172 platform has proven harder to kill than Medusa. Despite the rise of new four-seat singles the 172 has managed to hold its crown, out-selling its closest rival, Diamond’s DA-40, by 33% between 2013 and 2017, and easily holding new challe

High-lift devices are enhancements or additions to an aircraft’s wing which serve to increase lift. They may be a fixed component, or they may be a moveable mechanism. That’s the technical description, but let’s look at what that practically means. A

A well-known maxim in aviation is that beautiful aircraft usually fly well. Good looks are not enough though, they must be backed up by safety, features, and performance, especially if a relative new-comer is to knock an established player off its pe

Despite the increasing importance in recent decades of en route, departures and approach control, the most commonly recognised symbol of air traffic control remains the control tower. Inside controllers scan the sky, taxiways and aprons spotting airc

Tell a friend or colleague you’re a pilot and nine times out of 10 they’ll respond with “which airline do you fly for?” While the airline sector does constitute a large part of the aviation industry, there are a multitude of career options outside th

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), headquartered in Washington, DC, is by far the largest in the world, with over 11,000 member companies and individuals. The benefits of travel by business aircraft are quite well understood by many A

General aviation has for several years been riding a wave of new simulation technology that has brought previously unobtainable levels of realism to flying school training devices. This technology has undoubtedly improved simulation training, but for

A US aero engine manufacturer is targeting the Australian amateur-built and recreational markets with a highly-tuned and specially-designed engine. AeroMomentum, represented in Australia by MAN Aerospace, brought to the Australian International Airsh

australianflying.com.au In response to the Australian Government’s LAND 2097 Phase 4 project for a Special Operations Helicopter (SOH) requirement, Hawker Pacific landed in force at the 2019 Avalon air show with a total of five aircraft on show, incl

australianflying.com.au My love affair with aviation began at a very young age. I am a baby boomer to an ex-RAAF wartime fitter who was always interested in aeroplanes, and I believe he passed on this interest to me. I was about eight years old when

Alot of the stories in this edition were probably penned from a hotel near or around Avalon, or if not a hotel, the comfort of the conference centre or the exhibition halls. This one is no different, although it was penned from the RAAus tent, which

australianflying.com.au Like it or not we’re all human, which means we make mistakes. In some aspects of life mistakes are a pathway of learning – vividly demonstrating right from wrong and reinforcing knowledge. Sometimes we can afford to make mista

australianflying.com.au Last July the Productivity Commission (PC) was given a reference to examine and report on the current light-handed approach to the economic regulation of Australia’s airports, particularly the monitored airports: Sydney, Melbo